80 EAMBLES OP A NATUEALIST. [Ch. V. 



the river, and often perched upon the topmost spray of si 

 bamboo in a conspicuous position. I procured the nest and 

 eggs of this bird. The nest was made of dried grass and 

 cotton-grass, simple in form, and situated upon the bough of 

 a tree about 15 feet from the ground ; the eggs were three 

 in number — pinkish, with sparse umber spots and blotches, 

 particularly about the larger end. The other birds I noticed 

 were doves of a small species, kingfishers, pied wagtaUs, 

 grey shrikes, and a small short-taUed bird (Cotyle sinensis), 

 with the habits and character of a sand martin. Early in 

 the morning, a lark (probably Alauda coelivox) singing in 

 the fields could scarcely be distinguished from the English 

 skylark, and another bird's song reminded me greatly of the 

 English song-thrush. A second thrush-like bird also was 

 singing, as weU as the sprightly little Prinia sonitans ; but 

 not more than half-a-dozen birds could be said to be in song 

 here, at a time when nearly thirty would be enlivening the 

 woods and groves of England. 



Having passed the end of the tide-way, the remainder of 

 the journey was made through a series of strong rapids, up 

 which it was necessary to drag the boat by main force. 

 They commenced immediately from our resting-place of the 

 previous night, and our boatmen jumped out of the bows, 

 and passing a bamboo across them pushed one on each side, 

 while the third pushed behind, and thus our flat-bottomed 

 craft moved up the incline into a reach of deep water. This 

 proceeding was repeated perhaps a score of times, the in- 

 tervening reaches being bounded by very beautifully wooded 

 hills, with precipitous rocks dipping to the water's edge 

 about 15° to the east. Many beautiful secluded retreats 

 were thus passed, generally, however, with signs of life near 

 them ; for it is remarkable how densely populated this side 



