NATURAL HISTORY. 953 
allied species) in Malaysia, has been shot at Vivi on the 
Lower Congo, and a specimen may be seen in the Museum 
of the African International Association at Brussels. In 
spite of its curiously modified beak, wide gape, and other 
peculiarities, I think all its affinities are with the accipi- 
trine group. We should certainly admire it for its 
original taste in food, and one would imagine that it had 
few emulators in the chase, for bats do not seem to be a 
favourite article of diet. 
There are many plovers and rails found on the Congo, 
but, in common with most of the wading and water birds, 
they affect rather the broad stream and many islands of 
the Upper and Lower river than the straitened region of 
the cataracts. Of course the species of this great pluvia- 
line group are very numerous. Among them, however, 
deserve to be noticed certain birds which, from their great 
abundance and bold demeanour, are common features in 
the river foregrounds. Such are Pluvianus Agyptius, a 
pretty little shore-frequenting bird, and the spur-winged 
plover, whom I have frequently mentioned as the “ croco- 
dile’s friend.” A drawing of him appears at the close 
of this chapter, but I will also add a word or two of 
verbal description, so that all my readers who may come 
across him may recognise him and spare his life, for 
several reasons: firstly, because he is not at all good to 
eat ; secondly, because he is a bold, independent creature 
who always speaks or shrieks his mind; and, thirdly, 
because he is exceedingly common, and it is very wicked 
to kill a bird unless it is good to eat or new to science. 
The spur-winged plover, Lobivanellus albiceps, is about 
the size of an ordinary lapwing; has long greenish legs 
with only three toes; a pendant-yellow lobe or wattle, 
one inch in length, on each side of the head; strong 
sharp spurs on the “shoulder” or carpal joint of the 
wings, and is coloured as follows: a large white band 
runs along the top of the head, from which comes the 
sub-name albiceps; the face, throat, and tail coverts are 
dove-coloured, merging into fawn on the shoulder; the 
back and the secondaries are jet-black, and the belly 
