300 PET BIRDS OF BENGAL 



disappearance can be otherwise accounted 

 for." 



With regard to the nursing of young 

 Koels, Oates writes, '^I have never seen 

 crows feeding fully fledged Coels out of 

 the nest, whereas I have repeatedly 

 wititched adult female Coels feeding young 

 cries of their own species. I am pretty 

 nearly convinced that after laying their 

 eggs the females keep somewhere about 

 the locality and take charge of the young 

 directly they can leave the nest." This 

 supposition can be true if the female lays 

 only one egg in only one nest, so that 

 it may be on the look-out for that one 

 alone. What actually happens is that 

 the female Koel lays more than one egg 

 in more than one nest. Does it keep an 

 eye on all the nests ? What Oates says 

 cannot be accepted as a general rule 

 but only as an exception. It is a 

 wonder that Oates never saw crows 

 feedins: fullv fledo-ed Koels out of the 

 nest. I have and many others also. 



