101 



Mr. C. J. Davis of Agra iiiforms me that this bird lays its eggs 

 in the nešt of Malacocercus, and that it brings up the young bird. 



This bird makes a great figure iu Hindu poetry under the name 

 of Chdtdk. 



60. EuDYNAMYS ORiENTALis, Linn. Native name, Ko'ėl. 



This is common in the neighbourhood. It is a very fickle bird, 

 uot staying many moments on any one tree. It jumps about all the 

 time it is on the tree in search of food, apparently uttering various 

 cries besides Ko'ėl. It begins with kik, kik, kik, then ko'ėl, ko'ėl, 

 koel, and often talks low to itself ku, ku, ka, kd, likę a crow, but in 

 softer tones. 



On June 4th, 1849, I observed a female Ko'ėl feeding her full- 

 grown young one with pipul fruit. The young one was perfectly 

 the šame size as the mother, but its tail not so fully developed ; its 

 colour, however, was so unlike, that had I not seen it being fed by 

 the Koel, and for a long time closely observed their exact similarity 

 of shape, their similar mode of hopping from branch to branch, and 

 the fact of the young following the female when she flew to another 

 tree, I should have never believed it possible that they could be of 

 the šame species. The young was of a brownish colour, covered 

 with dark brown bars all over, except the top of its head, which ap- 

 peared dark brown or black ; its breast was light-coloured, and the 

 tail with broad white and brown bands. 



From this fact it appears either that somej^oė7s rear their own young 

 entirely, or that they vvatch till the crow tums them out of the nešt, 

 and then takes the charge of them. An intelligent native confirms 

 the lašt supposition, and says that at Gwalior, in the large mango 

 groves, the female Koel, from the time it has laid its egg, comes five 

 or six times a day (although persecuted when seen by the crow), 

 to see after the welfare of its young. This it continues till the crow 

 drives out the fledged young one, when the mother flies off with it. 

 This he has frequently seen. 



61. Upupa EPOPS, Linn, Native name, flurfAūrf. 



The Hoopoe is common in India. I once saw a fight between a 

 Bhuj-ung (Dicrurus) and a Hūdhūd (Hoopoe). This bird never 

 feeds but on the ground, where it marches about with a bustling 

 motion, and with its long beak hunts out all sorts of insects from 

 holes in the ground. It is very fond of examining all the holes at 

 the roots of large trees, where no doubt it often obtains a feast. It 

 flies with such jerks that no havvk can catch it ; even the swiftest 

 and smallest hawks do not succeed. The Persians believe that this 

 bird used to bring Solomon all the news of the country. 



62. Nectarinia asiatica, Linn. Native name, Shakr Khora. 



This beautiful, purplish, steel-blue bird is common all over the 

 north-west. In the winter it may be seen sporting on the suimy 

 side of lofty trees. As soon as the Sahajna (^Hijperanthera Moringa) 



