-> Evening on the Marshes 



a quick succession of curious twitterings. It is a blue 

 water-hen that joins in the general chorus. During the 

 daytime also its mysterious notes may be heard. "It 

 is conversing with the fish," one of my men tells me, 

 and the others back up his opinion. There is, of course, 

 no truth in this, but these bird-calls are certainly full 

 of the character of the swamp. The circumstance that 



BEAUTIFULLY COLOURED KINGFISHERS WERE LOOKING OUT FOR THE 

 SMALL FISH IN THE LAKES 



a fish gives out a somewhat similar sound when caught 

 causes the natives to have this notion about an under- 

 standing between fish and bird. 



Now there is a sudden outbreak of many voices, 

 from the hoarse croaking of the night-heron (Nycticorax 

 leiiconotus] to the monotonous song of the little 

 warblers, and the loud warning cry of the waterfowl. 

 My camp-fires flicker in the distance, the pale crescent 



VOL. I. I I * 8 



