122 NATURAL HISTORY. 



nine or ten a.m., when all diurnal animals have been abroad all 

 morning, and want to wet their throats before retiring, probably 

 to keep quiet for the day. The grey partridges and francolins are 

 amongst the first to steal down to the water ; and after them come 

 the common sand-grouse ; pretty common in this region. The 

 painted grouse, which is found in low thorny jungle, is an exception. 

 It drinks by twilight, often so late that it is only recognised 

 by its very peculiar chuckling note. But after the common grouse 

 ( Pterocles exustus) come, if there are any about, the pea-fowl, blue 

 pigeon and doves, more rarely the green pigeon (Crocopus chlori- 

 gaster), according to Dr. Jerdon. I have not myself seen this bird 

 drink, and one I kept in confinement did not seem to care about 

 water, getting much moisture in his juicy food. The authority 

 however, is conclusive, and I have myself noticed the green pigeon 

 to be commonly found in trees near water about 9 o'clock a.m. and 

 a little before sunset. The monkeys also drink at this hour (9 or 10 

 a.m.), and so do crows, who take a regular bath, with a good deal 

 of demonstration, as in all their doings. Eagles and hawks come about 

 the same time, and sometimes stand in the water, apparently merely 

 to cool their toes. When any of them look out for fish or frogs they 

 do it on the wing.* 



Pretty much the same thing happens again from about an hour 

 before sunset to half-an-hour after it ; but besides this the water 

 If there are any trees or bushes near it, has always a tendency to 

 become the centre of all animal life ; and the angler, perhaps, sees 

 more of this than he would if shooting, or even walking, and for many 

 reasons it is well that he should have a gun -bearer at hand. 



This is hardly the place for discussing fishing-nets, but the best 

 to have in a camp is the casting-net, which can be handled by one 

 man. If you have two fishermen, this may well be supplemented 

 by a gholni, or shove-net, fixed to two bamboos, and with a large 

 party a seine can be used generally ; wherever the water is large 

 enough for the use of a seine, native fishermen will be found in posses- 

 sion of one, or will improvise it by linking smaller nets together. 

 A small boat is useful in " shooting" the seine ; and the best portable 

 boats are certainly the canvas " Berth on boats." It is not, however, 

 easy to shoot from them unless after carefully ballasting them, or 

 fitting an outrigger ; for, although very hard to upset, they are very 



* Note. — Several eagles, especially the serpent eagle (Circactus gallicus), catch 

 frogs on the marshy borders of tanks. 



