The Habit Of These Birds Is To
Hop About On The Ground, Picking Up Insects, And On The Least
Alarm To Run Into The Densest Thicket Or Take A Flight Close To
The Ground.
At intervals they utter a peculiar cry of two notes
which when once heard is easily recognised, and they can also be
heard hopping along among the dry leaves.
My practice was, therefore, to walk cautiously along the narrow
pathways with which the country abounded, and on detecting any sign
of a Pitta's vicinity to stand motionless and give a gentle whistle
occasionally, imitating the notes as near as possible. After half
an hour's waiting I was often rewarded by seeing the pretty bird
hopping along in the thicket. Then I would perhaps lose sight of
it again, until leaving my gun raised and ready for a shot, a
second glimpse would enable me to secure my prize, and admire its
soft puffy plumage and lovely colours. The upper part is rich
soft green, the head jet black with a stripe of blue and brown
over each eye; at the base of the tail and on the shoulders are
bands of bright silvery blue; the under side is delicate buff
with a stripe of rich crimson, bordered with black on the belly.
Beautiful grass-green doves, little crimson and black flower-
peckers, large black cuckoos, metallic king-crows, golden
orioles, and the fine jungle-cocks - the origin of all our
domestic breeds of poultry - were among the birds that chiefly
attracted my attention during our stay at Labuan Tring.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 216 of 419
Words from 58907 to 59169
of 114260
