IS i A BIRD CALENDAR 



spend very little time upon the nest in the day- 

 time. The sun's rays are powerful enough not 

 only to supply the heat necessary for incuba- 

 tion but to bake the eggs. This contretemps, 

 however, is avoided by placing wet weeds on 

 the eggs and by the general moisture of the 

 nest. No better idea of the heat of India 

 during the monsoon can be furnished than 

 that afforded by the case of some cattle-egrets' 

 eggs taken by a friend of the writer's in 

 August, 1913. He found a clutch of four 

 eggs ; not having leisure at the time to blow 

 them, he placed them in a bowl on the drawing- 

 room mantelshelf. On the evening of the 

 following day he heard some squeaks, but, 

 thinking that these sounds emanated from a 

 musk-rat or one of the other numerous rent- 

 free tenants of every Indian bungalow, paid 

 little heed to them. When, however, the 

 same sounds were heard some hours later 

 and appeared to emanate from the mantel- 

 piece, he went to the bowl, and, lo and behold, 

 two young egrets had emerged ! These were 

 at once fed. They lived for three days and 

 appeared to be in good health, when they 

 suddenly gave up the ghost. 



