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cold nights they have been in a room at 45 0 or even less, with¬

out showing the least signs of discomfort ; whether they would

stand it for any length of time I am unable to say, as I always

endeavour to keep my rooms as near 6o° as possible. They

amuse themselves by chasing each other round the cage, over

and under the perches and occasionally swinging round and

round with an agility that is perfectly astounding, this exercise

usually being terminated by two or three somersaults thrown on

the wing. They are very noisy birds, uttering their curious bell¬

like note, which is almost exactly similar to that of another little-

known member of this genus, viz., Myzantha melanophrys, or the

Bell-bird of Australia, a pair of which occupy the opposite corner

of my bird-room, and carry on an animated conversation with

their vis-a-vis the greater part of day. Their diet consists of

boiled potato chopped fine, mixed with yolk of egg and grated

carrot, with a few scalded grocers’ currants added. They are

great fruit eaters, and have a daily supply of banana and orange;

the former they are particularly fond of, especially if a trifle over

ripe. If, as occasionally happens, neither of the above-mentioned

fruits are obtainable, a slice of ripe pear, or a few green figs, make

an efficient substitute. They are also very fond of the ordinary

green-fty, which is such a pest to the garden, and if a branch

-covered with this insedt be placed in the cage,they rapidly strip the

leaves by licking them with their long tongues ; it is needless to

add that mealworms are an especial delicacy. My birds are very

fond of their bath, and are supplied daily with an earthenware

panful of water, some 15 inches in diameter, in which they simply

revel, it being by far the most important item of the day’s pro¬

gramme. They perform their ablutions in rather a curious

manner, first sitting on the edge of the pan, apparently making

up their minds for the inevitable plunge ; then with wings out¬

stretched and tail extended, they run rapidly across the pan

under the water, emerging on the other side thoroughly

soaked ; this process being repeated some half-dozen times,

they scramble back with some difficulty to the nearest available

perch to plume themselves and complete an elaborate toilet.

Although not particularly demonstrative towards each other,

they strongly resent an intruder in their cage, as I have several

times placed a third party with them, always with disastrous

results—the last unfortunate individual being an especially fine

example of a Jamaica Troupial, who, apparently, treated their

hostile demonstrations with the greatest scorn, but some week

or ten days after his arrival, whether from the effedts of constant

harrying, or from an over-burdening sense of being perpetually



