reature
lies, not so much in its colouring, as in its form and movements.
Its perfect proportions give it a very athletic air. In this respect
it resembles the nimble wagtails. Next to these I like the appearance
of the Pekin-robin better than that of any other little bird. Finn
bestows even greater praise upon it, for he says: "Altogether it is
the most generally attractive small bird I know of--everyone seems
to admire it."

There is no bird more full of life. When kept in a cage, Pekin-robins
hop from perch to perch with extraordinary agility, seeming scarcely
to have touched one perch with their feet before they are off to
another. I am inclined to think that the _liothrix_, like Camilla,
Queen of the Volscians, could trip across a field of corn without
causing the blades to move. This truly admirable bird is a songster
of no mean capacity. Small wonder, then, that it has long been a
favourite with fanciers. Moreover, it stands captivity remarkably
well. It is the only insectivorous bird which is largely exported
from India. So hardy is it that Finn attempted to introduce it into
England, and with this object set free a number of specimens in St.
James's Park some years ago, but they did not succeed in establishing
themselves, although some individuals survived for several months.
The English climate is to Asiatic birds much what that of the West
Coast of Africa is to white men. J. K. Jerome once suggested that
Life Insurance Companies should abolish the application form with
its long list of queries concerning the ailments of the would-be
insurer, his parents, grandparents, and other relatives, and
substitute for it the German cigar test. If, said he, the applicant
can come up smiling immediately after having smoked a German cigar,
the Company could be certain that he was "a good life," to use the
technical term. As regards birds, the survival of an English winter
is an equally efficient test. The Pekin-robin is a very intelligent
little bird. Finn found that it was not deceived by the resemblance
between an edible and an unpalatable Indian swallow-tailed butterfly,
although the sharp king-crow was deceived by the likeness.

Those Anglo-Indians who wish to make the acquaintance of the bird
must either resort to some fancier's shop, or hie themselves to the
cool heights of Mussoorie, or, better still, of Darjeeling, where
the _liothrix_ is exceptionally abundant. But even at Darjeeling the
Pekin-robin will have t