NATUEALIST IN INDIA. 135 



a copse of peepul and other trees. Here we spent the hottest 

 portion of the day watching the busy scene. Pilgrims, fakirs, 

 and dirty beggars from all parts of the country were pushing 

 onwards towards the tent, whilst many were bathing in the 

 neighbouring tank ; — ^theheat and dust, the continued hubbub 

 of human voices, the cawing, chattering, and chirpings of im- 

 pertinent jackdaws, bulbuls, and rose-winged parrakeets, among 

 the branches overhead, rendered our stay anything but agree- 

 able, and made us only too glad when the afternoon came, and 

 we were able to quit the scene. The red-vented bulbul 

 (Fycnonotus bengalends) is generally distributed over the 

 Punjaub. The lesser yellow-vented bulbul (P. leucotis), 

 although not so plentiful, is by no means rare, and both were 

 often seen on the same tree. 



The inhabitants of this part of the Punjaub, known as the 

 Scind Sagour Doab, are chiefly Mussuhnen. They are a fine 

 hardy race, with long flowing beards and large turbans. The 

 women (such as we were permitted to see) wore capacious 

 peg-tops, their hair knotted behind, whil^ a loose jacket and a 

 piece of red cloth over the head completed their eccentric- 

 looking costume. 



We often noticed the pale harrier (Circus swainsonit), 

 which is pretty generally distributed over Asia, Africa, and 

 Southern Europe, evidently replacing its very close ally, C. 

 cyaneus, in certain portions of these continents ; the latter 

 species being partial to their more northern regions. He who 

 aims at uniting the meagre distinctions which are often made 

 to separate species may, in this instance, consider how much 

 of the little that divide the pale and dull chested hen harriers 

 are the result of climate, food, and such like ; but until we 

 care less for making new species, and think more of applying 

 ourselves to the study of animals in nature rather than in the 



