THE LIFE OF THE ABARY SAVANNAS. 353 



which is never forgotten. The two species would rise in 

 distinct flocks, perhaps six or eight hundred of each, flow up 

 and over the tall grass in two living waves of scarlet and gold, 

 and then intermingle, the rain of red and yellow sparks being 

 gradually quenched by the green expanse, as the birds settled 

 among the shelter of the reeds. Of course these flocks 

 were composed only of those individuals close to the track or 

 the river bank. How many myriads were scattered over the 

 savanna we shall never know. We must have flushed a great 

 many thousand of these two species in the course of the day, 

 and scattered among them were a few Guiana Meadow 

 larks ^" looking much like our northern birds. 



Every few dozen yards over the savanna, a tall white figure 

 stood motionless, silently watching us — American Egrets ^- 

 distributed for their day's fishing, hundreds dotting the marsh, 

 each solitary, statuesque. Among them was a sprinkling of 

 Wood Ibises '^ and beautiful Cocoi Herons." These latter 

 were much shyer than the others and all within a hundred 

 yards of us would take to flight as we passed, leaving their 

 more fearless comrade-fishers in full possession. 



All these Herons soon became a common sight, and we 

 swept mile after mile of savanna with our glasses, seeing noth- 

 ing but the white birds dotted everywhere. At last we were 

 rewarded, and a giant white Stork came into sight, towering 

 above the Herons, with black head and neck, and the sun 

 reflected from the distended scarlet skin of the lower neck. 

 The bill had the faintest of tilts upward and we knew we 

 were looking for the first time at a living Jabiru,'°the biggest 

 and perhaps the rarest wading bird of our continent. It 

 stands fully five feet in height and the spread of the wings is 

 about eight feet. 



Soon another appeared a half mile farther on, and a third, 

 and before our journey's end we had seen at least a dozen 

 of these splendid birds. We have but one or two meagre 



