588 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIV, 



Before leaviug the Crateropodidse, I should irention that a few specimens 

 of the splendid My'iophoneus temmincJci have passed through Mr, Rutled^ge's 

 hands, and that lately my friend Mr. E. W. Harper secured from bim a fine 

 imported specimen of the Chinese 31. cceruleus, which he has sent to the 

 Loudon Zoological Gardens. But undoubtedly the members of this fine genus 

 are wrongly placed in this family, being certainly true Thrushes. The 

 distinction between them and the Babblers is perfectly obvious to any bird- 

 keeper or field-naturalist, however hard it may be to make out from skins. 

 Family Dicrueid^. 



Only one bird of this family is commonly kept here^ — the Bhimraj {Disse 

 murus paradiseus ) ; but few specimens are brought in, and these are hand- 

 reared birds in poor condition, which seldom live long, as they require — but 

 do not usually get— a very large cage. This species is, as Jerdon correctly 

 remarks an excellent mimic. I have even heari that it will occasionally talk, 

 and I have myself known one individual that could imitate the song of a 

 canary to perfection, and also mew like a cat ; while another with which I am 

 at present acquainted not only possesses the latter accomplishment, but 

 whistles two or three lines of a song with absolute accuracy of execution. 



The Kesraj {Chihia hottentotta) is sometimes on sale, but is not popular, 

 so far as I know ; the Dhouli {Dicrurus ccBrulescens) is occasionally to be 

 procured, and is said to whistle very well. 



Family L A N i i D ^. 



The Indian members of this family are hardly ever caged here, though some 

 consignments of Minivets {Pericroeotus speciosus and P. hrevirostris) have 

 arrived but have not thriven. 



The Australian Crow-Shrikes or Magpies {Gymnorliina leuconota and G. 

 tibicen) are, however, not unfrequently imported ; they thrive well and fetch 

 good prices on account of their well-known whistling and talking abilities. I 

 lately saw a specimen in the possession of Mr. Eutledge which had pale grey 

 on one side of the back and black on the other. This was, I presume, a hybied 

 between the two species. 



Family R I o L i D ^. 



Orioles are not generally kept, and the few that are to be seen do not thrive 

 well especially the common Oriolus melanocephalus. 0. trailli bears confine- 

 ment far better than the yellow species, being less restless. It also looks very 

 different from them in life, as it keeps the head-feathers erect, and has a more 

 upright carriage, in addition to its striking light-yellow irides. The eyes of 

 young birds are, however, dark brown. 



Family EuLABETiDiE. 



The common Hill or Talking-Mynah {Eulahes intermedia) is one of the 

 best-known cage-birds in Calcutta, being brought into the Bazaar by scores 

 at a time, which include both adult and newly-fledged specimens. As every- 

 one knows, some of these birds are very fine talkers, but I have only heard 

 one that was really good, whose imitation of the human voice was perfect. 



