IN CAPTIVITY IN LOWER BENGAL. 217 



Length of life in captivity. 



About three years. 



Housing. — The grosbeaks do well in a large aviary ; the cardinal 

 grosbeak is shy, and like any other bird of that nature requires watch- 

 ing for the first few days, whether it feeds properly while living with 

 others. 



Food. — In captivity they flourish on fruits and grains and soon 

 become accustomed to feed on other kinds of food to which they are 

 perhaps strangers in their wild state ; they have been frequently observed 

 to devour satoo and bread and milk with equal relish. 



(76) THE COMMON EOSE FINCH. 



(CAEPODACUS EKYTHRINUS— {Pall.) ) 



Hindi— futi. 



Description. — The head, throat, breast, rump, and the flanks of the 

 abdomen, of a roseate colour, deeper about the head and neck; upper 

 plumage generally brown; the breeding plumage, which they assume 

 about the end of spring, is almost crimson ; the colour is generally very 

 subdued in those that have lived some time in captivity ; the total length 

 of the bird is about 5J inches. 



Hab. — During the winter it is found almost all over India, rarer 

 towards the south, but common in Northern India, the Terai, and the 

 Himalayas, extending to Assam and Arracan ; it is also found over the 

 greater part of Central and Northern Asia and Europe. 



Length of life in captivity. 

 Eoughly speaking, about four years. 



Treatment in health. 



With regard to housing^ and feeding it may be treated like the 

 Java sparrow and red-billed liothrix. 



note. 



Observations on its habits. 

 Sociable and restless ; fond of congregating together ; has a pleasing 



(77) THE HOUSE SPAEEOW. 

 (PASSES DOMESTICIIS— (Zimi.) ) 

 Hindi — Gowriya. Bengali— Chadai or Chata. 

 Hab. — The house sparrow is found almost all over India, abun- 

 dantly in most parts, more rarely in some, as the Malabar Coast in the 

 south and in other places where the rainfall is great ; it ascends the 

 Himalayas up to a moderate height, and extends to Assam, Arracan, 

 Pegu, Siam and Ceylon. The food supplied to the animals in the 

 garden evidently attracts enormous numbers of them within it. 



