SHADOW BIRDS AND THE HOUSES THEY BUILD. 249 



SHADOW BIRDS AND THE HOUSES THEY 

 BUILD. 



■WHERE AND HOW THEY BUILD THEM. 



The ponds, marshes, rivers, and lakes in southern 

 Africa are sometimes haunted by strange, weird crea- 

 tures called shadow birds, that flit about in the dusk 

 of the evening preying upon frogs, small lish, and 

 water snakes. 



At times two or three meeting at the same small 

 pool will silently and solemnly perform a singular 

 dance, skipping absurdly around each other, extend- 

 ing their necks and stiltlike legs, opening and clos- 

 ing their bills, and performing strange antics. 



These birds, instead of nests, build themselves great 

 houses of clay and sticks, as much, we are told, as nine 

 feet long by four and a half wide, containing at 

 least a large cart load of sticks, and so strongly built 

 that a heavy, full-grown man can stand on the 

 rounded roof without crushing it. A small door just 

 large enough for the bird to squeeze through is placed 

 at the side most difficult to get at. 



These strange dwelling places contain three dis- 

 tinct rooms, the walls of which, like those that form 

 the outside of the house, are carefully built of clay 

 and twigs nicely worked together, and between each 

 of the rooms is a door like that leading outside of 

 these apartments. The one in the rear is the largest, 

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