Stray Notes on Indian Birds.



267



Maroon OriolK. Oriolus traillii.


Oates gives the iris of this bird as pale buffy yellow ; this

is right for adults; but one I saw in immature dress in captivity

had dark eyes. The species is much steadier in a cage than the

Yellow Orioles, and sits more erect, with the feathers of the

crown raised, not lying flat as in the others.


Glossy Calornis. Calornis chalybeius.


This species hops when on the ground, like the Hill

Mynahs. I have seen two types; those I saw in India had dark

red eyes like a Collared Dove’s ; but some I have since seen

imported here had scarlet irides.


Rosy Pastor. Pastor rosezis.


Captive birds of this species in India become much sullied

with black and very dull in the rosy tinge. One I had turned

nearly all black while on deposit with others at the Calcutta Zoo ;

yet all were fed alike on satoo (coarse pea-meal). The black one

was a particularly fine and healthy specimen ; I noticed 011 ex¬

amining it that the abnormal blackness was on the edges of the

feathers on the upper surface, which looked uniform black, and on

their bases on the lower surface, which was less completely black.


Gold-crest Mynah. Ampeliceps coronatus.


This bird is, in my opinion, quite wrongly placed by Oates

among the typical Starlings or Mynahs. It should go among the

Hill-Mynah section, which it resembles ill its hopping gait on

the ground, in its heavy build, and in its style of plumage ; but I

think there is no sufficient reason for making a family distinction

between these two groups. There is a specimen of this bird at

the London Zoo at the time of writing, and the dealers have had

a few of late 3/ears, but I never saw it caged in India but once.


Bank Mynah. Acridotheres ginginianus.


Oates says of this bird “The young have the head and

wings fulvous brown” ; but I have found that many have black

heads, and generally resemble the adults, except for being duller.

The species evidently shows a tendency, which I have observed

in some other Indian birds, to “skip” the young plumage. Oates

also gives the iris as deep maroon red, but I have seen one with

a yellow eye. I have also found the bill orange, not gamboge as

he gives it.



(To be continued).



