Quae River, and Mr. Ayres gives the following note: “ The Darter
is found sparsely on most of the rivers of Mashoona Land, but is
more abundant in the Transvaal and Natal. Beware how you handle
a wounded bird. One made a sudden dart at my eye, and it was
only by the merest instinct of self-preservation that I put my hand
up in time to receive the thrust. The upper mandible pierced with
great force the bone of my thumb, and the bill being serrated stuck
there amongst the muscles, giving considerable pain, and I had to
pull hard to get it out.” Sir John Kirk states that it is found in
the Zambesi ‘ in all waters, from the coast to the interior, to be
seen sunning its wings on rocks or trees; on the least danger
betaking to the water. The plumage varies very much; sometimes
it is of a rich glossy black, at other times of a rich brown. Its food
consists entirely of fish, which it catches under water, coming to
the surface before swallowing it.” Senor Anchieta has procured
specimens at Benguela, on the Coroca River, at Mossamedes and
at Humbe on the Cunene.
General colour, black, shining-green on the back and shoulders,
longitudinally striped with fulvous, that colour occupying tho centre
of each feather; neck and head rufous-brown; black lines extend
from the back of the eye, down the sides of the neck, becoming
fainter as they descend, and coalescing at the base of the neck;
below this line, but only extending to one-third the distance, is a
pure white line; tail and wing feathers, black : the former very
stiff; the two centre ones corrugated. Length, 36"; wing, 13£";
tail, 10" 9'".
The plumage in this species, as with the Oormorants, varies much
with age.
Fig. Daubent. PI. Enl. 107.
ORDER PYG0P0DES.
Fam. PODICEPITID2E.
766. P o d i c e p s c r i s t a t u s , L . Great Crested Grebe.
The Crested Grebe is common on all our vleys. I t breeds in
companies, six or eight nests generally appearing within a few
yards of each other ; these are built on the water—a mere flat form
of sedge, generally damp throughout; indeed, we remarked that
every egg taken by us at Zoetendals Vley was wet. This might
have been caused, however, by the wet water-weed with which each
bird carefully covered her eggs as we approached the nest. We
watched three birds perform this manoeuvre through our binoculars.
They slid off their nests and rapidly picked up the floating weed,
which they carefully disposed over the eggs, so as completely to
hide them from view. We examined some fifteen or twenty nests,
each one of which was thus covered. We never found more than
three eggs in each nest, of a dirty chalky texture. Axis, 2"; diam.,
17'". The bird feeds on small fish and water-insects. Mr. Pratt
shot a specimen near Pretoria, and Mr. Ayres has met with it once
in the Transvaal. He says: “ This bird was brought to me alive
one day in April by a Caffre; he stated that he had chased it
amongst the reeds in shallow water, and so caught it. It is the
first specimen I have met with in the Transvaal.” Mr. Andersson
writes: “ I have only observed this handsome species on the sea-
coast, chiefly at or near Walwich Bay, and there by no means
numerously. It is seldom that more than three or four of these
Grebes are seen together, and generally not so many. They are
rather wary, but may nevertheless be successfully surprised if the
sportsman is acquainted with their habits. Not unfrequently they
may be seen asleep on the water, when, of course, it does not
require much art to secure them. It is, however, a bad plan to fire
at them in such a position, as there is then but a small portion of the
body exposed to view; it is best to startle the birds lightly, when
they immediately stretch forth their long necks to the full extent,
3 E