THE MAD BABBLER 231 



caused it to take to its wings. Immediately afterwards 

 the other crow was similarly driven away. While the 

 babblers were still celebrating their bloodless victory 

 with a joyful noise, a tree-pie (Dcndrocitta rufa) came 

 and squatted on the ground near them, evidently 

 spoiling for a fight. The babblers advanced against 

 him, this time in open order. On their approach the 

 pie lunged at a babbler and caused it to retire. But 

 immediately another babbler made a feint at the tree- 

 pie, and things were becoming exciting when some- 

 thing scared away the combatants. 



Argya malcomi constructs a nest of the typical 

 babbler type ; that is to say, a somewhat loosely 

 woven cup, which is placed, usually not very high 

 above the ground, in a tree or bush. Nests are most 

 likely to be found in the rains. The eggs are a beautiful 

 rich blue — the hue of those of our familiar English 

 hedge-sparrow (Accentor modularis) — which is so char- 

 acteristic of babblers. 



Like all of us, this happy-go-lucky babbler has its 

 trials and troubles. It is victimised by that hand- 

 some, noisy ruffian, the pied crested cuckoo {Coccystis 

 jacobinus), which deposits in the nest an egg, which is 

 a first-class counterfeit of that of the babbler. The 

 feckless babblers sit upon the strange egg until it gives 

 forth its living contents. The presence of the spurious 

 child does not greatly perturb the babblers. As we 

 have seen, the flock does not break up even at the 

 nesting season. Under such circumstances the whole 

 flock probably takes part in administering to the young 

 cuckoo the wherewithal to fill the inner bird, so that on 



