To illustrate: some years ago a lady entered a bookseller’s shop and asked for “Drummond’s latest book—Nux Vomica.” The bookseller without a word handed her Lux Mundi.
To my way of thinking Lux Mundi is a good title inasmuch as no other popular book has one like it. So distinctive is it that even when different words were substituted the bookseller at once knew what was intended. That the view here put forward does not find favour with the critics may perhaps be inferred by the exception many of them took to the title of my last book—Bombay Ducks.
While commending my view to their consideration, I have on this occasion endeavoured to meet them by resorting to a more orthodox designation. I am, doubtless, pursuing a risky policy. Most of the reviewers were kind enough to say that Bombay Ducks was a good book with a bad title. When criticising the present work they may reverse the adjectives. Who knows?
D. D.
CONTENTS
PAGE [I. British Birds in the Plains of India] 1 [II. The Bird in Blue] 10 [III. Sparrows in the Nursery] 16 [IV. The Care of Young Birds after they leave the Nest] 23 [V. The Adjutant Bird] 29 [VI. The Sarus] 35 [VII. The Stability of Species] 40 [VIII. The Amadavat] 46 [IX. The Nutmeg Bird] 52 [X. The Did-he-do-it] 56 [XI. Cobbler or Tailor?] 62 [XII. A Crow in Colours] 68 [XIII. Up-to-date Species Making] 73 [XIV. Honeysuckers] 78 [XV. A Hewer of Wood] 84 [XVI. A Feathered Sprinter] 89 [XVII. A Bird of Character] 94 [XVIII. Swifts] 99 [XIX. Birds as Automata] 104 [XX. Playing Cuckoo] 111 [XXI. The Koel] 117 [XXII. The Common Doves of India] 124 [XXIII. Doves in a Verandah] 130 [XXIV. The Golden Oriole] 135 [XXV. The Barn Owl] 140 [XXVI. A Tree-top Tragedy] 145 [XXVII. Two Little Birds] 150 [XXVIII. The Paradise Flycatcher] 156 [XXIX. Butcher Birds] 163 [XXX. Ducks] 168 [XXXI. A Dethroned Monarch] 173 [XXXII. Birds in the Rain] 178 [XXXIII. The Weaver Bird] 183 [XXXIV. Green Parrots] 190 [XXXV. The Roosting of the Sparrows] 197 [XXXVI. A Gay Deceiver] 202 [XXXVII. The Emerald Merops] 208 [XXXVIII. Do Animals Think?] 213 [XXXIX. A Couple of Neglected Craftsmen] 219 [XL. Birds in their Nests] 224 [XLI. Bulbuls] 229 [XLII. The Indian Corby] 235
ILLUSTRATIONS
[The Grey Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis), a Bird of the Plains] Frontispiece [The White-breasted Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)] 4 [The Redshank (Totanus calidris), one of the British Birds found in India] 8 [The Indian Roller, or “Blue Jay” (Coracias indica)] 12 [The Indian Adjutant (Leptoptilus dubius)] 28 [The Indian Adjutant (Leptoptilus dubius)] 34 [Loten’s Sunbird (Arachnechthra lotenia)] 78 (Note the long curved bill, adapted to insertion in flowers.) [The Yellow Sunbird (Arachnechthra zeylonica)] 80 [Nest of Loten’s Sunbird] 82 (Notice that it is built in a spider’s web.) [Loten’s Sunbird (Hen) about to enter nest] 90 [The Indian Spotted Owlet (Athene brama)] 94 [The Indian Paddy Bird (Ardeola grayii)] 114 [The Common Kingfisher (Alcedo ispida), one of the British Birds found in India] 144 [The Indian Kite (Milvus govinda)] 148 [The Grey-necked Crow (Corvus splendens)] 190 [The Bengal Red-whiskered Bulbul (Otocompsa emeria)] 230