20S


Babblers, large or small, from either Thrushes or Warblers, none

of which, so far as I have seen, ever act in this way ; and I have

had opportunities of observing, besides other Thrushes and

Warblers, Copsychus saularis, Cittocincla macrura, and Orthotomus

sutorius, under conditions which should have made them show

this adlion if it were liabitual (r).


This distincT;ion in habit is paralleled by the fact that the

Troupials, as I have observed in the case of Icterus vulgaris,

though simulating the Starlings in form and the Orioles in

colour, differ from both these groups in readily making use of

their feet when feeding, generally in the Corvine fashion.


Of course, habits of this kind may vary in allied groups

even ; I do not remember seeing Sparrows {Passer domesticus and

montanus') ever use their foot to retain any object, as some

Finches, e.g., the Canary, will do. And among Cuckoos, while

the Crow-pheasant {Ce)itropus sinensis) uses its foot like a Crow,

the Guira {^Giiira guira) does not appear to do so, though a bird

of similar habit in some respects. Nor do all Parrots even,

charcteristic as the gesture is, use their feet as hands ; the

Budgerigar (^Melopsittacus taidulahts), does not do so, as far as I

know. I would not, therefore, press this charadler too hard.

But a habit certainly does seem very persistent in many cases,

and the present one should, I think, be allowed a certain amount

of weight, in conjunction with other characters.


Curiously enough, the typical Babblers are strikingly

marked off from allied groups by other peculiarities only

observable in the living bird. Thus, they are usually, from

Garrulax to Zosterops, remarkably and demonstratively sociable,

exhibiting au intense love of company, and being given to

cuddling up to and caressing other birds, including those of

another species, or even group, if the latter permit. Chbropsis,

however, and appai'ently ^ginthhia, are not thus disposed.


This social disposition, which, by the way, is less notice-

able among Bulbuls, is obviously different from that of Tlirushes

and Warblei'S, and though a mental or moral character, should

be allowed its due weight in considering the relationships of

such difficult and closely -related groups as the Thrush -like

Pas seres (d).


[c) Although this may be a general habit, it is not without exceptions ; for my

hand-reared Missel-Thrush always used his foot as a hand to retain my finger when I

was fighting him. (See " Brit. Birds with their Nests and Eggs," vol. I. p. 6). — A. G. B.


(d) I may also mention, in this connection, that I found that being confined and

watched in a cage, ^ginthitia iiphia and Argya earlii did not produce " castings " from

insects given, while Cittocincla macrura did so. — F. F.



