334 BUiDS OF INDIA. 



numerous watchers, who, with slings and a long rope or thong, 

 which they crack dexterously, making a loud report, endeavour to 

 drive the depredators away. The moment the sun appear above 

 the horizon they are on the wing, and at the same instant, shouts, 

 cries, and the cracking of the long whips, resound from every 

 side. The Tillyers, however, are so active that if they are able 

 to alight on the stalks for an instant, they can pick out several 

 grains. About 9 or 10 o'clock A. M., the exertions of the watch- 

 men cease, and the Tillyers do not renew their plundering till 

 evening. After sunset they are seen in flocks of many thousands 

 retiring to the trees and jungles for the night. They prefer the 

 half ripe Jowaree whilst the farinaceous matter is still soft and 

 milky." When they can no longer get grain, they feed on various 

 grass and other seeds, flower-buds, fruit, and also on insects, seek- 

 ing them on the ground, but rarely seen with cattle in India. 

 Their Telugu name is derived from the name of a plant whose fruit 

 they are particularly fond of. Mr. Blyth remarks that " they visit 

 the neighbourhood of Calcutta only at the end of the cool season, 

 when flocks of them are not unfrequently observed upon the 

 arboreal cotton tree then in bloom." 



Burgess states that he has seen them busily feeding on the 

 flowers of the leafless Caper, a shrub very common in the Deccan 

 on the banks of the larger rivers. Dr. Adams says that "it is very 

 abundant in the Punjab, committing great havoc on the grain there." 

 In the North-west of India, and in AfFghanistan, they devour large 

 quantities of Mulberries in spring, hence called the ' Mulberry -bird? 

 in the North-west, disappearing afterwards. They at times, how- 

 ever, feed much on insects, and are called the ' locust-eater' in 

 Persia, according to Chesney. They do not breed in this country, 

 quitting the South of India in March, but lingering in the North 

 a month or so longer. It is ascertained that they breed in vast 

 numbers in Syria, and other parts of Western Asia, in rocky cliffs. 

 Burgess states his belief that they breed in India somewhere, and 

 was informed by a native that they do breed in the Ghats. This 

 however is, doubtless, totally without foundation. Mr. Layard states 

 that one year he saw large flocks of these birds in July, that they 

 remained only a week and then disappeared. They were entirely 



