LIST OF BIRDS FOUND IN AND ABOUT MADRAS. 485 



iiition. Crowds of thorn hang about the General Hospital, rendering 

 obligatory the entertainment of a special staff of ; ' crow boys." These 

 urchins are armed with bows and arrows, and they have their work 

 cut out in keeping the crows out of the wards. The weak, helpless 

 patients are a favourite butt of the crows. The tables, which are placed 

 at the bedside of the patients, are provided with wire covers under 

 which the food is placed. Formerly weaker covers were used, but the 

 crows soon learned to overturn these. C. splendens' nests in Madras 

 during the months of June, July and August, usually in trees, but 

 occasionally on roofs. Dozens of families are reared up annually in 

 the trees of the Fort. Last year one pair tried to build on the 

 telegraph wire near the General Post Office in Blacktown. 



Both the cock and hen birds seek materials for the nest, but the 

 female alone does the building. The male sits and watches in a tree 

 near by, and when the female has adjusted the twigs to her satisfaction, 

 both fly off together to seek new material. While the young are in 

 the nest one or other of the parents invariably mounts guard. The 

 young birds appear to remain about 20 days in the nest before they 

 leave it. About the end of the third week of their existence they 

 begin to sit on the edge of the nest, but do not attempt to fly until two 

 or three days later. 



They are fed by the mother and generally treated as babies for 

 quite a long time after they have left the nursery. They "'squawk" 

 perpetually, displaying red throats. 



The nest is usually built of twigs, but any flexible material is 

 pressed into service. Cases are on record of nests in Madras being- 

 constructed of soda-water bottle wire, brandy-bottle wire and even 

 bits of tin. 



31. Parus atriceps. — The Indian Grey Tit. — This bird is by no 

 means common in Madras. 



111. Cratempus griseus. — The White-headed Babbler.- -This is the 

 common babbler of these parts, and indeed is the only babbler I have seen 

 in the neighbourhood of Madras. Its habits are those of its class. It is, 

 however, less unt : dy-looking. The degree of whiteness of the head 

 varies greatly on different individuals. I believe that it is a case of " the 

 -older the bird the whiter the head." In newly- fledged birds the head 

 feathers are scarcely whiter than the rest of the plumage. A young 

 babbler makes a charming pet ; it keeps up an endless cheeping twitter. 



