NATURALIST IN INDIA. 141 



of Europe ; and, although less familiar, has many points 

 in common. It affects hedges and dense jungle, and is 

 usually seen solitary. This little robin has a wide Asiatic 

 distribution, and even extends westward to south-western 

 Europe. 



On the 27th of March we pitched our little tent close to 

 the village of Norpoor, and were not settled before its 

 kotwal {Anglice mayor) arrived to offer his services in pro- 

 curing supplies, bringing with him a rupee, which, according 

 to the usual Indian custom, he held out for our acceptance. 

 Our friend, however, appeared somewhat dubious as to our 

 social position, and if we were acquainted with the etiquette 

 which expects that gentle-folks should on such occasions 

 merely touch the offered gift and then make a salaam of 

 satisfaction to the host. As each of us touched the coin, our 

 Sikh friend squeezed it spasmodically, and even closed his 

 fingers over it, grinning most benignly when he found out 

 that we were respectable young gentlemen, and %bove accept- 

 ing his present — a discovery our shady jungle attire was 

 certainly not calculated to further. I spent the day among 

 the hot ravines, searching after wild sheep. The reflection 

 from the sand and limestone was excessive ; and we suffered 

 much from want of water, which was only procurable from 

 red muddy pools in the worn-out bottoms of water-courses. 

 After much fagging and occasional snap-shots at wild sheep 

 and ravine deer, which we startled in the narrow lanes 

 between the marl-heaps, I at length espied two of the 

 former under the shadow of an acacia, and, by dint of much 

 knee and hand traveUiug, managed to crawl unobserved 

 within 50 yards, when, neglectful of the old adage, "that a 

 bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," I sought a nearer 

 approach in hopes of procuring both ; but, by so doing, had 



