146 COMMON BIRDS OF AN INDIAN GARDEN 



The Indian roller, Coracias indica, now and 

 then makes its appearance in a garden or among 

 the trees on the roadsides, but is not at all common 

 in the immediate neighbourhood of Calcutta. Its 

 comparative rarity within the area is clearly pointed 

 out by the way in which any who do venture into it 

 are treated by the local crows as intrusive aliens, and 

 hence as fit subjects for bullying and annoyance, whilst 

 in parts of the country in which these birds abound 

 they are practically exempt from such persecution. 

 Any stray specimen that may chance to visit a 

 garden in Calcutta can hardly fail to attract the 

 attention of the crows, for as though the brilliancy 

 of its plumage were not in itself enough to render 

 it conspicuous, it cannot refrain from advertising 

 its presence by ceaseless croaking notes, quite 

 unlike those of any of the normal residents. They 

 are strange birds, almost as stupid as trogons, and 

 very nearly as beautiful when they flap heavily from 

 tree to tree, showing all the wonderful cobalt and 

 ultramarine tints with which their wings are painted. 

 Owing to the vinous purple hue of their throats, 

 they are sacred birds emblems of Shiv, whose throat 

 became blue in consequence of his magnanimity in 

 swallowing the deadly poison which was one of the 

 earlier results of the churning of the ocean when 

 the gods were in quest of amrit. 



Hoopoes occasionally make their appearance in 

 the neighbourhood of Calcutta, and now and then a 



