366 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXIV. 



It will be seen that my observations do not lead to any very definite 

 result. At the same time it is considered worth recording them that others 

 may assist in solving the problem. It would be interesting in the first 

 place to know over what tracts of country this phenomenon occurs as this 

 would probably assist in limiting the species of wood-pecker responsible. 



Naini Tal, -^rd October 1915. A. E. OSMASTON. 



No. XV.— PADDY-BIRDS {ARDEOLA GRAYI) FISHING. 



I was pig-sticking one day in January near Fatehpur Sikri. We had 

 our tiffin at the edge of a shallow tank, then full of water. A causeway 

 ran out towards the centre of the tank. While eating tiffin I noticed a 

 group of eight or nine paddy-birds apparently playing the game of King of 

 the Castle. The coveted position was a stone slab which at a height of 

 some three feet overhung the water at the end of the causeway. The bird 

 in possession divided his time between gazing down intently into the water 

 and turning round to drive away one of the others who from one side or 

 another kept making repeated attempts to sidle vq> and share the stone. 

 After some minutes of this I saw the bird in possession dive headlong into 

 the water and emerge with a black object with which it flew to the edge of 

 the tank, and there set to work to knock the life out of it and to eat it. 

 The black object I took to be some kind of fish ; it was three or four inches 

 in length, shiny black and appeared to be shaped something like a tadpole ; 

 but I did not get a good view of it. Meanwhile another bird had taken 

 possession of the stone and the old game was in progress. I forget whether 

 any more captures were made, but I rather think that the next plunge was 

 unsuccessful and that I then went round to investigate the attraction 

 of the stone. 



I found the edge of the stone cut into furrows by ropes, so that it was 

 evident that it overhung a well sunk in the bed of the tank and now con- 

 cealed by water ; but of the small black fishes I could for some time see no 

 sign. Thinking my movements might have frightened them I took the 

 paddy-birds' station on the stone and sat down to watch. Suddenly clouds 

 of mud began to swirl up from under the surface, and a second or two later 

 the water below the stone began fairly to boil with the small black fishes 

 rising to the surface. They were not rising at anything but came up either 

 for fun or for air or to escape some enemy below. After half a minute or 

 so they ceased to rise and the water resumed its normal appearance. Some 

 five minutes later a similar ebullition of the little fishes occurred and soon 

 after I was called away. 



I should very much like to know more about the little fishes and the 

 reason of their queer uprisings, and of their (apparently) confining themsel- 

 ves to the well and perhaps someone will kindly enlighten me. But to 

 me the really interesting thing was the behaviour of the paddy-birds. Of 

 all birds in this countiy the paddy-bird appears the most stolid in tempe- 

 rament and the most machinelike in habits. And yet here was an instance 

 of really surprising alertness in taking advantage of an opportunity which, 

 if no novelty to those particular birds at the time of my visit, was certainly 

 (at least so I believe), quite novel in relation to the race as a whole. Not 

 only that, but a door is opened to interesting speculation as to what would 

 happen if this novel opportunity chanced to become extended and common. 

 At present chances of fishing in this peculiar manner must be much restrict- 

 ed in point both of time and locality. Tanks containing wells and peopled 

 with these small fishes cannot be many and the season for fishing must be 

 short, for wells woidd not be sunk except in tanks which dry up in the dry 



