228 BIRD-HUNTING 



We afterwards found another fallen hollow tree, 

 much nearer the house, in fact, it was on one of the 

 outlying fields worked by my hosts, and sufficiently 

 far away to be out of the reach of dogs. The 

 prostrate trunk was a mere shell, and after we had 

 roofed in the back, which was open, with branches 

 and straw, and cut a hole for the lens, there was 

 plenty of room for me to crawl in, and sit com- 

 fortably, and even to lie down when I wanted a 

 change. Under the hole we rigged up a rough shelf 

 for the camera, which did away with any necessity 

 for a tripod. In this comfortable hiding-place I 

 spent six or seven days, with a succession of carcases 

 put down about twenty yards away. First of all I 

 bought a sick cow, and had it brought in a bullock- 

 cart and killed on the spot. This was cleared away 

 to the bones the next day before I could get to the 

 spot, but no doubt served to draw attention to the 

 place, and act as ground-bait ; after that I had two 

 calves and another donkey. 



Early one morning soon after I had taken up my 

 quarters and arranged everything comfortably, I could 

 hear my guests arriving at the banquet. At first I 

 could see nothing ; but the scratching of claws over 

 my head, the croaks of Vultures, and the swish-swish 

 of heavy wings all around, told me that they were 

 beginning to assemble. I had only provided one 

 round hole just large enough to take the lens, so that 



