CLUCKING-HEN. 357 



were in the habit of selecting high trees in that 

 vicinity as roosting-places. My servants having on 

 several evenings heard the loud cries of these birds 

 proceeding from the spot, I sent them thither 

 one evening to watch. As night drew on, the 

 birds were seen and heard around, and though 

 they could not obtain a shot, they succeeded in 

 getting a more definite knowledge of the individual 

 trees selected. 



An evening or two afterwards, I myself went 

 to the spot with them : before sunset the loud 

 cry of one was heard, apparently descending the 

 mountain, but it was not until the grey twilight 

 was fading into darkness that we began to hear 

 them screaming and flying around. The notes 

 were singular ; sometimes a series of shrill screams 

 were uttered in succession, then a harsh cry, krau, 

 krau, krau, kreaow. All were loud, sudden, and 

 startling. More than one alighted on a large hog- 

 plum not far off, a tree which they seem to af- 

 fect, but were too wary to allow of my approach- 

 ing within gun-shot. Sam, who was watching a 

 hundred yards distant, was more fortunate, for 

 as I was stealthily creeping towards my bird, I 

 heard the report of his piece, and had the satis- 

 faction of learning that he had secured his game, 

 the first specimen of this interesting bird that I 

 had an opportunity of examining. 



The ordinary spring-rains were distressingly de- 

 ficient in 184-6; and hence I presume it was, that, 

 through the month of April, several birds of this 

 species were in the habit of frequenting the morasses 



