Birds in and about the Station 
l09 
Length including 18-incb tail 26 inches. The tail is strongly gradu- 
ated, the two middle feathers a good bit longer than the others. 
The Indian Tree-pie (Dendri>cittn ntfa) is a smart jaunty bird, 
full of mischief and a confirmed nest-robber, judging from the excite- 
ment his appearance causes among small fry in the breeding season. 
He is rather a bird of the plains and foot-hills, but I have seen him as 
high as 4,501) ft. flead, neck, and breast, sooty brown; body plum- 
age, light chestnut ; wings, dark brown with a whitish patch ; tail, 
grey, tipped black. Length 18 inches, tail up to 12^ inches. They 
ought to make nice pets and would doul)tless be commoner at home 
were they not so common oiu here. 
The Black-throated Jay {Oarrulus lanceolntus), sometimes ad- 
vertised at home as the Lanceolated Jay, is very comm.on about the 
station in winter, going but a short way outside to breed. They are 
cheery noisy chaps and make excellent pets. They do not seem to 
descend to the foot hills, and I have seen them pretty high up in the 
winter. The nest is often quite low down. I have seen dozens at a 
time in the Tiretta Bazaar in Calcutta, presumably for export. Head 
and short crest, black ; chin and fore-neck, black with white shaft 
streaks ; tail and outer wing featliers, blue barred with black ; inner 
tipped white ; white patch on wing; remainder of plumage vinous 
grey, brighter in front. 
The Himalayan Jay {G. bispecularin) is very like the English 
Jay. It keeps to the deodar zone where it is common. Some of its 
notes are very musical. 
All the above go about in small parties and are noisy, except in 
the breeding season, when they go in pairs and are very quiet unless 
disturbed by intruders. 
The Larger Spotted Nutcracker {Nueifraga multipunctata) I 
have only seen once or twice, high up in the deodars. It is distinctly 
a handsome bird and ought not to be very hard to keep as it appears 
to subsist cliiefly on seeds and berries with a certain amount of insect 
food. General Osborne found them very fond of walnuts. Head and 
wings, black ; rest of plumage, deep chocolate ; all feathers except 
those on the head have a large white spot on them. Length 15 inches. 
In early spring we sometimes see the Red-billed ( Oraculus 
eremita) and the Yellow-billed {Pyrrhocorax alpinus) Choughs. The 
former is the European bird. The latter is much smaller and has a 
short yellow bill and orange red legs. It is a smart cheeky bird rather 
like a Jackdaw in ways. Rook and Jackdaws are also sometimes seen 
on migration. 
{To he continued.) 
