Letters, Extracts, Notices, &;c. 167 



paces, but always preferring to be on their feet. Peeping 

 down some small tributary one might catch a glimpse of the 

 solemn whale-headed stork (Balceniceps rex) slowly waking 

 to the world and pluming himself. In the reeds and grass 

 might be seen gorgeous crimson finches hopping about from 

 stalk to stalk and sparkling in the sun ; and by the banks 

 many kinds of Bee-eaters with lustrous metallic red and 

 green plumage, darting about and snapping up their food ; 

 or close to the glassy surface of the water might come swiftly 

 Hying a tiger kingfisher, in grey and white. In the calms, 

 duck and teal would be floating about, to get under wing at 

 our approach and fly away. In the swampy parts, snipe 

 would suddenly get up squaw r king and protesting at our 

 intrusion into such undesirable spots. Beautiful little blue- 

 birds would flit about the mimosa trees, upon which also 

 might be seen hung innumerable fruit-eating bats. High 

 lip iu the heavens some magnificent eagle might be making 

 a journey, and slowly circling above would be most likely 

 the ever-present vultures and marabou storks. At night, 

 or during the twilight, the night-jar would appear with 

 his uneven flight, awakening the silence with a beautiful 

 liquid voice. The species peculiar to these parts is very 

 weird, for it has two little pennants flying behind it, 

 attached by long sinews to the wings. It uses these 

 pennants in the most wonderful manner. When the bird 

 settles on the ground, it raises them erect to mimic grasses 

 in flower, and, with its body lying close to the ground, looking 

 for all the world like a small tuft, it is passed by undetected. 

 The females lay their eggs on the bare ground, and so do not 

 have to move on the approach of clanger. Unconscious of their 

 presence, I have often put them up just as I was about to 

 tread on them. Though their note is sweet-sounding, it 

 becomes most distressing to a sick man trying to get to 

 sleep, and many a time have they been cursed for their 

 songs." [This quotation includes a very interesting obser- 

 vation. The Nightjar in question is, no doubt, Macro- 

 dipteryx longipennis, and this may be the explanation of its 

 very curious wing-structure. In Newton's 'Dictionary of 



