1 10 Contributions to the Ornithology of India, 8fc. 



a fresh charg-e introduced as soon as may be necessary. Now 

 the filter system is in use throug-hout India, but elsewhere the 

 brine is run into huge lime-lined pans, or pans lined with stiff 

 and throug-hly beaten clay. Here thoug-h lime is plentiful (indeed 

 they have to put a thin coating of lime on the inside of the 

 saucers to prevent percolation) they persist in sticking- to their 

 existing- system. I expostulated with them, pointing- out the 

 great extra expense of the saucers and the vast additional labour 

 entailed by carrying the brine in buckets, but all that could be 

 got out of them in reply was, that it had always been the custom 

 and no one cared to change it. They make probably about 

 1,000 tons of fair white salt yearly, but at a cost of at least £ 1 

 per ton, whereas, in other localities presenting similar facilities, 

 it can be and is made for one-fourth that sum. It was nearly dark 

 by the time, about 7i p. m., I reached the boat, and we then rowed 

 hard, with stream, until 1 a. m., when we reached the southern 

 mouth. By some mistake the big boats (the night was dark) 

 had halted at a wrong creek many miles above, and it was 

 5i A. M., before they turned up, and as tlie night was cold and 

 the dew excessive, and we had bi-eakfasted early and had 

 made no preparation in the way of extra clothing or food, for 

 bivouacking under the canopy of heaven, I ought, I suppose, to 

 have been very uncomfortable, but somehow with the help of a 

 few good cheroots made it out better than might have been 

 expected. 



I'itk. — During the day, there being no wind, we made consi- 

 derable progress. We saw many black stork, geese, herons, and 

 ])elicans, and I succeeded in shooting one of the latter which 

 turned out to be a splendid specimen of Pelicamis crispus, a 

 species which I was the first to notice as occurring- in India. The 

 individual killed, measured 6 feet 2^ inches in length, 10 feet 2 

 inches in expanse, and must have weighed nearly 40 lbs. It was 

 a male. I suppose that towards evening I must have seen close 

 upon 500 of this species. They were busy playing, fighting, 

 and fishing, and they kept uttering a harsh low cry, or croak I 

 should perhaps call it, which exactly resembled the grunt of a 

 buffaloe. 



Alas for the fallibility of human testimony ! I gave a full 

 account of porpoise-catching, by help of otters, on what I 

 considered excellent testimony. Indeed, Capt. S., the local 

 district offic'er, had himself confirmed the general accuracy 

 of the statement, though he was not up in the details. 

 It now turns out that the real truth of the story is 

 this. The Mhors at night, when everything is still, lis- 

 ten for the tumbling of the porpoises : when it comes near. 



