6930 Birds. 



are by no means so uncommon, though still extremely wary. In 

 open situations, as these beds of river shingle, their great height gives 

 them so commanding a view, it is impossible to approach un- 

 perceived. They rise with slow beats of the immense wings, alight 

 a hundred yards off, and then, erect and exactly fronting the intruder, 

 watch his movements. If disturbed a second time they rarely alight 

 again within sight. After some time a negro succeeded in shooting 

 one for me. The chief dimensions were as follow : — Length 47 in. ; 

 expanse 7S^ in. ; height, when placed in a standing position as 

 natural as possible, 49 in. : the stomach contained only a little muddy 

 matter, gritty to the touch, and several sets of the wings of our 

 largest Libelhiladae, showing they do not despise insect-prey : the 

 mandibles still grasped an eel about eighteen inches long, the head 

 (much bruised and the bones broken) foremost down the throat. For 

 some time past one has frequented this valley, but has always eluded 

 my most carefully planned attempts to get a shot. It seems always 

 on the watch, and, after one delay, rarely fails to take a wide sweep, 

 and slowly floats to the topmost boughs of a lofty tree at the base of 

 one of the shale precipices, and there waits till danger disappears. 

 About a fortnight ago it was joined by another. They keep close 

 together, and seem, as they come slowly flapping low over the river, 

 to take up its whole breadth. I may remark they always curve back 

 the neck when flying, and never proceed to considerable distances 

 with the neck outstretched and legs hanging, as the egrets will often 

 do. They are exceedingly regular in their habits of visiting par- 

 ticular spots at certain hours of the day, and this for many days 

 together. I have latterly, from indisposition, been unable to carry 

 my gun or go out, except in the cool of the day, for the delicious 

 half-hours which precede and follow the sunsets of the tropics. In 

 riding along the road towards the narrow gorge, through which the 

 river breaks into the valley, I regularly saw these birds in the middle 

 of the stream where the water rippled over a shoal. No artifice 

 I could adopt enabled me to approach them. If I went on along the 

 road they watched me, as I observed they did many groups of negroes, 

 but remained ; but if I stopped they were off. At last one evening 

 I did not see them : 1 approached the river to search, my position 

 being on the high bank of ancient alluvium ; the opposite bank 

 of river-shingle low and shelving. Suddenly one came round a 

 bend of the river and alighted a yard or two from the water. on the 

 opposite bank : I happened to be there first ; its distance from me 

 might be about fifty yards. The bird immediately drew itself up in 



