i62 GLIMPSES OF INDIAN BIRDS 



cover. During flight the red tail feathers open out 

 and the wings leave the red back exposed — hence the 

 sudden transformation. 



The redstart should be a favourite with Englishmen, 

 because in habits and appearance it resembles the 

 familiar robin of our country. The perverse Indian 

 robin (Thamnobia cambayensis), it will be remembered, 

 insists on wearing its patch of red, as Phil Robinson 

 hath it, on the seat of its trousers. 



The Indian redstart arrives towards the end of 

 September. In the autumn of 1906, September 22nd 

 was the date on which I first noticed a redstart in 

 Lahore. In the following autumn I did not see one 

 until September 27th. Bird-lovers of fixed abode in 

 India would be rendering no small service to ornithology 

 if they would record carefully, year after year, the dates 

 on which they first observe each of our returning 

 summer and winter visitors. 



When the migrant wagtails arrive we feel that the 

 hot weather is really over. Three species of wagtail 

 are common in Lahore. One of these — the pied wagtail 

 (Motacilla maderaspatensis) — is a permanent resident. 

 The other two — the white wagtail [Motacilla alba) 

 and the grey wagtail (M. melanope) — come to us only 

 for the winter. The last is easily distinguished by its 

 bright yellow lower plumage. The white and the pied 

 wagtails are both clothed in black and white, but 

 whereas the face and throat of the former are white, 

 the whole head of the pied wagtail is black save for a 

 white eye-brow. 



Wagtails live almost entirely on the ground. Through- 



