62 A BIRD CALENDAR 



Fierce scorching west winds sweep over the 

 earth, covering everything with dust. Some- 

 times the flying sand is so thick as to obscure 

 the landscape, and often, after the wind has 

 dropped, the particles remain suspended for 

 days as a dust haze. The dust is a scourge. It 

 is all-pervading. It enters eyes, ears, nose and 

 mouth. To escape it is impossible. Closed 

 doors and windows fail to keep it from entering 

 the bungalow. The only creatures which 

 appear to be indifferent to it are the fowls of 

 the air. As to the heat, the non-migratory 

 species positively revel in it. The crows and 

 a few other birds certainly do gasp and pant 

 when the sun is at its height, but even they, 

 save for a short siesta at midday, are as active 

 in April and May as schoolboys set free from a 

 class-room. April is the month in which the 

 spring crops are harvested. As soon as the 

 Holi festival is over the cultivators issue forth 

 in thousands, armed with sickles, and begin to 

 reap. They are almost as active as the birds, 

 but their activity is forced and not spontaneous ; 

 like most Anglo-Indian officials they literally 

 earn their bread by the sweat of the brow. 

 Thanks to their unceasing labours the country- 

 side becomes transformed during the month ; 



