THE MAGPIE-ROBIN 11 



it pursues its search for insects or pours forth its joyous 

 song. Nor does it confine its operations to trees, 

 bushes, and dry land. I have seen a magpie-robin 

 hunting for insects on a tangled mass of weeds and 

 stems floating on water. On these it hopped about 

 just as it does on terra firma. Each little jump caused 

 considerable commotion in the water. The bird did 

 not seem to mind its toes getting wet. 



The dhayal is essentially a bird of gardens. Like the 

 English robin, it prefers to dwell as near human 

 habitations as possible. In my opinion it is one of 

 the finest song birds in the world. Like the majority 

 of melodious birds, the magpie-robin is not in song all 

 the year round. During the early winter it is a silent 

 creature. Towards the end of the cold weather the cock 

 begins to find his voice, and at that time his efforts are 

 not very pleasing to the human ear. But each succes- 

 sive day's effort produces better results, until, by 

 March, the bird is able to pour forth a torrent of far- 

 reaching melody which is inferior to that of no Indian 

 bird save his cousin, the shama. 



Needless to say, the period when the cock dhayal is in 

 song corresponds to the mating time. At this season 

 the cocks are very pugnacious. This pugnacity is 

 simply the expression of the fact that the dhayal is at 

 that time more than usually overflowing with energy. 

 This energy has to find outlets. One of these is through 

 the medium of vigorous song. Another way of dis- 

 sipating energy is by performing gymnastic feats in the 

 air. As a rule magpie-robins rarely perform sustained 

 flights. They are content with flitting from bush to 



