236 BOMBAY DUCKS 



done an honest day's work in my life ! " He stands all 

 day, presumably because he is too lazy to sit, looking as 

 though he were thinking of his grandmother, or posing 

 for his photograph. He does not often condescend to 

 seek his prey. He prefers to wait for the food to come 

 to him, which it seems to do with unfailing regularity. 

 The bird is a philosopher, his philosophy being of the 

 description enunciated in the well-known song entitled 

 " You've got to have 'em, whether you want 'em or not " 

 (the " 'em" in this case denoting mothers-in-law, measles, 

 etc.). Although he does not strictly follow the advice 

 to open his mouth and shut his eyes and see what 

 somebody sends him — for it is Utopian, impossible of 

 attainment — he does what in the end comes to much 

 the same thing. He stands with his mouth shut and 

 eyes open until a juicy frog passes his way, when he 

 seizes and swallows it. 



Up-country the paddy-bird is so absurdly tame as to 

 receive the name of " blind heron." Those that dwell 

 in Madras are far more wary. I suspect that they are 

 highly esteemed as table-birds by the unsophisticated 

 Madrassi ; hence the unusual shyness. 



The paddy-bird flies as little as possible. He takes 

 the minimum amount of exercise necessary to keep 

 himself in good health, just sufficient, indeed, to stave 

 off attacks of liver. During most of the day he takes 

 up his position in some puddle, where he stands motion- 

 less for hours, by preference in a strange attitude. He 

 would make a perfect artist's model. If he could only 

 look pleasant he would be a subject after the heart of 

 the photographer. But so sad a bird is he that I fear 



