30 JUNGLE FOLK 



troubles and trials of the hot weather are lesser evils 

 than the inconveniences and perils of the long migra- 

 tory journey. The head of this species is black, 

 relieved by a white streak running through the eye ; 

 the wings and tail are mostly black, and a bib — or is 

 " front " a more correct word ? — of similar hue is 

 usually worn. The under parts of the bird are white. 



The pied-wagtail is common all over India. It is 

 particularly abundant in the city of Madras, where it 

 is to be seen everywhere — on the house-top, in the 

 courtyard, in shady garden, in open field, and on the 

 river bank in company with the soldiers who solemnly 

 fish in the waters round about the fort. 



When in Madras I used to see almost daily one of 

 these birds perched on the telegraph wire that runs 

 across the Cooum parallel with the Mount Road bridge. 

 The bird seemed to spend most of the day in pouring 

 forth its sweet song. When sitting on the wire its tail 

 used to hang down in a most unwagtail-like manner, 

 so that the bird looked rather Hke a pipit. Pied-wag- 

 tails sometimes appropriate suitable parts of the 

 bungalow for nesting sites ; when this happens the 

 human occupant has plenty of opportunity of studying 

 their ways. 



The remaining thirteen species of wagtails are 

 merely winter visitors to the plains of India. Two or 

 three of these are to be seen feeding, during the cold 

 weather, on every grass-covered field, and at the edge 

 of every jhil. In the latter place wagtails are nothing 

 short of a nuisance to the man who is out after snipe, 

 for they have the habit of rising along with the snipe, 



