BIRDS IN GREAT FORESTS. 331 



It has been remarked that in great forest countries 

 very few birds of prey are seen: the thick cover nar- 

 rows the scope of their hunting powers very much. * 



The forests may contain a good deal of game, but 

 heavy forest is seldom a good place for sport of any 

 kind, as we have already shown in our chapter on 

 Forest Hunting, game being difficult to find and hard 

 to shoot. Most game birds which inhabit forest 

 countries are generally found on its outskirts, or are 

 scattered along the course of the rivers and streams 

 with which its fastnesses are seamed. 



Excellent wildfowl shooting is sometimes to be had 

 upon these rivers, or upon lakes and other extensive 

 sheets of water which are found in almost every great 

 forest, because the existence of the forest itself is 

 due to a plentiful rainfall. That being so, we may 

 generally expect to find within its midst many sections 

 of low-lying grounds converted into marshes or lakes. 

 Extensive marshes are generally common, where heavy 

 timber no longer exists except upon hillocks and dry 

 spots. In such localities long grass, rushes, reeds, 

 and water-loving plants and bushes take its place. 

 The deeper depressions form pools or lakes ; and here 

 admirable sport with wildfowl may pretty generally 

 be expected, if a man does not mind the plague of 

 mosquitoes and other flies. Hawks and other birds 

 of prey, with fishing birds, like herons, pelicans etc., 

 will therefore be attracted to such places. 



But with these exceptions, birds of prey generally 

 frequent the edges only of the forest, the open bush 

 country, the mountain, the moorland, and the plain, 



* See Emin Pasha's Letters from Central Africa, p. 406. Edited 

 by Professor Schweinfurth and translated by W. R. Felkin, London 1888. 



