Sherman — Birds by the Wayside 257 



certain. The Common Bulbul was found in several places, 

 but nowhere so plentiful as on Mount Abu, where it appeared 

 to be the most abundant species, even outnumbering- the Com- 

 mon Myna. These two species were the only Bulbuls of 

 which I. made sure, although India boasts of fifty other spe- 

 cies of them ; and of Babblers there are eighty-three, of which 

 I saw *but two, the Common or Striated Babble (Argya can- 

 data), and the Jungle Babble {Crateropus canorus). The 

 last named species, very inconspicuous in its ashy brown 

 plumage, with its groimd-haunting proclivities, would not be 

 so easy of identification as one might suppose, if it were not 

 for its habit of flocking in small parties of five, six or seven 

 birds which afifords a clue to their identity, confirmation of 

 which may be had from almost any guidfe, since these birds 

 are commonly known to the natives by the very appropriate 

 name of the Seven Sisters, or the Seven Brothers. 



The Indian Tree-pie (Dendrocitta rufa), a bird eighteen 

 inches in length, is certain to arrest one's attention by its 

 pleasing display of colors and its long tail. Its metallic whis- 

 tle is fully as musical as the call notes of the Bronzed Crackle, 

 nor has it a better reputation, since it is well-known as a de- 

 stroyer of both birds and their eggs. 



One of the pleasures that may be 'experienced by the win- 

 ter traveler in India is a wayside acquaintance with the In- 

 dian Tailor-bird (Orthotomus sutoriiis), though it is not the 

 season to see the bird engaged in its sartorial tasks. All that 

 one sees is a little wren-like bird with a rufons crown and 

 yellowish olive-green upper plumage ; that cocks its tail while 

 running about in search of food. Jerdon and several other 

 writers tell us with considerable detail of the manner in which 

 the Tailor-bird begins its nest by drawing together two leaves 

 or the edges of a single leaf, pierces with, its bill holes along 

 the edges, then sews the edges together, using for this pur- 

 pose a thread it has picked up, or one it has spun fo-r itself, 

 or strands from a spider web ; that after thrusting the thread 

 through a hole in a leaf it ties a knot, which prevents the 

 thread from slipping through the hole. This is but one more 



