368 
A BIRD OF MOVEMENT. 
Id small groups, or alone. Is this because the more wary among them 
turn their experience to the common good, and the whole flock consent 
to follow their counsel ? 
In the gangas, says Brehm, everything seems a mixture of the 
most opposite qualities. They are very sociable, — they live on the best 
of terms with other birds, — and yet at times, like the pigeons, break out 
into quarrels and contentions without any appreciable cause. You will 
see them, after sitting calmly and serenely side by side, suddenly fall to, 
and engage with one another in furious strife. Of course, such instances 
of unreasonable temper are never known among men or nations ! 
The life of a ganga is as regular and monotonous as that of a city 
clerk, wlio seats himself on his stool every day at the same hour, closes 
his ledger at the same moment, and takes his meals to the minute, day 
after day, and year after year. But then the city clerk is always " in 
session;" the ganga always in motion, — or, at least, always awake. 
He takes his rest only at noon and midnight. Brehm avers that he 
has seen the ganga running and flying all day, and has heard his 
voice all night. " I was not a little surprised," he says, " when for the 
first time that harmonious voice resounded in my ears at an advanced 
hour of the night; while by the pale rays of the moon I saw flocks of 
these birds winging their way towards a small mineral spring to quench 
their thirst." 
He continues : " Before the day has risen — that is, before the first 
glimmerings of dawn, so brief in equatorial climes, appear — the babble 
of the gangas is heard on every side ; and as soon as objects are discern- 
ible, they are seen impetuously running in the midst of tufts of 
herbage in search of their food. If not disturbed, they continue thus 
engaged until nearly nine o'clock, when, a little sooner or later, accord- 
ing to the season, they fly off" to the nearest stream. In an hour 
thousands of these birds come thus to quench their thirst. Should the 
locality be deficient in water, they all hasten to one little pool ; if it be 
intersected by a watercourse, the different companies arrive separately 
at various points. They allow themselves to drop obliquely from their 
aerial heiglits, run rapidly towards the water, drink three or four long 
draughts, then fly away — either immediately, or after having run for a 
