46 
NATURE NOTES 
feeling him wriggle and squirm in vain endeavours to regain his 
native element. The bird makes no attempt to end his misery, 
but waits patiently while the struggles become feebler and 
feebler, and, when all motion has ceased, the tragedy is ended 
by a backward jerk of the head and a gulp or two. 
But a sharp pinch on the back of my neck makes it painfully 
evident that we have been sitting at the foot of a tree in posses- 
sion of red ants — bloodthirsty little ruffians who absolutely do not 
know what fear is, and are always ready to challenge anything 
or everything to single combat. If they once get their jaws into 
a thing they’ll rather leave their heads behind than take them 
out again, and, as we can do nothing against such an army of 
warriors armed with decidedly formidable, though diminutive 
weapons of offence, we will leave them in undisputed possession, 
and beat a hasty and undignified retreat with our backs to the 
enemy. They are “ Red Coats,” and they certainly show an 
example in bravery that a Red Coat of Her Majesty’s Army 
never need, and never would, be ashamed to follow. 
Let us make our way through the jungle to that open space 
a short distance up the river, which commands a view of a con- 
siderable stretch of deep, still water, a likely-looking place for a 
crocodile to lurk in. 
A closer acquaintance with the “ feathery bamboo ” painfully 
proves that it is not so “feathery” as one has been led to 
believe, but is armed with formidable thorns which are capable 
of inflicting a very ugly wound if not treated with all due 
deference and respect. I strongly recommend to any ladies of the 
party the use of “rational” costumes, as it is an absolute impossi- 
bility to get through a bamboo jungle with such an encumbrance 
as a skirt. However, that difficulty does not trouble those who 
travel only in imagination, so, having taken care to select a 
tree free from our former tormentors this time, we will settle 
dowm and see wffiat is to be seen. There is scarcely a sound to 
be heard at this time of day except an occasional splash of a 
fish rising, or the rustle of a lizard in the dead leaves close at 
hand. But look ! What is the possessor of that snaky-looking 
head appearing out of the water about mid-stream ? Is it a 
snake ? No, because its body can be dimly seen under the 
surface, and not even that of the Sea-Serpent is shaped like a 
soup plate. It is one of the large river tortoises that are fairly 
common in this river, but you must keep very still or he will 
disappear as mysteriously as he came, being one of the shyest 
of the Chelonians. He floats past with his head well out of the 
water, w'hich is too muddy to allow us to see more of his body 
than the dim and indistinct shape. I have several times seen 
these tortoises basking in the sun on a log or projecting stone, 
but to obtain a good view one must stalk them on hands and 
knees (a difficult and sometimes painful proceeding amongst 
bamboos) as they disappear beneath the surface at the slightest 
sound or approach of danger. I got so close to one one day 
