278 



Pictures of Bird Life 



aiul Cuckoos announced tlieir arrival in every directic^n. But 

 among these sounds were mingled the liquid notes of the 

 Bee-eaters, as they poised in mid-air or perched on some 

 bare twig on the watch for passing insects. 



]More conspicuous still on the bare branches of the lower 

 bushes were the AVoodchat Shrikes, their white breasts shining 

 in the sun. and showing off' the rich chestnut of head and 

 back. They are very bold and familiar, much more so than 



the B ee- 

 eaters. which 

 dash off at 

 the slightest 

 attcm])t at a 

 11 e a r a p - 

 proach. Sev- 

 eral of these 

 graceful and 

 brightly col- 

 oured birds 

 were h()\'er- 



ing in front of some holes in a high bank : but so cai-lv in 

 the season — mid-April — it did not seem worth while to try 

 to dig out the holes. AVhile watching to find out if the 

 birds were entering them at all. I saw tlie tail of a big lizard 

 sticking out of one of them. 



Lizards and snakes are exceedingly numerous, and run to 

 a very large size, lioth are credited with dexouring birds 

 and their eggs, and even rabbits : and in their turn they 



Stilt i Hiiiiantupiis candidtts). 



