A Mixed Bag in Southern India. 339 



out, and then went back to the snipe ground. For 

 the next three hours I tramped it backwards and 

 forwards. It was easy walking, the birds lay remark- 

 ably well and gave easy shots, and I accounted for 

 twenty- two without a miss. By 3 P.M. I had 

 twenty-seven couple of snipe, seven jack-snipe and 

 three painters. These latter are not snipe at all, though 

 called so, nor do I generally shoot them, but I knocked 

 a few over to-day to vary my bag. I then rested 

 awhile again, ate something and drank another pint 

 of Beck's lager, a refreshing and a harmless drink, very 

 different from the heady Bass and Allsopp of my 

 youth. Afterwards I made for where the sand grouse 

 had betaken themselves in the morning. En route 

 the country was very favourable for game of all sorts, 

 and I got a couple of hares, three painted partridges, 

 two of the large smoky sand grouse, one of another 

 variety, and three more of the painted kind. Several 

 of the keepers came up and admired my mixed lot, 

 but not more than I did myself, for never in my life 

 had I got such a varied bag in India as I did on that 

 day. I went towards the scinde bund, but the shades 

 of evening were falling fast, the birds got up wild, so 

 I left that portion of the " rumnah " and made for 

 the southern end of the " bheel," which as yet I had not 

 approached. The cover was good, and I could hear 

 the quacking of various kinds of duck. I sneaked up, 

 fired a shot at some on the water and again as they 

 rose, but only picked up a mallard, a widgeon and 

 two pochards, or birds which I took to be so. I 

 had just loaded when I heard the peculiar noise 

 made by the blue-winged teal, which I believe 

 naturalists declare is allied to the geese we call them 



z 2 



