THE SUDD 
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reward the watching- gun. Instantly a charge of dust- 
shot searched the spot. Startled at unwonted report, 
a second warbler might so far lose its head as to show 
in flight; but ere flying many yards, it too would be cut 
down by the second gun, astern. Now, to recover these 
prizes. The first (if killed at all) must be lying within 
6 feet of the water’s edge ; the second near 30 yards 
inshore. Both are retrieved ; but only at the end of an 
hour of such work as beggars words to convey. The first 
step overboard is knee-deep into viscid filth; at the second, 
some submerged mass of rotting vegetation turns over 
on its axis and Gallap plunges sidelong in mephitic bog. 
Meanwhile Baraka, who had boldly made for the outer 
bird, is in serious difficulties—up to his shoulders—and 
Abdul is hastily despatched to push an oar within his 
reach. All this, mind you, happened within the first 
minute of struggles and dangers that endured for an hour. 
Here is one extract from diary :— 
“February 24.—This evening, cruising in pinnace along 
and within the swamp-jungle, Lowe and I had the luck, 
by “calling,” to secure three more of those elusive snuff-brown 
Locustellae—more secretive than crakes or “snipers.” What¬ 
ever they are, they are silent in evening, only singing early; 
yet to-night these three victims responded to the “call.” We 
also shot two of the unknown sedge-warblers (“ Acrocephali” one 
of each size), besides a fantail and an isabelline shrike. The 
amount of mud-wallowing and “sump-swimming” in recovering 
these seven birds may be imagined.” 
Even when shot dead, the victim falls into, and often 
cannot be found amidst tangled masses of canes and 
swamp-vegetation (dead, dying, or viciously alive); 
besides, unless recovered at once, the prize is seized 
and carried off by coucals. These bush-cuckoos 
(i Centropus monachus ) are fearless of man and snatch 
his hard-earned prize when almost within his grasp. 
Despite these drawbacks, we finally secured a series 
of specimens of both species. For us, they differed 
