THE BHARAT AND ITS KINDRED 159 



day uncovered in a thinly lined nest on the 

 cold ground and in wet and chilly weather. 

 The only day without rains was the 22nd. 

 However, on the 24th two young hatched 

 and the remaining on the following day. 

 The male used to keep watch and ward 

 from certain coigns of vantage and pass the 

 word to the female when anyone approached 

 the aviary and the latter would at once 

 spring from her nest. I noticed that she 

 never adopted the precaution of running 

 some distance through the grass before 

 taking wing. Probably on the bare, open 

 stretches of country affected by this species 

 the ruse would be of no avail. 



''The young did not show any protective 

 coloration and were conspicuous objects 

 among the green grass. They tried to 

 neutralise the effect by flattening themselves 

 down as if a garden roller had been passed 

 over the nest. They grew fast inspite of 

 little brooding and bad weather. For 

 instance, on the 1st of July at 6.30 A.M. 

 the rain was coming down in torrents, the 



