294 BOMBAY DUCKS 



not easy to find, for the bird absolutely refuses to enter 



when it knows that any one is watching it. 



Some time back, when walking in a suburb of 

 Madras, I was stepping over a low prickly-pear bush, 

 when two young robins fluttered out, almost from 

 under my feet. They could scarcely fly, so young were 

 they, consequently I am sure they came out of a nest, 

 and that the nest was somewhere under the prickly- 

 pear. Nevertheless, half an hour's search was not 

 sufficient to reveal the nest, which must have been in 

 the midst of the bush, and prickly-pears demand 

 respectful treatment. All the while I was poking 

 about for the little nursery the parent birds sat on 

 branches near by and swore at me. But when, event- 

 ually, I had to admit defeat and depart without having 

 set eyes on the nest, the notes of anger were speedily 

 replaced by little songs of joy. 



The Indian skylark must be recognized as one of the 

 chief of our esteemed singing-birds, since its song is in 

 no way inferior to that of its cousin found in England. 

 We do not hear much of the Indian bird because the 

 crows never give it a chance. Their rowdy noises drown 

 the skylark's song. 



A more vociferous singer and one which it would 

 take a whole army of crows to swamp is the white- 

 browed fantail flycatcher (Rhipidura albifrontata). This 

 sprightly bird has a loud and cheerful song of six or 

 seven notes: these, says Mr. Ferguson, remind one of 

 the first bars of the " Guards' Valse." 



The golden oriole is one of the few birds which have 

 the twofold gift of a melodious voice and beautiful 



