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was only rescued by its master after being badly 

 scratched and torn by the bird's beak and talons. Again' 

 a friend of mine riding along the sands at low-tide was 

 once suddenly attacked in the same way. The bird kept 

 alternately wheeling round and dashing down at his 

 head, all the time uttering the most horrid screams and 

 bufFettinghim with his clashing flapping wings, till he 

 had his hands full to control his frightened pony, and, 

 at the same time, ward off with his whip the vicious 

 attacks of the eagle, which had, as far as he could see, 

 no reason but pure malice for this unusual and unex- 

 pected onslaught. This species is more common in 

 the lower reaches and along the sea-coast; higher up» 

 his place is taken by the handsome Fish-Eagle, a rich 

 brown bird with pure white head and neck. Other 

 accipitres to be seen along the river are Bateleur 

 Eagles, black with pink legs and beak, generally soar- 

 ing in pairs high overhead. Kites, the ubiquitous 

 Vultures, and many kinds of Hawk. Two of these 

 are extremely common, a large one and a small, both 

 grey in colour, which quarter the swamp like harriers, 

 feeding principally on frogs and the like, but occasion- 

 ally swooping down on some little bird. 



The bushes too are alive with smaller birds. Fly- 

 catchers (whose table here must be always well 

 supplied), some like ours at home, others in a striking 

 garb of metallic black and rich redbrovvn with long 

 streaming tails, the Paradise Flycatchers, while a third 

 species, only a rainy season visitor, is a lovely sky- 

 blue bird ; besides there are two or three species of 

 Sunbird, Black Drongoes and all sorts of Warblers, 

 Waxbills, and Weaverbirds. Many of the latter 

 families are well-known in England, thousands being 



