32 



THE OSPREY. 



t h e Sun-birds 

 might, on a 

 sm all scale, 

 contest its 

 claim. 



This attract- 

 ive species has 

 the head and 

 throat shining 

 with metallic 

 colors of green, 

 purple and red 

 while the under 

 parts are a bril- 

 liant V e 1 1 o w, 

 and with its 

 1 o n K cuneate 

 iridescent 

 br on z e-h u ed 

 in the feast, nor wear feathers, and an eagle would tail spread out to its fullest extent, contrasting in the 

 cease from his occupation of tearing flesh and give bright sunlight with the metallic blues and greens of 

 me a piercing stare that seemed to look me through; the wings and back, it was a gorgeous object to watch 

 but of fear none was shown, and the entire com- as it floated gracefully in the forest aisles. By nature 

 munity evidently regarded me as perfectly harmless jt was more shy than the other birds, as if it knew its 

 and only worthy of an occasional glance. A gun flred brilliant dress made it an object coveted by all ob 

 some distance away interrupted the proceedings for a servers, and it generally kept a respectful distance 

 moment. The sky was hidden behind moving wings f,-om intruders on its domain, and rarel\ approached 

 and darting forms that soared and circled overhead, the vicinity of our camps 



*«••»¥(&«. 



WHITE-HEADED AND EGYPTIAN \'OLTURES. PHOTOGRAPH IN SOMALILAND, AFRICA. 



until fears removed, the birds settled down again to 

 continue their feast and I left them squabbling over 

 choice tid-bits. Few places are now to be found in 

 this world of ours where man's murderous ways are 



The other species remarkable for its beauty was a 

 near relative to the Satin Bird, and was as trusting 

 and familiar as the other was shy and retiring. This 

 was the White-eyed Starling with a dress of brilliant 



so little known that the birds regard him as no more metallic colors of greens, blues and purples, con- 

 dangerous than one of themselves, as was evidently trasted on the under part of the body with deep red. 

 the case here, and may the time be long coming be- Ornithologists called it S[^rco siiprrlnis, and it is cer- 

 fore their confidence receives a rude awakening. tainly a superb creature. It went in flocks, had a 



In so large an avi-fauna as is possessed by this land, short pleasing song, and was a familiar visitor to 

 birds of all kinds and descriptions are to be met with, e\ery camp, coming fearlessly about the tents, intent 

 some of them remarkable for beauty of plumage, on picking up morsels of food. It was always wel- 

 while others attract the attention by an apparent ec- come and made a pretty picture hopping about the 

 centricity of form or habit. Among the first of these, sandy ground or over the various bundles h ing about, 

 two species 

 were conspicu- 

 ous, close rela- 

 tions to the 

 Starling. The 

 first was 

 known to us as 

 the 'Satin Bird' 

 ( C o s III o psariis 

 reghis, Shelley) 

 andwasthe 

 most beautiful 

 of the feathered 

 area t u r e s we 

 s a w i n t h e 

 conn try , al- 



though per- ~' — -— — 



haps some of ustrk iiks. riioToGK.vrii in s(iM,\i.n.,\Mi. .vi'RTcA. 



