The Uimalayan Whistling Thrush. 
77 
nest is placed is quite unlike tlnit of any other of our Hill Thrushes with 
which I am accjuaiiited. The hird itself is as often found in open rocky, 
spots on the skirts of the forest as anions; the woods, loving to jump upon 
some stone or rocky pinnacle, from whicli it sends forth a sort of choking 
chattering song, if such it can be called, or, with an up-jerk of the tail, hojts 
away with a loud musical whistle, very much after the manner of the Black- 
bird {M. vulgarin)" 
( End of qiKitatiotis from Oatrs's Hume.) 
From Oates's Fauna of British India," Vol. I. p. 178. 
" This species f)-e(iuents the hill-streams and torrents, perching on 
rocks and snags and feeding largely on snails, the shells of which are fre- 
quently found accumulated on the ground where the bird has been in the 
habit of breaking them up. It has a loud and pretty whistling note. It 
bi'eeds from April to June, constructing a massive cup-shaped nest of roots 
and moss in a crevice of a rock or in the root of some upturned tree in the 
river-bed near or under a waterfall, and laying from three to five eggs, 
which are pale grey or green, speckled with pink and brown." 
Jerdon " The Birds of India," Vol. I., p. 500. 
" The Yellow-billed Whistling Thrush, . , . . . is common at 
Darjeeling and is found from the lowest valleys to at least 8,000 feet of 
elevation ; Hutton states that it extends up to the snows at Simla. Like 
the last species, it is fond of frequenting the beds of streams, and may gener- 
ally be seen on a rock in the midst of some roaring torrent, where it feeds 
on the larvae of Libelhihie, and some other water-insects, and may often be 
seen on an adjacent rock to its near ally, the Water-dipper (Hi/drohata 
asiatiea) Vigne says that ' its musical whistle is the sweetest 
note heard in the hills.' It is not at all like the whistling of a man, as that 
of its JMalabar congener, [J/. liorscJielfU, Vigors], but is a pretty, slow 
measured, song. 
[In a roomy aviary, housed with species as robust and vigorous as 
itself, this is a lovely species. Its dazzling beauty, song and utter fearless- 
ness, make it a favourite with all acquainted with its personality. As 
regards diet, it should have access to insectile mixture, ripe fruit and an 
ample supply of live food. 
The Breeding of the Silver-eared Mesia. 
{Mesia arcjcntauris) . 
By O. Millsum. 
Continued from page 45. 
Natural instincts for the preservation of their family, 
were distinctly in evidence. The male bird, for instance, after 
" preparing'- " the food would fly to tiie extreme oi;pi- i'e direct ion 
of the ne.-t, o.'tentimes making cii cuitou i i ou es rounfl the aviary, 
through the inner enclosure to finally alight on a shrub pr 
bush some distance from the nest, and creeping along and 
