64 A BIRD CALENDAR 



the foliage is everywhere more or less obscured 

 by the all-pervading dust. 



The great avian emigration, which began 

 in March, now reaches its height. During 

 the warm April nights millions of birds leave 

 the plains of India. The few geese remaining 

 at the close of March, depart in the first days 

 of April. 



The brahminy ducks, which during the 

 winter months were scattered in twos and 

 threes over the lakes and rivers of Northern 

 India, collect into flocks that migrate, one 

 by one, to cooler climes, so that, by the end 

 of the first week in May, the a-onk of these 

 birds is no longer heard. The mallard, gadwall, 

 widgeon, pintail, the various species of pochard 

 and the common teal are rapidly disappearing. 

 With April duck-shooting ends. Of the migra- 

 tory species only a few shovellers and garganey 

 teal tarry till May. 



The snipe and the quail are likewise flighting 

 towards their breeding grounds. Thus on 

 the 1st of May the avian population of India 

 is less by many millons than it was at the 

 beginning of April. But the birds that remain 

 behind more than compensate us, by their 

 great activity, for the loss of those that have 



