The Indian Magpie Bobin or Dhayal Bird. 273 
On one occasion, when a military tournament was be- 
ing held in the Public Gardens of the State, the little Maha- 
raja, aged five years, was jjresent and was accompanied by a 
large following of liveried attendants. I had just been re 
leased from my share of the duties of the afternoon, which 
was to act as one of the judges, and I went off to watch a 
pair of Dhayals, whose movements had attracted my attention 
far more than those of the competitors. The Dhayal birds 
in fact, had told me that they had a nest of young ones in a 
hole at the back of a tree on the other side of true race- 
course, and I was naturally very anxious to find out if their 
information was true. As I moved off to get round the 
racecourse I passed the little Maharaja, and ventured to. 
tell him what the Dhayals had told me. His youthful Highness 
became much interested, but sagely demanded how I could 
understand what the birds said. My reply was a suggestion 
that he should bring his honourable self to the place and see 
if my words were not true. He" promptly left his gorgeously 
at|tired guardians, and placing his hand in mine, walked with 
me to the tree, and there sure enough was a hole and fp.ur 
half-fiedged Dhayals in it. As I took one out of the nesty 
and gave it to his little Highness, the mother bird came along 
in a great state of anxiety, and almost alighted on my hand', 
but thinking better of it settled on the tree a few feet off, 
and began cluck -clucking in a very angry manner, jerking 
her tail up in a most excited way. T»he little bird was 
replaced, but next morning when I came along at an early 
hour, thinking that I might purloin one for my own aviary, 
lol they were all gone, for someone had been beforehand 
with me. I never hoped to see them again, but a very 
few days afterwards when I paid a visit to the birdi- 
keeper at the State Aviaries, I saw all four young Dhayals 
in a small bamboo cage, being fed by an 'afctendanti wi cn 
/-malt pills stucK on tne end of a split bamboo, which pills 
were composed of a mixture of pea flour, wheat flour, and 
clarified butter. I suggested that he should bring in a daily 
allowance of grasshoppers, beetles, and flies, and so add a 
little variety to the diet. This he solnetimes did and' I have no 
doubt that the Dhayals were the happier and better for if. 
I hope the day will soon come when the native bird 
