254 MOONLIGHT GARDENS 



Water, trees, fruit, and perfumed flowers — 

 this is the order of an Indian garden ; then come 

 the birds. No conception of a Hindu or Moslem 

 Paradise is possible without their bright dainti- 

 ness and sweet little songs. The birds, too, for 

 all their gaiety, are wise — shall we not rather 

 say are gay because they are wise ? Birds fly 

 everywhere and know everything ; whence the 

 old classic " Auspicium " or " Augurium," and 

 trees are specially planted to attract them. 

 Every garden should have its close dark cypresses 

 for them to nest in ; for Kapolas the dove, and 

 Cukas the green parrot of love, who shares with 

 the Bignonia creeper twining through the lattice 

 the honour of being Kama Deva's messenger. 

 Kokilas, the Indian cuckoo, whose song the vain 

 peacock tries to rival, never sings his sweetest 

 until he sees the buds of the palace Asoka-tree 

 burst into flower. He is the bird of the Hindu 

 poets and teaches them melody — ^an odd music- 

 master, to our ears. Vartika, the watchful quail, 

 shares the grass-plot with the hoopoes, who are 

 to be encouraged as much for their graceful shape 

 and dainty crest as for their song, the prediction 

 of a plentiful vintage. The red geese are Brahma's 

 birds of sunrise ; and no garden can expect to 



