Glimpses of Indian Birds

y surround hamlets in Oudh a

es in such a grove at the beginning of December, when the weather is p

of half a dozen mango trees, a tamarind and a pipal, and witness

itting about amid the foliage looking for insects they are playing hide-and-seek, or pouring out their canary-like song. At this season of the year the cocks are in undress plumage. In his full splendour the male is gliste

as full of life and motion as the sunbirds. Their tinkling notes

pairs of doves were in that little bagh, and

illa rufiventris) is one of the commonest birds in Oudh during the winter months. During flight it

lanocephalus), a glorious golden bird having the head and neck black and some black in the wing. This creature seems never to descend t

e were more species in that tiny bagh than are to

nouncing her appearance by five or six joyous notes that mount and descend the musical scale. Dainty as a wagtail she is arrayed in black and white like some motacillas. She is dancer as well as

and the lower parts are white. After flitting from bough to bough in search of quarry, it stood still and uttered its lay, which consists of a chik, chik, followed by a little trill, not unlike that of the fan-tailed flycatcher.

tcher (Culicicapa ceylonensis), "a tiny brownie bird," with the head grey and the lower parts bright

looking up, I saw a crow-pheasant (Centropus rufipennis) running up a branch in the inimitable manner of his kind. His bright red eye was fixed on me, and

vulture. Very large and out of place did it seem struggling among the slender branches with wings spread-eagled. It was tugging away vigorously at a small branch and soon succeeded in breaking it off. Having accomplished this, it scrambled on to what looked like a large ball of dried leaves and twigs caught in one of the upper branches. This was a nest in course of construction, which the vulture was lining with pipal branches. Presently the huge bird flew off, and I was then able t

ad at frequent intervals mingled with the notes of the other birds; and at this moment one of these green parrots settled on a branch

warblers. These birds were so small and so active that I am not certain to what species t

sounds that filled the grove. Suddenly two tailor-birds came on the scene, one chasing the other. They alighted on a hori

rove, and several times did the cock descend to the ground, and hop about, with tail erect. He is arrayed in black and white, and a smarter-loo

rson? of the daily pageant. As I was leaving the tope a hen brown-backed robin (Thamnobia cambaiensis) hopped out o

reen barbet (Thereiceryx zeylonicus), the loud tap, tap, tap of the golden-backed woodp