COPSYCHUS SAULAEIS. 
435 
animation displayed by the males ; these consort together when not breeding, and meet continually towards 
evening in little troops, which perform a sort of tournament on the grassy swards ; this consists in a series of 
prodigious hops towards and away from each other, accompanied by a jerking completely over the back of the 
tail, and a corresponding spasmodic down-strutting of the wings, which movements are enlivened with loud, 
cheerful whistles ; at a given signal the meeting suddenly disperses, and darting off in opposite directions, all 
will alight on adjacent branches or roofs, except, perhaps, one, who appears, by common consent, to be left 
master of the field. These displays are said to be for the entertainment of some coveted female. I have at 
times observed one looking on, but just as often not; and I believe the habit to be merely an inherent one in 
all males. During the breeding-season, the cocks are very pugnacious, furiously assaulting any rival that may 
approach their nests. 
The Dayal is very fond of locality, taking up its abode in particular spots, and there remaining throughout 
life, breeding and rearing its young. Its song in Ceylon is considered, and justly so, one of the finest of any 
bird in the island ; its notes are most varied and very sweet, and are all the more attractive from the late and 
early hours which this pretty songster keeps. Its clear voice is heard the first thing in the morning and the 
last at night, sometimes from the green lawn in front of the bungalow vei’andah, and as often from the top of 
a Casuarina or cotton-tree overshadowing the roof ; its powers of imitation are considerable, tempting it to 
mock the voice of fowls and other birds in the vicinity of its domicile. In the breeding-season so continued 
is its song that it will mount to the top of a tree and warble forth its love-notes in a pour of rain. Layard 
relates the following anecdote, which serves to illustrate its elocutionary powers : — “ On the top of a towering 
cotton-tree, opposite my last residence in Colombo, a Magpie Robin daily for some weeks charmed me with 
his song, whilst his mate sat brooding her eggs or callow nestlings in the roof of a native hut beneath him. 
One morning, after the young had left their cradle and betaken themselves to the neighbouring compounds, 
I was attracted by cries of distress from various birds and squirrels, aud above all I heard the seemingly 
plaintive mewing of a cat. I had no living specimen of the last in my museum, so wondering what could be 
the matter, went into the garden to see. I found the mewing proceeded from my friends the Robins, who were 
furiously attacking something in a bush, whilst the birds and squirrels screamed in concert. There I found 
one of the young robins caught, as I thought, in the tendrils of a creeper. I put out my hand to release 
it, when, to my surprise, I saw the glittering eyes of the green whip-snake [Trimesurus viridis), in whose fangs 
the bird was struggling. I seized the reptile by the neck and rescued the bird, but too late ; it lay panting 
in my hand for a few moments, then fluttered and died. On skinning it I found no wound, except on the 
outer joint of the wing by which it had been seized, and am confident that fear alone deprived it of life. 
In India its pugnacious disposition assists the bird-catchers in capturing it. Hodgson, in writing on this 
subject, says that the professional bird-keeper, availing himself of the propensity the male birds have of caUing 
each other in the breeding-season, “ takes out his tame male on his fist, and proeeeds to the nearest grove or 
garden; the bird at his bidding presently challenges, and a desperate eontest ensues between the two, during 
which the fowler readily secures the wild bird with the tame one^s assistance; for the latter will deliberately 
aid his owner'’s purpose, seizing the wild bird at the critical moment with both claws and bill, and retaining it 
until his master comes up, in case it has not been so exhausted by the previous eontest as to be disabled from 
flying away at the man’s approach. Fighting the tame birds is a favourite amusement of the rich , noi can 
any race of game-cocks contend with more energy and resolution than do these birds. j i r 
The diet of this Robin eonsists of insects of all sorts ; but when tame it will come into verandahs ot 
bungalows and pick up crumbs or any thing that may be thrown out to it. 
Nidification . — In the west and south of Ceylon this Robin breeds between the mont s o e rii y 
J uly, having apparently more than one brood in the season. In the north it nests as eai y as ov , 
continues breeding throughout the north-east monsoon. In towns aud about houses t le nes p 
holes in walls, under roofs, in decaying cocoanut- or jack-trees, and in the jungle in stumps an o ow rees, c. 
The nest is usually an ample, shallow, loosely made cup of grass, dry roots, and fine twigs, ineasuring about 
3 inches in diameter; sometimes, however, when placed in a niche in an o wa , i is a a , pa ® 
structure, and is often lined with hair, pieces of rag, cotton, or other substance gathere a ou luman abi- 
tations. A nest I found, built in the ordinary plaited cocoanut-leaf basket, used by the natives to protect their 
d K. ^ 
