CITTOCINCLA MACRURA. 439 



one resembling a low churr, followed by a spitting sound, generally uttered when it is disturbed in its sylvan 

 haunts. It is very shy, flying away at the least sound of a cracking twig ; but its retreat is but short, and on 

 realighting it commences to sing immediately. It has a habit of uttering a singular clicking sound, jerking 

 up its tail at the same time; and this is usually performed when it is disturbed or hears any sound in the forest 

 to which it is not accustomed. Mr. Davison speaks of the male performing a similar sound, as he supposes, 

 with its wings, while flying across any open space at sunset ; it may be that this is similar to that which I refer to. 

 In India it is, of course, highly prized as a songster ; but in Ceylon it is scarcely ever met with as a caged 

 bird, as the natives are very indifferent bird-nesters, and seldom or never find its young. Concerning its habits 

 when in confinement, Blyth writes, " It has a considerable propensity to imitation ; and one in my own 

 possession learned to give the crow of a cock to perfection, also the notes of the Koel, the chatter of a troop of 

 Saat Bhyes (Malacocercus canonis), &c. Many thousands of these elegant birds are kept in Calcutta; and the 

 universal absurd practice is to darken their cages by wrapping them with several folds of cloth, enough to 

 stifle the luckless captives in this climate, though it must be confessed that they sing most vigorously while 

 thus circumstanced, but certainly not more so than mine, which were exposed to the light and air. It is a 

 practice of the rich natives to employ servants to carry about their Skarnas and other birds ; and the number 

 which are thus borne about the streets of Calcutta is astonishing ; the poor birds are shut out from all light 

 and air, like Mahomedan ladies enjoying (!) their evening drive; but they (the birds) nevertheless sing forth 

 most lustily and melodiously." I have found the diet of those shot in Ceylon to be entirely insectivorous, 

 consisting of small beetles, ants, flies, &c. It lives in pairs, the female usually keeping at some little distance 

 from her companion ; and, from what I have observed, it appears to attach itself to one particular spot, for in 

 the northern parts of Ceylon it may often be found frequenting the scorched-up wood bordering newly-burnt 

 clearings, as if it were loath to be driven from the haunt which the flames had devastated ; it is possible, 

 however, that it may find an abundance of food in these localities, uninviting as they may seem to human eyes. 

 In his notes relative to the discovery of this bird in the woods near Kandy, Layard graphically describes the 

 magnificent aspect presented by the beautiful vale of Dumbara, as at early dawn the dense fog which had 

 mantled it during the night was lifted by the gentle breeze, suddenly unfolding all the beauties of the rocky 

 Mahawelliganga and its wooded banks. 



Nidification. — I have never received any information concerning this bird's nesting in Ceylon ; in the north 

 the young are about in August and September, proving that it lays in June and July. Mr. Davison found its 

 nest in Tenasserim. One situated on the road to Meeta Myo, at 4000 feet above the sea, was obtained in April ; 

 it was built in a hole in an old stump growing on the side of a mountain-torrent, and was made of dry leaves 

 and twigs, the egg-cavity being lined with finer twigs. Another was situated in a deep hole in a stump, the 

 cavity having been filled up by the bird for more than 12 inches ; the materials were the same. Both these 

 nests had contained three eggs. Mr. Hume describes them as " being moderately broad ovals, a good deal 

 compressed towards the small end." They have a slight gloss, and are " dull greenish stone-colour, every- 

 where densely freckled with a rich almost raw-sienna brown, in amongst which dull purplish markings are, 

 when the egg is closely looked into, found to be thickly intermingled." They vary from 0-87 to 09 inch in 

 length, and from 0'6 to 0"62 in breadth. 



