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BEAKS 



339 



which has a beak like a nut-cracker, for the niaiulilik's 

 cannot lie closed in the middle, lives on frogs and 

 fishes, but its favourite food consists of fresh-water 

 molluscs, especially AmpuUdvia, the shells of wdiich it 

 can crush with this powerful beak. (_)n account of its 

 cleverness in this direction it has been called the 

 "shell-ibis." 



Tlie shafts of the feathers on the fore-neck an<l 

 lower parts of the Open-bill expand in the adult bird 

 into flat, shining, horn-like plates at the tip. This 

 terminal expanded portion is 

 also jjartly twisted on its axis. 



These l)irds breed in society 

 at certain localities among the 

 reeds. The places are known 

 to tlie chiefs, who, at particular 

 times of the year, gather most 

 of the young. The chicks are 

 very fat, and when roasted are 

 esteemed one of the dainties of 

 the Barotse Valley (Living- 

 stone). 



All educated men and women 



1 • •, ,1 -KT-i TT 11 j_ 1 J^"^ shell of Ampu/laria, the 



who Visit the JNile Valley take favourite food of the Opcn-bm. 

 keen interest in the Sacred Ibis. 



This bird was regarded with great veneration l:)y the 

 ancient Egyptians. (3rnithologists are satisfied that 

 Ihi.'i (ethiopicus is identical with the sacred ibis of the 

 Egyptians : in the form of Toth they deified this l)ird, 

 and its body was often mummified (Ibis mummies). 

 The adult bird has a bare l:)lack head which earned 

 for it the name of Chimney Sweeper from the Dutch 

 in South Africa. Young birds have the head covered 

 with short feathers, and the head becomes bald about 

 the second or third year. The bill is long, strong, and 

 curved downwards like that of the curlew ; its chief 

 peculiarity is a longitudinal groove on each side, leading 

 from the nostrils at the base to near its tip. 



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