EUPODOTIS EDWARDSI 181 



f-.o be within about 100 yards of the Bustard and within easy range 

 for my little rifle. Having rested until my heavy breathing ceased 

 I knelt up, and having mopped my face and brought my rifle to full 

 cock, peered out. No birds ! Kneeling up a little higher I looked 

 further afield and then saw them strutting along some 200 yards 

 beyond where they had been when first seen. Unfortunately, at the 

 same moment one of them caught sight of me and after a second's 

 hesitation ran a step or two and then launched on his wide pinions, 

 to be immediately followed by his companion. 



It was, however, still early, so waiting for my man to come up 

 with my flask, I had a good drink, and then once more we searched 

 round the horizon for more birds. There they were, a flock of eight, 

 probably the same I had seen in the morning, though they had 

 wandered some distance since then. They appeared to be in an 

 excellent position, from my point of view, for a stalk, just this side of 

 a small rise which would keep them entirely out of sight until I 

 should arrive within 50 or 60 yards of them. I accordingly got up 

 and sauntered quietly away in the opposite direction and so round for 

 well over a couple of miles in a semi-circle until I had got the hillock 

 between myself and them. 1 then walked about a quarter of a mile 

 in their direction, stooping lower and lower as the ground began to 

 rise, until once more I was forced to go on hands and knees. In this 

 way I got to within 300 yards of the top and was lying flat for a 

 moment or two to recover my breath, when, without any warning, 

 two of the Bustards suddenly appeared over the crest of the hill 

 coming straight towards me. I lay absolutely motionless, but it was 

 useless. First one bird and then the other stopped, stretched out his 

 head and neck, put it on one side so as to get a better focus, for a 

 moment or two seemed to doubt whether I was a dangerous object or 

 not, and then, determining that I was, they both took to flight 

 accompanied by the remaining six birds on the far side of the hill. 



" The sun was now high up and the heat intense, so I made for 

 the shade of some village trees, a weary two miles off, and there I fed, 

 drank, slept and read for the next four hours. After the rest we 

 again set forth, and it was not long before we again came upon some 

 birds, two fine cocks, probably the same two I had tried for in the 

 morning. The ground was favourable for a stalk, and after a 

 repetition of the morning's work on hands and knees, ending with a 

 crawl on my stomach for the last hundred yards or so, I got within 

 120 paces of the nearest cock. My only cover was a few scattered 

 clumps of coarse grass, two or three feet high, so that I could not sit 

 up to fire, but, resting on my elbows, had to fire as I lay. Alas ! the 

 report of my rifle only resulted in both birds springing into flight and 

 sailing away unhurt, though followed by another bullet, fired in 

 despair. 



