ae Cy ae 
and a good portion of the tail ; under tail coverts are pure white ; 
ear coverts, back, breast, etc., are spotted with white. I have seen 
this species, on one occasion, come and settle, on a chesnut tree 
below the house, in mid winter, when it was driven by inclemency 
of the weather from its natural hunting grounds, but these occasions 
are few and far between, it appeared to have, made a bee line from 
Sandakphu, which was white with snow and looked like, more to 
follow. Its flight was not what might be expected of a corvide. It 
flew more like a wood-pigeon or arboreal thrush : Nut-crackers breed 
near the snow line beyond Jongri. These birds have a_ partiality 
for nuts and are found as a rule in primeval forests, when such 
places are available, and where walnuts abound. I have seen a 
forest of giant walnut trees, in North Sikkim near the snows, with 
the nuts lying layer upon layer probably a hundred years undisturb- 
ed, in some places over 24 inches deep of nuts in various stages of 
decay. This forest saw the Nut-cracker and many a high altitude 
bird in their natural surroundings. I have seldom experienced the 
same feelings, as the day I stood under those mighty walnut trees, 
in a fairly primeval forest, with nature in its garb and _ habits un- 
soiled by touch of civilization. Objects which presented themselves 
to the eye seemed conducive to study of nature at her best. The 
Nut-eracker, which I had come specially to visit, appeared quite at 
home. It drove its strong bill with ease into soft parts at the base 
of walnuts, just where they had broken off from the parent stem, 
splitting half ripe nuts like a wedge into equal parts, thus leaving 
bare the kernel. Birds in general, though shy in this forest, exhi- 
hited either curiosity for or absolute disregard to, two legged mortals 
whom they, ostensibly had not learnt from experience to dread, or 
view with suspicion. Most migratory birds displayed all their old 
likes and dislikes. Birds in general seem to have their prejudices. 
A few years ago I chanced to witness a pretty sight, of a mixed com- 
pany of little birds, enjoying a merry frolic about twenty yards or 
so, from the house, just a short way round the corner of the garden 
path leading into a thickly wooded glen-like retreat, seeing a musical 
garden party going on in full swing : Lew: fuscoventris, White-throated 
Fantail, waltzed lightly from branch to branch, Tom-Tits were there, 
and little Willow Warblers, Flycatchers and Flowerpeckers, Fairy 
Blue-Chat, Bush-chats, Chat-thrushes and Merula thrushes and many 
more besides. I went to fetch a friend who was near by at the 
time ; but the moment we came stealthily round the corner, Szbia, 
who was keeping “sentry go,” at the time, set up a shrill whistle, 
which sent all the birds, mostly small ones, scuttlig, like naughty 
children, off under cover, the performance came to a sudden stop— 
The moral if we could find one, would be—‘please don’t peep—if 
you are invited, take your seat,” 
