Hammer-head 151 



dry spots entirely surrounded by water. The birds before laying scrape a hole 

 in the earth, in which, without any lining of grass or feathers, the female deposits 

 her eggs. As many as a dozen eggs have been found in the same nest." Mr.- 

 Petherick succeeded in hatching some of the eggs under fowls and reared the 

 young, sending them alive to England. 



THE HAMMER-HEAD, OR UMBRETTE 



(Family Scopidce) 



Although a much smaller bird than the one last considered, the Hammer- 

 head is only about twenty inches in total length, it is in many ways even more 

 peculiar and interesting, since it combines, in quite a remarkable degree, charac- 

 ters that ally it to both Herons and Storks, a Stork-like Heron, as it has been 

 called. It differs from the true Herons in the absence of powder-down patches, 

 the pectination of the middle claw, and in having ten instead of eleven primaries. 

 It differs, on the other hand, from the Storks in having the Heron-like vocal appara- 

 tus, while the skull, Mr. Beddard says, "is on the whole more Stork-like than 

 Heron-like, but it does not show any of the extreme modifications of the Stork 

 type." There are numerous other structural features suggesting one or the other 

 of these types, and it seems safe to assume that it is closely allied to the ancestral 

 form whence the two groups have originated. Its nearest living relative is 

 probably the Shoe-bill. 



It is a bird not larger than a Night Heron, with a somewhat cylindrical body, 

 a large head set on a short, thick neck, and a rather large, compressed bill which 

 has a downward curve at the tip. In color the plumage is an almost uniform 

 earthy brown (umber), whence of course the French name Umbrette. There is 

 a slight gloss of bronzy purple above, especially on the wings and tail, while 

 below it is more ashy brown. The head is very strongly crested, the long crest- 

 feathers being usually borne horizontally, thus somewhat resembling a hammer 

 and giving rise to its common name. The toes are rather long and slightly webbed 

 at the base ; the tail of twelve feathers is also moderately long. 



The Hammer-head (Scopus umbrella), or Hammerkop, as it is called by the 

 Boers, is widely distributed over tropical Africa, Arabia, and Madagascar, though 

 nowhere very abundant. Andersson states that it is pretty generally diffused 

 over Damara Land, where "it is generally observed singly or in pairs, and is of 

 a fearless disposition, allowing a person to approach within range without diffi- 

 culty." It is there often met with during the rainy season, but moves to per- 

 manent waters as the rain-pools dry up. Reichenow says it "is sociable only in 

 a slight degree. It is usually found single except at the nest, in wooded 

 districts, watching for fishes with its neck drawn in, or walking with measured 

 steps in search of frogs, which, besides worms, snails, and insects, constitute its 

 food. Its flight resembles that of the Ibises, neck and feet being carried straight 

 out. Its voice is a harsh quack, similar to that of the Spoon-bill." 



