Wildfowl in Seist an 75 



teal," of which we got several that evening. 

 The Seistani name for them is "bullets," and it 

 describes them well. Fast they came and low, 

 often so skimming the water as to make it difficult 

 to get a shot at them at all. And in this con- 

 nection an adventure befell one of our party 

 which must be recorded in this narrative. It 

 was after one of these rushes of shrapnel and a 

 bang ! bang ! from the gun opposite that we 

 heard roars of stentorian laughter echoing over 

 the water. When the sounds had died away, 

 the fact was elicited that "X.," having valorously 

 stood up in his tutin to better deal with the 

 " bullets," had taken a backwards header into the 

 Hamun. He had fortunately kept a firm hold 

 of his gun, and, wet but undaunted, climbed 

 back. It seemed, however, that he was not yet 

 convinced that the upright position in a tutin is 

 one of unstable equilibrium. A little time later 

 another volley of "bullets" came whistling down 

 the chung, and were saluted by a double report 

 from the same quarter. Certain other sounds 

 caused us to take a glance in that direction. 

 "X." had again plunged in (kerblink, kerblunk !) 

 amongst the birds which were floating legs up- 

 wards about his tutin. How the "clucking teal" 

 must have chuckled! 



A wobbling tutin, or even, for that matter, 



