SCOPID^ 



SCOPUS 



63 



Habits. — This singular bird, remarkable alike for its habits and 

 its structure is fairly common throughout South Africa and is a 

 resident species. It is generally seen solitary or perhaps occa- 

 sionally in pairs, and never far from water either of rivers or lakes. 

 Here it can often be observed standing motionless and meditative 

 with its head drawn down somewhat between its shoulders ; its food 

 consists of water insects, frogs, and small fishes, which it obtains 



Fig. 1G. — Scojnis umhrelta. 



by searching along the shallows of the rivers and marshes. It 

 is chiefly seen at dusk and rises with a somewhat laboured flight, 

 giving utterance to a harsh, metallic note ; when two or three 

 meet together they often go through a number of weird gambols ; 

 Marshall describes meeting three of them solemnly dancing round 

 one another bowing and flapping their wings and exhibiting all sorts 

 of strange antics, which were all the more ludicrous in so stolid- 

 looking a bird ; they are much attached to particula.r localities and 

 seem to remain there for many years. 



