ARDEA MELANOCEPHALA. 709 
are exceedingly shy, often feeding with the White Herons, and 
alighting on trees. Mr. Buckley states that it was fairly common 
on the Limpopo, where he observed several pairs and obtained one 
specimen. Senor Anchieta has found it in all parts of Angola and 
Benguela. At Quillengues the native name was Lodera-angundo, 
two words signifying to stand on a crocodile, a habit which they 
attribute to the bird. In Damara Land, writes Mr. Andersson, 
‘this species is rather common on and near the sea-shore, from the 
mouth of the Orange River to Walwich Bay, wherever suitable 
localities occur; but I have seldom seen it inland, except in 
Ondonga, where it makes its appearance in December; but the 
natives say that it does not breed there, and I think they are right. 
These Herons usually occur singly or in pairs; but I have counted 
as many as twenty in one small spot (not extending more than two 
hundred yards in any direction). They will remain motionless 
sometimes for hours, but in the mornings and towards evening are 
usually on the move in search of their food, which consists in great 
part of fish, though they also feed on rats, mice, and reptiles.” 
Upper parts, blueish-grey ; head, neck, and under parts, white ; 
a broadish black stripe commences just before and extends over the 
eye to the back of the head, terminating in a lengthened pendant 
crest ; a double row of black spots commences about one-third of 
the way down the front of the throat, and terminates among the 
pendant feathers of the chest, on each side of which is a broad 
black patch, extending down each side to the thighs; quill- 
feathers of wings black. Length, 3’ 3’’; wing, 1’’ 6"; tail, 8”, 
Fig. Dresser, B. Kur. vi, pl. 391. 
688. ARDEA MELANOCEPHALA, Vig.and Childr. Black-necked Heron. 
We suspect that the Black-necked Heron is more commonly 
distributed than is generally supposed ; but, owing to its resemblance 
to the common species, is not often brought to notice. We once 
shot one without being at all aware that we were obtaining such a 
prize. It was on the marshy ground close to the Observatory, near 
Cape Town, and at the moment when we fired it was engaged in 
a fight with another. We took them both to be A. cinerea till 
we picked up our bird. We have received it from Colesberg in the 
young state; and Mr. Chapman procured it along the Zambesi 
route; Mr. Atmore in the George district. We also saw a specimen 
