SHIVERING NATIVES, 



259 



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ported to be remarkably fond. But this meruley 

 was not the only tree th 't grew close to the water ; 

 others, species of the ba lian, stretched their limbs 

 out over the pool, from which tendrils dropped 

 almost till touching its surface, and from the ter- 

 mination of each was suspended a soda-water-bottle 

 shaped nest, formed of closely-woven bleached 

 grasses. It must have been the pairing season, for 

 all appeared as busy as possible in adding to or 

 refitting their domiciles. They are always in a 

 state of activity, very fussy, and industrious, but 

 apparently not quarrelsome. The hen, which is 

 frequently the case, and quite in opposition to 

 civilized human ways, is dressed in the most unde- 

 monstrative and unattractive brown plumage, while 

 her lord and master is arrayed in a gorgeous yellow 

 suit, which I believe is cast off as soon as the court- 

 ing season is over. The scientific name by which 

 this bird is usually known by professed naturalists is 

 Hypantornis velatus. 



With unbounded satisfaction, as may be well sup- 

 posed, I sat for a couple of hours that evening 

 watching these charming birds, and viewing my 

 horses and oxen fill themselves to repletion with 

 the clear cool water that was so abundantly provided 

 by this out-of-the-way, almost unknown, desert 

 spring. 



The rrisp, bright morning that greeted me when I 

 left my waggon at break of day was delightfully 

 pleasant, although a trifle cold. But the poor natives 

 suffered from this low temperature very much, and 

 were most unwilling to come from under the shelter 

 in which they had passed the night, and when they 

 did so it was not without being closely enveloped in 

 their various-coloured blankets or soft, warm carosses. 

 Even then their movements were as cramped as those 

 of an " old screw " before it had got a preliminary 

 canter. A little exercise and the sun's appearance 



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