the bird which had thrown it tip must have been an industrious collector of 

 Coleoptera, or else had alighted on a considerable parS' of the unfortunate 

 beetles. I found several feathers, all of a colour and size which showed 

 them to have come from a large Corvus, undoubtedly a Raven. Returning 

 to the rock that projected most over the valley, and looking out over the 

 stream I had climbed up from, I could well understand it being a favourite 

 resting place for such a wary bird as a Raven. Although it could have been 

 approached from behind without one being seen until one was within gun- 

 shot, one was just as likely to miss it if one tried to find it and to pass within 

 a hundred yards of it without discovering it, still the view from the rocks 

 themselves was the most comprehensive I ever saw in this district. The 

 stream below could be seen in an unbroken Hue for a mile or more, and the 

 next ridge to the south, although nearly as high as Cross Fell, could be seen 

 practically from top to bottom, and miles beyond that the Pennines 

 stretched out to the southward, while to the west, not only the big 

 shoulder of Cross Fell was seen, with the Limestone crags on a level with 

 these rocks, but many miles of the Eden Valley, across to the Lake 

 District Mountains. After contemplating this fine view for some time, I 

 noticed a Raven sail over the valley to the south side and watching it with 

 the binocular, saw it alight close to the carcase of a sheep ; the bird walked 

 cautiously round this and took bits here ami there, but every minute or two 

 appeared to take a look around to see if anyone was approaching. Having 

 had a meal, he sailed away round the shoulder to my right, and a Kestrel 

 appeared from the direction in which the Raven had vanished and flew over 

 the Gill to the south side. This was the first Hawk of any kind I had 

 identified, as it passed just near enough for me to see the reddish colour 

 with mv binocular. (To be continued). 



<Ibe BirDs of Jnfcia. 



By Douglas Dkwar, I.C.S. 



\_A Lecture delivered before the Indian Section of the Royal Society of Arts, 



and reproduced by kind permission of the Author and R.S.A.~\ 



From the Journal of the Royal Society of Arts. 



Of the birds of India, it may truly be said " their name is legion." 



He who would treat of them in a short paper must perforce confine himself 



to generalities. I, therefore propose to devote the time at my disposal, 



firstly, to a consideration of the general characteristics of the avifauna of 



India, and then to pass on to some aspects of the study of bird life. 



Literary critics seem to be agreed that we who write about Indian 

 birds form a definite school. " Phil Robinson," they say, " furnished thirty 

 years ago a charming model, which all who have followed him seem com- 

 pelled to copy more or less closely." Mr. W. H. Hudson remarks: "We 

 grow used to look for funny books about animals from India just as we look 

 for sentimental natural historv books from America." 



