157 A BIRD CALENDAR 



is that the moulting bird presents a mangy 

 appearance. The mynas afford conspicuous 

 examples of this ; when moulting their necks 

 often become almost nude, so that the birds 

 bear some resemblance to miniature vultures. 



Great changes in the avifauna take place in 

 September. 



The yellow-throated sparrows, the koels, the 

 sunbirds, the bee-eaters, the red turtle-doves 

 and the majority of the king-crows leave the 

 Punjab. From the United Provinces there is 

 a large exodus of brain-fever birds, koels, 

 pied crested-cuckoos, paradise flycatchers and 

 Indian orioles. These last are replaced by 

 black-headed orioles in the United Provinces, 

 but not in the Punjab. 



On the other hand, the great autumnal 

 immigration takes place throughout the month. 

 Before September is half over the migratory 

 wagtails begin to appear. Like most birds they 

 travel by night when migrating. They arrive 

 in silence, but on the morning of their coming 

 the observer cannot fail to notice their cheerful 

 little notes, which, like the hanging of the 

 village smoke, are to be numbered among the 

 signs of the approach of winter. The three 

 species that visit India in the largest numbers 



