as the 29th December, mention of it must be made in the
calendar for the present month. A similar remark applies to the hoopoe
(_Upupa indica_).

Doves nest in December, as they do in every other month.

Occasionally a colony of cliff-swallows (_Hirundo flavicolla_) takes
time by the forelock and begins to build one of its honeycomb-like
congeries of nests in December. This species was dealt with in the
calendar for February.

Blue rock-pigeons mostly nest at the beginning of the hot weather.
Hume, however, states that some of these birds breed as early as
Christmas Day. Mr. P. G. S. O'Connor records the finding of a nest
even earlier than that. The nest in question was in a weir of a canal.
The weir was pierced by five round holes, each about nine inches in
diameter. Through four of these the water was rushing, but the fifth
was blocked by debris, and on this a pair of pigeons had placed their
nest.

GLOSSARY

_Arhar_. A leguminous crop plant which attains a height of four feet
or more.

_Chik_. A curtain composed of a number of very thin strips of wood.
Chiks are hung in front of doors and windows in India with the object
of keeping out insects, but not air.

_Holi_. A Hindu festival.

_Jhil_. A lake or any natural depression which is filled with
rain-water at all or in certain seasons.

_Kharif_. Autumn. Rice and other crops which are reaped in autumn are
called _kharif_ crops. Crops such as wheat which are cut in spring are
called _rabi_ crops. Two crops (sometimes three) are raised in India
annually.

_Megas_. Sugar-cane from which the juice has been extracted.

_Rabi_. Spring. See _Kharif_.

_Shikari_. One who goes hunting or shooting.

_Tope_. A term applied to a grove of mango trees, artificially
planted. Thousands of such topes exist in Northern India. In some
places they are quite a feature of the landscape.

INDEX

Amadavat. _See_ Red munia

Babbler, common (_Crateropus canorus_), 36, 49, 68, 82, 89, 108, 120,
124, 142, 156, 162, 163, 183
--large grey (_Argya malcomi_), 162

Barbet, green (_Thereiceryx zeylonicus_), 7, 20, 53, 66, 68, 82, 89,
106, 108, 121, 138, 155, 168, 185, 192

Baya. _See_ Weaver-bird

Bee-eater, 3, 73, 74, 108, 120, 125, 139, 157, 169, 172, 182
--blue-tailed (_Merops philippinus_), 43, 89
--little green (_M. viridis_), 43, 89

Blue Jay. _See_ Roller

Blue-throat, 172

Brain-fever bird. _See_ Hawk-cuckoo

Bulbul, 5, 20, 36, 65, 68, 89,