on the Grey-wifiged Ouzel.



245



Wonga-Wonga Pigeons and a pair of Bronze-wings ; but the

Blackbirds take little notice of these.


Captain W. Tweedie speaking of an example of the Grey¬

winged Ouzel which he purchased in Kashmir (Avic. Mag., N. S.

Vol. II., p. 116) observes that “during the lovely ‘winter’ in

the North-West Provinces, which is warmer than any days we

have had this summer in England, the bird never sang a note

and seemed to feel the cold.” For a bird found close to the

snow-line this seems very remarkable, and only shows how much

less satisfactory cage-life is than the comparative freedom of an

open-air aviary. My own bird has not only thoroughly enjoyed

himself in a tolerably exposed (though fairly large) aviary, this

winter, but has bathed in the coldest weather, even when I have

had to remove the ice from the pan to enable him to do so. *


Unless my male is abnormal, Jerdon’s description of Menila

boulboiil is a very poor one; he describes it as having “a large

wing-spot formed by the outer webs of the middle quills, and the

greater wing-coverts, pale silvery ashy-grey ” : my bird has what

fanciers would call a “ laced ” wing, the feathers being broadly

bordered with pale buffish ash so far as I can tell without catch¬

ing and closely examining it; Dr. Russ however describes the

wings as having the mantle and greater coverts yellowish-

brownish white, the latter narrowly bordered with black: in

either case the pale patch would not be uniform, but “ laced” iu

character, f


Jerdon observes “The Grey-winged Blackbird is found

throughout the whole extent of the Himalayas, keeping generally

to an elevation from 5,000 to 8,000 feet. It is tolerably common,

but rather shy, and does not show itself in the open or in gardens

so much as the Neilgherry Blackbird ; and its song is, I think,

hardly equal to that of the Neilgherry bird. I obtained the nest

at Darjeeling, made of twigs, roots, and moss, and with three or

four eggs of a pale blue-green, with numerous light brown

spots.”



* The Bronze-wing Pigeons (Pkaps chalcopiera) have done the same. The aviary

measures 22 feet by 9 feet 6 inches, and 14 feet to the ridge.


+ Further examination of my bird shows the median and greater coverts to be

buffish ash, bordered with ashy white, or a distinctly whiter tint of buffish ash.



