18 AVES. 



Length of bill from gape, from 5 to 6 lines. 



„ of bill from front, 5 lines. 



„ of wings, 1 inch 1 1 lines. 



„ of tail, 1 inch. 



„ of tarsus, oi lines. 



„ of middle toe, 5^ lines. 



,, of hallux, 4 lines. 



These little birds are not uncommon in Labiian, and 

 have something the habits of the English llegulus ; they 

 haunt low brushwood, and continually utter a low shrill 

 chirp ; they are very fearless, allowing themselves to be 

 almost touched before they take to flight ; the Malay name, 

 which signifies spark-bird, is very appropriate, as when darting 

 about among the bushes the cock-bird really looks as bright as 

 a flash of fire. The nest of this species is about the shape and 

 size of a goose's egg, and is suspended by the small end from 

 some slender twig of a tall tree ; it is built of fine green moss 

 and a sort of brown byssus, and lined with some white fibre 

 and a few small feathers; one of these nests was found on a 

 tree which was felled in the jungle ; all the young birds, 

 however, except one, had been killed by the fall ; the sur- 

 vivor was brought to Mrs. Motley, who succeeded, by great 

 care, in bringing it up, feeding it at first upon rice and 

 banana pulp ; as soon as it was strong enough it was placed 

 in a small cage ; though very restless, never being for one 

 moment still, it was perfectly tame and fearless, and would 

 sit upon the finger without attempting to fly away, and 

 though its whole body, feathers and all, might have been 

 shut up in a walnut, it would peck at a finger held towards it 

 with great fierceness : for a long time it would only take 

 food from the hand, but afterwards, when food was given it, 

 it dropped and shook its wings rapidly, as we see a ben 

 Partridge occasionally do. At first, its beak was short, 

 straight, and sharp; but as it grew, its form gradually changed 

 to that of the adult Dicceums ; it also changed its diet 

 altogether, refusing rice, and only occasionally taking plan- 

 tain ; for some weeks it fed exclusively upon sugar and 

 water, which it sucked up like a Humming-bird ; it was 

 very fond of bathing in a large shell full of water placed in 

 its caire. 



