Chapter I: Preface

In the brief sketches that follow I find occasion repeatedly to attack the prevalent theories of protective colouration, because it is impossible for the naturalist who uses his eyes to accept these theories.

Most of these hypotheses were advanced by field naturalists, but they have since been elaborated by cabinet zoologists and have become a creed. Now, Huxley remarked with truth, “Science commits suicide when it adopts a creed.” With equal truth he asserted, “‘Authorities,’ ‘disciples,’ and ‘schools’ are the curse of science and do more to interfere with the work of the scientific spirit than all its enemies.”

In England zoology is at present in the hands of ‘schools’ and ‘authorities’ of the kind to which Huxley objected.

The result is that where, in some of my previous books, I have exposed the shallowness of the prevalent theories, I have been taken to task by certain reviewers who are disciples of those ‘authorities.’ These gentlemen term my criticisms superficial, but they have made no attempt to show in what way my criticisms are superficial. There is a good reason for this. It is that these journalists know well that any attempts to rebut my statements will lead to a controversy in which they cannot but be worsted because the facts are against them.

If what I say is incorrect my reviewers now have an excellent opportunity to demonstrate this.

Lest these have recourse to the unfailing resort of the defeated Darwinian or Wallaceian—the argument of ignorance, lest they say that it is only owing to their insufficient knowledge of Indian birds that they cannot answer me, let me assert that what I say of Indian birds is equally true of British birds.

I assert with confidence that the colouring of nine out of ten birds has some feature which the theories attacked by me cannot account for.

“Hypotheses,” wrote Huxley, “are not ends but means. . . . The most useful of servants to the man of science, they are the worst of masters, and when the establishment of the hypotheses comes the end, and fact is attended to only so far as it suits the ‘Idee,’ science has no longer anything to do with the business.”

The hypotheses which I decline to accept have become the masters of many zoologists who are busily occupied in distorting facts which do not coincide with theory.

It is not very long since an English scientific paper published an article entitled “What have ornithologists done for Darwinism?” So long as zoologists test the work of the naturalist by the amount of evidence he collects for Darwinism or any other “ism,” it is hopeless to expect zoological science to progress.

CONTENTS

PAGE
I. Birds in a Grove 3
II. The Magpie-Robin 9
III. The Indian Snake-Bird 14
IV. Minivets 19
V. The Power of Animals to Express Thought 25
VI. Pied Woodpeckers 31
VII. A Jhil out of Season 37
VIII. Birds in White 42
IX. The Pied Crested Cuckoo 48
X. Vultures 55
XI. The Indian Robin 61
XII. The Shikra 69
XIII. A Finch of Roseate Hue 74
XIV. Birds on the Lawn 80
XV. The Grey Hornbill 86
XVI. The Flamingo 91
XVII. Summer Visitors to the Punjab Plains 98
XVIII. A Bird of Many Aliases 106
XIX. Paddy Birds at Bedtime 111
XX. Merlins 116
XXI. The Common Wryneck 121
XXII. Green Pigeons 126
XXIII. Bulbuls’ Nests 131
XXIII. Bulbuls’ Nests—II 139
XXIV. Nightingales in India 145
XXV. The Wire-tailed Swallow 150
XXVI. Winter Visitors to the Punjab Plains 157
XXVII. A Kingfisher and a Tern 167
XXVIII. The Red Turtle Dove 172
XXIX. Birds in the Millet Fields 178
XXX. Hoopoes at the Nesting Season 185
XXXI. The Largest Bird in India 197
XXXII. The Swallow-Plover 204
XXXIII. The Birds of a Madras Garden 211
XXXIV. Sunbirds 218
XXXV. The Bank Myna 225
XXXVI. The Jackdaw 231
XXXVII. Fighting in Nature 234
XXXVIII. Birds and Butterflies 238
XXXIX. Voices of the Night 246
Index 257

These “Glimpses” originally appeared in one or other of the following periodicals: _The Madras Mail_, _Pioneer_, _Civil and Military Gazette_, _Times of India_, _Bird Notes_.

The author takes this opportunity of thanking the editors of the above
papers for permission to reproduce the sketches.

GLIMPSES OF INDIAN BIRDS