82 
ANIMAL CURIOSITIES 
a nightmare than a living creatine. It is 
somewhat rare, of an unsociable and savage 
disposition, and inhabits the swampy regions 
of the White Nile river. 
Its immense boat-shaped bill is slightly 
concave on the top, and composed of a number 
of sections, the central portion of the upper 
mandible terminating in a claw-like nail which 
serves as an admirable instrument for securing 
a firm hold of the fish upon which it feeds. 
The edges of the bill are extremely sharp, 
and one bite at a fish is sufficient to sever it 
in half. When flying, the shoebill draws back 
its head and rests its cumbersome bill upon 
its fore-neck. 
The boat-billed heron is another bird that 
is somewhat similar to the foregoing in regard 
to the boat-like shape of its bill, except that 
that member is convex in profile instead of 
concave. It inhabits the wooded banks of 
the Brazilian rivers, is known by the natives 
as the “ savaJcu” and feeds upon worms and 
aquatic creatures, for which it makes diligent 
search by dabbling in the mud with its enor¬ 
mous and curiously-formed beak. 
Among the smaller wading birds we find 
the majority possess long and tapering beaks 
that are well adapted for capturing their prey 
amidst the shallow waters of their habitat. 
