40 
The first of Dr. Gould’s letters is written from Bombay, and 
dated— 
Feb. 26, 1854. 
Within two yards of my tent, as I write, are several species of 
birds. Ist, The hoopoe (Upupa Senegalensis?), very tame, and 
perching about at my feet, within reach of a stick. 2ndly, Two spe- 
cies of wagtail, white and grey, fighting with the hoopoe: sparrows 
innumerable, but different from ours; they are perched in a cluster 
on a trelliswork at the tent-door. Two crows are sitting on the tent- 
pegs, one on each side of the entrance ; a bird called “mmo” here 
(Pastor Mahrattensis’) is feeding two yards off; whilst another 
pretty black bird, with a long tail, published in one of the numbers of 
the ‘Birds of Asia,’ is pluming its feathers within arm’s length. 
Kites here are as common as crows,—literally in hundreds, perform- 
ing the office of scavengers. 
Bombay, March 7, 1854. 
Ornithology, you may be sure, will not be forgotten. The follow- 
ing species have already fallen to your gift of a double-barrelled 
gun. Firing into the midst of a flock as it swept by, I dropped 
four of the Pastor roseus im very fine plumage. Kingfishers are 
common and very beautiful; Nectarinie also, of which I shot 
several, but have no means of determining the species at present, my 
books not having arrived. A fine collection of these beautiful birds 
could be made here. King crows are to be found everywhere : 
what is their scientific name *? Sandpipers are as common and 
tame as larks. The Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus?) abounds, and 
commits sad havoc in the gardens; several species of wagtail, to me 
unknown, various raptorial birds, &c. 
Last Monday I paid a visit to Elephanta. It contaims many 
birds, strange and new to me,—plenty of pigeons, doves, parrots, 
and numerous pretty finches ; and horrible thickets of Euphorbia, 
the prickles of which pierce clothes, boots, and everything, and the 
juice stings your eyes, if by chance it gets in them. 
Kotree, opposite Hyderabad, 
April 17, 1854. 
The men went on shore to cook their suppers before it became 
dark, whilst the officer in command and myself went for a stroll with 
our guns. The ground was covered with sandpipers, curlews, terns, 
gulls, spoonbills, flamingos, herons, ducks, and, in fact, every species 
of water-fowl. We tried for the ducks, but they were very shy; and 
after an hour’s wading, I got a shot at a brace of shieldrakes flying 
overhead. Firing right and left, I killed one and wounded the other 
(not bad for a beginner). They are fine birds, very similar, if not 
quite the same, as our own species. Mr. Lewis knocked over a 
shoveller, and that was the extent of our sport. In the winter-time 
the ducks and other wild fowl congregate here in thousands upon 
thousands, and no place could be better adapted for them. There 
are some very pretty river terns, and a most lovely kingfisher ; but I 
* Dicrurus macrocercus. 
