'7-
CRESTED
GR.
D escrip t ion.
P lace.
Graculacrillatella, Lin. Syfl. i. p. 165. N° J.
Le Merle hupe de la Chine, Brif. urn. ii. p. 253' N° Zl.— Buf. oi/. iii.
p. 367.— PI. enl. 507.
Chinefe Starling, or Blackbird, Edvj. i. pi. 19.
Lev. Muf. -
npH IS is a little bigger than a Blackbird : length eight inches
*- and a half. The bill is yellow or orange : hides fine
orange: the general colour of the plumage blackilh, with a tinge
of blue: on the forehead, juft over the bill, the feathers are
longer than the reft, forming a kind of creft, which the bird can
ereft or deprefs at will: the greater quills are halfway from the
bafe white, the reft black blue: all the tail feathers, except the
two middle ones, tipped with white: the legs are of a dull
yellow. 1
Thefe birds are faid to talk and whittle very well, but not it
that perfection as the Miner, or firft fpecies.
They are common in China, where they are much efteemed, anc
the figures of them-are feen frequently in Chinefe paintings. In
China are kept often in cages. Their food is rice, infetts, worms,
and fuch like. But feldom brought to England alive, requiring
the greateft care in the paffage,
Graculu
Gr&cula faularis, Lin* Syfi.i. p. 165. N°6. 8.
La Pie-griefche noire de Bengale, Brif. orn* ii. 184. Suppl. p. 41, N° 19.
— Buf.oif.u p. 299.
Saulary mas & feemina, Rati Syft. p. 197. pi. 2. f. 19, 20.
Little Indian Pie, Edvu. 181.
Bengal Magpie, or DiaLbird, Albin. iii. t. 17, 18.
jgIZE of the Miffel-thrufli. The bill is black: irides yellow: D escription.
the corners of the mouth tinged with the fame: the head,
neck and breaft, back, rump, and upper tail coverts, are black:
the belly, Tides, thighs, and under tail coverts, white : the wing
coverts next the body, and letter quills, are alfo white; the outer
wing .coverts and quills are black: the tail is even at the end,
black above, and white beneath : legs and claws brown.
The female differs in colour, being of a dark brown on the fore F emale.
part of the; neck and breaft, where the male is black; and the
white parts not fo clear,.though the Upper parts of the body are
black, as in the male.
Edwards fays, that the two middle tail feathers are black, and
the reft white.
Buffon makes this a Shrike, as does Brijfon; but I really think
' that the firft cannot mean the fame bird with Edwifrds, if it be
.that figured in.the Planchesenluminees,*, as we fee there the bill of
a Shrike very clearly ; befides .this, the tail is very much cuneiform,
whereas that oi.Edwards is even at the end.
Inhabits Bengal. Place. 'S i
* PI. ml. 47^. f. 1, which is clearly the collared Shrike, p. 163.
Gracuîâ