84 A BIRD CALENDAR 



fully as nocturnal as the owls. The brain- 

 fever bird (Hierococcyx varius) is now in full 

 voice, and may be heard, both by day and by 

 night, in all parts of Northern India, east of 

 Umballa. This creature has two calls. One is 

 the eternal " brain- fever, brain-fever, BRAIN- 

 FEVER," each " brain-fever " being louder and 

 pitched in a higher key than the previous one, 

 until the bird reaches its top note. The other 

 call consists of a volley of descending notes, 

 uttered as if the bird were unwinding its voice 

 after the screams of " brain-fever." The next 

 cuckoo is not one whit less vociferous than the 

 last. It is known as the Indian koel (Eudy- 

 namis honor ata). This noble fowl has three 

 calls, and it would puzzle anyone to say which 

 is the most powerful. The usual cry is a 

 crescendo ku-il, ku-il, ku-il, which to Indian 

 ears is very sweet-sounding. Most Europeans 

 are agreed that it is a sound of which one can 

 have too much. The second note is a mighty 

 avalanche of yells and screams, which Cunning- 

 ham has syllabised as Kuk, kuil, kuu, kitu, kuu, 

 kuu. The third cry, which is uttered only 

 occasionally, is a number of shrill shrieks : 

 Hekaree, karee, karee, karee. 



The voice of the koel is heard throughout the 



