almond, and it forms a pleasant mouthful if one is thirsty.

Travelling one day along one of the glades I have mentioned as
dividing the strips of jungle, I was surprised to see a man before me
in a field of long stubble, with a cloth spread over his head, and two
sticks projecting in front at an obtuse angle to his body, forming
horn-like projections, on which the ends of his cloth twisted
spirally, were tied. I thought from his curious antics and movements,
that he must be mad, but I soon discovered that there was method in
his madness. He was catching quail. The quail are often very numerous
in the stubble fields, and the natives adopt very ingenious devices
for their capture. This was one I was now witnessing. Covering
themselves with their cloth as I have described, the projecting ends
of the two sticks representing the horns, they simulate all the
movements of a cow or bull. They pretend to paw up the earth, toss
their make-believe horns, turn round and pretend to scratch
themselves, and in fact identify themselves with the animal they are
representing; and it is irresistibly comic to watch a solitary
performer go through this _al fresco_ comedy. I have laughed often at
some cunning old herdsman, or shekarry. When they see you watching
them, they will redouble their efforts, and try to represent an old
bull, going through all his pranks and practices, and throw you into
convulsions of laughter.

Round two sides of the field, they have previously put fine nets, and
at the apex they have a large cage with a decoy quail inside, or
perhaps a pair. The quail is a running bird, disinclined for flight
except at night; in the day-time they prefer running to using their
wings. The idiotic looking old cow, as we will call the hunter, has
all his wits about him. He proceeds very slowly and warily, his keen