316 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 



This species is sparingly met with in the middle and 

 northern parts of Damara Land, but more frequently 

 in the Lake-regions and on the river Okavango. 



I have always found it singly or in pairs. It feeds on 

 insects, snails, shells, &c., and is a conspicuous and in- 

 teresting object, being lively and graceful in its actions, 

 both when running (which it does with considerable 

 celerity) about the sides of marshes and streams, and 

 when wading quietly in shallow water. 



The iris is red. 



Measurements of a male : 



in. lin. 



Entire length 13 3 



Length of folded wing 92 



tarsus 4 10 



middle toe. ..... 1 6 



tail 33 



Mil 2 10 



[Mr J. E. Harting's collection contains a male of this species, 

 obtained by Mr. Andersson in Ondonga, 6th November, 1866. 



ED.] 



RALLID^J. 

 370. Rallus cserulescens, Gmel. Gaffer Kail. 



Rallus aquaticus, Gurney, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864 ; p. 3. 

 Rallus ccerulescens, Layard's Cat. No. 629. 



Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 777. 



I found this Eail plentiful at Omanbonde ; and it is 

 not uncommon in marshy localities in Damara Land and 

 the parts adjacent, more especially in the central and 

 northern portions of the country; it frequents reedy 

 thickets bordered by other rank aquatic herbage, amongst 



