232 WATER-SNAKES. 



piping notes, took wing, frightened by my proxi- 

 mity, and sought retreats which they regarded as 

 more secure. 



For several days past my ear had been greeted 

 by a new sound. Several times I halted, with the 

 hope of finding out what produced it, but I was for a 

 time unsuccessful ; I expected that it emanated from 

 a bird, and this supposition, I think, led me astray. 

 Imagine, therefore, my surprise when I at length 

 obtained convincing proof that it proceeded from a 

 large description of water-snake. The manner in 

 which I made this discovery was rather strange. As 

 I was moving onwards, I was surprised to see a large 

 flat stone turned over, twenty yards in front of me, 

 without any apparent cause to account for the pheno- 

 menon. In the indentation which its weight had 

 made in the soil, I observed a dozen or more of these 

 reptiles forming a perfect Gordian knot ; and, on 

 stirring them up with my stick, they expressed their 

 objection to such cavalier treatment by uttering the 

 short, unknown sound, the origin of which had so 

 much puzzled me. 



On the high grounds, some way removed from 

 the bed of the river, I saw several pairs of curlews 

 (Scolopax borealis), which were evidently there for 

 the purpose of nesting. As I had ever found it the 

 case with all this family, they were extremely wild, 

 not permitting me to approach them nearer than 

 one hundred yards. They are a much more showy 

 bird in plumage than our English species, and 



