The Humming Bird. 13 



shillino- to the keeper in charge. A cage, containing a pair 

 of birds from the Argentine Republic, comes next. These are 

 graceful creatures, but somewhat shy at present. They are 

 called short-winged Tyrants (Machetornis rixosa) , and are 

 brown on the backs and wings, with grey heads, whitish 

 throats and yellow breasts. 



The north side of the Insect House has a large cage or 

 aviary built into the wall in each corner, each cage extending 

 nearly half the length of the wall. That which is next to 

 the Tyrant Birds, is tenanted by a large and handsome bird, 

 the Radiated Fruit Cuckoo (Carpococeyx radiatus) , from 

 Sumatra, which has been here for many years. He is a 

 remarkable looking fellow^, and is evidently fully conscious of 

 his superior appearance, putting on a dignified air that is 

 most amusing, as if he was the real attraction and the other 

 birds, &c., were merely placed in the house to fill up. In a 

 recess, which comes between the aviaries, are placed two 

 cages, one containing a specimen of Horsfield's Scaps Owl 

 (Scops Icmpyi) , from Malacca, and the other an enormous 

 Cockatoo (Cacatua triton) , from New Guinea. After these 

 comes the other aviary, in which all keepers of foreign cage 

 birds will recognize some very familiar pets, namely, the 

 Undulated Grass Parrakeet, or Budgerigar (Melopsittacus 

 undulatus) , whose habitat is Australia. It is these little 

 birds which are usually seen on the stands of the Italian 

 fortune-telling women in the streets of London, their extreme 

 hardihood and docility rendering them very valuable assistants 

 to their dark-skinned mistresses. On the inquirer into the 

 mysteries of the future tendering the sum of one penny to 

 one of these fortune-tellers, one of these pretty little birds 

 advances to a long box, which is placed in the front of the 

 cage, and picks therefrom a slip of paper, on which is printed 

 what purports to be a full prophecy of the future life of the 

 customer. 



In a small cage, hung within that of the parrakeets, is a 

 pair of very rare birds, the Sahara Bunting (Fringillaria 

 saliarœ) , from North Africa, presented by Lord Lilford, F.Z.S., 

 in November, 1892. In the north-east corner of the house is 

 a cage containing a couple of specimens of the Large Hill 

 Mynah (Gr acuta intermedia) , a member of the Paradiseidse, 

 or Paradise Bird family, closely allied to the Crows. It is a 

 native of India, and, if properly trained, becomes a most 

 charming talker and mimic. I did not hear these particular 



