NOISY BIRDS 285 
bird given in books on ornithology : it rarely flies, and, 
if chased, sprints along the ground amid the corn and 
“never runs straight, but makes as many turnings as a 
hare.” After tramping the fields for nearly an hour, the 
aforesaid household returned home with the poor satis- 
faction of having provided some amusement for the bird. 
I am told that debating societies are often at their 
wits’ ends to find subjects for debate which have not 
been discussed ad nauseam. If this be so, I would 
suggest as a new subject—‘“ Which is the more deserv- 
ing of the title ‘Brain-fever Bird,’ the Indian hawk- 
cuckoo or the corn-crake?” Anglo-Indians will, of 
course, plump for the Oriental bird, which certainly has 
in its favour one strong point: it names the disease it 
tries to give you. It shrieks: “ Brain fever, brain fever, 
BRAIN FEVER,” until you think its syrinx must burst! 
But which is the greater evil—a succession of series 
of crescendo notes or one continuous rasping sound ? 
The Indian bird is certainly assisted by the climate. 
It makes a noise only in the hot weather. It avoids 
the hills. It does not patronize the city of Madras, for 
the reason that the climate is rarely warm enough for 
it. It cannot sing to advantage when the thermometer 
stands at anything like 90° in the shade. Nay, in the 
Punjab, when the iced drinks hiss as they come into 
contact with the parched throat, is its ideal climate. 
But you can see and shobt a brain-fever bird, which is 
more than you can do to a corn-crake. 
Take away the latter bird from the English team, 
and what have you left? A lamentable “tail” com- 
posed of rooks, magpies, and starlings. I do not take 
