610 



MR. D. SETH-SMITII ON TUE DISPLAY 



exhibitions, having been displaying on and oil" for the past five 

 or six months. 



Fm-tlier observations have revealed certain details in the 

 attitude adopted that were not at first apparent. 



Dr. Philip Manson-Bahr has spent many hours in sketching 

 this very difficult subject, and his series of beautiful coloured 

 drawings now exhibited will be fully explnined by him*. For 

 my own part I decided to try and photograph the bird during 

 display, knowing that in the dull light in which \hQ cage 

 is situated and the presence of intervening bars it was impos- 

 sible to obtain. presentable pictures, but hoping to, secure records 



Text-figure 2. 



' Second attitude of dispk)'. 



of the dilTerent positions adopted, from which it would bo possible 

 to make accurate drawings. 



Before describing the display of this species it will be as well 

 to give a brief description of the bird itself. About the size of 

 a Starling, it has the top of the head covered with velvet-like 

 feathers of a brownish colour; the back is metallic reddish 

 chestnut, becoming oraiige on the lower back, the wing-coverts 

 yellow with a distinct shade of orange, the abdomen and under 

 tail-coverts blackish purple. The tail, which is veiy short 



. * Dr. Manson-Htthr's sorios of coloured drawings of this bird liave beeu rrescuted 

 by him to the Zoological Society and placed in the Library. 



