70 



THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



great abundance of white cranes and paddy-birds, which 

 are, however, unfit for the pot, and, therefore, safe from 

 Indian sportsmen, to whom patent shot and powder are 

 expensive articles. 



The paddy-bird, so called from its frequenting paddy, 

 or rice-fields, is a species of crane, light in body, but stand- 

 ing nearly eighteen inches; the wings, back, and neck, are 

 of a light olive-brown; the breast, belly, and sides, white; 

 so that it appears a white bird when flying, and a brown 

 one whilst on the ground. This bird, as well as the white 

 crane, another elegant species of the same genus, abounds 

 every where throughout the Indian plains and marshes, and 

 feeds principally on small fish, grubs, mosquito-eggs, &c. 



The Bengal morasses are most disagreeable places to 

 wade through, being generally up to one's knees in mud 

 and stagnant water; and every now and then the unfortu- 

 nate sportsman comes to "a green and smiling spot," 

 which he hails with rapture after losing his shoes and pa- 

 tience in the mud, — and no sooner steps upon than he 

 sinks up to his chin in the treacherous bog, — there to 

 remain, the scorn of gnats and mosquitoes, till succour may 

 chance to arrive. I always found it the better plan to 

 leave my shoes and stockings at home, and go the bog- 

 trotter's pace; a few rushes and light feet will form a 

 bridge over the vilest quicksand. 



This evening I had some excellent shooting on the bor- 

 ders of an immense tank, or artificial lake, which was sur- 

 rounded by a dense mass of underwood and tassel-grass. 

 The tank, having long been neglected, was overgrown 

 with weeds and lotus plants, and full of a large species of 

 water-hen, of a beautiful bluish-green, with scarlet head, 

 twice the size of the European kind, and tolerable eating. 



After shooting a few I was wading in up to my arm-pits 

 to pick up another, when I observed a long undulating 

 furrow on the calm surface of the lake advancing towards 

 me. After watching the motion in the water for a moment 

 I faced about, and quickly regained terra-firma — not 

 wishing to find myself on a sudden in an alligator's maw, 

 and being unprovided with the expedient which saved 

 Baron Munchausen from a like fate. 



Saturday, 15th. — All this day the country was one 

 wild extent of endless plain, covered with the surpat or 

 tassel-grass, twelve feet in height, with a white silky 

 blossom. These parts are entirely uncultivated, and har- 

 bour an immense number of leopards, antelopes, and wild 

 buffaloes. 



We were now many miles distant from Calcutta, and 

 considered the campaign as opened. I killed several cou- 

 ple of snipes and wild-pidgeons this afternoon, and re- 

 marked some birds different from our European ones, and 

 which I shall describe as I happen to recollect them. — 1. A 



beautiful bird of the jay kind, of more brilliant plumage, 

 though in shape resembling our own. — 2. The little spotted 

 Indian dove, with back and wings mottled like tortoise- 

 shell, (hence, perhaps, called turtle-dove,) the breast of a 

 delicate pink, red eyes and legs, and not larger than a 

 blue-bird. — 3. The mina; as good a talker as our star- 

 ling, and of the same genus, though much larger, and 

 of a dark brown mixed with yellow and white; common 

 to all India; is a gregarious bird, and resembles the star- 

 ling in its habits and movements more than in shape or 

 colour. — 4. Alight brown bird, with yellow beak and legs, 

 as large as a thrush, but resembling an immense hedge- 

 sparrow. I forget the native name. 



Soon after dark, the jackals came down to the boats in 

 such numbers as to require a general turn-out against 

 them. The poor dandies, cooking their suppers on the 

 beach, could not turn their heads without missing a por- 

 tion of their meal, and several were bitten by these raven- 

 ous animals, which are naturally very cowardly; but hun- 

 ger and strong temptation will make even a craven bold. 

 Between the yells of the jackals, the shouts of the differ- 

 ent black crews, the blazing fires, and report of the fre- 

 quent shots fired at the enemy, the scene put me in mind 

 of Pandemonium. No jackals, however, fell on the occa- 

 sion, from the darkness of the night; and, after one of our 

 dandies had narrowly escaped being shot through the 

 lungs, it was deemed prudent to desist firing, and leave 

 the ground in quiet possession of the enemy. 



Sunday, 16th. — Throughout India there are not, I be- 

 lieve, more than thirty-five or forty chaplains, and not 

 half that number of churches: therefore, it may be ex- 

 pected that Anglo-Indians grow somewhat negligent of 

 forms, and particularly ignorant of the days of the week — 

 few knowing whether it is our Saturday, Sunday, or Mon- 

 day! Having neither bell nor padre to give our memories 

 a jog, we landed at noon in a likely spot, where the coun- 

 try was diversified with patches of cultivation and rushy 

 jeels. All the morning vast flocks of wild ducks and 

 widgeon had been winging their way over-head, in such 

 countless multitudes, that I am afraid to state the amount 

 at which we calculated them. They flew in troops of from 

 eighty to one hundred ducks in each, the troops following 

 one another in regular succession; and a space of two hours 

 intervened between the coming of the first and the last 

 flight, although there was not a break of thirty yards be 

 tween any one troop! In all probability they were bound for 

 the inundation, which was now beginning to subside to 

 the N. E. of the Sunderbunds, where the marshy delta 

 of the Megna and Ganges would afford them a fine harvest. 



Many stragglers were left behind, and I managed to 

 kill five ducks, two widgeons, three couple of wild pigeons, 



