position;  at  the  same  time,  carrying  the  screen  in
his  strong  white  teeth,  and  the  long  light  snaring-
stick  between  his  useful  toes.  When  within  thirty
yards  of  the  proud-strutting  bustard,  he  launched
the  quivering  rod  through  a  small  opening  of  the
bushy  screen;  and  imparting  to  it  a  singularly  tremu-
lous motion,  caused  the  little  dead  bird  to  flutter
its  wings  and  feathers,  apparently  as  if  alive  and  in
the  act  of  struggling  to  effect  its  escape;  in  the  same
breath  chirruping  the  note  of  distress  peculiar  to  the
poor  victim  wren.  Every  moment  the  scene  became
more  and  more  exciting,  and  as  I  was  but  a  quarter
of  a  mile  off,  and  furnished  with  a  good  telescope,  I
was  enabled  to  witness  every  movement  on  the  part
of  the  hunter  and  liis  prey.  Inch  by  inch,  the  native
had  now  approached  to  within  twenty  feet  of  the
unsuspecting  bird,  who,  tempted  beyond  measure,  could
no  longer  resist  the  prospect  of  so  tender  a  morsel  as  the
little  dead  wren  presented,  and  now  began  to  approach
in  his  turn,  but  with  an  exceedingly  cautious  bearing.
