HERODIAS 67 



Iris pale yellow ; skin round the eyes and both mandibles yellow ; 

 tarsus and feet black ; bare part of the tibia yellow, contrasting \\ith 

 the tarsus. 



Length about 25'0 ; wing 12-0 ; tail 4'9 ; culmen 2-75 ; tarsus 

 4-25 ; middle toe 3-8. 



The female resembles the male, but the ornamental plumes are 

 much less developed. In the young bird there are no ornamental 

 plumes at all. 



Distribution. The Yellow-billed Egret is met with throughout 

 the eastern part of Africa from Kordofan and the Upper Nile Valley 

 southwards through East Africa and Nyasaland to Cape Colony. 

 Other very closely allied species are found in Southern Asia and 

 Australia. 



This Egret, though nowhere very abundant, seems to be generally 

 distributed throughout South Africa wherever suitable conditions 

 occur. The following are recorded localities : Cape Colony Zeekoe 

 vlei in Cape division, and Swellendam, March and June (S. A. Mus.), 

 Knysna, breeding (Atmore), Upington on the Orange River, scarce 

 (Bradshaw), Spaldings in Barkly West division, February (Ayres) ; 

 Natal Coast and up-country swamps (Woodward) ; Orange River 

 Colony Kroonstad, scarce (Symonds) ; Transvaal Pretoria and 

 Potchefstroom (Barratt) ; Bechuanaland Lake Ngami (Andersson), 

 Nocana, July, rare (Fleck) ; Rhodesia Upper Zambesi (Bradshaw), 

 Salisbury district (Marshall), near Zumbo (Stoehr) ; German South- 

 west Africa Otjimbinque (Andersson). 



Habits. The Yellow-billed Egret is gregarious, and frequents 

 the bays along the coast and the mud flats at the mouths of rivers 

 as well as inland waters ; it wades in the shallow water and searches 

 among the mud and weeds for small fishes and other animals. 

 " When they see their prey," writes Ayres, " they stop suddenly, and 

 make a dead point at it, exactly like a pointer dog at a partridge, 

 remaining motionless for a few seconds, then, gradually drawing 

 nearer, they darfc their long necks into the water, and almost in- 

 variably catch the unlucky fish. At high water, or if disturbed, 

 and at night, they always perch on the upper boughs of the man- 

 groves and other trees that fringe the bay, never roosting on the 

 ground." 



Mr. Atmore informed Mr. Layard that this species bred on a 

 little islet in the sea near the Knysna Heads, but that when he 

 visited the place (in December) it was too late for eggs. This is 

 the only information available in regard to the nesting of this 

 species. 



