pecies constructs its tiny
saucer-shaped nursery entirely of its own saliva.

April and May are the months in which to seek for the nests of the
Nilgiri swiftlet, and the insides of caves the places where a search
should be made.

The fourth swift of the Nilgiris, the crested swift (_Macropteryx
coronata_), is not sufficiently abundant to merit description in this
essay.

THE CAPRIMULGIDAE OR NIGHTJAR FAMILY

Nightjars, or goatsuckers, to give them their ancient and
time-honoured name, are birds that lie up during the day in shady
woods and issue forth at dusk on silent wing in order to hawk insects.
The most characteristic feature of a nightjar is its enormous
frog-like mouth; but it is not easy to make this out in the twilight
or darkness, so that the observer has to rely on other features in
order to recognise goatsuckers when he sees them on the wing, such
as their long tail and wings, their curious silent fluttering flight,
their dark plumage with white or buff in the wings and tail, their
crepuscular and nocturnal habits, and their large size. Nightjars
are as large as pigeons.

The common species of the Nilgiris is the jungle nightjar
(_Caprimulgus indicus_). For a couple of hours after nightfall, and
the same period before dawn in the spring, this bird utters its curious
call--a rapidly-repeated _cuck-chug-chuck-chuck_.

Horsfield's nightjar (_C. macrurus_) is perhaps not sufficiently
abundant on the Nilgiris to deserve mention in this essay. A bird
which after dark makes a noise like that produced by striking a plank
with a hammer can be none other than this species.

THE CUCULIDAE OR CUCKOO FAMILY

The koel (_Eudynamis honorata_) occurs on the Nilgiris and has been
shot at Ootacamund. It betrays its presence by its loud _ku-il_,
_ku-il_, _ku-il_. The common cuckoo of the hills is the hawk-cuckoo
(_Hierococcyx varius_) or brain-fever bird. Its crescendo
_brain-fever_, BRAIN-FEVER, BRAIN-FEVER prevents any person from
failing to notice it. It victimises laughing-thrushes and babblers.
It has a large cousin (_H. sparverioides_), which also occurs on the
Nilgiris, and which likewise screams _brain-fever_ at the top of its
voice. Both species are like sparrow-hawks in appearance. The
handsome pied crested cuckoo (_Coccystes jacobinus_), which cuckolds
the seven sisters, is a bird easy to identify. It has a conspicuous
crest. The upper plumage is glossy black, save for a white wing bar
and white tips