io6 A BIRD CALENDAR 



night. The latter ceases with dramatic abrupt- 

 ness with the first fall of monsoon rain. 

 During the monsoon the silence of the night 

 is broken only by the sound of falling rain- 

 drops, or the croaking of the frogs, the stridu- 

 lation of crickets innumerable, and the owlet's 

 feeble call. Before the coming of the mon- 

 soon the diurnal chorus of the day birds 

 begins to flag because the nesting season for 

 many species is drawing to a close. The 

 magpie-robin still pours forth his splendid 

 song, but the quality of the music in the case 

 of many individuals is already beginning to 

 fall off. The rollers, which are feeding their 

 young, are far less noisy than they were 

 at the time of courtship. The barbets and 

 coppersmiths, although not so vociferous as 

 formerly, cannot, even in the monsoon, be 

 charged with hiding their lights under a 

 bushel. Towards the end of June the chuk, 

 cbuky chuk, chuk, chuk of Horsfield's nightjar 

 is not often heard, but the bird continues 

 to utter its soft churring note. The iora's 

 cheerful calls still resound through the shady 

 mango tope. The sunbirds, the fantail fly- 

 catchers, the orioles, the golden-backed wood- 

 peckers, the white-breasted kingfishers and the 



