Birds of LucJcnow. 477 



But^ as Mr. Reid wrote^ " the destruction of the flora 

 would not much matter were it not that the singhara plant 

 has taken its place." The famine of 1877-78 gave an 

 immense impetus to its cultivation, which the famine 

 eighteen years later emphasized. Doubtless from an economic 

 point of view the fact is one for congratulation, but the effect 

 is disastrous from a sportsman^s point of view. At all hours 

 of the day the cultivators may be seen wading or floating 

 about on primitive rafts attending to their duties, whilst all 

 night long tbey sit up and make the night hideous in their 

 endeavours to keep off the Geese. Many a jheel famous in the 

 old days for its enormous bags is thereby rendered useless. 

 In certain years some species of wild-fowl are more numerous 

 than others, and these again may disappear for a time 

 without any apparent cause. Doubtless it is in the main 

 climatic, but the notes that I have collected on the migration 

 of our birds are not sufficient for drawing up any definite 

 conclusions. One strange thing, however, is the scarcity 

 of numerous birds recorded by Reid as " common,''^ 

 e. g. the Glossy Ibis [Plegadis falcinellus) and the Common 

 Crane [Grus communis) , of which I have seen the former 

 once, the latter never; whilst, on the other hand, he has 

 not recorded several species which are now not infrequently- 

 met with. It is very difficult to make a proper use of the 

 words " common " and " rare." Often birds are said to be 

 "rare" when they should rather be classed as " local." Thus 

 though I cannot recollect ever having seen the Flamingo 

 {Phoenicopterus ruseus), I know that it occurs in considerable 

 numbers on jheels towards Sandila ; the Demoiselle Crane 

 [Anthropoides virgo) I never saw till last year, when I came 

 upon hundreds on some shallow jheels in the Rai Bareli 

 district, and a few days afterwards I saw a flock passing 

 high over Lucknow, evidently going to join their friends. 

 Railways have also exercised a baneful effect on the fauna 

 of the country. There is less virgin ground than there was 

 twenty, fifteen, even ten years ago, and every season sees it 

 diminish still more. A great deal of wanton, or rather I 

 should say irresponsible, slaughter of game, and, in fact, birds 

 and animals generally, is carried on. Much of this destruction 



