114 PET BIRDS OP BENGAL 



Just before the rains, its cry becomes 

 appealingly plaintive, quite powerful, and 

 very much flute-like. Now it is raised to 

 the highest — almost a shrill — -pitch, and 

 then suddenly it falls to a soft, mellow, 

 and plaintive note. This last note has a 

 sad sweetness in it which makes it the more 

 charming. The distinguished *'Eha" while 

 admitting the sweetness and variety of 

 the lora's notes, says, *'It has no song." 

 To this Dewar retorts with this happy, 

 if sarcastic, reply, ''it continually makes a 

 joyful noise", and says that "it is a good 

 songster". 



The cry of the birc^ sounds like 'torfee- 

 ha! or, as rendered in Bengal, Fa-iee-ka 

 (whence its name), the second syllable 

 being deep, long and loud. Layard des- 

 cribes this note as a "clear bell-like whistle 

 which can be imitated on an octave flute." 

 Legge renders it as *chee-tooo'. The 

 people of Upper India interpret it as 'Shou- 

 higa which to Dewar hears like 'So-he-ye'. 

 The people of Bengal identify this bird 



