Oh. v.] BIEDS ON THE EOUTE. 79 



to show that this was a busy town of some importance ; and 

 by questions put and answered, as we passed, in which we 

 could hear from time to time the word " hwan-ha," we knew 

 that the people were discussing our movements and the kind 

 of freight our boatmen had under their charge. We had no 

 fear of them, however, for they turned out to be excellent 

 fellows, good-tempered, willing, and obliging, and mightily 

 amused at aU our proceedings — one of them, in particular, 

 laughing from morning till night. 



On the second night, as before, we were tormented hy 

 mosquitoes, which made it difficult to obtain any rest ; while 

 the close heat of the atmosphere made us wish to divest 

 ourselves of some of our clothing, a proceeding forbidden by 

 the tormenting insects. Frogs and cicadas again kept up a 

 serenade all night ; and a nocturnal bird sang a harsh song 

 in some trees upon a chff opposite. I could not get a sight 

 of this bird, whose four notes somewhat resembled the creak- 

 ing of a wheel; the last two notes beiug often repeated 

 twice. As soon as dawn began to appear it flew away, and 

 I heard it no more. At the same time two or three large 

 bats, which at first in the twilight I mistook for owls, flew 

 home to their retreats with a loud croak. 



As soon as the sun arose, pheasants began to crow upon 

 the fern-covered hills, and we heard and saw several during 

 the day ; but, although we landed for the purpose, we were 

 unable to get a shot. But by far the commonest bird we met 

 with throughout was a black bird — ^whose feathers, however, 

 had a rich green gloss — about the size of an English ousel, 

 with a long forked tail and whitish rump. This bird made a 

 harsh note not unlike a jay. This was the Black Drongo, 

 Dicrurus macrocercus of Latham ; they were visible every- 

 where along the banks, usually in pairs, seldom flying over 



