THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA. 19 



though one man squatted in the bows and another in the stern 

 to guide the craft down the rapids and in amongst the rocks. 

 In appearance there was little to distinguish this floating hut 

 from a couple of logs piled up with drift and rubbish, and, as long 

 as the men sat immoveable, most wild animals and birds allowed 

 a very close approach before taking to flight. Buffalo, when 

 wallowing at the water's edge, would allow us to approach, if the 

 wind was right, within 40 or 50 yards. As a rule when within 

 about a couple of hundred yards they would heave themselves 

 on to their feet and stand with noses high in the air, grunting 

 querulously until they suddenly turned tail and took to ponderous 

 flight. 



Deer seldom moved until we were within long shot, and even 

 tiger, leopard, and bison often allowed me to drift slowly down 

 until it was too late for them to escape. Bear and pig, of course, 

 in their usual stolid manner would quietly go on feeding and 

 I'ooting about until we had glided past and once more disappeared 

 from sight. As regards the Peafowl, however, never, during the 

 many years I lived in N. Cachar, did the birds allow me to 

 approach within gunshot. 



Often as we lazily floated down the long stretches of smooth, 

 deep water, which divided one rapid from another, the two boatmen 

 crouching down in the boat and myself seated under the little 

 thatch roof, we would see far away in the distance a party of 

 Peafowl on some grass-covered spit of land running into the 

 stream. When first noticed they were generally busily engaged 

 in turning over the rubbish at the edge of the stream or hunting 

 along the border of the bushes for fallen berries, but before we 

 were within a cpiarter of a mile they would begin to fidget and 

 crane their necks to get a better view of us. The cocks were 

 always the first to get suspicious, and the alarm would generallj'' 

 start by one of them ceasing his search for food and putting 

 his long neck and head into every conceivable position of 

 enquiry as he tried to make out what the curious object was 

 approaching him ; he would very quickly communicate his fears to 

 his male comrades, who would then join him in striking attitudes, 

 though the hens would often still contin^ie to scratch round in the 

 sand. Presently one of the cocks would come to the conclusion 

 that it was inadvisable to risk further delay, whereupon, down 

 would go his head and long train, and he would slink away through 

 the bushes into safety, followed in quick succession by the rest of 

 the flock. 



They never sought safety in flight unless we suddenly came 

 round some sharp corner practically on the top of them, but invari- 

 ably slunk away in a manner which reminded me of some big cat 

 or leopard trying to steal away without being seen. 



