Birds of Gambia. 
149 
matted together and placed in some tree close to water. Tn some 
of the creeks these nests are to h':^ seen along' the banks almost 
with Ihe regularity of lamp-posts, so numerous are their builders, 
[n genei'al appearaiu-e thoy exactly resem'ble that built last year 
in the Gicai Aviary at the Zoo, except that they are usually much 
larger, being no doubt the accumulation of years. Their eggs 
are dead white. 
The birds' general co'oiu' is unrelieved sepia brown, darker 
on the crest, wings, and tail. The iris is dark 'brown, the bill and 
legs black. Length, 22 inches. 
CICONIIDAE. 
Ciconia alha. WHITE ST(_ORK. 
Uange. Europe to Central Asia. Africa and Nortli India in 
winter. (H.L.) 
C. nigra. BLACK STORK. 
Bange. Europe to Mongolia and China. India and Africa 
in winter. (H.L.). 
D/ssiim episcopiis. AVHITE-NECKED STORK. 
Bangs. Tropical Africa. India to Celebes. (H.L.) 
These three Storks pro'bably all occur in Gambia, the lirst 
two as winter visitors, the third as a resident, but I have never 
yet to my knowledge seen any of them here. 
Ahdimia ahdiml. WHITE-BELLIED STORK. 
Bangs. Tropical Africa. Arabia. Spain (H.L^. 
I once shot a specimen of this .stork in Niumi and have twice 
since seen single tirds in the same district, all in May or June. 
They arc evidently rare here and probahly only visit us 'or the 
rains. Their general appearance is that of a rather .stoutly built 
short-legged Stork. In colour they are black glossed with hottle- 
gi'een above, white below and on the lower back and I'ump. The 
skin of the forehead, face and throat is bare and red, that of the 
cheeks bluish. The beak is olive green tipped with red, !.he leg's 
olive with pink joints and toes. Length, 30 inches. 
Eflvlrqjiorhifnchv-'i sencgalensis. SADDLE-BILLED STORK. 
Bange. Tropical Africa. (H.L.) 
These larg(^ Storks are resident in the Gamiiia, but are cer- 
tainly rare, though I come across some half dozen or so eveiy year. 
One sees them, nearly always in pairs, either flying over, or more 
commonly, stalking about some big dry swamp at a .safe distance, 
for they are extremely wary liirds and almost impossible to approach 
within shot-gun range. I once also saw a flock of 10 or 12 to- 
gether, flying over McCarthy Island. At this place there was one 
year a tame Saddlebill, which had been taken young. When T first 
saw him he was nearly entirely covered (except for the wings and 
tail) with brown down and his beak was practically straight l)elow as 
well as above. As he grew up he gradually mourted the down and 
reached nearly full plumage, before he was sent to Bathurst and 
evenlually to England. 
