THE PIDDAH 39 



my Ekka, It has, however, the stereotyped 

 habit of using the top-most twigs of a bush 

 or the summit of a large boulder as its perch 

 and observatory, from where it constantly 

 sallies out to pick up passing insects from 

 the ground. These insects are generally 

 carried to its perch to be finished off, but 

 sometimes they are swallowed when caught 

 on the ground. The bird is entirely insecti- 

 vorous and has a special fondness for cater- 

 pillars, black-ants and beetles. Flies and 

 midges, too, are not discarded. 



Shyness is alien to the character of this 

 little bird. It does not care for your pre- 

 sence until you are too uncomfortably near ; 

 and, even then, it avoids you only by a short 

 flight to a neighbouring bush, whence with 

 a defiant up-jerk of the tail, it watches 

 your further movements. If, instead of 

 pursuing it, you leave it alone and care to, 

 watch the bird, your patience will be fully 

 rewarded. Por it is one of the boldest, 

 springiest and most elegant of our birds and 

 its movements are extremely graceful. It 



