THE SEA-FLIERS. 1 85 



were found among the entire ones, as if they had been purposely placed there. The birds did not 

 discontinue their labours, although there were nine or ten of us walking among the bushes, and when 

 we had gone a few yards into the thicket, thousands of them flew quite low over us, some at times 

 coming so close as to enable us to catch a few of them with the hand. On one side might be seen a 

 Noddy carrying a stick in its bill, or a bird picking up something from the ground to add to its nest, 

 on the other several were sitting on their eggs, unconscious of danger, while their mates brought them 

 food, The greater part rose on wing as we advanced, but re-alighted as soon as we had passed. The 

 bushes were rarely taller than ourselves, so that we could easily see the eggs in the nests." It is 

 stated that the Anous stolidus occasionally visits St. George's Channel, and in 1840 two specimens 

 were shot off the coast of Wexford. 



The SCISSOR-BILLS (Rhynchopes) constitute a group of night birds, bearing the same relation- 

 ship to the Sea Swallows as the Owls to the Falcons. Their body is elongate, neck long, head 

 small, wings very long, and the forked tail of moderate size. Their beak is so peculiar in its structure 

 that it can be compared to nothing so happily as to a pair of scissors. The lower mandible is very 

 considerably longer than the upper portion of the bill ; the legs are feeble, tolerably long but slender, 

 and the anterior toes connected by a deeply-incised web. The general plumage, which is close and 

 smooth, presents a peculiar, greasy appearance. 



THE INDIAN SCISSOR-BILL. 

 The Indian Scissor-bill (Rhynchops orientalis) is white upon the forehead, face, tail, under side 

 of the body, and upon the points of the larger wing-covers ; the top of the head, back of neck, and 

 mantle are blackish brown ; the eyes are dark brown, the beak and feet coral-red. The length of 

 this species is seventeen inches, its breadth forty-two inches, length of wing thirteen inches, and of 

 tail two inches and a half. The Scissor-bill has frequently come under our notice, while travelling 

 along the banks of the Middle and Upper Nile. This bird may occasionally be seen flying by day if 

 it has been disturbed ; but it usually remains motionless upon sandbanks from morning to evening, 

 generally lying flat upon its belly, more rarely standing up on its little feeble feet ; while thus reposing, 

 it is but seldom that it makes any noise or exhibits the slightest activity. As the sun sets, however, 

 it begins to be more lively, moves about, stretches itself, raises its wings, hops backwards and 

 forwards, and utters its peculiar cry ; but it is only as night approaches that it flies away in search of 

 food. Its movements are then in exact accordance with the peculiar structure of its beak. With 

 long strokes of its wings, it glides noiselessly along close to the water, from time to time dipping its 

 lower mandible beneath the surface and keeping it there for a minute or two at a time, ploughing, as 

 it were, the top of the river, with its strangely-shaped under jaw, and skimming the water. In this 

 manner it manages to collect great numbers of the insects, which upon the banks of the Nile, at least, 

 constitute its principal food. Whether it also eats small molluscs, more particularly bivalves, and is 

 skilful in opening them with its beak, we cannot say, but that this is the case with some of its 

 congeners seems to be pretty well established. Lesson states that he saw an American Scissor-bill 

 seat itself quietly down near some bivalve shell-fish left by the tide and wait patiently till they opened 

 their valves, when it inserted its beak between the separated shells, till the occupant again closed its 

 valves and thus laid hold upon the beak; he then flew away with it to a neighbouring stone and beat 

 the shell to pieces. Tschiidi relates the same circumstance, but whether from his own observation or 

 from Lesson's narrative we do not know. At present we entertain some doubts of the accuracy of 

 the observations alluded to. The flight of the Scissor-bill is light and beautiful, but somewhat 

 peculiar, inasmuch as the bird is obliged to raise its wings very high in order to prevent the tips from 

 vol. iv. — 142 



