Birds seen in the Suburbs of Calcutta 159 



eaten by the parent birds. When it was a fortnight old, the 

 supply of bananas failed, owin,*;- to the sinking- of fruit boats by 

 enemy submarines, but our Editor and one or two other friends 

 came to the rescue, and I was able to carry on. On June 22nd, 

 the hen again laid, using the same nest, so there is every chance 

 of my getting one or two more little ones this season. 



July 4tli.— Since writing the above, the hen has again 

 refused to sii. The cock after sitting night and day for a 

 week gave it up in despair. The eggs were both fertile. I 

 have now removed the hen and the young one, and shall give 

 the cock back his original wife. He may now perhaps treat her 

 better. 



<0-M^ 



Birds Seen in the Suburbs of Calcutta. 



Bv E. W. H.ARPER. ALB.O.U. 



To those who have not had an opportunity of visiting 

 India perhaps a short account of the wild birds seen during 

 an early morning stroll rotind one of the residential suburbs of 

 Calcutta may not prove uninteresting. 



It is the end of May, our " hot season," at Calcutta, and 

 the temperature has recently been as high as 103° in the shade. 

 Although up-country a higher reading occurs (115° to 120°) yet 

 the heat there is dry, and not so enervating as the damp heat 

 of Calcutta. 



We will commence with the House Crow (Corvus splen- 

 dc}is) chiefly because of his numbers, but also on account of 

 his intelligence and audacity. Unfortunately, he bears a very 

 bad character : Dewar in his Bird Calendar for Northern 

 India refers to the Crow as " that arch villain"; and Finn, in 

 his Garden and Aviary Birds, calls him a "grey-headed scoun- 

 drel " ! The Crow is extremely omnivorous : a canary dragged 

 from its cage in the verandah; food snatched from the dining 

 table; grain dropped from a passing bullock cart on the round; 

 locusts; a dead rat lying in the gutter — all are ravenously de- 

 voured by C. splendens. 



