32 BIRDS OF THE PLAINS 



faint idea might be conveyed of the peculiar quah'ty of 



the adjutant's movements." 



Sometimes the bird struts along solemnly with bent 

 back and forvvardly pointed bill, at others it will jump 

 or skip along with outstretched wings and clap its beak. 

 It cannot even stand still without striking ludicrous 

 attitudes. Seen from behind, it looks like a little hunch- 

 backed old man with very thin legs, dressed in a grey 

 swallow - tail coat. Adjutants sometimes vary the 

 monotony of existence by standing on one leg ; occa- 

 sionally they sit down, stretching their long legs out in 

 front, and looking " as though they were kneeling wrong 

 side foremost." 



Colonel Cunningham gives a most entertaining 

 account of the habits of these birds, many of which 

 used, until quite recently, to be seen about Calcutta. 

 My observations are chiefly confined to birds in cap- 

 tivity ; this perhaps accounts for the fact that they do 

 not agree in all respects with those of the Colonel. 

 According to him, adjutants "are singularly ill-tempered 

 birds, constantly squabbling with one another, even in 

 the absence of any cause of competition, such as 

 favourite roosts or specially savoury stores of offal. 

 Even whilst several of them are standing quietly about, 

 sunning themselves and apparently buried in deep 

 thought, a quarrel will suddenly arise for no apparent 

 reason ; and then you may see two monstrous fowls 

 begin to pace around, cautiously stalking one another, 

 and watching for a favourable opportunity of striking 

 and buffeting with beak and wings. The expression of 

 slow malignity with which such duellists regard one 



