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same name as the Chinese race; and one author gives a joke, which annoyed a celebrated old gentleman with 

 a bald head. The latter was sitting with some friends in an arbour, when a Bulbul flew over. One of the 

 friends asked what bird it was, and another replied, * The White-polled Grandsire,' as /. sinensis is named 

 by the Chinese literati. The friends laughed, but the old gentleman did not like it. 



" The whole story is thus given in the ' Kiung-shan-Heen Gazetteer ' : — ' Choo Kokih was in the reception- 

 hall of Lord Woo, when this bird flew past. Lord Woo asked what bird it was. Choo replied, " The White- 

 polled Grandsire." Chang Chao, an old gentleman also present, suspecting that Choo was joking at his 

 expense, said, "I have never heard of a bird called White-polled Grandsire. Perhaps you know another 

 called White-polled Grandmother ? " Choo at once rejoined, " No ! but you must know the Parrot's Mamma 

 (Cockatoo). Would you like to have also a Parrot's Papa ? " Poor Chang was perplexed, and the rest of the 

 company amused." 



I copy the annexed description from the published papers of Mr. Swinhoe : — 



"Adult. — Bill and legs black. Iris rich brown. Crown, moustache, and nuchal band black. Auriculars 

 brown, ending in a large white spot. Upper parts brownish grey, each feather being margined laterally with 

 yellowish olive-green. Quills and tail hair-brown, margined on outer webs with greenish yellow. Throat 

 white; a broad pectoral band of light greyish brown. Underparts pure white in most specimens, with only a 

 few yellow streaks ; in others dingy yellowish white, most of the feathers margined exteriorly with sulphur- 

 yellow. Under wing whitish, the fourth and fifth quills equal and longest. Tail-feathers twelve, somewhat 

 graduated, with white under-shafts. 



" The young of this species have the head a uniform colour with the back, which is light brown instead of 

 grey ; the rest of the colours are much paler. Among my series from Amoy I have one very curious variety, 

 in which the white of the occiput and throat is of a fine clear smoke-grey. My specimens differ from one 

 another chiefly in the development of the white occipital patch ; some have it very large, and occupying a 

 good portion of the head, while in others it gets encroached upon by the black, until in some specimens it 

 almost entirely disappears. There is also a great variation in size and length of wing and tail ; but in the 

 form and length of bill the difference is not so appreciable as I have found it in many species of birds." 



The Plate represents the birds with their nest and young, all of the natural size. 



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