298 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 



Measurements of a male : — 



351. Hagedashia caffrensis (Licht.). Hagedash Ibis. 



Ibis chalcoptera, Vieillot's Gal. des Ois. pi. 240. 

 Gerouticus hagedash, Layard's Cat. No. 605. 



,, „ Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 419. 



Hayedashia hagedash, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10228. 



This Ibis is found abundantly in the Lake-regions and 

 on the rivers Teoughe and Botletle. It feeds on insects, 

 but does not despise other kinds of food ; it is always 

 observed in flocks, which vary from a few individuals to a 

 dozen or two in number. 



These birds roost at night on trees in the immediate 

 neighbourhood of water, which they leave at daybreak 

 for their favourite feeding-grounds ; these are sometimes 

 situate in dense forest bush, sometimes in reedy thickets, 

 and sometimes amongst rocks. They always return to 

 the same tree at night, and thus often fall an easy prey 

 to the marksman, who conceals himself in ambush within 

 a convenient distance of their favourite perch, birds of 

 this species being much sought after for their flesh, which 

 is very palatable. 



When suddenly disturbed, or when straggling back to 

 their nightly quarters, these birds scream most vocife- 

 rously ; and during my arduous and tortuous ascent and 

 descent of the Teoughe, I was not unfrequently quite 



