I S6 CASSELL'S BOOK OF BIRDS. 



striking the water ; its proportionately long neck enables it to do this, allowing it to keep its body at 

 the distance of about an inch from the surface, while a considerable portion of its beak is held under 

 water. Its hunting ground seems to extend for about the space of a mile up and down the stream. 

 In Central Africa it will sometimes leave the river to hunt over some neighbouring pond. On the 

 south and western parts of that continent it may possibly, like its American congeners, occasionally 

 pay a visit to the coast. The cry of the Scissor-bills, which may sometimes be heard when they are 

 passing about in company with each other is very peculiar, and entirely different from the cry of any 

 other bird with which we are acquainted. 



In the neighbourhood of Dongola we were fortunate enough to light upon one of their breeding- 

 places. In the month of May we happened to see a number of these birds at their ease lying flat 

 upon a large sandbank, which we were thus tempted to visit, and here to our great delight we found 

 some of their nests. These latter consisted simply of excavations made in the sand ; there was, 

 however, this peculiarity about them, that each seemed to be the centre of a series of radiating lines 

 that looked as if drawn with the back of a knife, and which obviously had been made by the birds, 

 with their lower mandible. The eggs we found bore an extraordinary resemblance to those of the 

 Sea Swallows. They were of an oval shape and in colour of a greenish grey, bordering on yellow, 

 irregularly speckled with light and dark patches and streaks of grey and dark brown. In every 

 nest we found five eggs. Whether both sexes brood or not we were unable to ascertain, neither 

 could we obtain information as to the rearing of the nestlings. 



Speaking of the young of the Indian species, Mr. Brooks writes to Jerdon: — "It was amusing 

 to see an army of some hundreds of these little fellows (tortoiseshell-looking things) running' 

 steadily a couple of hundred yards before us. They run well, and when we reached the end of 

 the sandbank, they attempted to swim off, while many squatted down ; they did not make much 

 way swimming, and sank very deep in the water." 



The GULLS (Lari) form a well-defined and distinct family, recognisable by the following 

 characters. Although these birds vary in size, from that of a Jackdaw to that of an Eagle, all are 

 powerfully framed, with a short neck and large head. Their beak, which is of medium length, is 

 strongly compressed at the sides, straight from the brow to the centre of culmen, and from that point 

 to its apex bent gradually downwards, so as to form a strong terminal hook ; both the upper and 

 lower mandibles are provided with sharp cutting edges, and the gape extends backwards as far as the 

 eyes ; the tarsus is moderately high, but slender ; the foot, with few exceptions, four-toed, the interior 

 toes being webbed ; the wings are long and broad, but acutely-pointed, the first quill being the longest ; 

 the tail, consisting of twelve feathers, of moderate length, is broad and straight, less frequently slightly 

 incised ; in a few species the centre feathers are somewhat prolonged. The general plumage, which is 

 thick and soft, and fur-like on the under surface of the body, is very similarly coloured throughout the 

 entire family. Upon the mantle and wings the prevalent hue is a beautiful blueish grey, varied 

 with white and slate-black ; the feathers of the under side (in many species the head and neck) are 

 pure white ; the back and feet of old birds are brighter and often of a different tint to those of the 

 young. Gulls are to be met with in every quarter of the globe, but are most abundant in northern 

 regions. A few species wander to a considerable distance from land, always, however, returning to 

 the vicinity of the shore. All may therefore properly be called coast birds, and to the mariner they 

 are always welcome, as sure harbingers of land. Their flights inland are even more frequent than 

 their excursions into the open sea, and many of them may often be seen following the course of large 

 rivers, or winging their way from lake to lake, into the interior of the country. Some species will 

 frequently settle in the vicinity of inland lakes, and most of them prefer a similar situation as their 



