NUMEROUS BIRDS 117 



egret,* an interesting species with two distinct 

 phases, or forms of plumage irrespective of age 

 or sex. WhoUy white, or entirely blue, examples 

 are equally common, while one specimen which I 

 shot was mottled with white and blue-grey, aU 

 the feathers being parti-coloured. These egrets 

 collect in great numbers round the pools of fresh- 

 water near the settlement, and when disturbed 

 fly but a Uttle way, quickly assembling again at 

 the same spot. One can realise what a nuisance 

 they must be to the inhabitants, so soon do they 

 foul the scanty supply of fresh water. 



A small kestrel and a sunbird were also fairly 

 common in the casuarina trees ; the latter is 

 peculiar to Aldabra, though closely allied to the 

 sunbird of Assumption, from which it differs only 

 in having more yellow on the underparts. 



Doves, I also, somewhat similar to those found 

 on Assumption, were fairly numerous, but the 

 Aldabra rail was not at all common, and I 

 only met with two, both of which I obtained 

 during our stay. The jet black males and grey 

 females of a drongo shrikej were conspicuous 

 inhabitants of the bush in the neighbourhood 

 of the village, but they were exceedingly shy and 

 difficult to approach. 



As the tide roUed in, numbers of shore-birds 

 left the sandy beach and flew over into the lagoon, 



* Demiegretta sacra. f Turtur dldahranus. 



% Dicrurus aldabranus. 



K 



