ARDEID.E. 315 



596. CiCOnia Nigra, Bechst., pi. Enl.,399 ; Ardea 

 Nigra, Linn., Sys. Nat., 1, p. 235 ; Melanopelargus 

 Niger, Bonap. Consp., Av. 11, p. 105 ; Ciconia 

 Fusca, Bliss. ; The Violet-Stork of Colonists. 



General colour, very dark brownish-green, shot with green 

 and coppery reflections ; belly, thighs, and vent-feathers, 

 pure white ; bill, space round the eyes, chin, and legs, red. 

 Length, 3' 8"; wing, 1' 10"; tail, 11". 



The Violet Stork is not common, but generally distributed. I have 

 killed it at the Knysna, and Nel's Poort (Beaufort), and have received 

 specimens from most of my correspondents, including Mr. Chapman. 

 It feeds upon fish, frogs, and crabs, and will take a small mammal if it 

 falls in with it. It is solitary in its habits, more than two being rarely, 

 if ever, seen together. Its great height gives it a command of vision 

 which puts all the shooters' powers of woodcraft to the tax, to enable 

 him to circumvent his quarry ; and if the bird is only wounded, he 

 proves no mean antagonist, striking fiercely with its sharp-pointed and 

 powerful bill at the face and hands of his pursuers. On one occasion, 

 having only broken the tip of a wing with a long shot, I had to 

 dispatch my bird with half a charge of dust-shot, so great was his 

 resistance ; he, moreover, as if aware of his greater chance, took to 

 the water, and would not be driven from it. 



597. Ciconia Abdimii. (Licht.) RUpp. Atlas, t. 



8 ; Sphenorhynchus Abdimii, Licht. p. 76 ; Abdimia 

 Sphenoryncha, Bonap. Cons., 11, p. 106. 



Above, greenish - purple ; neck brown, with purplish-gloss; 

 all the under parts white ; chin, bare part of forehead, space 

 round the eye, and tip of bill, orange-red ; the rest of the 

 bill greenish ; bare space round the eye, blue. Length, 

 2' 9"; wing, 16". 



I have not seen this bird from any locality, save the Zambezi, 

 whence it was brought by Mr. Chapman, who informs me it is 

 excellent eating, and is found in vast numbers about the borders of 

 Lake N'Gami. Mr. Andersson procured it in Damaraland ; Hartlaub 

 ranks it among the South African species ; and M. Van Horstock 

 procured it somewhere in the colony (Schlegel's Mus. Pays-bas, Cico- 

 nice, p. 6). 



598. Ciconia Leucocephala, Gmei., pi. Eni., 



906; C. Episcopus, Bodd. ; G. Umbellata, Wagl., 

 Syst. Av. Sp., 1 1 ; C. Microscelis, Gray, Gen. of Birds, 

 PI. 151, juv.; Melanopelargus Leucocephalus, Bonap. 

 Consp,, 11, p. 1 05. 



Violet-black, shining-greea ; plumes of lower neck, blackish- 

 green, long, wide, truncated, violet-purple at the tip ; fore- 



