IN WESTERN IJBERIA. 239 



Hab. Northern half of Tropical Africa and Madagascar. 



Collected along the Fisherman Lake. 



This Heron is very common on the Mangrove-trees along 

 the Fisherman Lake, where it fishes in the small back- 

 vp-aters, left by the retreating tide. Although we have ob- 

 served and shot a great many young specimens, we 

 never had the opportunity of seeing an entirely white 

 one. Some of the younger specimens collected , however , 

 have the white on the throat extended very far down the 

 fore-neck , and not seldom a part of one wing is left white 

 while the corresponding part of the other has already 

 changed its color. All the younger specimens collected by 

 us have the general color ashy-gray with a bluish hue, 

 which changes into slaty gray in adult birds. 



Iris sulphureous , bill brown , base of lower mandible 

 whitish , feet dark brown , toes and connected part of tarsi 

 sometimes yellow. 



Arde a atricapilla. 



Ardea atricapilla, Afz. Acta Stockh. 1804; — Hartl. 

 Orn. W. Afr. p. 223; — Schl. Mus. P.-B., Ardeae, p. 42 ; — 

 F. & Hartl. Vög. 0. Afr. p. 70 L 



Butorides atricapillus , Boc. Orn. d' Angola, p. 446. 



Hab. The whole of Africa below the Sahara. 



Collected near Grand Cape Mount. 



This Heron is very common throughout the Coast-region 

 where Mangrove-swamps and brack water are abundant. It 

 forms little colonies of from eight to fifteen pairs together. 

 Their nests , formed by a few loosely joined twigs without 

 any lining in a fork of the Mangrove , about 8 feet above 

 the mud, are so thin that the eggs easily can be seen 

 from below , and are almost inaccessible on account of the 

 want of solidity in the ground. These birds are very fond 

 of climbing up and down the Mangrove-roots and twigs , and 

 feed generally upon different kinds of crabs and molluscs 

 which are left by the retreating tide, and especially upon 



Notes from the Leyden Museum, "Vol. VII. 



