BUSTARDS— IJLY TROTTER— IBIS 153 



name "E'ngali." The booming noise which they make at 

 night, before rain, has been already alluded to, and the 

 curious ignorance of the natives, who assign the noise to 

 the puff adder ! 



Next come the Bustards, of which a single species 

 {Otis melanog aster) known as " Olunyonkante " occurs on 

 islands where there is a sufficiently large open grassy 

 area. This species shows black and white wings when 

 flying, and has a most ridiculous little call note. One hears 

 first a very short low whistle, followed after a few seconds 

 by a single sharp but very quiet note like a bubble 

 bursting. The peculiar native name would seem to indicate 

 that the native considers it to suck cows, so that this bird 

 holds a place in folklore analogous to our " goat sucker " 

 in England. 



Birds of the Rail family were plentiful among the reeds 

 and rushes of the lake shore. One, looking much like 

 our English moorhen, was responsible for making a most 

 extraordinary noise among thick cover — a sort of grunting, 

 squealing and whining, quite indescribable and very 

 unlike a bird noise. The pretty brown, yellow and black 

 Lily trotter may conveniently be placed here, " Akatassa " 

 {Actophilus africanus). It is seen where there are enough 

 water lily leaves or thick vegetation in the water for it 

 to run over, its very long toes supporting it by distributing 

 its weight over a large area. It is a very quiet bird, and 

 one rarely heard it make any kind of noise unless it was 

 angrily scolding at and driving away a trespasser on its 

 private hunting ground. 



We next come to the Ibises, of which I only know two 

 species on the islands, the most conspicuous being the 

 dark greenish black Hagedash ibis, known to the natives 

 as " Empavana," the word being an attempt to reproduce 

 its very characteristic cry, which can be indicated by 

 " Aa-aa-aa," This is a very annoying bird if one is 

 anxious to approach an animal without being noticed, 



