Birds of Suuthern Cameroon. 485 



from T. oVivaceus, au example of which I procured at Efulcu 

 some years ago (cf. 'Ibis/ 1904^ p. 96). 



The immature specimen (No. 4271) shews no marked 

 difference in plumage from the adult ; the difference in the 

 length of the bill is^ however, remarkable, and so is the 

 difference in the colouring of the naked skin of the head ; in 

 the young bird this is uniform dark purplish blue, while in 

 the adult it is black with some light blue spots. 



I was informed that the young bird (No. 4271) was one 

 of two individuals which were seen standing on the bank of a 

 stream, and thrusting their bills into the water. No. 1177 

 (' Ibis/ 1907, p. 423) was likewise said to have been one of a 

 pair seen to fly up into a tree from the bank of the same 

 stream. The stomachs of all contained some worm-like 

 creatures, or bits of shell and perhaps insects, along with a 

 quantity of mud and decaying leaves ; and even the intestine 

 of one seemed to be full of mud. 



AbDIMIA ABDIMir. 



Reichenow, V. A. i. p. 343. 



No. 4170. ? . Bitye, R. Ja, April 18, 1910. 



This is the only specimen I have ever met with in 

 Cameroon, and the natives with whom I talked had never 

 seen one. It appeared at the end of the longer dry season, 

 the rains of April were late in beginning last year. That is 

 the period of greatest drought all over Africa north of the 

 equatorial forest-belt, and the Stork had evidently been 

 driven by lack of food to wander so far. Its stomach was 

 full of grasshoppers. It settled in a large clearing that had 

 recently been burned off; and when disturbed did not fly 

 to the surrounding forest, but remained on the cleared 

 land. 



Nycticorax leuconotus. 

 Reichenow, V. A. i. p. 363. 



No. 2977. S adult. Stomach full of small crustaceans. 

 No. 4042. (^ imm. 



Both specimens were obtained at Bitye, the first having 

 been shot, the second caught by the leg in a noose that had 



SER. IX. VOL. V. 2 L 



