THE MALAY TAPIR 1 45 



and there into almost stag-nant pools. The lazy 

 surface of the pools is thickly studded with various 

 water-lilies — Nymphoea and Nenuphar — their leaves 

 bice green, their flowers pure white or exquisite 

 yellow. Green masses of potamageton and chara 

 form splodges of tangled vegetation which threaten 

 to silt up the quieter backwaters. Here gentle ripples 

 indicate the passage of a turtle, oaring his way 

 through the tepid water ; there a widening circle 

 indicates the rise of a fish, A hideous crocodile 

 floats in typical saurian attitude, ugly head just 

 above water, body trailing supinely in the tepid 

 stream : his sluggish temperament quickens into 

 malevolent activity with the lengthening rays of 

 sunset. High on the bank a tantalus stork, roused 

 after its afternoon siesta, preens its feathers and 

 striding into the mud probes with nibbling mandibles 

 for worms and molluscs. Hard by, a cordon of 

 pelicans line up in semi-circle, driving landwards the 

 gasping fish. 



And now appear, clumsily penetrating the thicket, 

 a small party of palaeothere, their dun coats smartly 

 spotted and streaked with yellow. Heavy-footed 

 and dull-witted, they splash along the oozy foreshore, 

 and having slaked their thirst proceed to graze and 

 browse, uttering now and then a bird-like whistle. 

 High above them on the bank rise graceful palm 

 trees,' towering lofty in the baking air. Far distant 



1 Flabellaria pansiensis. 

 K 



