120 WANDERINGS OF A 



westward. In the woods and jungles one can scarcely miss 

 observing the beautiful orange-backed woodpecker {Brachyp- 

 ternus av/raniius) ; its brilliant yellow back is conspicuous at 

 all times. 



At Morindah, a halting-place, there was a fine tope of 

 mango in the middle of a desert plain ; here we encamped 

 for three days, in consequence of the sudden death of one of 

 our ofiBcers, whom we buried at the foot of one of the 

 trees in this wild untenanted waste. A small travellers' 

 bungalow was the only human habitation within many 

 miles. 



Almost every morning, at and before daybreak, large 

 flocks of geese chiefly (Anser indicus) and ducks were ob- 

 served migrating southwards. There were great numbers of 

 peafowl in the sugar-cane fields, but the natives preserve them 

 with so much care that it is considered next to sacri- 

 lege to molest them in any way. In the wheat-fields near 

 Loodiana we bagged abundance of pin-tailed grouse ; and 

 among the sand hillocks, covered with bent, three houbara 

 bustards were shot. In the more level places, where a thick- 

 leaved shrub abounded, hares were plentifuL The Bengal 

 fox and the jackal were common. I saw a hyena, and killed 

 a fine specimen of the gray ichneumon (Sei-pestes griseus) or 

 moongus. The male is much larger than the female ; they 

 breed in captivity. Wherever irrigation appeared, or there 

 was stagnant water, the spur-winged lapwing and the yeUow- 

 headed wagtail were common. 



It is scarcely possible to estimate the amount of sediment 

 borne down by the great rivers of India. What vast changes 

 must take place even in a century in the bottom and con- 

 figuration of the Indus ! we c^n clearly trace its past changes in 

 Scinde, and in the Punjaub, inasmuch as the ancient beds are 



