THE CAGE-BIRDS OF CALCUTTA. 571 



between M. malacca and M. atricapUla often occur, and are doubtless hybrids. 

 Wild specimens of Uroloncha acuticauda are rarely seen, but the domes- 

 ticated Japanese race (known to home amateurs as the "Bengalee ") is con- 

 stantly present in the Bazaar in one or other of its three forms — the brown- 

 and-white (grading completely into the wild type), the fawn-and-white, and 

 the pure white, the last being the rarest. It is somewhat curious that no form 

 exists, apparently, intermediate between the fawn-and-white and brown-and- 

 white types, but a similar broad distinction exists between the cinnamon and 

 green forms of the domestic Canary, 



Of the small exotic Ploceidaj, Munia moja, M. caslaneithorax, Tceniopygia 

 castanotis, and Estrelda astrild are the most common; but PoepMla mirahilis 

 P. gouldice, P. acuticauda and P. cincia have been imported, the two former 

 most frequently, and the latter only quite recently, together with ^demosyne 

 modesta. 



ErytTirura pras'ma, though occurring in our empire, is of course only known 

 here as an imported bird, and does not usually do well. 



I have in my prefatory remarks already alluded to the Java Sparrow as a 

 commonly introduced bird, and now need only mention that the more or less 

 pure white domestic form from Japan is even more constantly an occupant 

 of the dealers' cages, presumably because it sells at a much higher price and 

 is therefore not so readily disposed of. 



Family Fkingillid^. 



Thq ubiquitous Canary is, of course, a very common cage-bird in Calcutta, 

 and will probably tend to displace many native species in the affections of the 

 people. Most of those sold here come from China ; they are small birds , 

 generally of the pale whitish-yellow tint known to fanciers in England aa 

 " buff, " green or pied birds being relatively few, and full bright yellow and 

 cinnamon being rarely if ever seen. 



I once saw a green bird (not a hybrid of any sort) marked with yellow on 

 the quills and tail, like a Greenfinch. The note of these Chinese Canaries is 

 very soft and pleasant, and they generally resemble the German type of bird. 

 Maltese and a few English Canaries are also imported, the latter fetching 

 three or four times the price of Chinese forms. 



The only Indian Finch commonly kept as a songster is the " Tuti" ( Carpo- 

 dacus erythrinus), this of course loses the red colour after moulting in con- 

 finement, like other carmine-tinted Finches. Several other species, however, 

 appear in the Bazaar, generally to form part of mixed collections, viz. : — Em- 

 herisa luteola, Hypacanthis spinoides, and, less commonly, Emberiza melanoce- 

 phala, E, aureola, Mekphus melanlcterus, Gymnorhis flavlcollis, and Carduelis 

 caniceps. A large consigi ment of the last-named came down during the past 

 winter, but the birds did cot thrive as a rule. A few individuals of the 

 Eastern form of Linnet {Acanthis fringillirostris) have also been brought in, 

 and I noted that the males, when Lept over the moult, lost the red, as the 

 home Linnet does. I have also seen a few specimens of Metoponia pusilla. 



