1902.] F. Finn — General Notes on Variation in Birds. 179 



they habitually do to each other, but the recipient of this kind attention 

 did not try to return it. 



After a little time I introduced eight more Reed-Babblers into the 

 cage, six adults and two young birds. They fraternized with each other 

 and the other member of their species, but before long I had to remove 

 one bird, a young one, for bullying the Liothrix. Twice I caught it 

 holding a Liothrix by the nape and keeping it suspended in the air as 

 it perched, in one case the victim losing many of its feathers on escap- 

 ing. It also drove the Liothrix from the food in sheer wantonness, 

 whereas the other Babblers displayed no such selfish spirit. The bird 

 was amicable enough with members of its own species. The Liothrix 

 bore no grudge against these for the bad behaviour of their compatriot, 

 for after its removal I saw one of them caressing one of the remaining 

 Reed- Babblers in the usual way. But I never saw these take any 

 trouble to return the compliment, any more than did the solitary indi- 

 vidual. However, I did not long keep them in the company of smaller 

 birds. 



The Liothrix itself varies in temperament, although usually to be 

 described as tame though nervous, harmless and good-natured ; of the 

 two dozen birds alluded to, one, a fine male with a large stout bill and 

 somewhat clouded with black below {A) was inquisitive, always coming 

 near me when I approach the cage ; but he would not usually take food 

 from my fingers. He was fonder of seed than any of the rest, and was not 

 mischievous, though well able to hold his own. The others did not 

 dislike him on account of his colour variation, unsightly as ifc was. Very 

 likely his fondness for seed was responsible for the change. 



Another bird {B) also a male, with a very short bill, was tame, would 

 feed from the fingers, and was slightly inclined to be mischievous. When 

 I put in an unfledged Paradise F'iyca.tch.er (Terpsiphone par adisi)^ this 

 specimen made several attempts to pull it off the perch by the tail. 

 B was not spiteful, but A, in spite of his bigger beak, was afraid of him. 



A third male ( G) normally coloured, with largish bill, was very 

 tame, alighted on a food tray while I had it in my hand, and would peck 

 from my fingers. It pecked several times at the head of the young 

 Flycatcher above alluded to, and also bullied a young Tailorbird (Orfho- 

 tomus siitorius) I put in experimentally. The second bird mentioned 

 made no attempt to molest this little creature, in spite of his inhospitable 

 behaviour towards the Flycatcher a few days previously. Nor did most 

 of the other specimens touch either young bird, so that the interference 

 was unusual in this species. On one occasion I saw C mischievously 

 jerking and pulling B by the tail, while another was combing B^s 

 feathers. 



