THE PIDDAH .^7 



which its range extends to Assam and 

 Burma. 



The Piddah is commonly found in con- 

 genial localities almost throughout India. 

 But in its natural haunts it is not so well- 

 known to the people of India as the Dhayal. 

 It is not that it lives, like the 



Shama, in deep forests which, in 

 Notes 



fact, it avoids studiously like the 



Dhayal, or is seen like the latter foraging 

 boldly in village lanes, and behind our 

 bungalows ; nor is it that it loves like 

 the Ply-catcher, to flit about the top-most 

 branches of trees in our gardens and or- 

 chards. But we shall have to seek it in 

 the slightly rocky districts where jungles 

 are open and bushy, and the outskirts of 

 towns and villages where there is sparse 

 and dwarf vegetation. There we may 

 chance on it in the bushes or shrubs, or 

 sitting jauntily on a big piece of stone, 

 chirruping and warbling with perfect self- 

 possession. A fence, a post, a grass-stem 

 or a mound of earth are also places where 



