ii2 A BIRD CALENDAR 



nightfall the shrieks and yells of the koels 

 mingle with the harsh notes of the crows. 



Sometimes the crows return from the chase 

 of the cock koel before the hen is ready, and 

 surprise her in the nest ; then they attack 

 her. She flees in terror, and is followed by 

 the corvi. Her screams when being thus 

 pursued are loud enough to awaken the Seven 

 Sleepers. She has cause for alarm, for, if 

 the raging crows catch her, they will assuredly 

 kill her. Such a tragedy does sometimes 

 occur. 



Not infrequently it happens that more 

 than one koel's egg is laid in a crow's nest. 



The incubation period of the egg of the 

 koel is shorter than that of the crow, the 

 consequence is that when, as usually happens, 

 there is one of the former and several of the 

 latter in a nest, the young koel is invariably 

 the first to emerge. It does not attempt to 

 eject from the nest either the legitimate eggs 

 or the young crows when they appear on the 

 scene. Indeed, it lives on excellent terms 

 with its foster brethren. But to say this is to 

 anticipate, for as a rule, neither young koels 

 nor baby crows hatch out until July. 



The crow-pheasants (Centropus sinensis). 



