2IO BIRDS OF THE PLAINS 



Tlie little green bee-eater utters what Jerdon calls 

 " a rather pleasant rolling whistling note," which, if 

 it cannot be dignified by the name of song, adds con- 

 siderably to the general attractiveness of the bird. 

 Bee-eaters are, alas ! not very abundant in Madras, but, 

 if looked for, may be seen on most days in winter. The 

 Adyar Club grounds seem to be their favourite resort. 

 When driving into the club at sunset I have often 

 surprised a little company of them taking a dust bath 

 in the middle of the road. The bath over, the little 

 creatures take to their wings and enjoy a final flight 

 before retiring for the night. 



Bee-eaters are, I think, migratory birds. It is true 

 that they are found all the year round in many parts 

 of India, but such places appear to be the winter 

 quarters of some individuals and the summer resi- 

 dences of others. There is an exodus of bee-eaters 

 from Calcutta about March. A similar event occurs 

 in Madras, although in the latter place the birds are 

 seen all the year round, a few remaining to breed. 

 In Lahore, on the other hand, the birds arrive in March, 

 and, having reared their young, leave in September. 



The nest is a circular hole excavated by the bird, 

 usually in a sandbank, sometimes in a mud partition 

 between two fields. I saw a nest in Lahore in one 

 of the artificial bunkers on the golf links. Major 

 C. T. Bingham states that in 1873, when the musketry 

 instruction of his regiment was being carried on at 

 Allahabad, he observed several nest holes of this species 

 in the face of the butts. The birds seemed utterly 

 regardless of the bullets that every now and then 



