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Mr. Reginald Phillipps,



not noticeable in my female. There is a little knob at the top of

the head, which courtesy requires us to refer to as a crest. A

black cliin-spot. “ Kntire throat brilliant scarlet.” “ Remainder

of under surface of body, from the throat downwards, deep

orange-yellow, paler on the abdomen, vent, and under tail-

coverts.” Bill black; the feet of my bird are dirty-whitish.

The iris of the male is said to be “ Vermillion red,” of the female

“straw-colour”—that of my female might almost be lighter.

Sexes alike in plumage, but the male, a little over 7 inches in

length, is stated to be slightly the larger of the two. For some

two or three years—a not unusual occurrence with birds of a like

colour—my Ruby lost the orange in the yellow of the under

parts, but this she has since regained to quite a considerable

extent.


I should suppose that, in the wild state, the Ruby-throated

Bulbul feeds mostly on small berries, for I notice that my bird

does not seem to have an idea of breaking up any piece of food

which is too large to be swallowed whole. If she takes up a

piece of banana or grape, and is unable to swallow it, after a few

feeble attempts to gulp it down, she quietly drops it. For the

greater part of the year, she lives chiefly on bananas and sultanas,

both cut up. At one time, she had also cut up grapes, but these

have been discontinued. Lettuce torn up into very small pieces

she will occasionally partake of with satisfaction, also grass, and

probably bits of leaves and seeds. She sometimes helps herself

to a morsel of sop or cooked apple. Of course, during the

season, garden currants, etc., are supplied to the occupants of

the aviary, at which she “nibbles,” but not with any particular

zest or relish. From time to time, but not very frequently I

think, she will take a piece of egg-flake, or give a peck at the

ants’ eggs. She seems to do best on a general fruit and vegetable

diet, and without anything in the form of meat or mealworms.

As a rule, indeed, but not invariably, she will not look at either

mealworm, insect or spider.


The usual note of this Bulbul, a female be it remembered,

is a lively and very pleasing metallic twitter, Twit, too-wit,

frequently developing into something like Tit, twit, tiddle-de-

wink. When uneasy or excited, she not infrequently utters a



