ALEXANDER THE COPPERSMITH 251 



saw indications that the time was at hand when the 

 youngsters would trust themselves to the air, for their 

 voices became more powerful, and the visits of the parent 

 birds to the nest grew less frequent. As they began to 

 wax strong, the youngsters would take it in turn to look 

 out of the window of the nest and contemplate, with 

 awe-struck eyes, the wondrous world. 



At first they did not fear me, but would watch me 

 with great curiosity; after a few days, however, curiosity 

 gave way to fear, the birds seemed to learn that man 

 was an enemy to be shunned, for they would disappear 

 as soon as I approached the nest. One day I passed 

 by and saw no little bird looking out, nor did any 

 sound come from the nest. In vain did I wait to hear 

 the well-known cry. Then I realized that the young 

 barbets had begun in earnest to fight the battle of life. 



Barbets are said to nest in the same hole year after 

 year. It is not easy to prove this assertion ; indeed, 

 the only way of doing so would be for some person who 

 has a fixed abode in India to catch a bird whose nesting 

 place was known and to tie a piece of cotton to its leg, or 

 give it some other recognition mark, and then wait and 

 see whether it nested in the same hole next year. 

 Jerdon states that the same nest is repeatedly used, 

 and that each year fresh excavations take place, so that 

 the original cottage in which the whole family once 

 pigged must in course of time develop into what a 

 house-agent would call a " palatial mansion." 



So closely do the habits of the coppersmith resemble 

 those of the green barbet, that the above account of 

 the nesting operation might apply equally well to either 



