440 Mr. B. Alexander — An Ornithological 



water's edge. The gait is ambling, the back being constantly 

 jerked up and down in walking. 



211. Herodias garzetta (Linn.). 



Well distributed. "Jan. 12. A large flock of Egrets, 

 some 50 in number. They kept flying a few yards ahead of 

 our boat, always skirting the bank, Avhere now and again 

 they rested, tlieir bodies making a startling contrast with 

 the green leaf of the bushes and the reddish brown of the 

 steep bank." 



212. Ardea melanocephala Vig. & Child. 



On the lower reaches of the river below the Shire river. 



213. Ardea purpurea Linn, 



Common. An immature male at Chicowa, Sept. 15. 



214. Ardea goliath Riipp. 



By no means common. Roosts on trees in impenetrable 

 marsh-land. We once disturbed a party at dusk. As they 

 flapped away their gigantic size struck us immensely. We 

 seldom saw these birds during the daytime, but towards 

 evening solitary individuals would steal out on to the open 

 sandbanks of the river. 



215. BUTORIDES ATRICAPILLA (Afzcl.). 



A pair obtained near Zumbo on Nov. 1. 



Adult ^ . Total length (measuied in the flesh) 20*67 inches, 

 wing 6*5. Iris yellow ; upper mandible black, lower greenish 

 yellow ; tarsi and feet, upper surface dark green, under 

 yellow, becoming brighter underneath feet. 



Adult ? . Total length (measured in the flesh) 19 67 

 inches, wing 6*4. Coloration as in male. 



216. Nycticorax griseus (Linn.). 



Observed on the lower reaches of the Zambesi, near the 

 Chindi river, where the country is very low and swampy, 

 great stretches of reed-beds enclosing the river as far as the 

 eye can reach. On several occasions we observed these birds 

 travelling down the river on floating rafts of tangle and 

 weed. They are sluggish birds, and seem to prefer this kind 

 of travelling to that by flight. We constantly passed them 



