Chap. XIV. WATEK-FOWL. 253 



surface of the water can be so well performed as to yield a 

 meal, for it is usually done in the dark. Like most aquatic 

 feeders, they work by night, when insects and fishes rise to 

 the surface. They have great affection for their young, its 

 amoimt being increased in proportion to the helplessness of the 

 offspring. 



There are also numbers of spoonbills, nearly white in plumage ; 

 the beautiful, stately flamingo ; the Numidian crane, or demoiselle, 

 some of which, tamed at Government House, Cape Town, struck 

 every one as most graceful ornaments to a noble mansion as they 

 perched on its pillars. There are two cranes besides — one light 

 blue, the other also light blue, but with a white neck ; and gulls 

 (Procellaria) of different sizes abound. 



One pretty little wader, an avoset, appears as if standing on 

 stilts, its legs are so long ; and its bill seems bent the wrong 

 way, or upwards. It is constantly seen wading in the shallows, 

 digging up little slippery insects, the peculiar form of the bill 

 enabling it to work them easily out of the sand. When feeding, 

 it puts its head under the water to seize the insect at the 

 bottom, then lifts it up quickly, making a rapid gobbling, as if 

 swallowing a wriggling worm. 



The Parr a Africana runs about on the surface as if walking 

 on water, catching insects. It too has long, thin legs, and 

 extremely long toes, for the purpose of enabling it to stand on 

 the floating lotus-leaves and other aquatic plants. When it 

 stands on a lotus-leaf five inches in diameter, the spread of toes, 

 acting on the principle of snow-shoes, occupies all the surface, 

 and it never sinks, though it obtains a livelihood, not by swim- 

 ming or flying, but by walking on the water. 



Water-birds, whose prey or food requires a certain aim or 

 action in one direction, have bills quite straight in form, as the 

 heron and snipe ; while those which are intended to come in 

 contact with hard substances, as breaking shells, have the bills 

 gently curved, in order that the shock may not be communicated 

 to the brain. 



The Barotse valley contains great numbers of large black 

 geese.* They may be seen everywhere walking slowly about 



* Anser leucagaster and rnelanogaster. 



