326 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 



quently most difficult to approach. It seldom ventured 

 into the open, but would warily skirt the dense reedy 

 recesses which formed its favourite haunts, and into 

 which it would precipitately retreat on the slightest 

 sign of danger. 



At Lake Ngami and on the river Botletle I found it 

 less difficult to obtain, probably on account of its greater 

 abundance. 



It lies close during the day, and is usually only to be 

 seen in the early morning and in the cool of the after- 

 noon. 



Its food is very various, and consists of seeds of aquatic 

 plants, mollusks, fish, eggs, and, I have no doubt, even 

 young birds. In a domesticated state it will eat meat 

 readily. If captured young it becomes very tame, and 

 may be trusted at large, when it will freely associate 

 with common poultry. 



This species has a heavy unwieldy flight, and has 

 recourse to its wings only as a last chance of making its 

 escape. It dives when in water deep enough to allow of 

 its doing so, and it runs with great rapidity amongst the 

 tangled reedy brakes of its native haunts. 



The iris is red ; the bill red, but darker at the ex- 

 tremity ; the tarsus red, tinged with blue. 



[Drs. Finscli and Hartlaub (loc. cit.) quote the Orange River, 

 on the authority of M. Verreaux, as a locality for this species. 

 This Porphyrio has, I believe, not been figured. The nearly 

 allied Madagascar race, figured by Buffon in the ' Planches 

 Enluminees/ pi. 810, and considered by many naturalists to be 

 identical with the present bird, appears to me to be specifically 

 distinct (vide < Ibis/ 1868, p. 470). ED.] 



