Chapter 10

The average villager is a hot-weather organism. He is content with thin cotton clothing which he wears year in year out, whether the mercury in the thermometer stand at 115 degrees or 32 degrees. However, many of the better-educated Indians have learned from Englishmen how to protect themselves against cold; we may therefore look forward to the time when even the poorest Indian will be able to enjoy the health-bringing, bracing climate of the present month.

By the 1st December the last of the spring crops has been sown, most of the cotton has been picked, and the husbandmen are busy cutting and pressing the sugar-cane and irrigating the poppy and the _rabi_ cereals.

The crop-sown area is covered with a garment that, seen from a little distance, appears to be made of emerald velvet. Its greenness is intensified by contrast with the dried-up grass on the grazing lands. In many places the mustard crop has begun to flower; the bright yellow blooms serve to enliven the somewhat monotonous landscape. In the garden the chrysanthemums and the loquat trees are still in flower; the poinsettias put forth their showy scarlet bracts and the roses and violets begin to produce their fragrant flowers.

The bird choir is composed of comparatively few voices. Of the seasonal choristers the grey-headed flycatchers are most often heard. The fantail flycatchers occasionally sing their cheerful lay, but at this season they more often emit a plaintive call, as if they were complaining of the cold.

Some of the sunbirds are still in undress plumage; a few have not yet come into song, these give vent only to harsh scolding notes. From the thicket emanate sharp sounds--_tick-tick_, _chee-chee_, _chuck-chuck_, _chiff-chaff_; these are the calls of the various warblers that winter with us. Above the open grass-land the Indian skylarks are singing at Heaven's gate; these birds avoid towns and groves and gardens, in consequence their song is apt to be overlooked by human beings. Very occasionally the oriole utters a disconsolate-sounding _tew_; he is a truly tropical bird; it is only when the sun flames overhead out of a brazen sky that he emits his liquid notes. Here and there a hoopoe, more vigorous than his fellows, croons softly--_uk_, _uk_, _uk_. The coppersmith now and then gives forth his winter note--a subdued _wow_; this is heard chiefly at the sunset hour.

The green barbet calls spasmodically throughout December, but, as a rule, only in the afternoon. Towards the end of the month some of the nuthatches and the robins begin to tune up. On cloudy days the king-crows utter the soft calls that are usually associated with the rainy season.

December, like November, although climatically very pleasant, is a month in which the activities of the feathered folk are at a comparatively low ebb. The cold, however, sends to India thousands of immigrants. Most of these spend the whole winter in the plains of India. Of such are the redstart, the grey-headed flycatcher, the snipe and the majority of the game birds. Besides these regular migrants there are many species which spend a few days or weeks in the plains, leaving the Himalayas when the weather there becomes very inclement. Thus the ornithologist in the plains of Northern India lives in a state of expectancy from November to January. Every time he walks in the fields he hopes to see some uncommon winter visitor. It may be a small-billed mountain thrush, a blue rock-thrush, a wall-creeper, a black bulbul, a flycatcher-warbler, a green-backed tit, a verditer flycatcher, a black-throated or a grey-winged ouzel, a dark-grey bush-chat, a pine-bunting, a Himalayan whistling thrush, or even a white-capped redstart. Indeed, there is scarcely a species which inhabits the lower ranges of the Himalayas that may not be driven to the plains by a heavy fall of snow on the mountains. Naturally it is in the districts nearest the hills that most of these rare birds are seen--but there is no part of Northern India in which they may not occur.

The nesting activity of birds in Upper India attains its zenith in May, and then declines until it reaches its nadir in November. With December it begins again to increase.

Of those birds whose nests were described last month the white-backed vulture, Pallas's fishing-eagle, the tawny eagle, the sand-martin and the black-necked stork are likely to be found with eggs or young in the present month.

December marks the beginning of the nesting season for three large owls--the brown fish-owl, the rock horned-owl and the dusky horned-owl. The brown fish-owl (_Ketupa ceylonensis_) is a bird almost as large as a kite. It has bright orange orbs and long, pointed aigrettes. Its legs are devoid of feathers. According to Blanford it has a dismal cry like _haw_, _haw_, _haw_, _ho_. "Eha" describes the call as a ghostly hoot--a _hoo hoo hoo_, far-reaching, but coming from nowhere in particular. These two descriptions do not seem to agree. There is nothing unusual in this.

The descriptions of the calls of the nocturnal birds of prey given by India ornithologists are notoriously unsatisfactory. This is perhaps not surprising when we consider the wealth of bird life in this country. It is no easy matter to ascertain the perpetrators of the various sounds of the night, and, when the naturalist has succeeded in fixing the author of any call, he finds himself confronted with the difficult task of describing the sound in question. Bearing in mind the way in which human interjections baffle the average writer, we cannot be surprised at the poor success that crowns the endeavours of the naturalist to syllabise bird notes.

As regards the call of the brown fish-owl the writer has been trying for the past three or four years to determine by observation which of the many nocturnal noises are to be ascribed to this species. With this object he kept one of these owls captive for several weeks; the bird steadfastly refused to utter a sound. One hoot would have purchased its liberty; but the bird would not pay the price: it sulked and hissed. The bird in question, although called a fish-owl, does not live chiefly on fish. Like others of its kind it feeds on birds, rats and mice. Hume found in the nest of this species two quails, a pigeon, a dove and a myna, each with the head, neck and breast eaten away, but with the wings, back, feet and tail remaining almost intact. "Eha" has seen the bird stoop on a hare. The individual kept by the writer throve on raw meat. This owl is probably called the fish-owl because it lives near rivers and tanks and invariably nests in the vicinity of water. The nest may be in a tree or on a ledge in a cliff. Sometimes the bird utilises the deserted cradle of a fishing-eagle or vulture. The structure which the bird itself builds is composed of sticks and feathers and, occasionally, a few dead leaves. Two white eggs are laid. The breeding season lasts from December to March.

The rock horned-owl (_Bubo bengalensis_) is of the same size as the fish-owl, and, like the latter, has aigrettes and orange-yellow orbs, but its legs are feathered to the toes. This owl feeds on snakes, rats, mice, birds, lizards, crabs, and even large insects. "A loud dissyllabic hoot" is perhaps as good a description of its call as can be given in words. This species breeds from December to April. March is the month in which the eggs are most likely to be found. The nesting site is usually a ledge on some cliff overhanging water. A hollow is scooped out in the ledge, and, on the bare earth, four white eggs are laid.

The dusky horned-owl (_Bubo coromandus_) may be distinguished from the rock-horned species by the paler, greyer plumage, and by the fact that its eyes are deep yellow, rather than orange. Its cry has been described as _wo_, _wo_, _wo_, _wo-o-o_. The writer would rather represent it as _ur-r-r_, _ur-r-r_, _ur-r-r-r-r_--a low grunting sound not unlike the call of the red turtle-dove. This owl is very partial to crows. Mr. Cripps once found fifteen heads of young crows in a nest belonging to one of these birds. December and January are the months in which to look for the nest, which is a platform of sticks placed in a fork of a large tree. Two eggs are laid.

The breeding season for Bonelli's eagle (_Hieraetus fasciatus_) begins in December. The eyrie of this fine bird is described in the calendar for January.

In the Punjab many ravens build their nests during the present month.

Throughout January, February and the early part of March ravens' nests containing eggs or young are likely to be seen.

Ordinarily the nesting season of the common kite (_Milvus govinda_) does not begin until February, but as the eggs of this bird have been taken as early as the 29th December, mention of it must be made in the calendar for the present month. A similar remark applies to the hoopoe (_Upupa indica_).

Doves nest in December, as they do in every other month.

Occasionally a colony of cliff-swallows (_Hirundo flavicolla_) takes time by the forelock and begins to build one of its honeycomb-like congeries of nests in December. This species was dealt with in the calendar for February.

Blue rock-pigeons mostly nest at the beginning of the hot weather. Hume, however, states that some of these birds breed as early as Christmas Day. Mr. P. G. S. O'Connor records the finding of a nest even earlier than that. The nest in question was in a weir of a canal. The weir was pierced by five round holes, each about nine inches in diameter. Through four of these the water was rushing, but the fifth was blocked by debris, and on this a pair of pigeons had placed their nest.

GLOSSARY

_Arhar_. A leguminous crop plant which attains a height of four feet or more.

_Chik_. A curtain composed of a number of very thin strips of wood. Chiks are hung in front of doors and windows in India with the object of keeping out insects, but not air.

_Holi_. A Hindu festival.

_Jhil_. A lake or any natural depression which is filled with rain-water at all or in certain seasons.

_Kharif_. Autumn. Rice and other crops which are reaped in autumn are called _kharif_ crops. Crops such as wheat which are cut in spring are called _rabi_ crops. Two crops (sometimes three) are raised in India annually.

_Megas_. Sugar-cane from which the juice has been extracted.

_Rabi_. Spring. See _Kharif_.

_Shikari_. One who goes hunting or shooting.

_Tope_. A term applied to a grove of mango trees, artificially planted. Thousands of such topes exist in Northern India. In some places they are quite a feature of the landscape.

INDEX

Amadavat. _See_ Red munia

Babbler, common (_Crateropus canorus_), 36, 49, 68, 82, 89, 108, 120, 124, 142, 156, 162, 163, 183 --large grey (_Argya malcomi_), 162

Barbet, green (_Thereiceryx zeylonicus_), 7, 20, 53, 66, 68, 82, 89, 106, 108, 121, 138, 155, 168, 185, 192

Baya. _See_ Weaver-bird

Bee-eater, 3, 73, 74, 108, 120, 125, 139, 157, 169, 172, 182 --blue-tailed (_Merops philippinus_), 43, 89 --little green (_M. viridis_), 43, 89

Blue Jay. _See_ Roller

Blue-throat, 172

Brain-fever bird. _See_ Hawk-cuckoo

Bulbul, 5, 20, 36, 65, 68, 89, 107, 108, 123, 182, 185 --Bengal (_Molpastes bengalensis_), 47 --black (_Hypsipetes psaroides_), 192 --red-whiskered (_Otocompsa emeria_), 46

Bunting, 40, 41, 172, 183 --black-headed (_Emberiza melanocephala_), 41 --pine (_Emberiza leucocephala_), 193 --red-headed (_Emberiza luteola_), 41

Buzzard, 175, 183 --long-legged (_Buteo ferox_), 160 --white-eyed (_Butastur teesa_), 30, 44, 68, 69, 89, 108, 160

Chat, 3 --brown-rock (_Cercomela fuscus_), 59, 70, 89, 108, 123, 138 --dark grey bush (_Oreicola ferrea_), 193 --Indian bush (_Pratincola maura_), 42, 172, 173 --pied bush (_Pratincola caprata_), 21, 65, 74, 89, 170

Coot, common (_Fulica atra_), 135 --purple (_Porphyrio poliocephalus_), 121, 133, 135, 146, 184

Coppersmith or crimson-breasted barbet (_Xantholaema haematocephala_), 7, 20, 23, 44, 53, 66, 68, 82, 89, 106, 108, 121, 138, 169, 185, 191

Cormorant, 3, 133, 135, 142, 183

Crane, 184 --demoiselle (_Anthropoides virgo_), 167, 171 --sarus (_Grus antigone_), 5, 98, 133, 143, 156, 176

Creeper, wall, 192

Crow, 13, 36, 69, 119, 156, 169, 183, 185 --black, or jungle crow or corby (_Corvus macrorhynchus_), 5, 25, 44, 68, 89 --house (_Corvus splendens_), 5, 108, 113, 124, 125, 141, 162

Crow-pheasant or coucal (_Centropus sinensis_), 36, 82, 112, 120, 138, 142, 156, 164, 170, 176, 183

Cuckoo, European (_Cuculus canorus_), 66, 80 --hawk (_Hierococcyx varius_), 20, 36, 49, 82, 84, 120, 124, 138, 155, 157, 168 --Indian (_Cuculus micropterus_), 85, 120, 138 --pied crested (_Coccystes jacobinus_), 114, 120, 124, 138, 142, 155, 157, 163 --sirkeer (_Taccocua leschenaulti_), 124

Cuckoo-shrike (_Grauculus macii_), 5, 51, 52, 89, 108, 124, 142, 169

Curlew, 171, 184

Dabchick, or little grebe (_Podiceps albipennis_), 150, 183

Darter. _See_ Snake-bird

Dhayal. _See_ Magpie-robin

Did-he-do-it. _See_ Red-wattled lapwing

Dove, 8, 9, 21, 44, 54, 68, 89, 108, 123, 156, 162, 169, 174, 185 --little brown (_Turtur cambayensis_), 5 --red turtle (_Oenopopelia tranquebarica_), 157, 172 --ring (_Turtur risorius_), 5 --spotted (_Turtur suratensis_), 5

Drongo or king-crow (_Dicrurus ater_), 3, 36, 38, 43, 77, 90, 107, 108, 120, 121, 138, 157, 169, 170, 182, 192

Duck, 3, 133, 146, 183, 185 --brahminy (_Casarca rutila_), 64, 185 --comb or nukta (_Sarcidiornis melanotus_), 115, 135, 143, 149 --gadwall (_Chaulelasmus streperus_), 64, 171 --mallard (_Anas boscas_), 64 --pintail (_Dafila acuta_), 41, 64, 171 --pochard (_Netta ferina_), 64, 171 --shoveller (_Spatula clypeata_), 171 --spot-billed (_Anas poecilorhyncha_), 134, 135 --widgeon (_Mareca penelope_), 64, 171

Eagle, 21 --Bonelli's (_Hieraetus fasciatus_), 10, 44, 197 --Pallas's fishing (_Haliaetus leucoryphus_), 11, 43, 187, 193 --steppe (_Aquila bifasciata_), 160 --tawny (_Aquila vindhiana_), 11, 44, 68, 89, 160, 187, 193

Egret, 99, 133, 134, 135, 142 --cattle (_Bubulcus coromandus_), 100, 151

Falcon, lugger (_Falco jugger_), 160 --peregrine (_Falco peregrinus_), 160, 161, 174 --shahin (_Falco peregrinator_), 174

Finch, rose (_Carpodacus erythrinus_), 158, 172, 183

Finch-lark, ashy-crowned (_Pyrrhulauda grisea_), 28, 44, 56, 68, 89, 183

Flycatcher, 3, 185 --fantail (_Rhipidura albifrontata_), 5, 29, 44, 68, 83, 89, 106, 108, 125, 142, 156, 170, 182, 191 --grey-headed (_Culicicapa ceylonensis_), 6, 21, 42, 156, 170, 172, 182, 191, 192 --paradise (_Terpsiphone paradisi_), 42, 43, 77, 92, 107, 108, 123, 157, 172 --red-breasted (_Siphia albicilla_), 172 --verditer (_Stoparola melanops_), 42, 193

Gadwall. _See_ Duck

Goatsucker. _See_ Nightjar

Goose, 3, 64, 171, 185 --grey-lag (_Anser ferus_), 41

Grebe. _See_ Dabchick

Harrier, 161, 183

Hawk, sparrow, 160

Heron, 135, 184 --night (_Nycticorax griseus_), 89, 113, 133, 142 --pond, or paddy-bird (_Ardeola grayii_), 99, 113, 134, 142, 184

Honeysucker. _See_ Sunbird

Hoopoe (_Upupa indica_), 7, 17, 20, 23, 68, 83, 97, 108, 170, 182, 185, 191, 197

Hornbill, grey (_Lophoceros birostris_), 78, 95, 108

Ibis, 184 --black (_Inocotis papillosus_), 135

Iora (_Aegithina tiphia_), 35, 65, 71, 72, 83, 89, 106, 108, 121, 123

Jacana, 121, 133, 185 --bronze-winged (_Metopus indicus_), 134, 135, 144, 145, 183 --pheasant-tailed (_Hydrophasianus chirurgus_), 114, 135, 144, 145, 183

Jackdaw, 3, 172

Jungle-fowl (_Gallus ferrugineus_), 108

Kestrel, 160, 161, 183

King-crow. _See_ Drongo

Kingfisher, 184, 185 --pied (_Ceryle rudis_), 27, 44, 68, 88 --white-breasted (_Halcyon smyrnensis_), 5, 45, 68, 73, 89, 106, 108, 121, 138, 182

Kite (_Milvus govinda_), 5, 14, 26, 44, 68, 89, 108, 119, 156, 160, 169, 183, 185, 191 --black-winged (_Elanus caeruleus_), 160 --brahminy (_Haliastur indicus_), 56, 68 --large Indian (_Milvus melanotis_), 160

Koel (_Eudynamis honorata_), 8, 43, 82, 84, 110, 120, 124, 125, 138, 141, 155, 157, 163, 168

Lapwing, 108, 123, 183 --red-wattled (_Sarcogrammus indicus_), 5, 77, 88, 89, 139 --yellow-wattled (_Sarciophorus malabaricus_), 77, 89

Lark, crested (_Galerita cristata_), 21, 56, 89, 108 --red-winged bush (_Mirafra erythroptera_), 123 --sky (_Alauda gulgula_), 21, 68, 89, 108, 183, 191

Mallard. _See_ Duck

Martin, sand (_Cotyle sinensis_), 14, 21, 44, 68, 73, 89, 167, 187, 193

Merlin, common (_Aesalon regulus_), 160, 161 --red-headed (_Aesalon chicquera_), 12, 21, 44, 68, 89, 160

Minivet, 51, 158, 172, 181 --little (_Pericrocotus peregrinus_), 52, 68, 89, 125, 142

Munia, 21 --red or amadavat (_Estrelda amandava_), 15, 44, 124, 140, 156, 186 --white-throated (_Uroloncha malabarica_), 16, 44, 162, 186

Myna, 5, 82, 108, 156, 157, 175, 182, 183 --bank (_Acridotheres ginginianus_), 59, 89, 94, 123 --brahminy (_Temenuchus pagodarum_), 73, 94, 124 --common (_Acridotheres tristis_), 59, 73, 93, 124, 142, 162, 185 --pied. _See_ Pied Starling

Nightjar, 53, 66, 87, 89, 108 --Franklin's (_Caprimulgus monticolus_), 37, 88 --Horsfield's (_Caprimulgus horsfieldi_), 37, 88, 106 --Indian (_Caprimulgus asiaticus_), 37, 88

Nuthatch (_Sitta castaneiventris_), 7, 20, 23, 44, 68, 83, 88, 182, 192

Openbill (_Anastomus oscitans_), 142

Oriole, 78, 83, 106, 108, 124, 138, 156, 157, 169, 172, 182, 191 --black-headed (_Oriolus melanocephalus_), 20, 42 --Indian (_Oriolus kundoo_), 42, 90

Osprey, 3, 160, 161, 184

Ouzel, black-throated (_Merula atrigularis_), 193 --grey-winged (_Merula boulboul_), 193

Owl, 66, 159 --barn (_Strix flammea_), 29, 49 --brown fish (_Ketupa ceylonensis_), 14, 21, 44, 193, 194, 195 --collared scops (_Scops bakkamaena_), 22, 44, 87 --dusky horned (_Bubo coromandus_), 6, 14, 22, 193, 196 --mottled wood (_Syrnium ocellatum_), 22, 44 --rock horned (_Bubo bengalensis_), 14, 21, 44, 193, 195

Owlet, jungle (_Glaucidium radiatum_), 6, 86, 138, 169 --spotted (_Athene brama_), 6, 53, 68, 86, 88, 98, 118, 138, 169

Paddy-bird. _See_ Pond-heron

Paroquet or green parrot, 5, 30, 36, 68, 88, 97, 156, 169, 183, 185 --alexandrine (_Palaeornis eupatrius_), 31, 44 --rose-winged (_Palaeornis torquatus_), 31, 44, 53

Parrot, green _See_ Paroquet

Partridge, black (_Francolinus vulgaris_), 98, 107, 138 --grey (_Francolinus pondicerianus_), 76, 89, 97, 108, 162, 186

Pea-fowl (_Pavo cristatus_), 98, 124, 138, 142, 162

Pelican, 3, 184

Pie, tree (_Dendrocitta rufa_), 5, 36, 59, 68, 89, 108, 123, 169, 185

Pigeon, blue rock (_Columba intermedia_), 17, 22, 69, 89, 108, 197 --green (_Crocopus phoenicopterus_), 89, l08, 123

Pipit (_Anthus rufulus_), 56, 68, 89, 108

Plover, 142, 183 --little ringed (_Aegialitis dubia_), 89 --spur-winged (_Hoplopterus ventralis_), 57, 89 --swallow (_Glareola lactea_), 57

Pochard. _See_ Duck

Quail, 64, 183 --grey (_Coturnix communis_), 159, 172 --rain (_Coturnix coromandelica_), 121

Rail, water (_Rallus indicus_), 184

Raven, 3, 14, 44, 197

Redstart, Indian (_Ruticilla frontalis_), 158, 167, 172, 173, 182, 192 --white-capped (_Chimarrhornis leucocephalus_), 193

Robin, Indian (_Thamnobia cambayensis_), 21, 35, 59, 65, 76, 89, 108, 123, 182, 191 --magpie (_Copsychus saularis_), 8, 35, 65, 73, 74, 83, 89, 106, 108, 120, 121, 123, 138, 155, 182

Roller or "blue jay" (_Coracias indica_), 38, 39, 53, 67, 73, 83, 89, 106, 108, 123, 139, 141, 156, 169, 170, 182

Rook, 3, 172

Sand-grouse, 77, 89

Sandpiper, 171

Seven Sisters. _See_ Babbler

Shikra (_Astur badius_), 69, 89, 160

Shoveller. _See_ Duck

Shrike, 38, 50, 68, 89, 108, 123, 142, 182 --bay-backed (_Lanius vittatus_), 51 --large grey (_Lanius lahtora_), 21, 32, 50 --rufous-backed (_Lanius erythronotus_), 51

Skimmer, Indian (_Rhynchops albicollis_), 57

Skylark. _See_ Lark

Snake-bird (_Plotus melanogaster_), 3, 133, 135, 142, 183

Snipe, 3, 64, 139, 158, 172, 184, 192 --fantail or full (_Gallinago coelestis_), 140 --jack (_Gallinago gallinula_), 140 --pintail (_Gallinago stenura_), 139

Sparrow (_Passer domesticus_), 54, 89, 108, 123, 185 --yellow-throated (_Gymnorhis flavicollis_), 43, 73, 89, 157, 172

Spoonbill, 135, 142

Starling, 3, 172, 182 --pied (_Sternopastor contra_), 77, 94, 107, 124, 138, 142, 155, 168 --rosy (_Pastor roseus_), 36, 40, 139

Stork, 171, 184 --black-necked (_Xenorhynchus asiaticus_), 176, 186, 193 --white-necked (_Dissura episcopus_), 113, 124, 135, 142

Sunbird, purple (_Arachnechthra asiatica_), 3, 6, 8, 20, 24, 36, 43, 44, 65, 68, 89, 106, 108, 123, 156, 157, 170, 172, 182, 185, 191

Swallow, 172, 182, 184 --Indian cliff (_Hirundo fluvicola_), 17, 22, 44, 68, 89, 133, 140, 197 --wire-tailed (_Hirundo smithii_), 54, 68, 89, 108, 124, 125, 142

Swift (_Cypselus indicus_), 54, 68, 89, 108, 123, 142, 182, 184

Tailor-bird (_Orthotomus sutorius_), 5, 59, 65, 72, 82, 89, 108, 124, 169, 182

Teal, 3, 64, 143, 171, 183 --cotton (_Nettopus coromandelianus_), 121, 135, 148 --garganey or blue-winged (_Querquedula circia_), 139, 159, 171 --whistling (_Dendocygna javanica_), 185

Tern, 57, 68, 142, 184 --black-bellied (_Sterna melanogaster_), 57 --river, (_Sterna seena_), 57

Thrush, blue rock (_Petrophila cyanus_), 192 --Himalayan whistling (_Myophoneus temmincki_), 193 --small-billed mountain (_Oreocincla dauma_), 192

Tit, green-backed (_Parus monticola_), 192

Vulture, 21, 159, 183 --Pondicherry or black (_Otogyps calvus_), 26, 44, 68, 88 --scavenger (_Neophron ginginianus_), 56, 68, 89 --white-backed (_Pseudogyps bengalensis_), 9, 68, 186, 193

Wagtail, 156, 157, 167, 172, 173, 182, 183, 184 --grey (_Motacilla melanope_), 158 --masked (_Motacilla personata_), 158 --pied (_Motacilla maderaspatensis_), 59, 65, 74, 89 --white (_Motacilla alba_), 158 --white-faced (_Motacilla leucopsis_), 158

Warbler, 139, 156, 181, 185, 191 --ashy wren (_Prinia socialis_), 124, 132, 142 --flycatcher (_Cryptolopha xanthoschista_), 192 --Indian wren (_Prinia inornata_), 48, 68, 108, 124, 131, 142 --reed (_Acrocephalus stentoreus_), 184

Water-hen, white-breasted (_Gallinula phoenicura_), 98, 124, 133, 146

Weaver-bird or baya (_Ploceus baya_), 114, 127, 142, 163, 176

Whimbrel, 184

White-eye (_Zosterops palpebrosa_), 5, 65, 71, 89, 108, 123, 180, 182, 185

Widgeon. _See_ Duck

Woodpecker, golden-backed (_Brachypternus aurantius_), 5, 53, 68, 89, 106, 108, 121, 182 --pied (_Liopicus mahrattensis_), 28, 44, 53, 68, 89, 182

Wood-shrike (_Tephrodornis pondicerianus_), 7, 32, 51, 65, 68, 89, 170, 182, 185

Wryneck, 182

ANIMALS OF NO IMPORTANCE BY DOUGLAS DEWAR

PRESS OPINIONS

_Nature_.--"We may commend the book as an excellent example of 'Nature teaching.'"

_Literary World_.--"Mr. Dewar makes us laugh while he teaches us.... These twenty essays are in all ways delightful."

_Saturday Review_.--"A number of excellent books on Natural History ... proceed from Anglo-Indian authors; and certainly this ... is worthy of its predecessors."

_Academy_.--"A chatty anecdote book ... showing a sense of humour and kindly insight ... many amusing stories."

_Indian Daily News_.--"Brightly and cleverly written ... pleasant and amusing reading."

_Morning Post_ (Delhi).--"A treasure-trove of literary art."

_Madras Mail_.--"Mr. Dewar ... displays quite remarkable knowledge and insight as well as a pretty wit.... Mr. Dewar's volume is calculated to give delight to all who are interested in the creatures of God's earth. Its humours will raise many a smile, while its keenness and accuracy of observation should induce many readers to study more closely the ... life ... around them."

_Civil and Military Gazette_.--"Shows the faculty of observation as well as a pleasant style."

_Englishman_.--"The reader will easily fall under the sway of the writer's charms.... Mr. Dewar's book is as interesting as it is entertaining."

BOMBAY DUCKS AN ACCOUNT OF SOME OF THE EVERYDAY BIRDS AND BEASTS FOUND IN A NATURALIST'S EL DORADO BY DOUGLAS DEWAR ILLUSTRATED BY MAJOR F. D. S. FAYRER

PRESS OPINIONS