BIRDS OF INDIA DEWAR. 627 



between the sexes. But its habits are very similar to those of the 

 paradise ^catcher and, like that form, it builds an open, cup-shaped 

 nest. From the same tree a gray-headed flycatcher makes a sally into 

 the air after the " circling gnat." He must have been sitting there 

 some time, but, being inconspicuous, he escaped our notice until he 

 moved. 



Let us now saunter on a little, keeping our eyes open for other 

 species of flycatcher, because it is these we particularly wish to see. 

 In one tree we notice, picking insects off the leaves, a flock of mini- 

 vets {Pericrocotus -flammeus) ^ the cocks arrayed in black and flaming 

 red, while the hens look equally gay in their gowns of black and 

 bright yellow. On one of the lower branches of the same tree we 

 notice a dumpy little bird with a short square tail, robin-like in color- 

 ing, but very unrobin-like in shape. It suddenly takes to its wings, 

 circles after some tin}^ insect, and returns to its perch, and thus we are 

 able to recognize it as the black-and-orange flycatcher. The sexes 

 being alike in plumage, we can not say to which one this individual 

 belongs. 



A sharp " chick, chick," followed by a little tune of six notes, be- 

 trays the presence of a Tickell's blue flycatcher. Approaching softly 

 the tree whence the song seems to come, we soon discover the exquisite 

 little glistening blue red-breasted songster. 



We have now seen all the common flycatchers of the Nilgiris save 

 the blue one {Stoparola alhicaudata) ^ and it is not long before we 

 come upon him. He is an indigo-colored bird, with whitish under- 

 parts. Going a little farther we come upon the brownish-olive hen, 

 with three youngsters, which are brown, spotted with yellow. 



THE INSUrnCIENCY OF NATURAL SELECTION. 



Thus we have seen, living together in one wood, no fewer than six 

 different species of flj^catcher, of various shapes and sizes; in some the 

 sexes are alike, in others they display considerable difference. The 

 feeding habits of all are very similar. All dwell in the same environ- 

 ment. There are, indeed, differences in their various nesting habits, 

 but those of the paradise and fantailed species are identical, so that 

 if the coloring of a bird is solely due to the action of natural selec- 

 tion, these two species should be almost identical in shape, size, and 

 coloration. Obviously, then, natural selection fails here to accomplish 

 all that the neo-Darwinians require it to do. It explains much, but 

 not everything. It is but one of many factors in the making of species. 



INDIAN ROBINS. 



The Indian robins present even greater difficulties to those who pro- 

 fess to pin their faith to the all-sufficiency of natural selection. Robins 



