78 THE LAKE 



more vigorously. When terns appear off the coasts of 

 islands, one knows that windy weather is coming, for 

 under other conditions they were never seen ; presumably 

 they then frequent the open lake. 



The glorious fish eagle is much more vociferous, accord- 

 ing to the natives, when the wind is rough, but I never 

 satisfied myself of this, and think he screams more on 

 account of brilliantly fine weather, which, of course, is 

 often accompanied by a fresh breeze. One of the large, 

 pale blue, insectivorous kingfishers, which haunts thick 

 bush or forest, utters his characteristic cheerful cry with 

 greater persistence when the early morning is particularly 

 fine and brilliant. A species of woodpecker, like the 

 " yaffle " at home, is only heard to cry before rain. 



Frogs, . of course, croak before rain, especially one 

 species which inhabits burrows in the earth ; indeed, 

 it is never heard to croak except in the evening, before 

 rain, unless it is breeding. The green tree-frog, so 

 abundant on herbage of the lake shore, sends forth its 

 high-pitched, scraping note when it thinks there is 

 rain about. 



I had an amusing experience one day on the shore. 

 It was about noon on a very fine day ; a small cumulus 

 cloud slowly formed and emitted a single crack of thunder 

 without in any way dimming the brightness of the day. 

 This clap of thunder was immediately followed by a chorus 

 of satisfied quackings from a host of concealed frogs, 

 sounding ridiculously like applause of a well-meant effort ! 

 There was no rain, however, so the prophets were 

 forsworn. 



Fish also afford signs for a weather prophet to interpret. 

 Thus, in my journal for January 30, 1914, is noted : 

 " Off the south-west point of Ngamba Island little fish 

 were leaping about in the water and also in shore, close 

 under the bushes. About a hundred yards away from the 

 island the glassy surface of the water was broken by a 



