TV//; M //.i /./:///: i /</:/< >/-H/;A'. 7 



to whom tiin.- is of IK i value, IIKII nt>|, within range of their weaj-'ii- ; i-m <-\i-n 



to tin-in tin- ta.sk is a dihVult mi.-. :,n.| to Km,.|.. MI- almost iui|.t:i.-i icjible. (tee good N|>orts- 

 iii:in. 1 1.> succeeded at last in killing a .lal.iru, followed it several da\ - U-fore he could get 

 within Inn- i-an-e of tin- suspicious l.inl. 



Tin- fi>od c,f this speries inostU , ,,nsi..ts of lisli. aii'l .-.-Is seem to U- their faiorite diet. 

 Ordinary ti-li it swallows at on,-,-. |, u t eels and car tish an- hath-red aU.iit until dead lie fore the 

 l-ird attempt^ t.. devour them. Nearly two |->UIH|S of eels and small Huh liave been found in 

 tin- stomach of a shot .laliiru. 



In it- coloi-iii:: tin- Australian .laliiru is a \.-ry hands., me l.inl. arid its movements are quiet. 

 nia and graceful. The large head and m--k an- rich shining green, clian-mir to 



rainlNiw tints ..f \i.,l,-t and purple u|>n tin- liack of tin- head. tin- feathers -learning i" '>" s '"i 

 with a li-lit nn-tallii- radianc.-. Tin- irn-:itT wiiiff < M-apularii-s, lower part of tin- 



I'a-'k and I. ill an- 'I. ilk In-own miv-d v\ith M, i, I.Iuisll .:i.-. -n. wilt ': . !I.MI^. - iii Id, ;,<i]iit IQ 

 a ri.-li :_'lc,sss Lrrit-n tiii^-l with a pilili-n liistiv. Tin- sinalli r w in- <,. \.TI-,. |.,w.-r part of the 

 n.-i-k and Lack, and U].|M-I- jMirt )f the breast are wliid- .sp.-ckl.-d with a.sliv-lirown, hut ler<jme 

 pun- whit- in tin- adult ; low.-r part of tin- hnii.st, tliiKlis. and inn-r jcirt of tin- winir*. whit.-. 

 I-.M-S lu-illiant and har-l in color. Tin- Ifjjs an- hlackish w ith a dark tinp* of n-l. iHi-oinitiir of 

 a bright red rolor in th- adult ; and \\ln-n tin- hinl flics with tin- l-i:- sti-i-tcln-<l out. liMikiim 

 like a lon.u nnl tail ..... My sixH-inn-ii ni-:i-un-s tlnit- ff-t ten inches to the top of tin- 

 h*>ad, and is not yet full irrown ; they an- said to attain four or live feet in hriirht." The 

 s]M-<-iinen iH'loii^inj: to I>r. IVmictt diel after a <ii]itivity of alxiiit M-ven iiioiiths. njirly four 

 of which w.-re iiaaaed in I>r. Ifa-tuu-tt's i.-sidenc.. The cauae of his death was not known 

 pn>tml)ly the diet iniKMt have l-en injurious. 



THE singular WIIAI.K in \m i> STOUK is the most strikinir of its triU-. 



This bird lives in Northern Africa, M-ar the Nile, hut is seldom seen on the hanks of that 

 river, preferring the swampy districts to the running water. Mr. IVthcrick found it in the 

 Rhol district, ahout latitude A to 8, in a large tract of country almt a hundred and fifty miles 

 in extent, where the ground is continually swelled l>\ niins. and has l.\ de^n-es miHlilied into 

 a huge morass, some parts tliHxled with wat-r, othn-s hloominir with vegetation, and the whole 

 rounded hy thick hush. "This s|M>t." writ-s Mr. I'etherick in his M K^ypt. the Soudan, 

 and Central Africa," "is the favorite home of the Ilaljmicepv 



"Thesi- hinls an- sfii in clust-rs of fnmi ajwiir toperiiaps one hundn her. mostly 



wading in the water : and when disturUtl. will fly low oier its surfac*- and settle at no jjreat 

 distance. I'.iit if fi iirlii--n--d and lii.-.l at. th.-\ ii-- in !l.~-U- hi_li in tli.- .MI. and .ill. i h..\, nn_- 

 and wheeling around nettle on the highest trees, and as long as their disturhers an- near, will 

 not return to the water. Their roosting-place at ni^ht is. tothebettof my belief, on the ground. 



"Their food is princijKilly tish and water snakes, which they have l-en s.-en hy my men to 

 kill and devour. They will also fe-d on the intestine* ,,f de:id animals, the carcases of which 

 they easily rip open with the strong hook of their up|>er hill. 



"Their breeding time U in the rainy .s.-:.son, durini: the months of .July and August, and 

 the spot chosen i> in the reeds or light grass imm.-diately on the walei's ,-,\^- or on some small 

 elevated and dry spot entirely surrounded hy water. The hinl U-fore laying scra|>es a hole in 

 the earth, in which, without any lining of grass or feathers, the female dejiosits her eggs. 

 NumU-i's of tlie^.. nests have leen rohlKil hy my men. Inith of eggs and young, hut the \oung 

 hinls so taken have invariahly died. After rejieatcd unsuccessful att-mpts to rear them, con- 

 tinued for two years, the eggs were eventually hatched under hens, which wen* procured at a 

 considerable distance from the |{aik n> _'!,-> 



"As soon as the hens began to lay. and in due time to -it. a |rt of their eggs were replaced 

 with half the niimlierof those of the llahmiceps. as fresh as possible from the nest, the locality 

 of which was previously known, and several hinls were successfully hatched. Theae you in: 

 I'irds ran alxmt the pn-mises of the camp. and. to the gn-at discomfort of the hens, would |- i 

 sist in |terformiii!. r all s,,rts of nnchickcnahlc mamiMivn-*. with their large beaks and extended 

 wings, in a small artificial pool constantly supplied with water by several negresaea retained 



