228 Capt. L. H. Irby on Birds 



43. Ceryle RUDis. ("Dobie Bird,'^) 



Very common in the cold season : is called the " Dobie Bird " 

 from being so often observed near where the '' Dobies " or native 

 washermen are at work. It is generally seen hovering in the 

 air like a Kestrel, and^ pouncing down like a stone, will go quite 

 under water. The cry of this bird is loud, shrill, and inces- 

 santly repeated. 



44. Alcedo bengalensis. 



This beautiful miniature of our English Kingfisher is not 

 seen nearly so often as the preceding species, or Halcyon smyr- 

 nensis, and, unlike the latter, prefers running streams. The most 

 splendidly coloured of the Indian Kingfishers, H. coromanda, 

 did not come under my notice, and probably is not found in Oudh. 



45. CoRACiAs iNDiCA. (Indian Roller.) 



Called " Blue Jay '' by Europeans, and " Ned Kant" (Blue 

 Crow) by the natives. Is seen in great numbers throughout the 

 year, and breeds in roofs of houses and in holes of trees. 

 They perform the same aerial antics as C. garrula, but are much 

 more noisy, and very annoying during the breeding-season, in 

 May and June. They make holes for their nests in the thatch 

 of bungalows, and used to create such a disturbance, that I kept 

 a gun ready-loaded for them ; but it was labour in vain — no 

 sooner was one pair disposed of than others appeared. This 

 species certainly interbreeds with the more southern and eastern 

 C. affinis, as there are specimens in the Calcutta Museum, 

 evidently hybrids. The European C. yarrula has been killed at 

 Mooltan, and also in Aflfghanistan. 



46. Merops philippinus. 



Seen in the hot season, but not in any numbers. 



47. Merops viridis. (Green Bee-eater.) 



Excessively numerous throughout the year : ten or more may 

 often be seen sitting on the same bush ; and on the telegraph 

 wires on the Grand Trunk Road, I once saw, in the early morn- 

 ing, upwards of fifty within twenty yards. In one habit this 

 bird resembles our Spotted Flycatcher {Muscicapa gi-iseola) : it 

 is incessantly Hying a few feet in chase of insects, and settling 



