Experiences of Foreign Finches and Softbills. 277 
Red-cheeked Bulbuls {Otocompsa jocosa) are very 
hardy and long-lived at liberty, appearing better able to take care 
of themselves than any other bird we have expernnented with. 
They are excellent stayers, but very pugnacious, always driv- 
ing away their young as soon as they can fend for themselvea. 
Even when newly imported it is unwise to keep more than a 
pair together. They construct a rather loosely made nest in 
low ithick vegetation, usually laying three eggs. The first clutch 
is infertile, apparently owing to lack of insect food, but the two 
or three which follow, as a rule produce young. The Red- 
cheeked Bulbul has some pretty musical call notes, but can 
scarcely be said to possess a song. The staple food for them 
at liberty should consist of banana. 
Red-vented Bulbuls {Pycnonoius haemorrkous) did 
not stay when released. 
White-cheeked Bulbuls {Otocompsa leucogenys) 
stayed for several months, but ultimately vanished. They 
appear perfectly hardy. 
Chinese Spectacled Thrushes {Trachalopteruin 
canorum) stayed very well when first released, and several good 
pairs remained through the winter, appearing well content 
to eat hemp seed both in mild and severe weather. In April, 
however, the whole lot disappeared. One pair did actually 
build in a thick yew tree, and three blue, unspotted eggs 
were laid, which were about the size of a Song Thrush's. Un- 
fortunately the nest was robbed. Spectacled Thrushes are very 
free singers. Some never get beyond producing "a cheer- 
ful noise," their notes being too hoarse to be altogether pleas- 
ant, but one bird we had was a lovely singer and I have 
never heard anything to equal him. 
Pekin Robins {Liothrix luteus) stayed for a long time 
and bred in considerable numbers in a dense copse some dis- 
tance from the garden. They were practically independent 
of artificial food, in winter appearing to live prmcipally on 
privet berries. After about six years they unfortunately dis- 
appeared. 
This concludes the rather unsatisfactory history of cy- 
attempt to acclimatize foreign Finches, Softbills, etc., with 
the assistance of artificial feeding on a trap tray. Of the many 
that have been tried Orange Weavers and Red-cheeked -Bulbuls 
