MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 343 



wings when just emerged from the pupa. At first they are hardly apparent, 

 but gradually they become first bumps, then short thick protuberances, until 

 they are finally fully developed. 



13th September.— Fourth and last moult. Larva velvety-black (the orange 

 spots having disappeared), covered with rather long yellowish hair, All the 

 spines reddish. General appearance that of a Lasiocampa or Gastropacha larva. 



22nd September. — Three larvaa hung up for pupal change. Four pupated on 

 23rd. Pupal stage lasts about ten days. 



G. C. DUDGEON. 

 Fag-oo Tea Estate, Western Duars. 



bth October, 1894. 



Explanation of Wood-cut. 



The wood-cut shews a section of the larva at the third moult at the segment 

 which bears the second pair of prolegs, and shews the disposition of the spines. 

 The base of the fifth spine on each side counting from a proleg is orange-yellow 



in colour. 



No. X.-THE POWER OF MIMICRY IN CANARIES. 



Last spring I was at home at Streatham, where there was a talking canary. 

 I had heard of the bird's accomplishments, and being somewhat sceptical I 

 noticed it particularly. The canary's cage was hanging in a window, and 

 during the winter a parrot had been placed on a table close by. After some 

 time it was noticed that the canary was repeating some of the parrot's sayings — 

 " Pretty polly, pretty dear, polly wants a quart of beer." 



I myself heard this many times, and was quite satisfied that it was the 

 canary, as the parrot had been removed after the winter and no one in the 

 house had any ventriloquial skill. 



The articulation of the canary was to that of the parrot, as the parrot's is 

 to the human voiee, i.e., rather worse, but still it was sufficiently clear and 

 distinct to be intelligible and unmistakable. 



There was a tendency to repeat words, e.g., " Pretty polly, polly, polly, pretty 

 dear, &c," and sometimes to go off into a whistle without completing the 

 sentence. 



I am told talking canaries are not uncommon, but have never seen an instance 

 recorded, so perhaps this may be worth noting in our Journal. 



Bombay, 30th December, 1894. W. W. SQUIRE. 



No. XI —MEASUREMENTS OF TIGERS' SKULLS. 



In my note on the measurement of tigers' skulls, which appeared in the last 

 number of our Journal (page 225 of this Yol.), the dimension of the first skull 

 are given as 11^" by 10J", but the figures which I wrote, or intended to write, 

 were 14|" by 10J". Please make the correction. 



HUGH MURRAY, 



BELaAUM, 6th January, 1895. Divisional Forest Officer 



