264



Mr. Frank Finn,



Striated Babbler. Argya earlii.


Two of these birds I got in December, 1897, fed freely on

cockroaches (the large tropical kind), holding their prey in one

foot. They cast no pellets. In a cage they hopped when on the

ground, but when one escaped in the garden I saw it run. Other

specimens I kept refused small millepedes of a light-brown

colour, and smelling strongly of essence of almond, which are

common in Calcutta during the rains, going in troops in the open.

Jungle Babbler. Crateropus canorus.


Two fledged young ones I procured on June 30th, 1898, had

the eyes brown, instead of white as in the adult. This bird casts

no pellets, even after eating cockroaches and tipaii berries. I

once saw one, in 1902, hop some yards after a white butterfly and

spring up at it. Although always on the watch for such occur¬

rences, I rarely saw a bird attack a butterfly, on the average once

a year, I should think.


One of these birds presented by our member, Mr. E. W.

Harper, to the London Zoo was “ isabelline” or greyish cream-

colour ; eyes, bill, and feet normal. A white one Rutledge had

(also normal in above-mentioned parts) changed partly to the

normal colour, and when still in a speckled state escaped, and,

he told me, went off with a wild flock.


I once caught by hand a wretched, though adult, specimen

of this bird in a verandah at Dehra D0011 on a wet day. These

birds both bathe and dust.


By the way, the name Jungle Babbler, which Oates gives

this bird is not at all appropriate ; it is the common garden

species wherever it occurs.


Yellow-eyed Babbler. Pyctorhis sinensis.


My friend Mr. B. B. Osmaston once wrote to me about

some he kept: “They are wonderful little acrobats—like the

Tits. It is very comic to see Pyctorhis hanging on with both feet

to the tail of Argyct caudata [Common Babbler or Rat-bird]

which frequently happens in the cage. I had a pair of Temenuchus

in my cage too, but they were so bullied by Pyctorhis that I had

to take them out! ” He also told me that they used their feet in

feeding, which I later saw frequently myself, when I was able to

get live specimens of this most amusing little bird.



