EGRETS, HERONS, ETC. 167 



paddy-birds are present within urban limits at 

 night than during the day, owing to the fact that 

 large numbers who spend the day in fishing in 

 the ponds of the surrounding country return to 

 roost every night in certain favourite trees in the 

 gardens in the town. They are like the crows, 

 too, in usually preferring to roost in the immediate 

 neighbourhood of the places in which they have 

 been hatched, although sometimes a tree in which 

 no nests are ever built will be nightly occupied 

 by a large colony of lodgers. Evening after evening 

 numbers of them may be seen, returning in pairs 

 or small parties from the outlying country in 

 company with the homing mynas and crows; but, 

 unlike them, often interrupting their onward course 

 to hawk after passing insects. On approaching 

 their night-quarters they drop down to them in 

 wide curves from the upper sky, and, once arrived, 

 they settle quietly down without any preliminary 

 ceremonies or talk, like crows and mynas, merely 

 scuffling a little over the possession of specially 

 convenient places. As a rule, they are late in 

 rousing themselves up in the morning, and do not 

 set out towards their fishing-grounds until the sun 

 is already well up. Tamarind-trees seem to be 

 specially attractive roosts, and may constantly be 

 seen bristling all over with lazy tenants, sleepily per- 

 forming their toilette in the strong light of the sun, 

 long after it has risen high enough to render them 



