ARDEID^. 291 



greenish yellow; tibia and tarsus black; toes yellowish 

 green above, and yellow below. 

 Measurements of a female : — 



in. lin. 



Entire length 27 



Length of folded wing 12 4 



„ tarsus 3 10 



„ middle toe 2 4 



tail 4 1 



bill 4 



342. Ardeiralla Sturmii (Wag!.). Sturm's Dwarf Heron. 



Ardea (/idturalis, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 91. 

 Ardetta Stut-mii, Gray's Genera of Birds, pi. loO. 

 Ardea gidturalis, Layard's Cat. No. 590. 

 Ardeiralla Sturmii, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, Xo. 10145. 



I observed several of these birds in Damara Land, and 

 found them very common in Ondonga. Axel also found 

 them exceedingly abundant between Ondonga and Ova- 

 quenyama, as well as at Ovagandyaro. 



The favourite haunts of this species are vleys sur- 

 rounded with trees and bushes, on which it perches ; and 

 it is rarely met with at a distance from trees. It feeds 

 on insects and the smaller Crustacea, but seems to be 

 somewhat omnivorous in its diet. I am inclined to think 

 that it feeds by night. 



It breeds in Ondonga, usually placing its nest in the 

 lower branches of palm bushes which are partly immersed 

 in water, a few feet above which the nest is situated ; 

 it is composed of stalks of coarse grass or of small twigs 

 laid across each other without much care or strength, 

 and with hardly any depression for the reception of the 

 eggs, which are four in number. 



u2 



