Indian Birds 
I. The common sparrow, 6 inches in length. 
II. The bulbul, 8-9 inches in length. 
III. The myna, 10 inches in length. 
IV. The Indian house crow, 17% ins. in length. 
V. The kite, 23 inches in length. 
My system is as follows. If A be a bird of 
which the length is 5 inches, I affix in a bracket 
~I, which means that is a bird smaller than a 
sparrow; if it be 6 inches in length I affix 
simply I; if it be 7 inches in length I affix +I, 
denoting that it is larger than a sparrow, but 
smaller than a bulbul, and nearer to the spar- 
row ‘than the bulbul in dimensions; had its 
length been 7% inches I should have described 
it-as —II, ice. rather smaller than a bulbul. 
By these means he who consults this book will 
at once be able to form a rough conception of 
the size of each species described. ‘Those who 
desire more details will find them in The 
Fauna of British India. In this connection 
it is worthy of mention that certain small 
birds, as, for example, the adult cock paradise 
flycatcher, have very long tails. Such a bird, 
if measured from the tip of his beak to the end 
of his tail (as ornithologists usually do), would 
have to be described as —V, ie. as a bird 
go 
