A STRANGE BIRD. 191 



Where my approach to the margin of the 

 river was uninterrupted, wonderful views were 

 to be obtained. Within a distance of five 

 hundred yards in either direction were visible 

 numerous heads of schools of hippopotami, while 

 I think that I have a right to conjecture that 

 there were many of these huge beasts out of 

 sight from being under the surface. Bird life was 

 also particularly well represented — almost as much 

 so as at the lagoon I have previously written of. 

 My attention, however, was called to a little- 

 known species of skimmer (R/iynckofts) which were 

 particularly numerous, and unwearying in their 

 flight ; so much so, that they at once recalled to my 

 memory the Bosphorus, with its strings of sea fowl 

 incessantly passing to and fro, which are reported 

 never to alight, and are thus called " the spirits of 

 the damned," sentenced to perpetual motion. 



The general appearance of this skimmer has 

 much resemblance to the tern, but it is separated 

 from all other kindred species by the extraordinary 

 shape of its bill, the lower mandible being prolonged 

 at least two inches beyond the termination of the 

 upper, and flattened out into a shape much resem- 

 bling a spatula. The African variety's iris is dark 

 brown, tarsus red, bill yellow at the termination, but 

 bright vermilion from there to the junction with the 

 head. The flattening of the bill is at right angles to 

 the gape, so that when the bird flies along with the 



