28 GLIMPSES OF INDIAN BIRDS 



are possible. Each bird may have commenced a sepa- 

 rate nest, and so one was deserted ; or the site in ques- 

 tion may have been found to have some fatal defect, 

 consequently the nest has been given up ; or the birds 

 have been scared away or killed. The last alternative 

 is the least likely, and I am inclined to believe that 

 the first explanation is the true one. 



I recently read in Country Life an exceedingly in- 

 teresting account of the nest-building operations of a 

 pair of wagtails. The account is brief and has so im- 

 portant a bearing on the subject we are discussing that 

 I take the liberty to quote at length : 



" From the cover of a riverside cottage," writes Mr. 

 Alfred Taylor of the grey wagtail in England, " I saw 

 two birds repeatedly fly to a rocky ledge both with 

 nest-building material in their beaks. It was soon 

 evident that the male wagtail had selected one nest 

 and the female another place a couple of yards away. 

 The former for some time took no notice of the doings 

 of his mate, and they both continued to gather ma- 

 terials into their selected places. Suddenly he flew to 

 her position and commenced removing her material to 

 the place where he thought the nest ought to be. 

 Trouble seemed to be brewing in the family, especially 

 when she still persisted in carrying dead grass to her 

 site. In the end the cock bird lost his temper, flew to 

 her ledge, and viciously attacked her, knocking off 

 the ledge all evidence of her efforts at building. She 

 flew away, and for a couple of hours remained perched 

 in a tree and sulked, evidently much upset at her 

 chastisement, not taking the slightest notice of over- 



