ON THE BIRD-LIFE IN NORTHERN NIGERIA 25 



sun, and run airily over the baked sand, unheeded by 

 marabou storks with ponderous bills, that stand stockstill 

 and look as stiff -jointed and dried-up as though they had 

 lived for a thousand years. When the sun goes down, these 

 ungainly birds fly off singly to trees inland where they roost » 

 to appear again next day on their favourite sand-banks at 

 dawn. And a look through one's glasses will sometimes detect 



THE SCISSOR-BILL TERN 



the elegant little grey pratincole {Glareola cinerea), by no- 

 means a common species, found also on the River Volta. It 

 always frequents the sand-banks, and in this respect is unlike 

 other pratincoles {Glareola emini), which take a delight in 

 rock-strewn rivers. 



Perhaps one of the most interesting and curious birds 

 to be seen sometimes squatting on the sand-banks is the 

 scissor-bill tern {Rhynchops flavirostris). The formation of 

 the bill of this bird is truly remarkable, the under mandible 

 being shaped like the blade of a knife, and extending beyond 

 the upper. Several theories as to its use have been put 

 forward. I do not think that it has anything to do with the 

 catching of fish. I have never seen the bill put to this use, 

 though on many occasions I have watched flocks of these birds 

 skimming with steady wing-beats close to the surface of the 



