. British Central Africa; an attempt to give some account of a portion of the territories under British influence north of the Zambezi. Natural history. ZOOLOGY 343. A PELICAN OF TANGANYIKA being a consumer of enormous quantities of fish. The remarkable darter with its long snake-like neck is not uncommon and is a characteristic object on quiet reaches of the river, where, perched on the limb of a naked snag, it rests from its labours. When in the water, like the finfoot, little more than the head and neck are seen above the surface. The smaller pelican is found and, I think, the larger specie
. British Central Africa; an attempt to give some account of a portion of the territories under British influence north of the Zambezi. Natural history. ZOOLOGY 343. A PELICAN OF TANGANYIKA being a consumer of enormous quantities of fish. The remarkable darter with its long snake-like neck is not uncommon and is a characteristic object on quiet reaches of the river, where, perched on the limb of a naked snag, it rests from its labours. When in the water, like the finfoot, little more than the head and neck are seen above the surface. The smaller pelican is found and, I think, the larger species also, especially on Lake Tanganyika. There are many representa- tives of the Plovers. The Thick-knee, that bustard-like bird which also has a sugges- tion of affinity to the flamingoes, lurks on the river banks, confiding in its almost-invisibility against the bare soil. The spur-winged plover, also uneatable and, in consequence, very bold, flits in front of the boats or steamers and warns the crocodiles of their approach with its shrill wailing cry. I remarked in my Congo book on the real friendship which appears to exist between the crocodile and the spur-winged plover. I have actually seen through a glass the plovers picking at the interstices of the crocodiles' teeth whilst the latter lay half asleep, and these birds never fail to warn the sleeping reptile of the approach of an enemy. There are four species of Lapwing, and a pretty Stilt plover, which I have met with both on the Palombe river and on Lake Tanganyika. Curiously enough the common Ruff is present during certain months of the year. There is a Woodcock and there is a handsome Painted snipe. The pretty little Parra or lily- trotter has already been alluded to. Its feet appear enormous; in reality the actual size of the toes is not so great as the extravagant pro- longation of the claws in a line with the toes which at a distance makes the total length of the foot appear nearly as long as that of the bird's body.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectnaturalhistory, booky
