250 BOMBAY DUCKS 



leaves, and the bird took alarm and flew out again 

 without having fed her children. She went to the next 

 tree and there stood and looked at me with a very large 

 berry in her beak ; she remained for some time in that 

 attitude, and then, herself, swallowed the fruit. Judging 

 from the efforts she made in disposing of it, the berry 

 must have been an exceedingly hard one, and I take 

 credit to myself for saving a young barbet from a 

 violent attack of indigestion ! 



Barbets, like most birds, are very unwilling that any 

 animal should approach their nest. One afternoon a 

 myna chanced to perch upon the bough in which the 

 above-mentioned nest had been excavated. Imme- 

 diately afterwards one of the parent barbets happened 

 to return. Without a second's hesitation it flew at the 

 astonished myna, who had no idea of the existence of 

 the barbet's nest. The myna hopped with great speed 

 on to the next branch, and there stood looking at the 

 barbet, and his attitude expressed mingled surprise and 

 pain caused by the thought that any bird could behave 

 so rudely to him. The barbet again "went for" him, 

 and the myna, mystified, but thinking discretion the 

 better part of valour, flew away. And he did well, for 

 a myna is no match for a barbet. Indeed, if we may 

 believe Layard, this latter is an exceptionally fierce bird. 

 He states that a barbet kept in captivity used to devour 

 its fellow-prisoners, who were inoffensive munias. 



I hoped to witness the first attempt at flight of the 

 young barbets, but was doomed to disappointment, for, 

 being "by thronging duties press'd," the time I was able 

 to devote to the young barbets was limited. I, however, 



