File:Garden and aviary birds of India (1906) (14748606474).jpg

Identifier: gardenaviarybird00fin (find matches)
Title: Garden and aviary birds of India
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Finn, Frank, 1868-1932
Subjects:
Publisher: Calcutta, Thacker, Spink and Co.
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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nd unlikethose of any other bird. The head, feet, all the under-parts and the flanks, are black ; so also are the wings,but they bear a white patch ; the tail is white with ablack tip, and there is a white patch covering the backof the neck. The space between neck and tail may beeither black, white, or grey, the black-backed birds com-ing from one part of Australia, and the light-backedfrom another ; but it is doubtful whether they are reallydistinct species, and for all practical purposes they maybe reckoned as one. Male and female are ahke, butyoung birds are thickly mottled with dvab underneath,and in buying a bird which it is intended to teach andmake a pet of, this drab mottling as a sign of youth, mustbe looked out for. An old bird, however, will be found tohave a most beautiful whistle of its own, rich and varied,which alone makes the species worth keeping, to saynothing of its being a handsome bird and possessed ofmuch character. A young bird which has been properly Plate III.
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One-half Natural Size.-Yellow-bkeasted Honeysucker (Purple and crimson, yellow below). 2.—Shama (Black,chestnut and white). 3.—Peko (Slaty brown, white cheeks and black throat). 4.—Nightin-gale (Brown, paler below). THE SHRIKES. 41 taught is a splendid mimic and talker. Being naturallya whistler, it readily learns tunes ; and when it speaks,its pronunciation is very clear. Moreover, a Piping-Crow is a free talker when it knows anything, which,as everybody has experienced, is by no means the usualthing with talking birds. The bird is easy to keep, as,like a true Crow, it will eat anything ; it has the Shrikeshabit of holding a large morsel in one foot to tear it. Aportion of its food should always consist of small animalsor tender raw meat; mice, sparrows or the necks of fowlswill be suitable. It is obvious that such a bird is not asuitable tenant for any ordinary aviary, as it is not asafe companion for any bird weaker than itself. On theother hand, it is too big and too dirty f

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