78 PET BIRDS OP BENGAL 



with the orange of its iris and eyelids, is a 

 potent attraction for the Indian bird-lover, 

 who hastens to bestow on it the endearing 

 but well-merited appellation of "Gulab- 

 ehasm" ( Pink-eyed ). In wild life, it evinces 

 traits which run counter to its behaviour 

 ill captivity. Extremely shy and nimble, 

 it dislikes open and elevated places, and 

 leads its life under cover of thickets, rank 

 grass, reeds, and low bushes. It is seldom 

 fbund on tree-tops. What it considers to 

 be its vantage-ground is generally the top 

 of a lono; stem of liTass, from which it 

 looks round before utterins: its animated 

 calls. The fact that these calls are often 

 answered from amidst a neighbouring clump 

 of reeds indicates that the bird is to some 

 extent o;re^arious in its habits. But its 

 following is never large, which scarcely 

 exceeds three. Nor is it a ]:>arty whoso 

 fussiness might easily lead to its detec- 

 tion. Wary and alert, it ^shrinks from man's 

 intrusion and at once disappears in tho 

 tai-gle of thick vegetation. No sooner i>s 



