Natural-History Notes from Bengal. 7275 



flying about everywhere. I enclose some feathers, but they are nothing 

 to some that I mean to send you. Ducks, geese and snipes swarm in 

 countless hundreds. I have also shot eight different kinds of kites 

 and hawks, and some very large horned owls, also some very small 

 ditto. I shot one day three beautiful fish-eagles. Old Forsyth* shoots 

 better than ever since it has been rebored for me. A jackall, which is 

 a most tough brute, I rap over as dead as a nail at forty yards. I wish 

 I could give you a view of my room, hung all around with skulls of 

 birds and animals, feathers and claws, and lots of other natural-history 

 objects so dear to your eyes. I have lots of eggs, but I have had great 

 difficulty in procuring them. A friend sent me two eggs of the alli- 

 gator. I stayed a day with my friend Mr. S., who is a great shot and 

 sportsman ; of course we went out shooting, and although it was 

 September, the worst month in the year, yet we managed to bag lots 

 of green pigeons (capital eating are these fellows I can tell you), black 

 and white curlews as they are called here, but one of these is the ibis 

 I think ; however, when you get the skins I intend sending you, you 

 will be able to make out all these gentlemen. We also shot ducks, 

 snipes, plovers, black partridges and quails. It is capital sport, as you 

 never know what you may come in with in your walk. I also rolled 

 over a fine tiger cat and two very small foxes ; these latter were beau- 

 tiful little creatures. I have killed lots of a bird here called goiles or 

 snake-birds, because when swimming they sink so low in the water as 

 only to show the head and neck : their feathers are very beautiful, 

 and make splendid plumes when mixed with the crest-feathers of the 

 padi-bird, a kind of egret T think, that is found in immense numbers 

 all over the rice fields, whence its name. It is indeed a beautiful sight 

 to see a flock of these birds ; their snowy plumage becomes a most 

 dazzling white under the fierce and brilliant light of the eastern sun, 

 the dark green of the landscape and the coppery sky forming one of 

 those pictures of Nature that only the true naturalist can thoroughly 

 appreciate. 



" The kingfishers out here are very brilliant, and beat every bird as 

 far as plumage goes ; they look like gems as they fly over the water. 

 In habits and flight, as far as I have seen, they are similar to our own 

 little friend in old England. 



" I have had a tame mongoose given me ; he will run after rae 

 like a dog; he hates blackies but loves snakes. Three days ago I saw 

 a cobra in a hole of the garden wall, and after some little trouble I got 



* His double gun is by the celebiated maker Forsyth. _;ov v '\ / 



