  Babul. Acacia arabica. A thorny tree. Badmash. A bad character, a ruffian. Barsath. Rain. Bhabar. The waterless tract of forest-clad land between the Himalayas and the Terai. It is from ten to fifteen miles in breadth and higher than the general level of the plains. Chaprassi. Lit. a badgeman. A servant who runs messages, an orderly. Chik. A number of thin pieces of bamboo strung together to form a curtain. Thin chiks are usually hung in front of doors in India with the object of keeping out flies but not air. Chiks of stouter make are hung from the verandah in order to keep out the sun. Chit. Short for Chitti, a letter or testimonial. Coolie. An unskilled labourer. Dhak. Butea frondosa. A common tree in low jungle. Dhobi. Washerman. Dirzie. Tailor. Farash. Tamarix indica. Gali galoj. Abuse. Jhil. A lake, broad tank, or any natural depression which is filled with rain water at certain seasons or permanently. Kankar, or Kunkar. Lumps of limestone with which roads are metalled in Northern India. Kannaut. The sides of a tent. Khansamah. Cook. Khud. A deep valley. Mali. Gardener. Murghi. Barndoor Fowl. Neem. Azadirachta melia, a common tree in India. Paddy. Growing rice. Puggarree. A turban. Ryot. A cultivator, small farmer. Sal. The iron-wood tree (Shorea robusta). Sahib. Master, sir, gentleman; a term used to denote a European. Shikar. Hunting or shooting. Shikari. (1) The man who goes hunting or shooting. (2) The native who accompanies him and directs the beat. Terai. Lit. “Moist land.” A marshy tract of land about twelve miles broad, between the Bhabar and the plains proper. It is low-lying. Tiffin. Lunch. Topi. A sun-helmet. With the exception of British Birds in the Plains of India, which appeared in The Civil and Military Gazette, and The Indian Corby, Birds in the Rain, and Do Animals Think? which came out in The Times of India, the articles which compose this book made their debÛt in one or other of the following papers: The Madras Mail, The Indian Field, The Englishman. The author takes this opportunity of thanking the editors of the above-named newspapers for permission to reproduce these essays. |
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