BIRDS IN THE MILLET FIELDS i8i 



the plains, whereas the other three are migratory. 

 Otherwise its habits are very like those of the ordinary 

 buntings. These birds spend the day in the fields. 

 As they live in the midst of plenty they enjoy miich 

 leisure. This they employ perched on a head of 

 millet making a joyful noise. Sometimes one will 

 be sitting thus on a particular stalk when a friend 

 wiU fly up, drive him from his position, and in turn 

 hold forth, only to be playfully ousted by another 

 of his comrades. Verily the life of a bunting is a 

 jolly one. 



Like rosy starlings, the buntings are not very much 

 in evidence until they begin to collect in huge flocks 

 preparatory to leaving India for the hot weather. 

 Then it is impossible to miss seeing them. At that 

 season golden com takes the place of millet in the 

 fields. Heavy is the toll which the buntings levy 

 on the ripening grain. When disturbed, they take 

 refuge in the nearest tree, and the moment the fear 

 of danger is past they are back again in the field. 

 Hence Jerdon calls them com buntings. 



The other black sheep of the hajra field are the 

 rosy starlings (Pastor roseus) and the green parrots 

 (PaUeornis torquatus). For noisiness and destructive- 

 ness these are a pair of species hard to beat. 



Having considered the sinners, it now behoves 

 us to turn to the saints. Fortunately for the long- 

 suffering ryot, the latter outnumber the former; 

 the majority of the avian habituSs of the millet field 

 come for the sake of the insects which are so abundant 

 in this particular crop. The most conspicuous of 



