Birds of Gambia. 
131 
Birds of Gambia. 
By E. HoPKiNSoN, D.S.O., M.A., M.B. 
(Coriilinued from P'igc lO'Jj. 
H. alha. UllEAT WHITE ELiKJ^T. 
Range. Soutli Europe lo Central Asia; liulia; Uuriuali; 
Africa. {H.L). 
H. (jarzeiiu. LITTLIC ECiKET. 
liange. ttuuth Europe .tu CeuUal Asia; India; Cliina; .Japan; 
Malaya; Africa. {H.L). 
These Iwo widely spread apecies are both connnoii in the 
Gam'bia. in both tlie entire plumage is snow-white and both de- 
velop the characteristic egret ornamental plumes during the breed- 
ing season, though those of tlie smaller species are neither very 
loag nor abundant. The main dillerence between them is one of 
size, alba being about a fwt longer than <}arzeLla, th'O latter 
measuring some 28, the former 88, inches in length; in the beak 
also there is a dillerence, as this is wholly black in the Little 
Egret; yellow with black tip and edges in the larger bird. 
These Egrets were in former yeai's shot by a lew Jiative 
hunters, but never to any great extent, as there never seemed .to 
be any great demand for their plumes, wliich ut their best cannot 
compared at all with those obtained from other non-African species. 
Now that they are protected by law, both in Britisli and Erench 
teiTitory, duriing the breeding season very little if anything is done 
in that line, and one now very rarely even sees an odd bunch or 
two of plumies offered for sale. 
The Great White Egret is a more solitary bird and more 
confined to the actual river than the Little Egret. One commonly 
sees the former, singly or in pairs, eitlier wading iu the shallows 
near the banks or especially on those at the tail of the numerous 
jjslands along the river, or else sitting motionless on some branch over 
the water, to rise silently and lly off with out-stretched neck and 
trailing legs on tlie approach of a boat, less frecjuently an odd one 
or two may be found feeding on some swamp or inland pool. The 
Little Egret on the otlier hand is met with usually in small or la^'ge 
parties, and besides frequenting such places as the river-side, swamps 
and pools, is also w be found on the dry rice-flelds and even far 
from water on the old corn-lands; they also often join the Cattle- 
Egrets in their attendance on grazing herds and at a bush -lire share 
with them and many other bii'ds the feast of insect-life driven up 
or kLlled by the flames. Here the Egrets frequently get quite black- 
ened by the soot from the burnt grass, as they run tu and fro 
behind the line of fire or just in front of it in places where it is 
advancing slowly and without much flame over a patch of thin grass. 
Their food consists of fish, Crustacea, frogs, lizards, and other rep- 
tiles, as well as insects, both large and small, though probably the 
