THE STILT -WALKERS. 71 



The GIANT STORKS (Mycteria) are comparatively tall birds, with a slender body, long neck, 

 and rather large head ; the very long beak is almost straight or very slightly curved, and furnished with 

 a saddle-shaped cere at its base, and skinny knobs or appendages beneath. The tarsi are high, and 

 the toes short ; the long and rounded wing has its third quill longer than the rest ; the tail is straight, 

 and of medium length. The sexes are almost alike in size. The young are less brightly coloured 

 than the adult birds. Of the three species of Giant Storks with which we are acquainted, one 

 occupies Africa, another Australia, and the third South America ; these birds nearly resemble each 

 other in their general appearance and habits. 



THE SENEGAL JABIRU. 



The Senegal Jabiru (Mycteria Sencgalensis) is a large powerful bird, with the head, throat, upper 

 wing, shoulders, and tail of a glossy metallic black; the rest of the plumage is of dazzling whiteness. 

 In the beak the upper mandible is of very pale tint for" about three inches from its base, and the under 

 one for about one inch and a half; then comes a bar of black for about three inches, and from that 

 to the end the bill is reddish, increasing in depth of colour to the bright vermilion tip. On 

 each side of the upper mandible is a large semi-oval and transparent space, which at the back part is 

 continued upwards in a curved direction across the fore part of the eyes and over the nostrils. 

 Beneath the base of the bill, just at the beginning of the feathery part, are two very small, pear- 

 shaped, pendent, yellowish wattles adhering by very small necks. The bare portions of the face are 

 reddish, the eyes and eye-rings yellow ; the broad movable cere is also yellow, surrounded by a 

 narrow border of black feathers. The tarsi are brownish grey, the knee and toe-joints dull red. This 

 species is fifty-six inches long, and ninety-two broad ; the wing measures twenty-five, and the tail ten 

 inches. In the young, all the dark parts of the plumage are brownish grey, and the under side dirty 

 greyish yellow. Their eye is brown, and beak blackish red ; the appendages beneath the beak are 

 not developed. 



This fine bird is a native of Africa, where it principally frequents the regions watered by the 

 White and Blue Nile, but is also seen in other parts of the continent. It lives in pairs, and occupies 

 the shores of rivers, or the vicinity of lakes, tanks, and morasses, only quitting these for a short period 

 during the rainy season ; occasionally, but very rarely, it is met with near shallow salt water. Upon 

 the ground it moves with a certain stately grace, and, owing to its length of leg, appears taller than it 

 really is. Whilst in the air its fine black and white pinions render it a most striking and beautiful 

 object. Unfortunately for science, the Senegal Jabiru is so extremely shy as to render any close 

 observation of its habits almost impossible. In the stomachs of such specimens as we examined, we 

 found reptiles and beetles ; it also eats fish, and, according to Ruppell, has been seen upon carrion, 

 but whether the bird was eating the putrid flesh, or merely gleaning off the insects that were feasting 

 thereon, is at present uncertain. Gurney states that the pairs remain united for life, and entertain 

 each other by a most strange dancing kind of performance. Should one of them die, the survivor 

 does not soon mate again. It is probable that this species breeds on trees, and builds a nest 

 resembling that of the Stork. 



THE JABIRU. 



The Jabiru (Mycteria Austra/is) has the head and neck of a deep glossy green, shading into 

 purple and violet at the back of the head ; the large wing-covers, scapularies, lower part of the back, 

 and tail are glossy green, tinged with a golden lustre ; the rest of the plumage is pure white. The 

 beak is black, the eye deep hazel, and the leg bright red. 



This species has a wide range over Australia, and at the time of its first colonisation was seen 

 as near to Sydney as Botany Bay ; in the neighbourhood of the Hunter River, it is occasionally met 



