86 Birds of the "Sal" Forest. 



It is not improlmble that these open glades are parts 

 of the forest, that were cleared by man many years ago. They 

 never get covered with trees because the sal seedling is very 

 sensitive to frost. It is killed by the cold of the Indian av inter 

 unless it is surrounded by other trees. This is the reason why 

 sal trees can establish themselves neither in these open glades 

 nor on the land immediately outside the forest. 



The Forest Department has cut broad straight fii^e- 

 lines through these jungles. The main object of these passages 

 is to prevent a fire spreading throughout the forest, but they 

 also serve as roads. The grass that grows on these during the 

 rainy season is Cut in the cold weather and fired, and thus they 

 are kept clear. These dense forests are the alwde of many 

 wild animals; tigers, leopards, jungle cats, wild boars, sam- 

 bur, spotted-deer, swamp-deer, blue antelopes, wild dogs, hy- 

 aenas, and porcupines are all found within them. 



They harbour many birds, liut the tract they cover is so 

 vast and the foliage is so dense, that the casual observer is 

 apt to be surprised at the small number of the fowls of the air 

 that he sees. 



The silence of these jungles is very marked in com- 

 parison with the noise that prevails in the neighbouring cul- 

 tivation. 



As one rides along a fire-line with the s((/ trees rising 

 up on either hand like great walls, the birds that most fre- 

 quently show themeselves are Bulbuls of the Molpastes and 

 Otoco>npsa species. Wonderful birds aie these Bulbuls. Next 

 to the Crows, Sparrows, and Doves, they are the most success- 

 ful species in India. They are equally at home in the garden, 

 the hedgerow, the grove, or the low jungle, dense forest, and 

 in the long 'grass of the tarai. 



Nearly as numerous as the Bulbuls are the Doves. The 

 spotted species {Turtar surateusis) is the most abundant- 

 Ring Doves {Turtur risorius), too, are plentiful, as are the 

 beautiful little Bronze -winged Doves (Chalcophaps indica)^ 

 but these last keep as a rule to the densest parts of the forest, 

 and rarely show themselves in the fire-lines. Occasionally a 

 noisy flock of green Parrots {Paloeorms) flies overhead. The 

 other birds most often seen are the Black-headed Oriole (Ori- 



