Phe SE he i, f : 2 ie 
: Jat ae Sra lrae Wa 
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248 A JOURNEY UP THE RIVER CONGO. 
CHAPTER XIV. 
NATURAL HISTORY—ORNITHOLOGY. 
THE Fiyx-roor—Fricate BrirpDs—GANNETS—PELICANS—AQUATIC 
Birps AT STANLEY PooL—GyPoHIERAX VULTURES—HawKks— 
Ratts AND PLovers—THE CrocopiLE’s Frrenp—A PLOVER ~ 
F'aAMILY—Pi1cEons—Parrots—RoLLERS—Crows. 
THE first bird of any note that I saw after arriving at 
Stanley Pool was a fin-foot (Podica). This curious creature, 
which is a type of one of those intermediary families from 
which, as it were, many more specialised forms diverge, is 
not common in West Africa. I have never observed it 
but once on the Congo, and that at Stanley Pool ; and 
have only seen it elsewhere on the little Chiluango river, 
near Landana. The specimen that I examined at Léopold- 
ville (Stanley Pool) had been shot by a surly German 
gardener attached to the expedition, who spent his spare 
time in collecting birds for certain Museums. He had no 
notion what the bird was; but, seeing I prized it, not only 
refused to sell it to me, but would not even let me draw it, 
or dissect its carcase after it had been skinned, fearing lest 
I might forestall him in the discovery of a new species. 
Consequently, I am unable to do more than give a super- 
ficial description of its appearance. The general colour of 
this Podica was a dark mottled brown with green reflec- 
tions on the whole of the upper surface, while on the 
throat and belly it was a dirty white. Just above the eye — 
was a streak of light colour, running from the base of the 
upper mandible to the ear, and beneath this a broader 
band of dark brown parallel with it, The breast was 
