ARDEIDJS. 285 



Ardea melanocephala, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10100. 

 Sharpe & Dresser's Birds of Europe, pi. 17. 



This Heron is found sparingly about humid places in 

 Great Namaqua and Damara Land, and in the lagoons 

 on the south-west coast. Axel also found it common in 

 Ondonga on his arrival there in the month of November : 

 there was then no water in the vleys ; and these birds 

 were feeding exclusively in the fields, and chiefly on grass- 

 hoppers ; but the ordinary food of this species also com- 

 prises fish, reptiles, rats, and mice. 



These Herons perch upon trees when there are any 

 within reach. 



The irides are yellow, as is also the bare space round 

 the eyes ; the upper mandible of the bill is liver-brown ; 

 the lower mandible is of a dark horn-colour at the edges, 

 the point is greenish, and the remainder of the mandible 

 yellowish ; the legs and toes are dark blue-black, the 

 latter being greenish on the under surface. 



334. Ardea goliat, Temm. Goliath Heron. 



Ardea goliat, Temminck's PI. Col. pi. 474. 

 Ardea goliath, Layard's Cat. No. 576. 



Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 418. 



Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 674. 



Ardea goliat, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10107. 



These fine Herons are not uncommon in the Lake- 

 regions, from whence they make temporary and solitary 

 excursions into Damara Land during the wet season. 

 I have met with them on the rivers Okavango and 

 Teoughe, at Lake Ngami, and thence eastward along the 

 river Botletle. 



