PIAL RICAN SCORUS 
stork. In another decisive point it is distinctly a heron. 
Its “ syrinx,”’ the voice organ situated at the junction of 
the two bronchi, to form the trachea or windpipe, is 
heron-like in form, but it lacks the pair of muscles which 
those birds have. Nevertheless, the muscle is repre- 
sented by a vestige, a small ligamentous band, which 
seems to show that in this feature, at any rate, the 
Baleniceps is a heron on the down grade. Other points 
taken collectively seem to argue that this bird is the 
type of a quite separate family, showing likenesses to 
both storks and herons. And there we must leave it 
until more is known about its anatomy. 
THE TUFTED UMBRE 
The tufted umbre (Scopus umbretia) belongs to that 
group of birds which we may accurately term—plagi- 
arising from, and misquoting a trifle, Mr. Rudyard 
Kipling—“ Storkie & Co.” It is in fact one of the 
Ciconiiformes, as naturalists sometimes term this group. 
The group contains not only our umbrette, but also all 
the storks and herons and bitterns, and that slightly 
aberrant bird, the great ‘“‘ Whale head,” or Baleniceps, 
of Africa. Scopus is a bird which is usually to be found 
at the Zoo, and, when there, in the Eastern Aviary. It 
is about the size of a raven and of a brown colour. It 
has the long and strong bill of its allies, and a rather 
crested head. Like herons in particular, the tufted 
umbre has a melancholy demeanour ; it is addicted to 
watching patiently with downcast head and eyes for 
fishes, appearing as if brooding with sad reflection, as 
Michelet has put it, over the past glories of its family. 
This gloomy demeanour is at times relaxed, and Scopus 
indulges in a wild and fantastic dance with outspread 
wings, reminiscent of that of the cranes, who may be 
frequently, especially towards evening, observed to 
skip in similar dances at the Zoo. The bird is African 
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