Birds of the Indian Hills 



frain. Surely it is impossible to improve upon 

 a wagtail. 



In India forktails are confined to the Hima- 

 layas and the mountainous parts of Burma. 



There are no fewer than eight Indian species, 

 but I propose to confine myself to the spotted 

 forktail. This is essentially a bird of mountain 

 streams. It is never found far from water, 

 but occurs at all altitudes up to the snow-line, 

 so that, as Jerdon says, it is one of the char- 

 acteristic adjuncts of Himalayan scenery. In- 

 deed I know of few things more enjoyable 

 than to sit, when the sun is shining, on the 

 bank of a well-shaded burn, and, soothed by 

 the soft melody of running water, watch 

 the forktails moving nimbly over the boulders 

 and stones with fairy tread, half-flight half- 

 hop. 



Forktails continually wag the tail, just as 

 wagtails do, but not with quite the same vigour, 

 possibly because there is so much more to wag ! 



Like wagtails, they do not object to their 

 feet being wet, indeed they love to stand in 

 running water. 



Forktails often seek their quarry among the 

 dead leaves that become collected in the various 



angles in the bed of the stream ; when so doing 



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