314 ON SAFARI 



Transvaal) I "watched a pair carrying food to their young 

 on June 21. Sketched at p. 220. 



Marabou Stork — Lcptoptilus crumeniferus. At first sight, it 

 surprises one to observe a bird obviously of the Stork 

 persuasion performing the functions of a Vulture — indeed 

 sharing with those scavengers a repulsive meal. But 

 biologists had long ago demonstrated the anatomical 

 affinity that exists between orders apparently so widely 

 separated as the Vultures and the Storks. In their 

 easy soaring flight, floating for hours in high heaven, 

 without apparent exertion, the two possess a common 

 aptitude. The Marabou is really master of the feast, 

 and, stalking into the crowd, sets the huge Vultures 

 flapping aside in dire dismay from that terrible bayonet- 

 like beak. Also gorges on locusts — see p. 99. The 

 Marabou abounds in East Africa. 



Saddle-billed Stork, or African Jabiru — Ephippiorhynrluis sene- 

 gcdenis. Even that tremendous scientific name hardly 

 does justice to this giant among feathered fowl ; which, 

 however, despite those murderous mandibles, appears to 

 confine its attentions to frogs and the like "small deer" 

 on the marshy margins of the lakes. We observed it on 

 Nakuru and Elmenteita., and it is sketched at p. 39. 



White Stork — Ciconia alba. A winter migrant, at times cover- 

 ing the plain in a black and white crowd, doing invaluable 

 service in locust-killing. 



White-bellied Stork — Ahdimia abdimii. With the above 

 were a few of this smaller and darker species that I took 

 at the time to be Black Storks (C. nigra), which latter we 

 did not observe. 



Ibises 



Glossy Ibis — Ibis falcinellus 



Sacred Ibis — I. aihiopica. 



Both species common on all lakes. 



Hagedash Ibis — Hagcdasliia liagcdash. Common. 



Wood-Ibis — Pseiidotantalus ibis. Scattered over the country 

 by wooded rivers. A big bird, stork-like in colour, but 

 with a heavy, curved orange beak. The bare skin of the 



