Birds of Gambia. 
133 
Bange. Tropical Africa. Mediterranean countries occasion- 
ally. (R.L.) 
Tliis bird takes the same place in the Gamhian landscape as 
the Common Heron does at home. On almost any swamp, where 
pools are left, one or a pair may be seen standing like statues 
for hours together, knec-deep in the water, with not a movement 
exoept a very occasional slow straightening of the jieck to g-et a closer 
look at something which has attracted tiieir attention, but when they 
spot thei" prey, all is changed— down goes the dagger-beak with a 
downward stab and sudden d'art of the snaky neck. In shape a.id 
genera! coloui-alion they also resemble the European Heron, exc;^i)t 
that they are rather smaller and slightly slimmer birds and have much 
more black about, their plumage, that is on the head, neck, wings, 
and tail. The grey, too, of the other parts is jierhaps of rather 
a bluer shade. 
A. cinerea. COMMON HERON. 
Bange. Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia. (H.L). 
This, the common Heron of Europe, 1 think, also occurs here, 
at any rate, i frequently see bii'ds which appear to exactly resemole 
those one sees at home and to have much lig'hter heads and gener- 
ally much less black about their plumage than has the last species, 
which is by far the commoner of the two here. 
There are several native names for the different Herons. 
Turolelengo, Sarkula and Jebungo in Mandingo, Khod'u jan, Reg and 
Taiakh in Joloif. Of these the first named in eacti language strictly 
applies only to the Black-necked Heron, Sarkula to several of 
the smaller species, Jebungo to the large Goliath Heron only, while 
the two remaining names (Joloff) are used loosely for almost any 
member of the family. 
A. goliath. GOLIATH HERON. 
Bange. Tiopical Africa. India occasionally. {H.L.) 
This large handsome Heron is not at all uncommon along 
the river, especially among the mangroves near its mouth, where 
its size and bright red brown under surface always draw one's at- 
tention, while on the wing it looks even big'ger still. It's general 
colour abovo. is grey, below led brown; length, 53 inches. 
FyrrliervdMS purpurea. PURPLE HERON. 
Bange. Europe to Central Asia. Africa and Madagascar 
(H.L.). 
A much smaller bird than the last, being only some 35 inches 
long, but like that species it also has a red brown under surface. 
The iris is yellow, the bill yellow shading into brown towards ihe 
base and the legs olive-brown. The only Purple Heron 1 have ever 
seen in this country was one which was caught at McCarthy Island 
and wai kept for some time in captivity in Bathurst. This P.i'-d 
got fairly tame but was always rather a risky beast to approach 
owing to the reckless way in which it used its dangerous beak, 
for without any warning it would make a dab at one's hands or 
