COMMON BIRDS OF AN INDIAN GARDEN 



is little chance of their failing to attract notice. 

 Now and then one of them may omit to call on 

 setting out, but, should it do so, it almost always 

 makes good the temporary self-restraint by a noisy 

 advertisement of arrival at the next halting-place. 

 It is always a sight well worth seeing when a wood- 

 pecker dashes up against a vertical stem and remains 

 adherent and flattened against the bark in a way 

 that reminds one of the result that follows when 

 a " chunam-frog " is chased along the floor until 

 he suddenly takes refuge on the wall of a room. 

 Once alit, they go upwards in a series of short 

 darts over the surface, forming patches of warm 

 colour against the grey or brownish tints of the 

 background, and every now and then halting to 

 peck insects out of a crevice, or to set about a 

 vigorous hammering in quest of those lurking 

 beneath the surface. They show up to special 

 advantage whilst working their way along the 

 under surface of a bough, with the vivid crimson 

 of their crests and the golden yellow of their backs 

 obliquely lighted up by slanting sunshine, and they 

 are also very attractive when sitting up like little 

 cormorants dressed in bright red caps, white check- 

 stripes, and speckled grey breasts. The sound that 

 they make when hammering consists of a rapid roll 

 of sharp taps alternating with a few more isolated 

 and forcible ones, and during the hush of a still, 

 hot day, there is something very soothing in the 



