Vol. xyni.j iixLL, The Jnii^lc uiuljltc Snows. .II3 



the Botanical Gardens, Melbourne. A few moments later it was 

 catching an insect within six feet of my head, and in the full 

 excitement of the play. The fully-expanded wings and erected 

 crest made quite a show, almost rivalling the brilliancy of the 

 players. Many people know the story of Allah giving the Hoopoe 

 this present crown in exchange for a golden crown at the request 

 of the bird itself. Whether the bird I saw was Upupa epops or 

 U. indica I cannot say. The geographical ranges overlapping 

 here gives hybridism. Its call is " Hoop ho." Whether I was 

 enjoying this my first sight of the Hoopoe more than that of my 

 first sight of the fascinating game of polo, I am not sure. Eacli 

 was seductive. However, I was able to enjoy seeing both the 

 work and the play on this really fine oval. H.H. the Maharajah 

 himself enters body and spirit, and when in the final his team 

 misses by a point he comes up cheerfully and smiles all round, 

 getting the response fitting so game a horseman. I was rather 

 surprised to see my little bird under observation allow Crump 

 Sahil) to gallop perilously near him while umpiring for the contend- 

 ing forces. 



On several occasions I saw the Hornbill {Dichoccros hicornis), 

 a bird sacred to Vishnu, the preserving force, and in this we have 

 a Hindoo faith — simple belief in God as visible in nature. This, 

 I take it, is why that learned pundit, the Dewan Sahib of Patiala, 

 would preserve the birds, the great majority of which we know 

 are useful both to hillsman and plainsman. Nesting-time was 

 only due, so I had to be content with a sight oi the hollow and 

 what remains of last year's mudding over. Although it is an 

 inhabitant of the Australian region, none inhabits Australia itself. 



There was a pair of deep metallic blue Sun-Birds {Cinnyris), 

 (juite unconcerned by the presence of many people passing 

 through the park. They were feeding among the blossoms 

 of our Queensland silky oak {Grevillea rohusta). Out in the 

 jungle next to cotton and wheat fields there is a multitude 

 of small birds, the most of which I was unfamiliar with. One, 

 the " Seven Sisters " {Crateropiis), is as chatty as our Babbler 

 (PonuiloyhiHiis), though its native name, I understand, really 

 means " seven brothers." There were some species of Wood- 

 peckers and many thousands of squirrels to make short work of 

 the nuts between them. 



Upon the higher country 1 saw the Spotted Woodpecker [Douiro- 

 copiis), with a tail of spinous shafts as we see in our Tree-creeper 

 and in its method of ascent. A Woodpecker often lays ten eggs 

 at a sitting, and will repeat the laying of the set half a dozen times 

 in the season if they are taken away. 



In this canalized independent native State there were (juite 

 a number of recently self-introduced water-birds. The great 

 irrigation system is a gravitation one from one or other of the 

 five great rivers — the meaning of the name Punjab ; thus the 

 river birds liave slowly but surely spread themselves over a 

 vast area of slender annual rainfall. The local lish, of several 



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