Part 24

Ryot. A cultivator, small farmer.

Sal. The iron-wood tree (Shorea robusta).

Sahib. Master, sir, gentleman; a term used to denote a European.

Shikar. Hunting or shooting.

Shikari. (1) The man who goes hunting or shooting. (2) The native who accompanies him and directs the beat.

Terai. Lit. “Moist land.” A marshy tract of land about twelve miles broad, between the Bhabar and the plains proper. It is low-lying.

Tiffin. Lunch.

Topi. A sun-helmet.

With the exception of British Birds in the Plains of India, which appeared in The Civil and Military Gazette, and The Indian Corby, Birds in the Rain, and Do Animals Think? which came out in The Times of India, the articles which compose this book made their debût in one or other of the following papers: The Madras Mail, The Indian Field, The Englishman.

The author takes this opportunity of thanking the editors of the above-named newspapers for permission to reproduce these essays.

INDEX

A Acridotheres tristis, 94 Adjutant, 29-35 Aitken, Mr. Benjamin, 165 Aitken, Mr. E. H., 100, 164 Alauda arvensis, 5 Alauda gulgula, 5 Alcedo ispida, 5 Amadavat, 17, 20, 46-51, 52, 165 Anderson, Mr. A., 126 Aquila chrysætus, 175 Aquila vindhiana, 175 Arachnechthra asiatica, 79, 80 Arachnechthra lotenia, 79 Arachnechthra zeylonica, 80 Ardea cinerea, 6 Ardeola grayii, 115 Argya caudata, 127 Athene brama, 24, 142 Automata, birds as, 104-110 Avicultural Society’s Magazine, 74

B Babbler, 181 Babbler, common, 127 Babbler, striated bush-, 127 Barnes, 74 Baya, 183-189, 219, 221 Bee-eater, blue-tailed, 212 Bee-eater, little green, 208-212 Bingham, Major C.T., 210 Biology, dogmatism of, 129 Blackbird, 1, 107 Blackwell, Mr., 110 Blanford, 203 “Blue Jay,” 10-15, 84 Blyth, 30 Bonelli’s eagle, 175 Bottle bird, 185 Brachypternus aurantius, 86 Brain-fever bird, 117 Bulbul, 1, 166, 229-234 Bulbul, black, 229 Bulbul, green, 229 Bulbul, red-vented, 229-234 Bulbul, red-whiskered, 228-234 Bulbul, white-browed, 229 Burroughs, Mr. John, 213 Butcher bird, 163-167 Butler, Colonel, 211 Buzzard, 6 Buzzard, white-eyed, 176

C Caccabis chucar, 89 Centropus phasianus, 207 Cercomela fusca, 130 Chaffinch, 1 Chambers’s Journal, 30 Character, bird of, 94-98 Chick, 113 Chicken, 113, 116 Chukor, 89, 90 Cobbler, 62 Colouration, protective, 59, 128 Columba intermedia, 6 Columba livia, 6 Coot, 14 Coracias indica, 12, 54 Corby, Indian, 235-239 Corvus, 112, 142, 145, 147, 176, 237 Corvus corax, 4 Corvus lawrencii, 4 Corvus macrorhynchus, 235, 236, 238 Corvus splendens, 5, 111, 176, 235 Coturnix communis, 7 Cowper, 92 Craftsmen, a couple of neglected, 219-223 Cranes, 35-37 Crow, 5, 24-26, 30, 40, 68, 95, 106, 111-115, 118-123, 142, 144, 145-149, 175, 176, 179, 180, 184, 190, 191, 197, 213, 214, 235-239 Cuckoo, 9, 24, 107, 108, 117, 118, 120 Cuckoo, drongo-, 202-207 Cuckoo, playing, 111-116, 133 Cullen, Rev. C. D., 165 Cunningham, Colonel, 31, 32, 118, 164, 184, 190 Cypselus affinis, 101 Cypselus batassiensis, 101

D Darwin, Charles, 158, 160 Darwinian theory, 23, 129 Davison, 74, 203 Deceiver, gay, 202-207 Dendrocita rufa, 68 Dicrurus, 203 Did-he-do-it, 56-61 Difficulties of bird photography, 225 Dimorphism, sexual, 80, 81, 128, 156 Dog, 215, 216 Dogmatism of biology, 129 Don Quixote, 31 Dove, 12, 124-129 Dove, little brown, 124-134 Dove, red turtle, 128, 129 Dove, ring-, 124-129 Dove, spotted, 124-129 Dragon-fly, 181 Drongo,139 Drongo-cuckoo, 202-207 Duck, 8, 168, 169

E Eagle, 54, 173-177 Eagle, Bonelli’s, 175, 177 Eagle, golden, 175 Eagle, tawny, 176, 177 Edible birds’ nests, 102 “Eha,” 29, 48, 57, 131, 220, 230 Endynamis honorata, 111, 117

F Falcon, 6, 54 Fauna of British India, 158 Feminine selection, 160 Finn, Mr. Frank, 75, 232 Firefly, 188, 189 Flycatcher, paradise, 13, 81, 150-162 Flycatcher, white-browed fantailed, 146, 158 Fowl’s egg, 113, 114 Fox, 54 Francolinus pondicerianus, 90 Fulica atra, 5

G Gadwall, 8, 171 Galerita cristata, 7 Gallinago coelestis, 8 Gallinago gallinula, 8 Godwin, Earl, 169 Goose, grey-lag, 8 Grackle, 98 Grahame, 92 Green parrot, 88, 190-196, 197 Grey partridge, 90-93 Grouse, 93 Grouse, red, 1 Guinea-fowl, 93

H Halcyon smyrnensis, 4 Harper’s Magazine, 213 Harrier, hen, 6 Harrier, marsh, 6 Hawk-cuckoo, 117 Hawkes, Mr. S. M., 172 Hawk, sparrow-, 6 Headley, Mr. F. W., 54 Heron, 6 Herrick, Mr. F. H., 225, 226, 227 Hewer of wood, 84 Hieraëtus fasciatus, 175 Hierococcyx varius, 117 Hill-myna, 98 Home Life of Birds, 225 Homer, 57 Homo sapiens, 140 Honeysucker, 78-83, 166 Hoopoe, 14, 84, 182 Hornbill, 166 House martin, 110 Hudson, Mr. W. H., 107, 108 Hume, 18, 74, 129, 137, 189, 193 Humming-bird, 78 Hutton, Captain, 192

I Instinct, 27, 107, 109, 121 — maternal, 110 — parasitic, 120, 121 — parental, 27, 104 Isolation, 232

J Jackdaw, 4, 5 Jay, blue, 10-15, 84 Jerdon, 38, 69, 70, 74, 137, 140, 164, 175, 183, 188, 210 Jesse, 222 Jungle crow, 235-239

K Kearton, Mr. R., 105, 106 Kestrel, 6, 175 King-crow, 12, 40, 138, 139, 203-207 Kingfisher, 3, 144 Kingfisher, white-breasted, 4, 86 Kipling, Lockwood, 31, 91 Kite, 12, 106, 144-149, 166, 175, 177 Koel, 111-115

L Lal munia, 46 Lanius lahtora, 165 Lanius vittatus, 163, 165 Lapwing, 166 Lapwing, red-wattled, 56-61 Lapwing, yellow-wattled, 57 Larder, shrike’s, 163-165 Lark, crested, 7 Legge, 74 Leptoptilus dubius, 29 Leptoptilus javanicus, 34 Lilford, Lord, 143 Lobivanellus goensis, 56 Lockwood Kipling, 31, 91

M Magpie, 68-72 Magpie-robin, 84 Mallard, 8 Malvolio, 31 Martin, 100, 110 Merlin, 6 Merops, emerald, 208-212 Merops philippinus, 212 Merops viridis, 208-212 Milk, pigeon’s, 131 Minah, brahminy, 166 Minivet, 161 Molpastes, 229-234 Molpastes hæmorrhous, 231 Molpastes indicus, 231 Molpastes intermedius, 231 Monarch, dethroned, 173-177 Motacilla maderaspatensis, 26 Munia, red, 45-51 Munia, spotted, 52-55 Myna, 1, 40, 84, 86, 94-98, 181, 197

N Natural Selection, 23, 24, 42, 105, 109, 129, 202-207, 232, 234 Neo-Darwinian School, 124, 128 Nest, sanitation of, 224 Nests, birds in their, 224-228 Nests, edible birds’, 102 Newman, Mr. T. H., 75 Nutmeg bird, 52-55

O Oates, 158 Œnopopelia tranquebarica, 128 Oriole, black-headed, 135 Oriole, Indian, 13, 134-139 Oriolus kundoo, 135 Oriolus melanocephalus, 135 Orthotomus, 222 Orthotomus sutorius, 62-67, 219 Otocompsa, 229-34 Otocompsa emeria, 231 Otocompsa fuscicaudata, 231 Owl, barn, 3, 140-144 Owl, screech, 144 Owl, white, 141, 142 Owlet, spotted, 94, 142

P Paddy bird, 115, 116 Palæornis nepalensis, 194 Palæornis torquatus, 194 Palm swift, 101 Paradise flycatcher, 13, 81, 150-162 Parakeet, 1 Parental instinct, 27, 104 Paroquet, Alexandrine, 194 Paroquet, rose-ringed, 194 Parrot, 95, 184 Parrot catching, 194 Parrot, green, 88, 166, 190-196, 197 Parrot, West African, 195 Partridge, grey, 90-93, 166 Passer domesticus, 2, 75, 76 Peacock, 42-44 Peafowl, 93 Pearson, Professor, 42, 44 Peregrine falcon, 6 Pericrocotus peregrinus, 161 Pheasant, 92, 144 Photography, difficulties of bird, 225 Pica rustica, 68 Pie, tree, 68-72 Pigeon, 6, 133, 134, 184 Pintail, 8 Pinto, Mr. G. A., 63, 64, 66, 158 Pipit, 7 Playing cuckoo, 111-116 Ploceus baya, 183, 219 Plover, Kentish, 9 Plover, ringed, 9 Pochard, white-eyed, 171 Prinia inornata, 219 Prinia socialis, 222 Protective colouration, 59, 93, 128

Q Quail, 7, 93