30O THE FORESTS OF UPPER INDIA 



mass of thick foliage through which no sunhght could 

 penetrate. Here was room for tents and camp followers 

 enough. The valley is sheltered on aU sides by gently 

 sloping hills, and a stream winds among overhanging 

 stems. The wild flowers and plants and trailing creepers 

 to be found would detain a lover of gardens many days. 

 Here was a real wild garden overgrown with weeds, but 

 weeds of tropical beauty and proportion ; the very 

 nettles were giants with spears half an inch long. The 

 trees were swarming with beautiful bright birds, and green 

 pigeons cooed softly in the high trees. Of these there are 

 several kinds, some as big as wood-pigeons, and excellent 

 eating.* The pretty little turtle-doves, with black ring 

 and modest plumage, picked on the path at grain and 

 fluttered in the bushes, and hght-running hoopoes raised 

 their fan-like crests, chasing the insects. 



There is a strange black bird, once seen never forgotten 

 — the greater racket-tailed drongo.f Here were several 

 flitting from tree to tree, the long feathers, bare of web 

 except a racket-like end, fluttering in the breeze. It was 

 impossible to refrain from securing a couple of specimens 

 (now in my collection), and skinning them carefully. I 

 had seen the lesser racket-tailed drongo in the Terai, but 

 this was a new find. The common king crow or black 

 drongo shrikej is a bird that no one fails to notice, sitting 

 on every telegraph wire, and darting after insects, always 

 returning to his perch. He is a tyrant, and permits no 

 interference from other birds with his own hunting 

 quarter. Among familiar birds is noticed the common 

 Indian roller, which perches on telegraph poles, and pro- 



* There are nineteen species of green pigeons in India, distinguished 

 by Blanford, besides wood and blue pigeons and cushats ; also nine 

 species of turtle-doves. 



t Dissemurus paradisejts, said by Blanford to inhabit Central India. 



1 Dicruriis ater. 



