OCCASIONAL NOTES FROM SIKHIM. — NO. I. 383 



it lias a better part to play in the economy of nature than that 

 of destroying our mauy charming" species of harmless snakes. 



Every one must have observed the great increase, if not 

 change, in bird-life after a few trees have grown up in'places 

 where no trees were before. The former superintendent of the 

 Poomong Cinchona Plantation planted a quantity of Crypto- 

 meriajaponica about his house, and when they got up to about 

 twenty feet in height the number of birds about them was 

 surprising. Birds appear to have a particular affection for fir 

 trees. Domestic fowls will perch iu them in the day-time in 

 preference to any other kind of tree ; often, indeed, they would 

 not rest at all were it not for the pleasure of being among the fir 

 branches. I formerly thought that the reason of this preference 

 was that the resinous smell kept away troublesome insects, but a 

 few months ago I saw two jungle cocks feeding iu a certain 

 spot in the valley of the Teesta, and as my curiosity was excited 

 on seeing them return to the same spot in a few seconds, I 

 searched, and found they had been feeding on fleshy seeds with 

 a strong resinous smell ; so, perhaps, fowls and other birds have 

 a fondness for resinous substances. Be the reason what it 

 may, fir trees have a special attraction for birds. 



Since we got up trees and large bamboos round the Cinchona 

 Bungalows at Mongpoo, the increase in the number of birds is 

 amazing. Many people object to trees and bamboos near their 

 houses under the idea that they shelter mosquitos and other iu- 

 sects, but as far as my experience goes these prefer sticking 

 among, or near the leaves to coming into the houses. We have 

 not more mosquitos now than we had when we were comparative- 

 ly bare, but even were there many more — which I by no means 

 admit — the large flocks of Pericrocolus speciosus that visit us 

 daily are, alone, sufficient to recompense us for numerous bites, 

 and to rejoice the heart of any lover of birds. 



We have a few old trees with dead tops, which, when we first 

 came to the place, I thought, in my consummate ignorance, should 

 be cut out as useless and unsightly, but we soon saw that the 

 birds considered the dead tops to be the most useful parts of the 

 trees by a long way, and we wisely left them alone. Now we 

 are daily repaid a thousand fold. Iu the spring mornings and 

 evenings that lovely songster, Copsgchus saularis, pours forth its 

 sweet song from the dead tops. At this season (September) it is 

 pretty to see the long rows of Artamus fuscxis seated on them 

 in the evenings, as close together as they can pack, occasionally 

 one or two dropping out of the ranks for a short sally after 

 insects, and sometimes altogether taking a flight for a minute 

 or two, keeping up a continual, pleasant, twittering noise. 

 Collyris nigriceps often regales us with a pretty, though rather 



