A WATER-HOOPOO. 133 



on three sides by deep nets secured by long 

 bamboo floats at the surface and sinking 

 down to the sand at the bottom. On the fourth 

 side is the shelving bank. All the villagers from 

 the hamlets for miles around had assembled, 

 numbering over three hundred persons. Of these, 

 about forty were fishermen (Jhoras). A stockade 

 of nets closed the passages up and down river, 

 leaving open only one channel which led to the 

 pool. One party of Jhoras went down the river 

 for half a mile and the others up stream, and 

 spreading themselves across the river began beating 

 down towards the pool. In deep water the dug- 

 outs were used, and by constant splashing of 

 the water and striking the surface violently 

 with paddles, the fish were gradually frightened 

 into the pool. At the pool itself all was quiet. 

 Only the headman and myself were allowed 

 near while the driving was going on. Unlike 

 the land hoopoo, where the game is silently driven 

 into the stockade and frightened with a rush 

 into the pit, in the water hoopoo all the noise 

 was made away from the nets, and the beaters 

 are not allowed to approach within two hundred 

 yards of the pool. Samoo, the headman, was 

 watching the pool intently the while. He seemed 

 to be able to peer down into its very depths. The 

 fish driven from up and down stream, and com- 

 pelled by the nets to keep to one particular channel 

 which led to the pool, were soon safe within the 

 enclosure. At a signal from Samoo the dug-outs 

 rushed forward and closed the entrance to the pool 



