NOTES, 217 
NoTE. Mr. Butler's remarks are very interesting, and 
speak for themselves, so I need only refer to the fighting quails, 
Since hearing from him, I have met several quail-catchers in 
Sungei Ujong, and examining the decoy birds find that all 
were females. The Malays too told me they always used the 
females f: r fighting, and the males did not fight. 
Ib NIAE 
Bekin. 
Regarding the Malay word * bikin" — to do, to make, etc., 
—the use of which is so strongly deprecated, and the bastard 
origin of which is insisted upon by all authorities on the lan- 
guage—has the probability of its Persian origin ever been seri- 
ously considered? The wora bears a striking resemblance to 
“ bikun," the imperative of the common Persian verb “ to do, 
to make," etc. If this origin could be established it would 
raise the word from its present obloquious position to one of 
quite classical respectability. : 
У. С. 
— 
An insectivorous squirrel. 
* a 
t to prey upon these helpless insects. Birds, chietly bulbuls, 
g а 5 
ground. І was surprised, however, recentl one of thes 
occasions to see a little squirrel (Nanosciurus exilis) creeping 
about on the ground and eagerly ca th 
prey, which it ate wings and all, apparently with much enjoy- 
ment, and by the rustling in the bushes I judged there was at 
least one more, which I could not see, attac king the swarm. 
H. N.R. 
