birds answer their call they prepare accordingly for catching them;
supposing it to be a bevy of quail, they continue calling them, until
they get quite close; they then arm the top of their rod with a feather
smeared with bird-lime, and pass it through the loop-hole in their
frame of ambush, and to which they continue adding other parts, until
they have five or six out, which they use with great dexterity, and
touch one of the quail with the feather, which adheres to them; they
then withdraw the rod, arm it again, and touch three or four more in the
same manner before they attempt to secure any of them.

In this way they catch all sorts of small birds not much larger than
quail, on the ground and in trees. If a brown or black partridge answers
their call, instead of bird-lime, they fasten a horse-hair noose to the
top of their rod, and when they are close to the birds, they keep
dipping the top of their rod with considerable skill until they fasten
the noose on one of their necks; they then draw him in, and go on
catching others in the same way. It is surprising to see with what cool
perseverance they proceed. In a similar manner they catch all kinds of
birds, nearly the size of partridges.




THE HYENA.


A servant of Mr. William Hunter's, by name Thomas Jones, who lived at
_Chittrah_, had a full grown hyena which ran loose about his house like
a dog, and I have seen him play with it with as much familiarity. They
feed on small animals and carrion, and I believe often come in for the