122



Mr. W. L. Sc later,



The South African species has much less of a casque. It

is rounded off above and gradually slopes down on to the bill

instead of being truncated and open in front. It also has the

wattle and bare skin round the eye, bright vermilion red in the

male ; while in the female, the middle portion of the wattle is

blue and the surrounding portion and skinround the eye is red.


As the whole of the plumage, except the white primaries,

is jet black, as are also the beak and legs ; and as it is as big

as a full-size Turkey, often weighing 9 or 10 lbs., it is sufficiently

striking in appearance.


Another character which gives the Brom-Vogel an almost

human touch, is a row of long black bristles along the edge of

the upper and lower eyelids.


The bird sent me by Col, Bowker was, as I have already

remarked, most thoroughly domesticated. It always preferred

company, and liked to come and squat down by one’s side, resting

on the whole length of its tarsus and partially withdrawing its

head and beak between its wings. It lived chiefly in the garden

and was most useful there, spending its time searching for

worms and snails of which it was very fond. One day “ Brom.”

caught a large snake and this caused great excitement. He

marched up and down the lawn, dragging the snake after him

and puffing out his wattle and “broming” loudly. At last he

began to swallow it, head first, but alas ! the snake was a long

one, about four feet, and it was too much for him, but still he

marched up and down trailing half the snake behind him, till

at last out of pity for his distress, I had to cut the snake in two

and keep the tail half for another day’s meal.


“Brom ” was not at all particular in his diet, hew as in fact

omnivorous. In addition to what he picked up in the garden, he

was given kitchen scraps, and if a mouse or rat was caught it

was a great treat for him. He would commence at once digging

at it with his long bill until he had broken all its bones, and then

he would swallow it down. Once or twice he got into the fowl

run with disastrous results to the young chickens.


In the summer time, when we had tea out in the garden, he

always appeared as soon as tea was laid out and was fed on bread



