230 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. XIX. 



Speaking of the depicted Bee-eater (Merops), he states to 

 have learnt from the natives of Macassar that these birds 

 dig holes in front of their nests in the clayey banks of 

 the rivers, which, as one now knows, is quite correct, since 

 the Bee-eaters agree in this with many Kingfishers. Of the 

 variety of Copsychus (birds allied to the Thrushes, which are 

 very warlike and courageous) depicted on other plates, it is also 

 related that in Ceylon it regularly follows and chases the crows 

 with loud cry, and is therefore well called " king of crows."* 



Some statements evoke from us, so many years after they 

 were set down, an involuntary smile. 



Such, for example, on the painting of the dark-coloured 

 Molucca Lori Parrot (Batavia, 1757), that " it whistled entire 

 hymns and the morning song 4 uit mijnes Herten gronde ' in 

 the sweetest musical manner, "f 



In connection with the painting of the Indian Golden 

 Thrush at Macassar, describing the lovely " water-like mellow 

 whistle " of this bird, so written because the writer states 

 there that he is reminded by the noise of the well-known old 

 water- whistle, he adds thereto in 1779 that he had heard from 

 Dan. Mackay f that because of its whistle the Gelderland 

 peasants call the Golden Thrush " Hansken van Trurelen." 



To the plate representing a pigeon fallen dead on a hot day 

 at Batavia in 1757 § is appended the simple note that he 

 received the bird 6{ from mejuffrouw Verklokken, Caatje 

 Rotgers's daughter, afterwards [the note is apparently writ- 

 ten later in Europe] married more than once, now I believe 

 widow of Governor- General Riemsdijk."|| 



* The name quoted is in English. The bird known in Ceylon as the 

 " King crow " is the Drongo (Buchanga), which has the habit described 

 by Loten. The Magpie-robin (Copsychus), though a pugnacious bird,, 

 does not, I think, chase crows (cf. Legge's Birds of Ceylon 388 and 435). 



f The quotation is in English. 



% Probably Daniel, son of iEneas Mackay, and founder of the Dutch 

 family of Mackay : he died in 1745 (see van der Aa's Ned. Biog. Wdribk.)* 



§ This forms plate vii. in Pennant's Indian Zoology , where the fact 

 of the bird's having fallen dead from the heat is stated, with some 

 details (from Loten's notes) regarding the effect of the great heat in 

 Java on the animals there. 



I| Jeremias van Riemsdijk, Governor-General 28th December 1775 

 to 3rd October 1777, when he died. Theodora Rotgers was his third 

 wife (see van der Aa's Biog. Wdnbk.). 



