APPENDIX 313 



carunculatus) of South Africa. I also put clown in my note- 

 book the Whale-headed Stork, or Shoe-bill {Balieniceps rex) as 

 observed ou that lake ; but neither of these species has yet been 

 proved to occur in this part of British East Africa. 



The true Cranes, it sliould be added, are not marsh 

 birds, frequenting the drier lands, like bustards, and feeding 

 on grain and seeds, varied by locusts and the larger insects.] 



Herons 



Common Heron — Ardea cincrca. Scarce. 



Purple Heron — A. purpurea. 1 -,. , 



-r.1 1 1 J J TT A 7 7 7 riNumerous everywhere. 



Black-headed Heron — A. melanocejjhala. j -^ 



Goliath Heron — A. goliath. Lake Nakuru, Elmenteita. In 

 South Africa nests in bushes or fallen trees over- 

 hanging the rivers ; eggs blue. See pp. 37, 138, 141. 



Buff-backed Heron — Buhidcus luciclus. Abundant; feeding on 

 ticks, Hies, and parasites, as it does in Europe, is often seen 

 in attendance on big game, perching on their backs. There 

 is a heronry of these birds in a rocky ravine near " Lone- 

 Tree " on the Athi River. The nests are on low thorn- 

 trees, and the breeding-season from March till July. 



Little Egret — Garzetta garzetta. Near water only, and usually 

 solitary. 



Squacco Heron — Ardeola ralloides. Observed on Nakuru. 



Night-Heron — Nydicorax nycticorax. Observed on Nakuru. 



Common Bittern — Botaurus stellaris. We put up what we took 

 to be Bitterns in the reed-beds of Stony Athi ; but these 

 may have been immature examples of N. nycticorax, for 

 Mr. Jackson tells us he never met with the Bittern. It 

 occurs, however, in South Africa. 



Storks 



Hammer-head — Scoinis umhretta. Common on all rivers where 

 muddy shores and islets afford it scope for wading and 

 poking about in shallows. While watching for hippo 

 on the Athi, I saw this strange bird catch and eat frogs 

 and worm-like thincjs that I took to be leeches. It builds 

 an enormous stick-nest on riverside trees, and (in the 



