OCR Text |
Show 964 CAPT. STANLEY S. FLOWER ON THE [Dec. 18, Family ARDEID^E. ARDEA PURPUREA (L.). The Purple Heron I only saw on three days on the White Nile (between Jebel Ain and Jebel Ahmed Agar), but it was numerous in the papyrus-swamps on the Bahr-el-Jebel and Bahr-el-Ghazal. ARDEA GOLIATH Cretzschm. The Goliath Heron was noted on 30 days out of the 47 : all along the White Nile from Omdurman to Lake No, on the Zeraf, Jebel, and Ghazal rivers, and on Lake Ambadi. It is a very noble-looking bird. It was always seen solitary, never in parties. Its harsh loud cry is one of the most familiar noises heard when travelling in this region. NYCTICORAX sp. inc. A Night-Heron was noted on the White Nile south of Kaka, on the Sobat and Bahr-el-Zeraf, and in flocks of a hundred or more individuals in the papyrus-swamps of the Bahr-el-Jebel and Bahr-el- Ghazal and on Lake Ambadi. Examples of at least six more species of Herons were seen on the White Nile, but no specimens were shot. Family GRUID^E. G R U S GRUS (L.). A flock of this species of Crane seen near Goz Abu Goma on the 13th of March, and near El Duem on the 25th of April. ANTHROPOIDES VIRGO (L.). A flock of Demoiselle Cranes seen near Goz Abu Goma on the 13th of March, and a large flock near Jebel Ain on the 17th of March. BALEARICA PAVONINA (L.). The lovely Crowned Crane was noted on 26 days out of the 47 : on the White Nile from near Omdurman to Lake No, frequently in flocks of several hundred individuals. On the 17th April I saw some scores of these beautiful birds feeding in and around the entrenchments of Fashoda Fort. W e saw some near the mouth of the Sobat. On the Zeraf they were very numerous near its junction with the Nile, but, curiously, after going 20 or 30 miles upstream we saw none. On the Bahr-el-Jebel we saw only a few individuals near the furthest point south we reached. On the Ghazal and Arab rivers and on Lake Ambadi they were numerous, going about in pairs. The wild, somewhat trumpet-like call which these Cranes utter as they take to the wing is very fine. LISSOTIS MELANOGASTER (Kaup). Specimens of this Bustard were shot on the Bahr-el-Ghazal on |