A CROW IN COLOURS 71 



a dozen rapid flaps of the wing followed by a little sail. 

 The two middle tail feathers are much longer than the 

 others, the pair next to the middle ones are the second 

 longest, and the outer ones shortest of all. The bird, 

 like all others, spreads out its tail during flight, and the 

 expanded tail gives it a curious appearance. 



The Indian tree-pie, as its name implies, dwells 

 principally in trees, and spends most of its time in 

 picking insects off the leaves and branches. When 

 fruit is in season, it feeds largely on that. It moves 

 with great agility from branch to branch, but it fre- 

 quently descends to the ground to feed and drink. It 

 does not, I think, ever accompany cattle, as does our 

 poor, persecuted magpie at home. It is a sociable bird 

 and is frequently seen in little companies of six or 

 seven. 



Like all socially inclined birds, it is very conver- 

 sational. It has a great variety of notes, many of 

 which are harsh and angry-sounding, others are 

 whistling, metallic calls, acceptable to the human 

 ear. The commonest of these sounds something like 

 coch-lee, cock-lee. If, in a place where magpies abound, 

 you hear any new and strange cry, you are tolerably 

 safe in attributing it to one of those birds. 



The Indian pie is not so expert a nest-builder as its 

 European cousin. This latter, it will be remembered, 

 builds a large domed structure of prickly twigs with an 

 entrance at one side, well protected by thorns. I have 

 not been able to discover why this bird is at such pains 

 to protect the entrance to its nursery. It is so aggres- 

 sive and pugnacious that no sane thing in feathers 



