OEDICNEMUS VERMICULATUS. 



WATER DIKKOP. 



(Plate 12.) 



Oedicnemus vermiculatus, Cabanis, Journ. fiir Ornithol., 1868, p. 413 ; 

 Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxiv, p. 11 (1896); Woodward, 

 Natal Birds, p. 179 (1899) ; Reichenow, Vogel Afrikas, i, p. 200 

 (1900-01); Sclater, Ann. S. Afr. Mus., m, p. 358 (1905); 

 Sclater & Stark, Birds of S. Afr., iv, p. 318 (1906). 



Oedicnemus senegalensis, Sharpe's ed. Layard Birds of S. Afr., p. 646 



(1875-84). 



Description. The bird figured is a male. Tlie female is somewhat 

 duller in plumage, but otherwise resembles the male. Length 15 in. 



Distribution. This bird is found all over South and East Africa, 

 as far north as Loango on the west, Victoria Nyanza in the centre 

 and Mombasa on the east. Though widely distributed in South 

 Africa, it appears to be always a rare bird, and is not found on the 

 high veldt, or far away from large rivers or the sea. 



I HAVE not met with this bird, and it is said by Sclater 

 to be nowhere very common and is nearly always found 

 in pairs or in small parties about the mouths or along the 

 banks of rivers, where it finds its food, which consists of 

 small insects and Crustacea. Ayres noticed that it was only 

 found about Durban Harbour in winter (June and July), 

 and Mr. Shortridge states that he has ovly seen it on the 

 St. Johns River, some distance from the mouth, in April, 

 and that it is probably partially migratory. Like the Cape 

 Thicknee, it is thoroughly nocturnal, but it can and does see 

 perfectly well at any time of the day and in the brightest 

 sunlight. 



An interesting account of the nest of this bird is 



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