46.4 



■€ R A K L E. 



CRESTED 

 GR. 



Gracula criftatella, Lin. Syjt.i. p. 165. N° 5. 



Le Merle hupe de la Chine, Brif. orn. ii. p. 253. N 9 Zl.—Buf. oif. iii, 



p. 367. — PL enl. 507. 

 Chinefe Starling, or Blackbird, Ed<w. i. pi. lg. 



Lev. M11/. 



Description. '"JPHIS is a little bigger than a Blackbird : length eight inches 

 and a half. The bill is yellow or orange : irides fine 

 orange: the general colour of the plumage blackifh, with a tinge 

 of blue : on the forehead, juft over the bill, the feathers are 

 longer than the reft, forming a kind of creft, which the bird can 

 erect or deprefs at will : the greater quills are half way from the 

 bafe white, the reft black blue : all the tail feathers, except the 

 two middle ones, tipped with white : the legs are of a dull 

 yellow. 



Thefe birds are faid to talk and whiftle very well, but not ir 

 that perfection as the Miner, or firft fpecies. 

 Place. They are common in China, where they are much efteemed, ana 



the figures of them are feen frequently in Chinefe paintings. In 

 China are kept often in cages. Their food is rice, infers, worms, 

 and fuch like. But feldom brought to England alive, requiring 

 the greateft care in the palTage. 



Graculu 



