FOR NORTHERN INDIA 9 



doves share with crows, mynas, sparrows and 

 green parrots the distinction of being the most 

 successful birds in India. 



The nest of the dove is a subject over which 

 most ornithologists have waxed sarcastic. One 

 writer compares the structure to a bundle of 

 spillikins. Another says, " Upset a box of 

 matches in a bush and you will have produced 

 a very fair imitation of a dove's nursery ! " 

 According to a third, the best way to make 

 an imitation dove's nest is to take four slender 

 twigs, lay two of them on a branch and then 

 place the remaining two crosswise on top of 

 the first pair. For all this, the dove's nest is 

 a wonderful structure ; it is a lesson in how to 

 make a little go a long way. Doves seem to 

 place their nurseries haphazard on the first 

 branch or ledge they come across after the 

 spirit has moved them to build. The nest 

 appears to be built solely on considerations of 

 hygiene. Ample light and air are a sine qua non; 

 concealment appears to be a matter of no 

 importance. 



In India winter is the time of year at which 

 the larger birds of prey, both diurnal and 

 nocturnal, rear up their broods. Throughout 

 January the white-backed vultures are occu- 



