234 THE BIRDS OF RIVER AND VLEI 



There is a smaller rather closely allied bird, the Striped 

 Kingfisher {H. chelicuti) which need not concern us here. 



The Angola Kingfisher {H. cyanoleucus), easily recognisable 

 by the upper mandible being red whUe the lower is black, 

 and the Mangrove Kingfisher {H. senegahides) are scarce 

 birds within our limits. 



CORMORANTS 



The Cormorants (Family Phalacrocoracidce) are essentially 

 sea birds, but two of the species have been recorded as breed- 

 ing on inland waters. ■ 



The White-breasted Duiker {Phalacrocorax Iticidus) is 

 white on the sides and forepart of the neck, from the throat 

 downwards, extending to the upper breast ; rest of under- 

 surface and the most of the upper parts black. The head is 

 adorned with a few lengthened feathers, and the tail contains 

 fourteen rectrices. Length, about 3 feet. 



This bird is found all along the South African coast, and 

 inland it has been recorded from Kroonstad by Barratt, 

 Vredefort Eoad (Ham£ton), Ehodesia (Marshall), and, more 

 recently, from the Compies River, near the Swaziland 

 Border, by C. H. Taylor. It breeds on most of the islands 

 off the Cape Coast, and Sparrow found a pair nesting in a 

 willow tree on the shore of a vlei at Bethlehem, Orange 

 Eiver Colony, on May 16. 



The eggs are pale blue and of a chalky texture, and may 

 be looked for at almost any season. This Cormorant dives 

 and swims with great facility, and, like all its kind, feeds on 

 fish, moUusca, &c. 



The Long-tailed Cormorant {Phalacrocorax africanus) is 

 of a general black colour, relieved by a little greyish on the 

 wings and a few white feathers on the sides of the face and 

 neck. The forehead is ornamented by a tuft of upright 



