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and catcli these beautiful birds alive, The soariiiïr of 

 the Lark, and_, in all songbirds, the exertion of sin- 

 ging, probably results from the same desire for action 

 at the time when the moulting is completed, and the 

 frame overflowing with health and vigour. 



When the natives wish to procure ' Biirong mati,' 

 they search for one of the trees on which the birds as- 

 semble, and, choosing a time when they are absent, 

 qonstract among its branches a little hut of boughs, 

 so chosen as to afford them a good concealed station 

 for shooting the birds. ïhey say the greatest care is 

 iiecessary to make the covering very close, and at 

 the same time not too artificial; for if the birds once 

 see anything move within , they will quit the tree , and 

 never return to it. They ascend to this nest before 

 daylight in the morning, with their bow and a good 

 stock of arrows • a boy accompanying them , who re- 

 niains crouched at the foot of the tree, to secm-e the 

 birds as they fali, and recover the arrows. They so- 

 metimes use arrows with a large rounded piece of wood 

 at the end, so as to make no wound; but they say 

 the bird is so strong , that it is very hard to kill them 

 with this, and they therefore prefer the iisual long, 

 pointed arrows, which transfix the body and certainly 

 bring down the bird. The assembly commences soon 

 after sunrise, and when a sufficiënt number are in 

 fuU play, the archer begins his sport, and if skilful, 

 will shoot nearly the wliole of them in succession, as 

 each bird seems so much intent on his own enjoyment 

 as not to miss his companions. In skinning, they take 

 out tlie bones of the hcad and legs, and apply ashes 

 to the skin, a stick being pushed np to the base of the 



