282 Bakloh Aviary Notes, 1916. 



on well, there is that "just moving mass" in the meal that 

 means lots of worms and they are of different growths too, 

 which is a good thing. Fearful rain lately. 



June 26th. — Not seen much of birds owing to fever, 

 still very shaky. Tailor-birds young being fed; 2 young 

 Pied Chats out, and sitting in branches high up in the shelter, 

 a good place ; two little ]>ets much fussed over and fed by 

 both parents. Are they coming out direct as cock and hen? 

 One is very brown and very speckled like ma, only more 

 variegated, with whiter front, and has speckling at the throat 

 like a sort of bib, the other looks so much blacker all over. 



June 27th. — I don,t know how long you are going to 

 be away at the war, but assuredly you will not find me in 

 this little world if you don't come back soon. To-day I killed 

 an enormous snake in the aviary. Birds showed it to me. 

 Of course D.R. said there was no stick at all and no snake. ' Bil- 

 kul chaina ! as usual Then the two coolies rolled up full of joy, 

 they beat the grass in the far aviary, and eventually saw it 

 in the Cjuail dug-out, poked it out and missed it. while 1 

 watched the av'ary verandah; of course it slipped up there 

 into the big box in the far corner. The Khansamah now 

 strolled up and took command, and stuffed up the hole with 

 a jharun (duster), and proceeded to cut down the wiring of 

 the boN ! — sorry, but this had to be done. A second en- 

 trance was discovered, and a coolie whipped oft" his skull 

 cap, found it too small, so took off his waistcoat to stuff up 

 the hole. D. R. all this time was inside — a nice safe place. 

 Finally the box was brought forth and put on the lawn, 

 one hole undone, and the snake poked. By this time the 

 orderly, and about half the bazaar I should think, ha-d 

 rolled up, all armed with sticks, and stood round. Snake 

 refused to move (Note : It is not noticeable from outside 

 but this box has two- separate compartments, so probably 

 the beast could not g"et out of the other hole. — G.A.P.) I 

 got the 28 bore walkings stick gun and dustshot cartridges, 

 did my ' usual " and amidst wild excitement the head and 

 about four inches was dragged out and then — yards. I felt 

 very sick, rushed away, and had hysterics. It was a bit of a 



