THE ROOSTING OF THE BEE-EATERS 53 



I noticed one line of eight bee-eaters, squeezed up 

 against one another, and very pretty did the eight httle 

 heads look. But these rows were subjected to constant 

 disturbance, and were continually being broken up and 

 re-formed. The disturbances came both from within 

 and from without. One of a row, usually the outside 

 one (outside berths are not appreciated by the bird- 

 folk), would suddenly determine to better his position, 

 which he would seek to do by hopping on to his neigh- 

 bour's back, and trying to wedge himself in between 

 him and the next bird. This would be resented by the 

 aforesaid neighbour, who would try to shake off the 

 intruder, and the struggle that ensued would, as often 

 as not, result in the break-up of the whole row. Birds 

 that had not already found suitable perches would join 

 rows already in existence. This was a constant source 

 of disturbance. Perhaps four bee-eaters would be 

 sitting on a bough which their weight caused to hang 

 horizontally, then a fifth bird would take it into his little 

 head to ahght at the extreme tip of the branch, and 

 bear it down to such an extent that those already on 

 it had to grip hard to maintain their equiUbrium. It 

 must be very disconcerting and annoying to a sleepy 

 little bird when the angle of its perch is suddenly 

 changed by fifteen or twenty degrees ! 



While I was watching all this some village boys 

 caught sight of me, and, with the curiosity so char- 

 acteristic of the Punjabi, came up to see what I was 

 looking at. Shortly after their arrival one of them 

 showed his country manners by clearing his throat with 

 such violence as to frighten all the bee-eaters out of 



