FOR THE BIRDS' SAKE I KILL THE SNAKE. 325 



Bamanwatto were becoming gradually more and more 

 indistinct. 



Soon after four, I was attracted by a great number 

 of birds hovering about a tree and uttering most 

 plaintive notes. Although I approached quite close to 

 them, they seemed to have no fear of my presence. At 

 length I discovered the cause of their alarm : a large 

 green tree-snake was stretched at length on a limb, its 

 head raised off the branch eight or nine inches, while 

 its eyes fairly glowed with excitement. Again and 

 again a bird would go up close to the reptile's head, 

 and hover in front of it ; or another would dash wildly 

 past it, almost brushing the enemy's nose with its 

 wings. This certainly was a case of charming, for the 

 birds seemed unable to go away; and it was only a 

 matter of time for one or other to get within the 

 striking distance of the enemy. So I gave the snake a 

 charge of shot, as the best means of preventing it from 

 carrying out its purpose. The fangs I inspected ; but 

 they did not appear to be poisonous. I should say it 

 was of the species Bucephalus viridis. 



Half an hour before sunset we reached Seruley Yley 

 a pretty camping-ground as ever was looked at. The 

 water covers about two acres, and on its bosom, on the 

 far side, float innumerable water-lilies, on which run about 

 several surgeon-birds, or jacana, their long toes giving 

 them such a width of support that they do so with the 

 greatest facility. At the north end of the vley, all the 

 extremities of the drooping limbs have attached to them 

 one of the strange but beautifully-constructed nests of 

 the weaver-bird, placed there to avoid their enemies, the 

 snakes. It was a party of this family that were flutter- 

 ing round the reptile lately killed. 



