5 o BIRD-HUNTING 



had eaten it. These men take all the Kites' and 

 Eagles' eggs they can find, for eating purposes, as 

 well as any others they come across. 



A boy told me he had recently eaten a clutch of 

 Polluelas' eggs. This is the name they give to all 

 the small Crakes. The Little Crake, Spotted Crake, 

 and Baillon's Crake are all called ' Polluela.' On 

 my previous visit I saw one of our men carry 

 home a basketful of the eggs of Little Egrets and 

 Buff-backed Herons for eating. I have myself 

 partaken of omelets composed of Whiskered Terns' 

 eggs. 



For the expedition across the dried-up marismas 

 we had three donkeys and a mule to convey our 

 effects, for we were going to put up at a rude 

 choza, or hut, belonging to one of the keepers, and 

 it was necessary to take our bedding with us, as well 

 as our food. This choza was entirely composed of 

 pine-branches thatched with reeds : in the centre was 

 the living-room, and at each end were small sleeping- 

 rooms. In one of these our mattresses and bedding 

 were spread on the earth floor. 



Now I don't mind sleeping on the floor at all, and 

 can make myself comfortable almost anywhere, but I 

 must say I do not like to share rooms with hens, 

 pigeons, and pigs. Whenever I came in there were 

 always hens scratching about on our beds, and some 

 pigeons roosted on the rafters over our heads, with 



