706 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
684. Awnovs stoutpus, DL. Common Noddy. 
This is a likely species to be met with in South Africa, and two 
specimens from the Cape seas presented by Captain Thomas Rowe 
Harry are in the British Museum. 
It may be told by its general sooty-brown colour, the lores and 
sides of the face being greyish-chocolate; the crown of the head is 
rather clear-grey, whiter on the forehead and over the eye; the 
wing varies from 10°2 to 11°5 inches. 
685. RHYNCHOPS FLAVIROSTRIS. Scissor-billed Tern. 
This very odd-looking bird has been met with by Mr. Andersson 
at Ondonga and also at Lake N’gami, and Senor Anchieta has sent 
specimens from Humbe and the Rio Cunene, where it is called 
Bamba. Sir John Kirk also met with this Skimmer on the upper 
waters of the Zambesi and Shire Rivers. 
The following description is from Captain Shelley’s “ Birds of 
Egypt.” 
Beak very much flattened at the sides, and much deeper than it 
is broad, the lower mandible longer than the upper one. Top of 
the head, nape, back, centre tail-coverts, two middle tail-feathers, 
and wings dusky brown; forehead and remainder of the plumage 
white; secondaries tipped with white; inner web of tail-feathers 
shaded with dusky ; legs and beak vermilion, the latter shading 
off to yellow towards the end; irides brown. Entire length 
17 inches; beak, from the gape, upper mandible, 3:1; lower 
mandible, 3°9 to 4°4.; wing, carpus to tip, 14; tarsus, 1-1. 
Fig. Shelley, B. Egypt, pl. 14. 
