Birds of the ".'?rt7" Forrist. 87 



olufi nu'ldiiorriiliiiliix), tli(> T.oiit^-failcil Ti-cc-pic (Deinlmi-i/fti 

 nifa) and llie (!ol(lon-l);i(i\(Ml A\'()!)(l|)('ck(^i' ( ninfliz/p/crniis aurm 

 a)if!u,s). 



Amid tlio lon.i,'- .i^n-iss stems tliat cover (lie opon s'lados 

 Urctty little Avadiiva's (Sporrvqivthus hdii mlnni), spi'iulitly 

 Rush-chats (1^ rat in cola )i/n'ira). haiu'somo Crested nimtinq-s 

 {Melophus mrlanicierus) and several species of Warblers dis- 

 port themselves. The recesses of the forests liold many strange 

 and beautiful l)irds, especially in winter when a great many 

 Flycatchers and Warblers seek refuge in these forests from 

 the rigours of the Himalayas. 



Amid the areeu foliaye tlit splendid BJiinirrtJ^' ">v 

 Racket-tailed Di-oiigns (Diss',n/ir/'s jinrddiscus) and re- 

 splendent P)lne Whistlinu-'riirushes (M n'tophoucux temwinchi). 



Perhaps the most interesting birds in the forest are 

 the Pied Hornbills {.\ntln;icnerrox ullnrnah-h). These ureat 

 birds are nearly a yard long, and have the casque pretty well 

 developed. Their flight is very noisy, and the swish of their 

 wings can be heard for a long distance: in contrast to this 

 is the absurdly weak voice, which always puts me in mind 

 of the squeak of a mechanical toy. 



Other large birds that haunt the sal forests are the 

 Pea-fowl (Pavo rrislafns), and the Jungle-fowl (GdlJns frrnt- 

 gincufi); the latter is said never to bo found away from sal 

 forests. : ! ■' ' '' j '"' { •^ "'i^ 



These two species are most numerous at the edi^(> of 

 the forest or near the clearings in which the houses for the 

 use of forest officers are built. 



These two species li;' up in t'lc dense jungle. They 

 issue forth to feed in the very early morning, and just after- 

 sunset. They then betake themselves to the cultivation on 

 the fringe of the forest where they feed. At such times a 

 field looks very like a farmyard, since in addition to a dozen 

 Peafowl p(M-haps twenty or tliirty Jungle cocks and liens 

 are pick-ini; up iii-ains in it. If one can manage to ix ^ le'w'cn 

 such a nock and the forest, one has good sport w'itli tlie gun, 

 when the birds, being startled, fly to cover. BdHi species 

 take a lot of lead, and run swiftly. 



I was about to say that the sal forests are the only 



