378 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XIII. 
Bhimraj.” Even should it, however, prove to he only a very marked aber- 
ration or sport, like the black-winged Pea-fowl (Pavo nigripennis) or the 
Ringed Guillemot (Uria ringvia), it is well worthy of note and of the 
attention of ornithologists, to say nothing of its remarkable beauty of 
marking, which should recommend it to fanciers, with whom in India the 
common Bhimraj is so popular.* —(Eutract from the Journal, Asiatic 
Society of Bengal.) . 
No, XII.—FURTHER NOTE ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE 
BRONZED CAPPED THAI (HUNETTA FALCATA) IN TIRHUT. 
I have now received seven specimens of this teal, only two of which are 
males. The first one received, as stated in my first note, is:not in full plumage, 
but the second one is a beautiful bird, It is in full plumage, and has the long, 
narrow, sickle-shaped tertians complete. It was brought me on the 17th of 
February by the same man who brought all the others, and from the same 
jheel, Fortunately this one bad not been damaged by the fowler, all the wing- 
tail feathers are in perfect condition, The following are the measurements, 
taken in the flesh:—length, 18:4” ; wing, 9'7”; tail, 2°55”; tarsus, 1°4” ; bill at 
front 1°75” ; bill from gape 2”; expanse 32”. The colours of the soft parts 
were as follows:—bill,black ; iris, dark-brown ; legs and feet, olive-grey; webs, 
brownish. Out of the five females, only two are perfect specimens, the 
others having their primaries missing, 
It appears that in this cold weather this species has not been rare, as, out of 
the small number of 275 ducks and teals brought me, 7 have been of this 
species, Considering the jheel contained thousands of birds, I think this is a 
large percentage to be obtained of a rare species, 
I was in error calling this species Kunta sarroo, this name not being 
given to this species. ) 
The fowlers say the birds were snared at the same time as common teal 
and gadwall, and may have been in the same flock, 
CHAS. M. INGLIS. 
Bacguownie Factory, DaRBHANGA, 
April, 1900. 
* This popularity is well deserved, for the Bhimraj is probably the most accomplished 
mimic known. Its powers in this respect have been alluded to by Jerdon (Birds ot India, 
Vol. I, p.49) and I myself have heard a very fine specimen once in Mr. Rutledge’s posses- 
sion imitate the mewing of a cat and the song of a canary to perfection. Mr, R. D, Oldham, 
of the Geological Survey, told me. of one which he heard talk with a perfectly human voice ; 
and the bird used by myself in bionomical experiments (see J.A.8.B., 1897), after a 
sojourn of a year or two at the Zoo learnt to imitate, in addition to other sounds, the babbling 
of a Cockatoo in which one word at least, “ Baba,’ was quite distinctly audible. 
When I kept several together, before IL began experimenting, they displayed a marked 
partiality fcr the leaves of Bougainvillea, and as the identical bird alluded to above, 
which was one of them, ate plantain readily, Iam inclined to think that the Corvine bill 
of this form is connected with a Corvine omnivorousness of habits, The Bhimraj is also very 
affectionate and fond of notice, and, were it not that it needs (though too generally it does 
not ae ») a very large gage and a good supply of living food, would make an ideal 
cag-b ra. 
