TEE CAGE-BIRDS OF CALCUTTA. 573 



thrive well in confinement. From the readiness with which they partake of 

 plantains, I fancy that the species must be naturally more or less of a fruit- 

 eater. The outer hind toe (third toej is certainly reversible in this species — 

 and, indeed, in some other Wood-peckers that I have noticed — for it often 

 points laterally forwards when the bird is moving about in a cage. Nestlings 

 of this species have a warty pad on t.be hough, and shuffle about on it with- 

 out the aid of the toes. 



Family Capitonid^. 



I have more than once seen a statement in print that Barbets do not thrive 

 well in captivity ; but this is quite a mistake, at all events as regards most 

 Indian forms. The first Barbet I ever saw alive was an example of Cyanops 

 asiatica, which lived for at kast six years in the London Zoological Society's 

 Parrot-house. This species is the easiest of all to keep, both hand-reared 

 and wild-caught birds being exposed for sale in the Tiretta Bazaar where 

 some may practically always be found. Several individuals may safelv be 

 placed together in one cage, which is not the case with other Barbets, and a 

 great many must reach Europe ; indeed, the bird is only kept for export and 

 is certainly not unfrequently on sale in England, A few specimens of 

 Megalcema marshallorum and of Thereiceryx seylonicus are occasionally seen 

 here, and M. virens sometimes arrives from China. The Coppersmith 

 (Xantholcema hcematocepliala) is often brought in to the dealers, but never 

 lives long, as they loill feed it on " satoo/' a diet which kills it in a 

 very few days. Yet on bread-and-milk and fruit, or the latter only, it 

 lives well. 



Family Cucultd^e. 



The male Koel {Eudynamh liomrata) is a very popular pet with natives and 

 is always on sale here. Many examples are reared from the nestling stage by 

 hand. The young birds that I have observed do not seem to bear out the 

 theory that both sexes are at first entirely black, and that the female assumes 

 her proper livery later. Some young males are quite black, and others are 

 black sparsely spotted witb buff. The young females are much like the 

 adults of that sex, but have the upper half of the head and the nape black,. 

 In all young birds the bill is black, not green, as in the old. The only other 

 Cuckoo I have met with commonly in cages is the " Popiya," or Brain-fever- 

 bird {Hierococcyx varius), the note of which is as much esteemed by natives as 

 it is disliked by Europeans. It does not keep its plumage in such good condi- 

 tion as the Koel, which seems to do very well as a cage-bird. The Crow- 

 Pheasant {Centropus sinensis) is often brought in, not as a pet, but on account 

 of some fancied medicinal virtue. I have noticed two types of young Crow- 

 Pheasants, which never seem to occur in one brood, at least they are not sent 

 in together. One is a large barred bird, usually taken as the typical young 

 of the species, -which is very easy to tame. The other is smaller, especially 

 as regards the bill and feet, and shows no trace of bars, but is a dull edition 

 of the adult. When full-fledged it is wilder than the first, has a longer tail, 



