174 PET BIRDS OF BENGAL 



the hard dry earth. For this reason, its 

 bill is generally noticed to be clothed with 

 mud and, durins: the moultinor season, the 

 portions of face and forehead near the base 

 of the mandibles become bare and shorn of 

 feathers. From an examination of the 

 stomach of these birds, it has been found 

 that it eats injurious and neutral insects 

 and therefore from an economic view-point, 

 it is regarded as a beneficial bird. 



This shy bird passes its unadventurous 



life in the solitary companionship of its 



mate. There is nothing in the Dama's 



appearance which may denote the presence 



of martial ardour in its character. But this 



unostentatious, inoffensive-lookino: bird does 



possess strength enough to protect its 



female from the objectionable advances of 



other males. In this respect, it is like the 



Shama or the Dhayal ; but it does not 



possess their cheerful spirit, and never 



betrays enthusiasm by breaking into vigorous 



song and, except in the breeding season, 



passes its time in the most severely 



