THE KALI SHAMA 59 



extreme. ^^Their idea of an earthly paradise,'^ 

 says Dewar /'is a flat, rocky, barren, arid 

 piece of land". 



Just as the Dhayal by its bold and 



springy movements and vigorous tail-play 



enlivens the countryside in Bengal, the 



Indian Eobin imparts a homely charm to 



the rufifsred districts of Behar and 



^^ the United Provinces. In Summer, 



Notes 



when the blazing sun has burnt up 



all the grass, leaving the whole country an 



uneven stretch of burning, brown land — the 



presence of the Thamnohia helps to dispel 



the frowning looks of Nature. It may be seen 



sitting on a big boulder with its tail upraised 



in order to show off its bright colouring to 



advantage. The tail is sometimes flung up 



so far as to come over the head, making an 



acute angle with the back. Sometimes the 



bird may be seen issuing from a small 



prickly shrub. Then looking round, it 



observes an insect, after which it runs with 



great agility without the least clumsiness in 



its movements. 



