Letters , Announcements , fyc. 219 
which flew close past us, and lit upon a thin, sickly-looking 
mango-tree, with branches overhanging the wall of the com¬ 
pound on our left. We stopped for a moment to observe its 
movements, and, as we did so, a second bird of the same kind 
darted out, apparently from the same tree, seized some insect in 
the air, and then, returning, alighted beside its comrade. The 
tree was a small one, and its foliage scanty, so that, not only 
were we enabled to see the elegant plumage of the Barbets very 
distinctly, but we were also made aware of the presence, upon 
one of the lower branches, of a Madras Bulbul (Pycnonotus lice- 
morrhous ) and a pair of Flycatchers, which appeared to me to be 
the White-browed Fantail of Jerdon (Leucocerca albofrontata). 
Before we had time to consider whether there was anything 
strange or not in the appearance of these birds in such close 
proximity to one another, the secret of their assembling at that 
particular spot was revealed to us. Directly in front of the tree, 
white ants were rising from sundry small holes in the road and 
flying slowly upwards through the clear atmosphere. Evidently 
an exodus of the winged members of the termite-city was com¬ 
mencing, and, by some means or other, it had become known to 
the Barbets and their friends, who, accordingly, had made a point 
of being present, with a view to a luxurious evening meal. At 
first the work of destruction seemed likely to be most fully con¬ 
summated ; for the moment one of the hapless insects emerged into 
upper air, he was pounced upon by a Barbet or a Flycatcher, and 
carried off to be discussed at leisure amongst the branches of the 
mango-tree, or else he was seized and borne away, apparently 
with some difficulty, by one of the many large dragonflies which 
were cruising about in the neighbourhood. Notwithstanding all 
this, however, the numbers of the termites were gradually in¬ 
creasing, and there was, at last, a faint chance of some few of them 
escaping to enjoy their emancipation from the dark, damp 
chambers of their subterranean abode : but at this moment a 
score of new foes made their appearance upon the scene, shooting 
in suddenly and noiselessly, upon long sickle-shaped wings, and 
with a rapidity that reduced to utter insignificance the volant 
capabilities of either the Barbets or the Flycatchers ! They were 
Swifts—of the common Indian species (Gypsews affinis).; and it 
was really most interesting to behold the speed with which they 
