256 PET BIRDS OF BENGAL 



stones and clods of earth, in the timber 

 of bridges, in drains, on roofs, — in fact, 

 "anywhere except on trees, shrubs, and 

 bushes." "When this bird makes up its 

 mind to build in a particular spot, no 

 amount of adverse circumstances will 

 deter it from carrying out its plans." 



A friend of Leo-gje wrote to him that at 

 Futtehgur, a favourite situation was the 

 bridge of boats, the nests being placed 

 inside a pigeon-hole either at the bow or 

 stern of a boat. A pair of large Pied 

 Wao'tails nested for several successive 

 seasons in an iron ring attached to the 

 top of a buoy in the middle of the river 

 Jumna at Agra. Another pair built their 

 nest in a ferry-boat which daily crossed 

 the Chumbal. The female used to sit 

 on its eggs most non-chalantly when the 

 boat plied across the river. The male 

 entertained the passengers the while by 

 its song, sitting on the gunwale, occasion- 

 ally taking short jerky flights over the 

 water. Here is a note on its nesting^ from 



