IN CAPTIVITY IN LOWER BENGAL. 1' < 



to tyrannize over them. The red-billed species is less noisy than the 

 yellow-billed, which has a shrill ringing note, and utters it while on 

 the wing. 



(6) THE GREEN MAGPIE. 

 (CISSA CHINENSIS— (Bodd.) ) 

 Bengali — Sirgunj or Sirgun. 



Description. — The general colour of the body green or bluish green ; 

 head and neck yellowish green ; the feathers of the head are somewhat 

 lengthened backwards, a black streak commencing at the lores runs 

 through the eyes and meets with the opposite one at the nape, the 

 central feathers of the tail tipped white, the outer tipped with black 

 and white; the wing-coverts red. Bill coral-red, iris red, legs coral- 

 red ; the shades of green vary in different specimens, and in confinement 

 they generally become paler ; in some a faint shade of brown is visible on 

 the abdomen. 



Hab. — It is found in the South-Eastern Himalayas, and extends 

 through the hill ranges of Assam, Sylhet, Arracan and the Burmese 

 Provinces, to Tenasserim ; specimens have been obtained from Sikhim, 

 Bhutan, Comilla, Tipperah, Chittagong and Arracan. 



Length or life in captivity. 



The longest period during which one has lived in the garden has 

 been about six years. 



Treatment in health. 



Housing. — Pugnacious and predatory habits render it rather a 

 difficult bird to provide with accommodation. Fresh arrivals may be 

 kept in small cages until they become familiar with the food and the 

 locality, otherwise they must be treated in the same way as the Urocissa 

 (Nos. 4-5) . Small and delicate birds should not be kept in the same cage 

 with this one. 



Food. — Meat forms a considerable portion of its food in captivity. 

 The most successful method of feeding it is to mix a quantity of minced 

 meat with satoo, and make the compost into small pellets ; it should 

 also be allowed grasshoppers and other insects regularly; to sharpen 

 its appetite and to give tone to its system sparrows and similar small 

 birds should also be given occasionally. 



Breeding. — These birds have never bred in this garden, nor have 

 they ever attempted to build. 



Treatment in sickness. 



Nothing definite is known about their ailments in captivity ; they 

 have been known to die as suddenly as the Urocissa, but as no autopsy 

 has ever been held in such cases, the cause of death has not been 

 ascertained. 



