CASAUCA KUTILA. 117 



break up soon after their arrival in Northern India, and the pairs then 

 make their way to their final destination, free from the influence of the 

 birds they started with. In Northern India the first few birds arrive as 

 early as — perhaps even earlier than — the end of September, and then work 

 slowly south, arriving in Central India and adjoining Provinces at least a 

 month later, nor are they common in Bengal until early November. In 

 Southern India they are rare before the end of that month. The latter 

 part of the country they leave again in the end of February and early in 

 March, by the middle of that month nearly all have left Lower Bengal, the 

 Central Provinces, and Central Bombay, and by the beginning of April 

 they are just thinning in Northern India and most have gone before May 

 sets in. They have been, of course, recorded throughout that month, and 

 eA'en in Bengal I once saw a pair in the end of April, but these are, I think, 

 but examples of the exceptions that })rove the rule. 



The Brahminy is not an object of sport with Europeans, save for those 

 whose motto is " kill what, when, and where you can"; this principally 

 because, even when divested of its tough and greasy skin, he is not worth 

 eating, unless with an extra dose of the hunger sauce. He is, however, 

 well worth while to shoot, or try to shoot, if you are not an old hand at 

 duck-shooting, for by the time you have learnt to circumvent and bring to 

 bag " Chakwa and Chakwi " yon may rest satisfied that you have learnt 

 most of the arts necessary to render stalking ducks and geese a successful 

 pastime. They are, as is almost universally admitted, the most cute and 

 difficult of approach of all their tribe. Possibly the crow alone exceeds 

 them in their aptness for learning the range of a gun ; they will nearly 

 always allow of an approach of within two hundred yards, often within 

 one hundred and fifty yards, and this with such a devil-me-care uncon- 

 cerned look about them that one would imagine a closer approach to be an 

 act of very little care indeed. Anyone who attempts to work on this 

 presumption will soon find out their error ; should the stalk be made with 

 some, yet insufficient, care, the Brahminy will allow you to come a few 

 yards further, and then leave for another and better land (or water). 

 On the other hand, should the stalker be so careful as to keep well 

 enough hidden to entirely evade the watchful eye, he is not allowed to 

 approach any nearer at all, but is given the benefit of the doubt, and all he 

 will find of the bird when he arrives will be the impression of his feet in 

 the sand. 



Practice may sometimes be had on the larger rivers, where they are 

 plentiful, with one of the modern small-bore rifles, with v/hich one oiiglit 



