HERONS are numerous, and vary in size from 

 the huge Goliath Heron (a grey-backed rufous-fronted 

 bird, half as big again as the Common Heron), down 

 to the small "Mangrove Heron" (strictly speaking a 

 Bittern), and include Egrets, both White and Buff- 

 backed, and the extraordinary Hammerhead (^Scopus 

 u?nbretia), a foul-looking and foul-feeding shortish- 

 legged bird allied to the Herons, which is found 

 wherever there is water, and whose nests, huge masses 

 of grass and weeds fixed high up in trees, are con- 

 spicuous objects along the banks of the creeks. 



In the family CiconiidiE we have two large 

 STORKS, the Marabout and the less common Saddle- 

 billed Stork, as well as a smaller black and white 

 bird ; while the CRANES {^Gruidci) are represented 

 by the beautiful " Crown-bird " {Balearica pavonina). 

 PELICANS and DARTERS are common along the 

 river, their places being taken at its mouth by 

 GANNETS (^Siila piscatrix) and CORMORANTS, 

 together with many kinds of GULLS and PETRELS. 

 The GEESE and DUCKS include the large Spur- 

 winged Goose, a black and white Wattle-Duck, which 

 occurs both tame and wild. Teal and Wigeon, the 

 latter mostly arriving in enormous flocks at the end of 

 the rains and remaining till about Christmas-time. 

 Among the more common of the other water- or 

 marsh-hunting birds are RAILS, (particularly the 

 Black Moorhen, Lwinocorax niger, and a larger 

 rufous-brown one, which, I think is a Corethmra), an 

 occasional Jacana, several kinds of Plover, Snipe, 

 Curlew, and other Waders. 



I will conclude with our GAMEBIRDS, which 

 include, (I use the names commonly applied here), 

 (i) the " Bush-fowl " or " Partridge " ; (2) the " Rock 

 Bush-fowl"; (3) the Guineafowl ; (4) the " Barbary 

 Quail"; (5) the "Land-quail," and (6) the "Bush 



