308 
ON SAFARI 
mention it here as it was the first bird I shot in South 
Africa, and an examination of its extraordinary “nonde¬ 
script ” build went far to discourage any further study of 
Ethiopian ornithology—were all African forms one-tenth 
so “aberrant,” the attempt seemed well-nigh hopeless! 
This Finfoot was swimming among heavy reed-beds in a 
marsh near Nel’s Spruit, Transvaal, and the following is 
the note I then made : ‘‘Like a Muscovy-Duck so far as 
it resembles anything I ever saw : but with the beak of a 
Grebe, though orange in colour; the stiff tail of a 
Cormorant; the lobed feet of a Coot, but orange-yellow 
like a Mallard’s. Weight about 3 lbs.” 
Grebes 
Great Crested Grebe— Podicipes crislatus. 
South African Dabcliick— P. capensis. 
Both these abound on Elmenteita, Naivasha, Nakuru 
and other lakes. 
Waders 
Curlew— Nummius arquatus. Common on coast, winter. 
Whimbrel— N. phreopns. Common on coast, winter. No God- 
wits have occurred within our knowledge. 
Redshank— Totanus calidris. Mombasa, January—heard once 
at night. 
Greenshank— T. canescens. On inland lakes ; always solitary. 
Green Sandpiper— T. ochropns. On inland lakes; always 
solitary. 
Wood-Sandpiper— T. glareola. One, Karriendoos, February 13. 
Terek Sandpiper— Terekia cinerea. With upturned yellow bill 
like a Godwit’s—two shot on coast (Archer). 
Curlew-Sandpiper— Tringa subarquata. —Common on coast. 
Common Sandpiper— T. hypoleuca . Common in winter through¬ 
out Africa, on river, lake and marsh. 
Ruff— Machetes pugnax. Precisely the same remark applies ; 
ubiquitous in winter in East Africa. 
Turnstone— Strepsilas interpres.~\ ~ 
~ f. 7 . . V Common 
Sanderling— Calidris armaria, j 
on coast, winter. 
