-♦> Evening on the Marshes 



a quick succession of curious twittcrlnos. It is a blue 

 water-hen that joins in the general chorus. During the 

 daytime also its mysterious notes may be heard. "It 

 is conversing- with the hsh," one of my men tells me, 

 and the others back up his opinion. There is, of course, 

 no truth in this, but these bird-calls are certainlv full 

 of the character of the swamp. The circumstance that 



BEAUTIFULLY COLOURED KINGFISHERS WERE LOOKING OUT FOR THE 

 SMALL FISH IN THE LAKES 



a fish gives out a somewhat similar sound when caught 

 causes the natives to have this notion about an under- 

 standing between fish and bird. 



Now there is a sudden outbreak of many voices, 

 from the hoarse croaking of the night-heron {Nyciifora.v 

 leuconolus) to the monotonous song of the little 

 warblers, and the loud warning cry of the waterfowl. 

 My camp-fires flicker in the distance, the pale crescent 

 VOL. I. 1 1 :; 8 



