Penguins: Birds in Tuxedo Suits (15-Minute Books Book 309)

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It is also this power of swift and sustained flight that enables birds living in northern lands to migrate periodically over enormous distances of land and sea in order to escape from the rigours of winter —shortening days and dwindling food supply to warmer and more hospitable climes. Birds are believed to have sprung from reptilian ancestors in bygone aeons. At first sight this appears a far-fetched notion, for on the face of it there seems little in common between the grovelling cold-blooded reptile and the graceful, soaring warm- blooded bird.

But pakrontological evidence, supplied chiefly by the earliest fossil of an undoubted bird to which we have access— the Archceopteryx — and modern researches on the skeletal and other characteristics of our present-day birds, tend in a great measure to support this belief. The method of articulation of the skull with the backbone, for instance, and the nucleated red blood corpuscles of the bird are distinctly reptilian in character.

To this may be added the fact that birds lay eggs which in many cases closely resemble those of reptiles in appear- ance and composition, and that the development of the respective embryos up to a point is identical. In the majority of birds scales are present on the tarsus and toes which are identical with the scales of reptiles. In some birds like Sandgrouse, and certain Eagles and Owls the legs are covered with feathers, a fact which suggests that feathers are modified scales and that the two may be interchangeable.

The outer covering of the bills of certain birds, the Puffin Fratercula arctica for example, is shed annually after breeding in the same way as the slough in reptiles. The periodical moulting of birds is also essentially the same process as the sloughing of reptiles. In short, birds may reasonably be considered to be extremely modified reptiles, and according to the widely accepted classification of the great scientist Huxley, the two classes together form the division of vertebrates termed SauropsiUa. Of the senses, those of Sight and Hearing are most highly developed in birds ; that of Taste is comparatively poor, while Smell is practically absent.

In rapid accommodation of the eye, the bird surpasses all other creatures. The focus can be altered from a distant object to a near one almost instantaneously ; as an American naturalist puts it, " in a fraction of time it the eye can change itself from a telescope to a microscope. With rare exceptions they incubate the eggs with the heat of their own bodies and show considerable solicitude for the young until they are able to fend for themselves. Careful experiments have, however, proved that in all the seem- ingly intelligent and purposeful actions of nesting birds, in the solicitude they display for the welfare of their young and in the tactics they employ when the latter are in danger, instinct and not intelligence is the primary operating factor.

The power of reasoning and the ability to meet new situations and overcome obstacles beyond the most ordinary, are non-existent. It is good therefore always to bear this in mind when studying birds, and to remember that their actions and behaviour cannot be judged entirely by human standards and emotions. The total number of bird species known to science as inhabiting the earth to-day may be put down as between 8 and 10 thousand. If subspecies or geographical races are taken into account, the figure would rise to about 30, For its size, the Indian Empire, in which it is customary for biological purposes to include Ceylon and Burma, contains one of the richest and most varied avifaunas on the face of the globe.

Covering some 40 degrees of latitude and about the same of longitude, it encloses within its boundaries a vast diversity of climate and physical features ranging from the dry, scorching. Smooth wide spaces of depressed river basins either sandy, dry and sun- scorched or cultivated, or water-logged under a steamy moisture- laden atmosphere the terai lie at the base of the northern ramparts. The great Central Indian and Deccan Plateaux succeed the fertile alluvial Gangetic Plain and are Hanked on the west by the broken crags and castellated outlines of the ridges of the Western Ghats which overlook the Arabian Sea and continue southward in gentle, smoothly-rounded slopes of green uplands — the Nilgiri and other hills of Southern India.

The second edition of the Fauna of British India Series on Birds enumerates some 2, species and sub-species, of which roughly are winter visitors from lands to the North. The Indian Empire as a whole falls into the zoo-geographical division of the earth known as the Oriental Region. For the sake of convenience the area has been split up Blanford, Phil. Its boundaries run up the hill ranges from Karachi to Peshawar and thence along the outer spurs of the Himalayas to Bhutan, and thence roughly southward to east of the Sunderbans. The southern boundary takes a line from the Rann of Cutch to Delhi and from about Agra to Rajmahal whence it goes south to the Bay of Bengal.

The Punjab, Sind and Kajputana, however, have a fauna differing considerably from that of the other parts of India and resembling that found in S. Both these areas belong to the zoological region which extends over the greater part of Asia and all Europe and known as the Palsearctic Region. A still further splitting up of the fauna within these broad sub-divisions on the basis of ecological or environmental factors is clearly desirable.

A scrutiny shows that there is a close similarity between the fauna and llora of those regions in which the incidence of the South-West Monsoon is heaviest, namely the Himalayas east of Sikkiin and the hilly portions of Assam and Burma on the one hand, and the south-western corner of the Indian peninsula, south of about Goa, together with the south- western portions of Ceylon on the other.

On account of the similar physical configuration of all these areas and their geogra- phical position relative to the strike of the S. Monsoon currents, they are areas of heavy rainfall and excessive humidity. These, precisely, are two of the most important factors that regulate the character of the vegetation. Similarity in vegetation is a striking feature of these heavy-rainfall areas.

As would be expected, this similarity extends to the insect forms dependent upon the plants, which in turn conduce to similarity in the birds predatory upon them. It has thus been suggested that all these parallel ureas, far-ilung as they are, are perhaps better lumped together in one zoo-geographical sub-division. There are certain biological axioms of more or less universa application which arc found to hold good in the case of our Indian avifauna also.

They are of great importance particularly in view of the modern practice of recognising geographical variations and races. A cursory glance through any well- arranged museum collection, or through the description of geo- graphical races in any up-to-date work on systematic ornithology reveals the fact that the largest race of a bird species — this is true of other warm-blooded animals as well — is, with rare exceptions, found inhabiting the cooler part of its distributional range while the smallest inhabits the warmer.

Parallel with this axiom is the fact that in the Northern 1 lemisphere races occupying the cooler northern portions of the range of a species tend to lay larger clutches of eggs than those occupying warmer southern parts. Furthermore, it is well known that of a given species the races that inhabit desert areas are always pile or sandy-coloured whereas others living under the influence of heavy rainfall, in well-wooded or humid tracts, tend to be darker in colouration.

This is true not only of individual races and species, but also of the entire aspect of the avifauna of these tracts as a whole. What the precise factors are that bring about these changes in colouration, and the manner of their operation, we do not know. That humidity has to do with increased pigmentation is clear enough, and it has recently been suggested that the reduced force of ultra-violet rays due to water- vapour suspended in the air may account for the darkening.

A few remarks with regard to the classification of birds seem called for in the interest of the beginner. It will be observed that under the English or trivial name of each species in the following pages, there appear in brackets two Latin names. The practice of employing a uniform Latin terminology is current throughout the modern scientific world. It is a boon to workers in different countries since it is more or less constant and enables the reader of one nation to understand what the writer of another is talking about.

To take an example: A Pole knows the bird as some- thing else — doubtless with a good many c's, z's, s's and other consonants in bewildering juxtaposition while the Russian has yet another ecpjally fantastic looking name for it. A fair working knowledge of a language seldom implies a familiarity with popular names as of birds, for instance, many of which often are of purely local or collocpjial application.

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Thus it is possible that while the Englishman may follow more or less all he reads in German about the Wiedehopf he may still be left in some doubt as to the exact identity of the bird. The international Latin name Upupa epops after the English or Polish or Russian name will leave no doubt as to what species is meant. In the abf ve the first name Upupa denotes the Genus of the bird corresponding roughly, in everyday human terms, to the Surname.

The second name cpops indicates the Species and corresponds, so to say, to the Christian name. Modern trend of scientific usage has tended to split up the Species further into smaller units called Geographical Races or Subspecies. An example will clarify what this means: It will be admitted that all the peoples living in India are human and belong to one and the same human species. Yet a casual glance is enough to show that the Punjabi is a very different type in build and physiognomy from the dweller in Madras, or the Bengali from the Burman. The differences, though small, are too obvious to be overlooked.

They are primarily the result of environment which includes not only climatic conditions of heat and cold, dampness and dryness, but also of diet and many other subtle factors working unceasingly upon, the organism in direct or indirect ways. Thus, while retaining all these inhabitants under the human species when you talk of the Madrasi or the Punjabi or the Burman you automa- tically recognise the sum total of the differences wrought in each by his particular environment.

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A comparative study of birds reveals that there are similar minor but well-marked and readily recognisable differences in size, colouration and other details in those species which range over a wide area and live under diversified natural conditions, or which have been subjected to prolonged isolation as on oceanic islands or through other causes. It is important for science that these differences should be duly catalogued and recognised since they facilitate the study of variation and evolution.

This recognition is signified by adding a third Latin name to the two already existing, to designate the Geographical Race or Subspecies. Thus, for example, the species Corvus splendens — the House Crow — has been sub-divided on the basis of constant differences in size and colouration brought about in the different portions of the Indian Empire it occupies as follows: Corvus splendens splendens the typical race - -The Common House-Crow. Corvus splendens zugmaycri — The Sind House-Crow.

Corvus splendens insolens — The Burmese House-Crow. Corvus splendens protegatus — The Ceylon House-Crow. Barring restricted areas and particular groups of birds which still require careful collecting and working out, we can now claim to have a sufficiency of dead ornithological material from India in the great museums of the world to satisfy the needs of even an exacting taxonomist. Most bird lovers in this country possess neither the inclination, training nor facilities for making any substantial additions to our knowledge of systematics.

Speaking generally, therefore, Indian systematic ornithology is best left in the hands of the specialist or museum worker who lias the necessary material and facilities at his command. Our greatest need to-day is for careful and rational field work on living birds in their natural environment, or what is called Bird Feology. It is a virgin field ; both the serious student and the intelligent aniateur can contribute towards the building up of this knowledge. A great many biological problems await solution by intensive ecological study.

It is a line of research that may be commended to workers in India ; it will afford infinitely more pleasure and is capable of attaining much greater importance ami promise than the mere collecting and labelling of skins. Finally, to those desiring a closer acquaintance with birds in general, no better or more readable book can be recommended than The Biology of Birds by J.

Inglis and Fletcher's Birds of an Indian Garden is good and describes and illustrates a number of the commoner birds. Douglas Dewar's series of books on Indian birds will be found helpful, and no one should be without KI 1 A's Aitken classic little Common Birds of Bombay which, despite its title, covers a good many of the commoner birds found in India. For masterly touch of matter and charm of style KIIA stands unapproachable. To the advanced student the 8 volumes of the -2nd edition of the Fauna of British India Series on Birds by Stuart Baker and the 4 companion volumes of his Nidificalion of Indian Birds must remain indispensable for a long time to come.

Terms used in description of a bird's plumage and parts. Lores space in front of eye. I'ppcr mandible or maxilla. Oulmen or upper profile of maxilla. Commissure or line of junction of the two mandibles. Rictal bristles or vibrissa;. Primaries the earlier or outermost it or 10 visible quills of the wing. Outer secondaries wing-quills springing from the radius and ulna.

Winglct or bastard wing. I T pper tail-coverts. Hind toe or first toe or hallux. Inner or second toe. Middle or third toe. Outer or fourth toe. Types of Bills i. Tearing and piercing flesh. A sieve for straining mud. Tooth-edged for gripping fish. Tailor Bird Grey Wagtail 4b. Shama Mack Drongo 5a.

Predominant Colours of Tail. Ashy-slate, fulvous- white Olive-green, white Grey, yellow White, grey, black. The numbers in brackets after name of species are to facilitate cross references to these keys. Birds with Prominent Tails— ctmtd. Predominant Colours of Bird. U4 H Grey Hornbill 2, 5d.

Birds with Prominent Bills Size ofj Species. A purplish- A Purple Sunbird,: Green Rce-cater;Curved, black, iGreen. Straight, slen-jMctallic olive-green,; i j dor, brown, white, bull, black j ; I 2". Common or'Straight, slen- Dark brown, black,; j Fantail Snipe; der, brown rufous, buff 5e. D ;Hoopoe 3, 5e. I j der, dark: Birds with Prominent Bills — conid. Shape, Colour and Length of Hill. Avocet 5c Grey Hornbill 1. Night Heron immature 5e. Cattle ligret breeding 5b.

Heddish-b lack with gap be- tween mandi- bles ;". Straight, dag- ger-1 i k e, brown and yellow, 2". I — Duck ; J — Village hen. Birds with Prominent Bills— concld. Shape, Colour and Length of Bill. Pond Heron or Straight, point- Earthy brown, white. Curved, slender, J Curlew 50 Sandy-brown, streaked brown, ". Little Hgret Straight, point- White 5b. Straight, heavy, red, 8'- - White, black W hit e-necked Straight, heavy, Black, white 35 5 Stork 5c.

Painted Stork Heavy, yellow, White, black, rose- 5c. Standing 60" high. Heavy, 4-sided, wedge-shaped 13". Black, grey, white Sams Crane Straight, heavy, Ashy-grey , 5d. Fly- adult Y e 1 1 o w-cheeked Tit 4 b. Indian Crested Lark 5e. Ked-ventcd Bul- bul 5e. White -chee ked Bulbul 5e. Paradise Fly- catcher, adult male i, 5b 1 'aradise catcher, female and im- mature male 1- 5e.

Racket-t ailed Drongo 1, ga. Rose-c o 1 o u r e d Starling or Rosy Pastor. Pied Crested Cuckoo 1, 5c. Crested Serpent Eagle Fawn Pied black white. Dark brown, ful- vous. Variegated brown, white, glisten ing green. White, lilac k, yellow Black Black, whitish. Grev, black Black, white White Brown Page.

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Bright Coloured Birds a. A Crimson-breasted Barbot or Coppersmith. Golden yellow, black purple, 20 Jerdon's Chloropsis, male. Black, purple 2S Do. Black, rose-pink in male. Purplo-rumped Sunbird, Metallic green, crimson. Chestnut brown Grey Wagtail breeding Grey, blackish plumage 1. C Scarlet Minivct, female Ashy-grey. A Wed Munia, male breed- ing. Black J Red Jungle-fowl, cock t.

Blue green, rusty brown. D Indian Pitta Green, blue, brown, black, crimson, white. D-E White-breasted Kingfisher Blue, chocolate brown, 2 - white. K Peafowl 1, 3 Metallic blue, green, brown. Sober Coloured Birds a. Sober Coloured Birds— contd. Malabar Whistling Thrush 1 r. Sober Coloured Birds — cmud. Chestnut 12 Tickell's Blue Flycatcher. Rusty brown, azure blue. Black, white 74 Indian Blue Rock-Thrush. While Spotted Munia. Sober Coloured Birds — eoiud. Pale yellow Purplc-rumped Sunbird, Pale yellow female.

Hodgson's Rose - Finch, female. House Sparrow, male White, grey, black. Sober Coloured Birds — contd. Paradise Flycatcher, female Black, white 58 3 and young male 1, 3. Red-vented Bulbul 3 Black, crimson 30 Red-whiskered Bulbul 3. Buff, white Red -wattled Lapwing or Black, white " Did-he-do-it. Night Heron, immature 2. Fulvous, buff K White-backed or Bengal Vulture.

White Peahen 3. About that of the Blue Rock -Pigeon ; slightly larger. The grey neck and somewhat smaller size serve to distinguish this species from the wholly black ]ungle Crow, frequently found living side by side with it, especially on outskirts of human habitations.

A resident species everywhere in the plains of India, Burma and Ceylon. Limited numbers have secured a footing even in some of our higher hill stations. Mased on slight differences, mainly in colouration, four geographical races are recognised within our area. The I louse-Crow is the commonest and most familiar of Indian birds, an unfailing commensal of man and an element of his social system. His intelligence and boldness, coupled with an infinite capacity for scenting and avoiding danger carry him triumphantly through a life of sin and wrong-doing.

Food- getting is a simple matter with the crow. Nothing comes amiss to him. He will take a dead rat or kitchen refuse, pilfer from a protesting fishwife's basket, or decamp with the egg on your breakfast table. His thieving propensities, however, are in a great measure redeemed by his efficient service as scavenger. Although crows devour locusts, termites and other injurious insects, particularly when these are swarming, they also raid ripening crops such as wheat and maize and cause damage to fruit in orchards.

Their status in regard to agriculture, therefore, is summed up as neutral. They have communal roosts where large numbers foregather at sunset, often from considerable distances around, dispersing again at daybreak to feed. The breeding season varies in different parts of the country. India breeding is usually over before the onset of the South-West Monsoon in May. The nest is an untidy platform of twigs — also wire or hoop-iron when available — with a central cup-like depression lined with coir and other fibre.

It is placed in the fork of a tree at any height from 10 feet up. The normal clutch is of eggs, pale blue-green, speckled and streaked with brown. Both sexes share in nest-building, incu- bation and care of the young. The Koel, one of our commonest parasitic cuckoos, habitually lays in the nest of this crow. The Indian Jungle-Crow 3 2. Between the House-Crow and the Kite.

A uniformly glossy, jet black crow with a heavy bill. Its voice differs from that of the Common House- Crow in the ' caws ' being much deeper and hoarser in tone. Resident throughout India, Burma and Ceylon, where 3 races are recognised on differences mainly in size of wing and bill. Though small numbers are lured into towns and cities by the prospect of profitable scavenging, the Jungle-Crow is mainly a rural bird, abundant on the countryside and met with even in forested and unfrequented parts, far from the haunts of Man.

Many live in the neighbourhood of villages and outlying hamlets where sanitation is elementary and refuse abundant. Jungle-Crows are not as gregarious as Common Crows. They are usually solitary, but at times congregate in biggish parties. Several will collect in company with vultures to feed on a carcase. Their liking for carrion is sometimes a help to the shikari, since in dense jungle their presence often reveals the whereabouts of a tiger or panther ' kill '. Jungle-Crows are just as omnivorous ;is their grey-necked relatives and notoriously destructive to the eggs and young of other birds.

In the monsoon, land crabs form a favourite item of food — a useful service to agriculture if land crabs are really as destructive to seedling crops as they are believed to be. At all times lizards, frogs, and centipedes as well as a large variety of fruits are eaten. The normal breeding season in peninsular India is between December and March or April ; north of the Ganges and in Assam and Burma it is usually later, between March and May.

They build the usual type of crow's nest of twigs high up in a tree. Both sexes partake in building work, incubation and care of the young. Though slightly larger, the eggs, in number, resemble those of the Common Crow in colour. Like the Common Crow, though less frequently, Jungle-Crows are selected by the Koel as suitable foster parents for its offspring, and it is not unusual to see a clamouring young cuckoo being assiduously and carefully tended by this species.

About that of the Myna, with a tail 12 inches long. A long-tailed chestnut-brown bird with sooty head and neck. The broad black tips of the longest tail feathers and the greyish-white wing-coverts are particularly conspicuous on the wing. The flight is undulating — a swift noisy flapping, followed by a short glide on outspread wings and tail. The whole of India, Burma and Ceylon. Over this wide range 4 races are recognised on differences in size and colouration. The Tree-Pie is a bird of open forest. It often frequents wooded country and scrub jungle near towns and villages and freely enters compounds and gardens.

It is of a social disposition going about in pairs or family parties which keep up a loud grating conversation. They have a wide repertoire of calls, some harsh and guttural, others quite melodious. The term ' Bob-o-link ' is a more or less faithful syllabification of one of their pleasanter calls. Like their near relations, the crows, Tree-Pies are omnivorous. Fruits, both wild and culti- vated are eaten. They are invariably present among the mixed gatherings of birds on Banyan and Peepal trees to gorge them- selves on the ripe Jigs.

Insects, caterpillars, lizards, frogs and centipedes are relished, and even carrion is not despised on occasion. Thev are amongst the most constant members of the hunting parties of insectivorous birds that move about in forest. They also hunt systematically for birds' nests and are highly destructive to the eggs and young of the smaller species. The season extends from February to July, the majority of eggs being laid between March and May. The nest, well concealed by foliage, is placed near the top of a tree, not necessarily a high one.

In structure it is of the crow tyjxj, a deep platform of twigs — often thorny — with the cup well lined with finer twigs and rootlets. Both sexes share in building, incubation and care of the young. The eggs— 4 or 5 in number — vary slightly in shape and size and rather more in colour. The i-'omnionest type is pale salmon-white, splashed and streaked with bright reddish-brown. The Grey Tit 4. The Grey Tit Parus major Linnaeus.

That of the Sparrow. The glossy jet black head, throat and broad ventral band down centre of breast contrasting with the white cheek-jiatches, grey back and whitish underparts help to recognise this typical tit. Practically throughout the Indian Empire, in the plains as well as hills upto about o. In this range four races are recognised on slight differences in size, shade of colouration and the relative extents of black, white and grey in their tail feathers. The Grey Tit is found in well-wooded localities, but it avoids heavy evergreen forest. It goes about singly, in pairs or small Hocks either by themselves or in association with other small insectivorous birds.

They scatter about the trees keeping in touch with one another by a joyous cheeping and twittering. Their food consists mainly of insects, but seeds and berries are also eaten. Tits destroy large numbers of noxious insects and their larvae and are thus welcome in orchards inspite of some little damage they may do to fruit and fruit-buds. They get at the kernels of hard-shelled nuts by holding the nut down under one foot and piercing it with repeated blows of their strong conical bills. In the breeding season the male utters a loud, clear, whistling song: The season, which varies somewhat in different localities, is between February and November.

Often two successive broods are raised. It is remarkable what a tiny entrance hole the bird will squeeze itself through. Four to six eggs are laid, white or pinkish-white in colour, spotted and speckled with reddish-brown. They are close sitters and will often refuse to desert even while the nest hole is being lucked open. The Yellow-cheeked Tit Machlolophus xanihogenys Vigors. Same as the Grey Tit Sparrow. A dainty little black and yellow tit with ;i prominent pointed crest. Sexes alike in the Northern race, both having black crest and black ventral band.

In the Penin- sular and Southern races the ventral band of the female is dull olive-green. The female of the latter race is dimorphic, some- times having the crown also of this colour.

A resident chiefly of hill forests and wooded plateau country throughout India. Ghats are recognised on differences of size and colouration. Represented in Burma by an allied species,. Like others of their tribe, these tits hunt in family parties, generally in company with other small insectivorous birds. They prefer the leafy canopy of tall trees, but will descend lower where the prospect of food is inviting.

The individuals keep up a joyous chee-chee as they restlessly search for insects, grubs and spiders which comprise the major part of their diet. Various fruits and berries are also eaten. Usually they are not shy and do not resent being watched.

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During the breeding season the male has a loud, clear whistling song: This is uttered with crest erect and wings drooping at the sides. The season varies in different parts of its range according to local conditions, between April and September. The nest is similar to that of the Grey Tit —a pad of moss, hair, wool or feathers placed in a hole in a tree-stem.

Old Barbet holes are frequently appropriated. Sometimes a hole or crack in a masonry wall or in an earth bank is utilised. The eggs- four to six in number — are a glossless white or pinkish-white, more or less spotted and blotched with reddish or purplish- brown. A female whose nest-hole was cut open did not desert her abode, but continued laying her full complement of eggs inspite of her daily contribution being removed from the nest on four successive mornings! Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch ii 6. The Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch Silta caslanea Lesson.

Slightly smaller than the Sparrow. A small bird slaty-blue above, deep chestnut below. The underparts of the female are paler. Short square tail not used in climbing as by the woodpeckers ; long heavy pointed bill. It scuttles jerkily up, sideways or down and around the trunk and branches of a tree, or clings to and runs along the undersurface of a bough with surprising agility. A resident species throughout India, Burma and Assam not Ceylon though often patchy.

Four races are here recognised on differences in size of wing and bill, and colouration -chiefly of the underparts. The Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch is not a bird of deep forest though it likes wooded tracts. It is partial to mango groves on the outskirts of villages. There is in the Nuthatch something of the tit and something of the woodpecker. Like the tit it scours the trunk and branches of trees for its food ; like the woodpecker it climbs and taps away on the bark to dislodge insect prey. On a casual glimpse it is possible to mistake it for a tree-mouse.

Indeed the manner in which it runs up and down a tree, slips behind a trunk or branch or clings to it upside down is strongly reminiscent of the antics of that rodent. It utters feeble mousy squeaks and also has a quick- repeated double note: Unless paired off for breed- ing, these nuthatches may be seen in small parties usually in the mixed company of woodpeckers, tits, warblers, flycatchers and other insectivorous birds working the tree-trunks and branches with industry and thoroughness in search of spiders, grubs and insects lurking on the bark and in its holes and crevices.

They also eat the kernel of various nuts and hard-shelled seeds of forest trees. These are wedged firmly into some crevice and pierced or hacked open by repeated blows of their strong, pointed bills. The season over most of its range is between February and May. The eggs are laid in natural holes and hollows in tree-trunks on a lining of leaves, moss, wool, feathers or merely chips of bark. The hollow is walled up with a plaster of mud, leaving a small neat round entrance hole.

Two to six eggs are laid, white in ground colour, speckled with red. Sometimes two broods are raised in succession. About that of the Myna. A familiar earthy-brown bird of frowzled, untidy appearance and a lungish tail that gives the impression of being loosely stuck into the body. Always in flocks of half a dozen or so, whence its popular names of Satbhiii and ' Seven Sisters.

Throughout India and Assam, in the plains and up to aljout 5, feet elevation. It avoids both heavy evergreen forest and treeless country. Five geographical races are recog- nised on slight differences, mainly of colouration. Replaced in Ceylon and Jiurma by other related species. This Babbler inhabits outlying jungle as well as well- wooded compounds, gardens and groves of trees about towns and villages.

The Hocks or ' sisterhoods ' spend their time hopping about on the ground, rummaging amongst the fallen leaves for insects. They habitually form the nucleus of the mixed hunting parties of insectivorous birds that move about the forests. They keep up a constant harsh chatter and squeaking, and as a rule the best of good fellowship prevails within a sisterhood. Occasionally differences of opinion arise between members, and loud and discordant wrangling ensues ; bill and claw are then freely plied and feathers fly. To outside aggression however, thev always present a united front and when one of the Hock has been set u X ii, the others will boldly attack and often put to rout the marauding hawk or cat.

Their food consists of spiders, cockroaches and other insects and larva:. Banyan and Pecpal figs, Lantana and other berries, and grain are also relished. Babblers are inordinately fond of the flower-nectar of the Coral and Silk Cotton trees and inci- dentally do considerable service in cross-pollinating the blossoms. There is no well denned season and odd birds breed irregularly throughout the year. The breeding pairs continue to remain with the flock, only detaching themselves now and again to attend to their private concerns.

The nest is a loosely put together cup of twigs, roots and grass placed in the fork of some leafy mango or other tree, 8 to 10 feet from the ground. Three or four eggs comprise the clutch. They are of a beautiful turquoise blue colour. Both sexes build, incubate and tend the young. Welcome to Camp Reset, a summer camp with a difference.

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An epic YA trilogy set in a world in which angels have come to earth: Ordinary mortals yearn to catch a glimpse of one of these magnificent beings, and thousands flock to The Church of Angels to feel their healing touch. But all is not as it seems They do two things and they do them well: Kim Curran is an author and creative director based in London. The Hunger Games meets Jurassic Park in this gripping new series filled with action, survival and betrayal. Wilson lives on the West Coast of Scotland.

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Will now lives in East London. See the world through new eyes in this one-in-a-million story about fighting for the freedoms that we often take for granted: Mel Darbon spent a large part of her childhood inventing stories to keep her autistic brother happy on car journeys. Having worked as a theatre designer and freelance artist, as well as teaching young adults with learning disabilities and running creative workshops for teenage mums, young offenders and toddlers, Mel now writes young adult novels, with the aim of giving a voice to those who otherwise might not be heard.

The internationally best-selling trilogy from Stephanie Perkins that will take readers to some of the most romantic cities in the world — and make them fall in love with Anna, Lola and Isla. Maggie Harcourt was born and raised in Wales, where she grew up telling stories. She now lives just outside Bath and is a full-time writer.

What happens when you wake up one day and the world has moved on forty years? A Black Mirror-style twist on Sleeping Beauty, plunging a pre-tech girl into a futuristic world. Award Winner Twelve girls. But at home she hides an impossible secret… Eleven other Tevas.

A book about loving yourself and being loved for who you really are — perfect for fans of Lisa Williamson, Jennifer Niven and David Levithan. Amanda Hardy is the new girl at school. Like everyone else, all she wants is to make friends and fit in. But Amanda is holding back. Amanda has a secret… At her old school, she used to be called Andrew. And secrets always have a way of getting out….

Meredith Russo was born, raised and lives in Tennessee. She started living as her true self in late and never looked back. If I Was Your Girl was partially inspired by her experiences as a trans woman. Like Amanda, Meredith is a gigantic nerd who spends a lot of her time obsessing over video games and Star Wars. Stay up-to-date with all the latest Usborne YA news, read author interviews, discover extra content and more:. Usborne Young Adult fiction, and a number of younger titles, are available as ebooks.

Find out more at. No need for scissors or glue; children simply press the pieces out of each page and follow the step-by-step instructions to slot each model together using paper tabs. A pair of knitting needles 3 balls of yarn 3 animals to knit 6 buttons 2 needles Stuffing Thread Step-by-step knitting book. General Knowledge A simple guide to the world of politicians, elections and how the world is run. Dive into the world of business with this lively introduction, whether you want to be an entrepreneur yourself or simply a smarter consumer.

We all worry sometimes. This book is full of ways to get worries out of your head and onto paper, with things to doodle, draw, write, scribble and scrunch. Library Editions are a range of books that are perfect for schools, libraries or home learning. These non-fiction books are all trade, hardback editions with matt covers and coloured endpapers. Each also features a contents page and an index. This books explores the practical world of making money, as well as explaining how businesses shape the world we live in and the way we live.

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A note for Usborne Organisers: Throughout this catalogue, the penultimate five digits of the ISBN for each title is the product code that you will use to place orders. Internet-linked books Usborne Internet-linked books are enhanced with links to recommended websites where readers can find out more with virtual tours, video clips, games and other multimedia. There are over internet-linked books from encyclopedias to sticker books, all illustrated in this catalogue.

When the family comes in, he growls ferociously, and the family backs away slowly. The family sits on the couch and end up bouncing over and under each other until they are in completely different places on the couch. The family runs to the couch, but knocks themselves unconscious in the process. Maggie the only one who is not knocked out ends up on the couch. The Flintstones Fred , Wilma , and Pebbles are on the couch. When the Simpsons come in, Fred smiles at Homer and invites him to sit.

The couch transforms into a monster and swallows the family. Maggie is already on the couch. Homer, Marge , and Bart run off the edge of the film onto an empty white space and quickly run back. Lisa jumps in at the last second. The family's heads are mismatched. Everyone undoes the mistake by taking back their proper heads and Maggie takes her pacifier out of Homer's mouth. As the standard theme music stops, the family forms a chorus line, joined by a line of Rockette -like women, all high-kicking to a Vegas -like rendition of the main theme melody.

The living room walls are lifted to make way for a large production number, featuring hand-standing elephants , magicians, Santa's Little Helper leaping through a ring of fire, a firework pinwheel , and more all set to circus -style music. The standard theme music then returns, concluding normally. Krabappel from the show who obstruct the family's view. A Simpsons Clip Show ". A director does three couch gag takes. The Simpsons first run into the living room and shatter like glass, with Santa's Little Helper walking in to look at the mess on the floor.

The Simpsons run in and coalesce into a multicolored, five-headed blob. The Simpsons run in and explode on contact, with Maggie 's pacifier falling onto the blackened crater. The family sits; the couch and family are crushed by the cutout foot from the opening of Monty Python's Flying Circus. The Simpsons run in and find an identical Simpsons family on the couch. This scene is frequently used as the opening couch gag on syndicated versions of Simpsons episodes from seasons one to five. The family runs in and crashes through the wall, as it turns out the couch and other living room furniture is painted on a backdrop.

The family runs in and finds an obese man taking up the entire couch. The man tries to give the Simpsons room to sit, but it's a tight fit. The lights are out as five pairs of eyes enter. The lights turn on revealing only eyes, as the eyeless family rushes in and sits down, reconnecting with their eyes.

The family sits, then realizes the couch is on the set of the Late Show with David Letterman ; next to the couch, Dave spins in his chair to face forward at his desk. Homer , Marge , Bart , and Lisa poke their heads out from behind the couch; Maggie pokes out from behind the center cushion. There are two identical couches in the living room. The Simpsons split themselves down the middle and each half sits on the couches. The Simpsons are balls that bounce onto the couch. Bart almost bounces away, but Homer reins him in and hurls him onto the couch.

The Simpsons sit on the couch just as a translucent FOX station identification logo appears in the lower right hand corner of the screen. Homer sees it, gets up from the couch, peels it off, and stomps on it with the family joining him in stomping it before returning to the couch. The Simpsons sit down in midair; the couch builds itself on top of the family and makes them fall. The living room floor is a shallow body of water.

The Simpsons swim their way to the couch. Once on the couch, Bart removes his scuba mask and Homer dries out his ear by sticking his finger in it. The family is beamed onto the couch, Star Trek -style. They try to retrieve their own parts, but it's not an improvement. The Simpsons sit on the couch and get shot into the ceiling, with only their legs and feet showing. In a loose parody of the film, Time Bandits , the family chases after the couch and the back wall as it slides down an endless hallway.

The living room is at the center of an M. Escher's Relativity style environment with multiple staircases and conflicting perspectives; the family enters from various directions and dimensions and sits. The living room is seen through the barrel of a gun with music typically heard in a James Bond film playing. Homer walks in and fires at the unseen gunman. The living room is shown in black and white.

The Simpsons—animated as smiling, rubber-hosed cartoon characters of the early s—come in and do a stiff dance. The family's heights are reversed; Maggie is now the largest while Homer is the smallest. The theme from Dragnet plays as the couch slides away and a police lineup height chart unfurls from above. The family lines up in front of it. Like a fax machine , the couch ejects a sheet of paper with a picture of the family, which then floats up into the air, before sliding beneath the couch.

Everyone except Grampa runs to the center square. The family drive around the room in go-karts , wearing fezzes. They line up in front of the couch and honk their horns simultaneously. The Simpsons are colorless blobs. Mechanical arms color and detail the family. The family are hanged on nooses , staring blankly. Despite being dead from asphyxiation , Maggie manages to suck on her pacifier. The Simpsons are five malfunctioning wind-up dolls who buzz and waddle their way to the couch or at least near it. A bowling pin clearing bar scares Snowball II off the couch, then a pinsetter places the family on the couch like bowling pins.

The whole room is under water, the couch is made of clam shells, and a treasure chest is in place of the TV. Sea monkey versions of the family members swim in and sit on the clam couch. Homer notices a plug in the middle of the floor and pulls it. Everyone and everything gets sucked down the drain. The floor is brown instead of green because of an error. The camera then zooms in through a mouse hole, where a family of mice with similar features to the Simpson family rush to the couch and sit as well.

Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie are moose heads on the wall and Homer is a bearskin rug on the floor. A game hunter comes in, sits on the couch, and smokes a pipe. The living room is bathed in black light, with the Simpsons in fluorescent colors while a hard rock guitar riff plays.

Homer turns the light on and the normal music plays. The Grim Reaper is on the couch. The family runs in, but keel over and die one by one. The Reaper then puts his feet up on the corpses of the Simpson family. Marge , Bart , Lisa , and Maggie deploy parachutes as they fall from the sky onto the couch. Homer comes down screaming and falls through the floor face-first from an unopened parachute pack. The couch sits in the middle of a desert ; the family, in western cowboy garb, sits on the couch, which gallops off into the sunset. Clear blue bubble versions of the family members float into the room, land on the couch, and pop.

The whole scene is a Simpsons rendition of The Beatles ' Sgt. Pepper album, featuring a large crowd of regulars, several objects associated with the show, and wax statues of the Simpsons as they were on The Tracey Ullman Show. The last chord to the Beatles song, " A Day in the Life " plays instead of the traditional Simpsons music as the family comes in, standing front and center and dressed in Sgt.

Homer looks around and turns to look at the crowded scene behind him.

By Andrew Cunningham and Craig Getting

The family sits down, but now Bart is green. Homer fiddles with the TV antenna and Bart changes to red. Homer then returns to the couch, and smacks Bart in the back of the head in order to return him to his normal color yellow. Everybody and everything is upside-down. Homer puts a coin in; nothing happens. Homer pounds on the wall four times before the couch falls on him. The family flies into the room wearing jet packs. Maggie spirals in last with the rest of the family staring at her, landing in Marge's lap. The couch is now a giant Whac-A-Mole game, with the Simpson family as the moles.

The couch is folded out into a bed with Grampa sleeping on it. The Simpsons fold the couch in with Grampa shouting "Huh? The living room is empty. Cut to outside where Homer is struggling with a locked front door while the other members of the family wait impatiently. An unseen computer user tries to download the family, but the download shows no signs of progress after a few seconds and the user tries to exit the window which also does not work. The couch is on the deck of a ship at sea in rough waters, sliding back and forth with the tilt of the ship. The family, dressed in raingear, sits on the couch, before an enormous wave washes them away.

The TV surfaces moments later. The family comes in, dressed as the Harlem Globetrotters , passing a basketball to each other while Sweet Georgia Brown plays. Maggie dunks the ball into the basket above the couch, hitting Homer on the head. Homer runs in alone and stands in front of the couch. The top half of him pops off and on to the couch revealing a smaller Marge standing inside the lower half of Homer, like a Russian nesting doll.

The top half of Marge pops off revealing Bart, whose top half pops off revealing Lisa, whose top half finally pops off to reveal Maggie, who stays in the middle of Homer's body and sucks on her pacifier.

The Simpsons sit on the couch. Metal shackles restrain their wrists and ankles and a metal cap comes down on all of their heads. The family writhes in pain as they get electrocuted.

The couch is a trough filled with water. The Simpsons, with their butts on fire, rush to the trough and sit to extinguish the fire. They all sigh in relief as steam billows out. Bart runs in and spray-paints the family onto the couch, tagging it with an "El Barto" signature, then runs off. The living room is a sauna, with three men in towels relaxing. The Simpsons also in towels arrive, but leave sheepishly as the three men glare at them.

The family sits; Matt Groening 's [12] live action hand spins the picture around, smearing the shot's paint. The Simpsons sit on the couch as normal. The camera zooms out and reveals that the living room is part of a snow globe that two hands shake to make the snow fall. The floor is a treadmill. The Simpsons go to sit on the couch, but fall on their butts when the couch gets pulled back. Nelson Muntz comes from behind the couch and laughs. Similar to the couch gag on " Homer's Triple Bypass ", the Simpsons are microsized and trying to get on the giant couch.

Unlike the couch gag to "Homer's Triple Bypass," The Simpsons take a little longer to climb onto the couch and, once they reach the top, Santa's Little Helper grabs Homer and carries him away in his mouth. The Simpsons are frogs with Maggie as a tadpole jumping to a lily pad "couch". Homer turns on the TV with his tongue. A vine grows in the middle of the living room and sprouts into a tree bearing Simpsons family versions of various fruits and vegetables: Bart is a strawberry , Homer is a squash , Marge is an asparagus , Maggie is broccoli , and Lisa is a pineapple.

Their eyes are shown floating towards the heavens. The scene then cuts to The Simpsons sprouting from the ground amidst a garden of flowers. Bart spits up a clod of dirt. The Simpson family find themselves in Mrs. Similar to the couch gag from the season four's " Marge vs. After they sit down, Homer leans in and eats from Comic Book Guy's popcorn tub. Two firemen hold the couch like a safety net. Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie land safely on the couch. Homer, however, falls screaming through the floor. The family never makes it to the couch; Bart gets run over by Homer.

Lisa gets catapulted into the garage roof, and Homer gets run down by Marge as she drives into the garage. Meanwhile, in the living room Freddy Krueger of the A Nightmare on Elm Street movies and Jason Voorhees of the Friday the 13th movies sit on the couch, wondering where the family is. Marge enters with a laundry basket, humming as she hangs wet sheet versions of Homer, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie on a clothesline. Salon-style hair dryers descend onto their heads, then lift up, revealing the family members all have swapped hairdos.

Homer has Maggie's spikes, Marge has Bart's spikes, Bart has Lisa's spikes, Lisa has Homer's "combover," and Maggie has Marge's big, blue bouffant the weight of which causes Maggie to fall off the couch. In a parody of the famous scene in Dr. Strangelove where Slim Pickens' character rides the bomb, the Simpsons wearing cowboy hats straddle the couch as it drops from a bomb bay door. The Simpsons scream, "Yahoo! The living room is in shallow water and the Simpsons sit on the couch.

When an iceberg floats by, the couch sinks vertically like the RMS Titanic and the family clings to dear life as it goes under. Maggie resurfaces on a couch cushion moments later with the remote control in hand. Marge and Homer are depicted as children while Bart and Lisa are depicted as adults and Maggie is a baby doll in Homer's arms.

Homer reaches for the remote control, but Lisa slaps it away from him. The family slips on banana peels on the floor, flipping upside-down in the air, but all land safely on the couch. The Simpsons sit on the couch, but get sucked inside and come out looking like a shredded piece of paper. The Simpson family as they are currently drawn run in and find their crudely drawn counterparts from The Tracey Ullman Show. Both families look at each other and run screaming out the room.

The family comes in, colorless and marked with numbers. A group of Korean painters come in to color the family, but forget to outline the eyes on Homer and Marge. The family comes in. Marge notices Matt Groening 's signature at the bottom of the screen and wipes it off. A caricature of Matt Groening complete with graying beard, glasses, and a tacky orange and yellow Hawaiian shirt comes in and resigns the scene. The family members mostly appear as they have in previous Halloween episodes: Homer is a jack-in-the-box from 8F02 , Bart is a mutant fly from 5F02 , Marge is a witch also from 5F02 , and Maggie is an alien from AABF01 ; Lisa, an axe murder victim the only one not based on a previous episode , comments on the lackluster Halloween special hosted by Kang and Kodos "What do aliens have to do with Halloween?

As of , this is the last Halloween episode to have a couch gag. The living room is set up like a trendy nightclub complete with a disco ball, a velvet rope, three something club hoppers, and a bouncer. A cement truck pours out concrete statues of the Simpson family. The top half of Homer's statue quickly breaks off and falls to the floor. The Simpsons sit on the couch and the wall spins around as seen in " Homer the Heretic. Marge, Lisa, Bart, and Maggie slide down a fire pole that's next to the couch. Homer, however, gets stuck in the hole and flails about helplessly.

A crash test dummy version of the family sits. The couch slides forward and slams into the TV simluating a car crash test , then pulls back into place. Crash test dummy Homer's head falls off from the trauma. A Sigmund Freud caricature is sitting in a chair next to the couch. Homer hops on the couch and yells, "Oh, doctor, I'm crazy! Everyone else stares sadly at each other. The family leaps into the room, all dressed in white karate uniforms and black belts. They chop the couch to pieces while Homer does a spinning kick and clicks on the TV with the remote.

Everyone save Maggie, who's with Marge comes in on bumper cars and slams Homer into the wall repeatedly. The couch is sitting in the Evergreen Terrace Subway Station. The family seated on a bench get on the next train that arrives on the track and leave. The Simpsons save Maggie, who is in Marge's arms are barefoot and briskly walking across a bed of hot coals. When the family sits on the couch, they prop their feet up, revealing their black and smoldering soles.

Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie dressed in jungle loincloths swing into the room on a vine gracefully like Tarzan. Homer, however, swings by, fails to release the vine in time, and crashes offscreen like George of the Jungle. The family sits down. Bart puts a coin in the "Magic Fingers" slot on his side of the couch. The couch vibrates away, taking the family with it. Bart puts a whoopee cushion under Homer's spot. When the family sits down, Homer sits on it and triggers its farting sound. Homer grins sheepishly at Marge, Lisa, and Maggie who are frowning while Bart laughs. The shot opens on the TV rather than the couch.

The family runs in and freezes in mid-air. The camera pans around them in Matrix -style bullet-time. When the camera is angled on the couch, time resumes normally and they sit down without further incident. Maggie is on the couch. The rest of the Simpsons waddle in dressed as The Teletubbies and Maggie applauds with delight. A skating ramp is set up next to the couch. Marge with Maggie in hand , Bart, and Lisa successfully do skateboard tricks off the ramp and onto the couch. Homer, however, falls off the ramp and, adding injury to insult, gets hit on the head with his own skateboard.

When the family comes in, Santa's Little Helper slowly stops dancing, sits on his hind legs, and barks. The Simpsons swim to the couch in deep-sea diving gear. The camera zooms out to reveal that the living room is in a fish bowl. A football is thrown in the center of the living room. The Simpsons, dressed as football players, tackle each other for the ball. Maggie squirms out with ball in hand, spikes it, and does a victory dance. The Simpsons are placed on the couch by the transport tubes used on Futurama. A yellow-skinned Philip J.

Fry is in on the couch for a split second before he's sucked up and replaced by Bart. The couch is replaced by a valet parking spot. The Squeaky-Voiced Teen pushes a couch in place for the Simpsons to sit down. He then holds his hand out for a tip and leaves angrily when he doesn't get it. The living room floor is frozen over.

The Simpsons ice skate to the couch. When Homer sits down, his side of the couch falls through. The couch is outside a prison wall. A siren wails and a searchlight moves as The Simpsons dressed in striped prison jumpsuits tunnel their way to the couch. The Simpsons are in the simplistically drawn sailboat painting located behind the couch. The living room is wet from the splash and Homer uses his finger to clean his ear out while clicking on the TV with the remote. The couch is a slot machine that shows Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa in the tumbler windows.

The couch is replaced by a hedge. A gardener comes in and creates a topiary of The Simpsons. A crane game clamp comes down and picks up Homer. The living room is black and while like in the couch gag for " Bart's Comet ". When Tramp Homer sits down, the rest of the family, dressed as silent movie characters, join him.

The Simpsons come in just as two repo men take the couch away. Homer sobs loudly, Marge looks confused, and the kids sit on the floor to watch TV. The Squeaky-Voiced Teen and an unknown adolescent girl are making out on the couch. The Simpsons come in. The Squeaky-Voiced Teen yelps and the unknown girl smiles uneasily. The family runs in to find the Blue Man Group performing on drums in front of the couch. Homer murmurs "What the--?! The Simpsons rushing to and sitting on the couch is animated in pencil-drawn flipbook style, with the pages flipped by a pair of live-action hands.

The family are marionettes who get caught in each other's strings. The camera pans up to reveal Matt Groening as the puppet master, who throws the puppets down in frustration. The living room is in an ocean. Homer is on water skis, with the others on him as everyone literally " jumps the shark ". The family safely lands on the couch, except for Homer, whose legs have been bitten off and are now in the mouths of two sharks.

In a parody of the opening of the s sitcom, Get Smart , Homer goes through many futuristic doors and passageways until he reaches the phone booth, dials a number, falls through the floor, and lands on the couch with the rest of the family already seated. In a parody of the Macintosh paint program, Kid Pix , a mouse cursor drags Homer from the left side of the couch to the right, changes the wall color to green, and replaces the boat painting with the Mona Lisa.

Homer clicks on the remote control and sends the family to the Stone Age where they sit in front of a fire, clicks it again to send them to the era of the Roman Empire where they watch a gladiator match, and clicks it a final time to return them to the present. In a parody of the black-and-white photograph, Lunchtime Atop A Skyscraper , the family is dressed as construction workers of the early 20th century and are sitting on a girder watching TV. The couch is a novelty cardboard cut-out with holes where the family's heads would be.

The family puts their heads through the holes and a photographer takes their picture. The living room is made of assorted candies and gingerbread. The Simpsons are gingerbread men and women who rush to the couch. Homer leans over and bites the top of Bart's head. Spritz Goes to Washington ". A camera shutter flash is heard as a blank Polaroid photo floats to the couch and develops into a picture of The Simpsons. The couch is a street bench in Japan, and everyone is a famous anime character: Knives are hurled at the Simpsons' heads, but hit the wall.

Homer tries to get a bowl of chips, but a knife aimed for the side of his head stops him. The couch is replaced by a giant microwave. Someone puts a tray inside and presses a button. The Simpsons rise from the tray as it cooks. A woman throws some seeds into a plot of dirt where the couch usually is, and waters them; everybody sprouts up like plants.

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