184 A HAND-BOOK OF THE MANAGEMENT OF ANIMALS 



unsuitable food. In common with many other species these birds 

 appear to suffer from a kind of chronic cold. The real nature of the 

 disease has never been ascertained, but the patient suffers a good deal, 

 with an almost constant running from the nostrils ; these sometimes 

 become stopped up, the bird's appearance is dishevelled, and food is often 

 left untouched. In a majority of cases the tongue will be found to be 

 inflamed and its tip hardened. The usual plan of treatment adopted by 

 the Indian bird-fanciers in such cases is to remove the scale off the 

 hardened tip of the tongue and then to smear it with some ghi (clari- 

 fied butter) and pepper, or sugar ; for the next day or two the bird is 

 fed by hand upon nutritious articles; the result is, of course, not 

 always satisfactory. 



The above symptoms may be connected with some organic disease. 



Observations on the habits of a White-crested Laughing 

 Thrush. 



In captivity even, when a number of them live together in a large 

 aviary, they assemble from time to time and chatter and scream loudly 

 and discordantly for a minute or two and then disperse. They are 

 extremely active and restless, feed constantly on the ground, picking 

 up earth and grass in search of insects. Either from sport or in a 

 spirit of destructiveness, they sometimes destroy the nests built by 

 other birds living in the same aviary. The great peculiarity of the 

 chattering habits of these birds is that, when one commences, others 

 approach and join in the chorus. 



(16) THE BLACK-GOEGETTED LAUGHING THEUSH. 



(GAEEULAX PECTOEALIS— {Gould.) ) 



Description. — Colour of the plumage olive-brown with a rusty tinge 

 on the nape and hind neck; its distinguishing characteristic is the broad 

 black band on the upper breast ; chin and throat white or whitish ; 

 cheeks, lores, and ear-coverts white or grey, streaked with black, or 

 sometimes pure black ; enclosing this space are two narrow black lines 

 which, commencing at the base of the bill, encircle the eyes and ears, 

 and then unite into a somewhat broad band, which passes down the 

 sides of the neck and then joins the pectoral band ; the middle-tail 

 feathers olive-brown, the next two are of the same colour, but with black 

 tips, the terminal tail feathers with a double band of black and white; 

 a narrow white streak above the eyes ; lower surface fulvous ; abdomen 

 whitish. Bill black horn colour ; iris orange-brown. The total length 

 of the bird is about 12 to 13 inches. 



This species varies somewhat in the colour of its plumage accord- 

 ing to the locality it inhabits. 



Hab. — Found in the Himalayas from Nepal to Assam, extending 

 to Burmah also. 



Length of life in captivity. 

 Specimens have lived from three to four years. 



