THE KHAN JAN 249 



to hear the heralds recount the srreat 

 deeds done by him. She carried a 

 garland in her hands for placing it over 

 the head of the person of her choice. 

 When the selection was over, it was 

 sometimes necessary for the successful 

 suitor to defend himself against the 

 combined attacks cf the disappointed 

 aspirants. I cannot say that the Wagtails 

 are so methodical in selecting their 

 mates, but they are no less artistic. 

 Many species of Wagtails flirt out- 

 rageously to capture the imagination of 

 the hens of their choice. They gener- 

 ally puff out their feathers and indulge 

 in various acrobatic flights. The Khan- 

 jan, however, appears to trust to its vocal 

 power as its greatest amatory asset to win 

 for it the favour of its mate. In the 

 mating season it becomes gregarious to 

 some extent, though at other times it 

 prefers to live in pairs. In the river 

 that runs past Poona, large numbers 

 breed in the small rock-islands below the 



