204 Pictures of Bird Life 



presently saw liiin. or rather his punt, some distance off! 

 Of the l)t)atnian liiniself tlie only visible sign was one leg. 

 with a wooden shoe on the end of it. sticking up in the air. 

 Shouting and yelling had no effect whatever, and doubts 

 came into my mind as to the cause of his silence. A\^as 

 he drunk, or in a fit. or dead '. ^Vfter some difHculty 1 

 managed to wade out to him, and found him lying on his 

 back fast asleep in the sun. Even then he only woke up 

 Avhen I tij^ped the punt to one side and nearly rolled him 

 out of it. 



H()we\'er, we got on very well together, and he was 

 invariably very obliging and intelligent. His people, too, 

 did everything in their power to make me comfortable, and 

 to help me in my work : and the hours I spent with him 

 exploring all the innermost recesses of this famous resort 

 of rare birds are among the most enjoyable I have e^'er 

 experienced anywhere. 



