A I'isit to an Indian Jliccl. 2II 



His chani2:e Iroin a sombre tigure on a branch to a brilliant 

 harlequin in blue will remain an ever new delight and surprise 

 to the end of my service in the east. Here and there amongst 

 the Paddy birds was a meditative pair of Red- wattled Lapwings 

 (Sarcogra)uiinfs i)idiciis) who refused to pay us the conii)]iment 

 of alarm. 



As we neared the water we witnessed the usual scurry of 

 Water Hens {CaU'uiula cJilurupus) to the shelter of the rushes 

 jmd the tangles of huge lotus leaves. Some of them had been 

 feeding on the grass, recalling" bygone memories of many an 

 English lawn. As the Waterhens took to flight they disturbed 

 a couple of graceful Pheasant-tailed Jacanas (Flydrophasianns 

 cl(Criiigits) who liad been feeding" with them. 



Recent rain liad caused the water to o\erflow into por- 

 tions of some small patches of sugarcane, and they had become 

 ideal cover and feeding" ground for the various birds. 

 '. ventured into one of them in pursuit of a party of Striated 

 Babblers {Argya carlii). l)ut my |)rogress in the thick rustling 

 cover was too noisy, and the Babblers kept out of my clutches, 

 always chuckling and squeaking" a little ahead. However, the 

 pursuit was of value as it revealed the presence of a party of 

 Blue-throats {Cxa)iccuJa snccica) who must have just arrived 

 cm passage. 



Time was short, so we abandonded this fascinating ground 

 and made for the boats. • These were merely shallow, flat- 

 bottomed trays, square at the stern and sharply pointed in the 

 bows, admirably adapted to the shallow weed-grown water and 

 tor pushing" a way through the clumps of rushes. We settled 

 ourselves in separate boats, sitting" on a pile of grass on the 

 bottom, and were poled along by the lightly clad owners, who 

 stood upright in the stern and manoeuvred their flimsy craft with 

 a long pole and exceeding" skill. 



The boatmen, of course, wanted to take us after the few 

 Pochards and Teal which were said already to have arrived, 

 but we explained that we were after humbler fry and wanted 

 first to punt al)out the reedbeds to see what they held. 



We moved first through a comparatively open area where 

 there was only thick water grass about a foot above the surface. 

 A patch of this was filled with fish traps. These were in the 



