146 BIRDS 



At least two species of gull (Larus fusciis and cirrho- 

 cephalus), one, larger, with black back, the other grey, 

 were always chattering and screaming there, together 

 with terns, cormorants, darters, pratincoles, sandpipers, 

 goliath herons and other herons, amongst them a 

 magnificent snow white species seldom seen, but there in 

 some numbers (? Herodias alba), white egrets and the 

 white egret-like buff backed heron, the open-bill and 

 another stork, Egyptian geese, and sometimes ibises, 

 either the black and white sacred species or the dark 

 greenish black Hagedash ibis. 



The gulls are much more noisy before stormy weather, 

 and were quite useful as weather prophets. It seemed 

 to me, also, that one did not see much of the terns 

 except in windy weather, when they were noticeable flying 

 about close to the land. Gulls are known to the natives 

 as " Enkobyo-kobyo," and terns (Hydrochelidon leucoptera) 

 by a name that sounded like " Akalerwe," but I would 

 not be certain of its correctness. Two species were noted. 

 It often seemed curious to me that I never met with the 

 nests of gulls on the coasts of the islands ; possibly they 

 do not breed close to the water. 



They feed on dead fish and other flotsam on the surface 

 of the lake, but one has been seen in close attention on a 

 number of cormorants that were fishing in shallow water. 

 When one came up to the surface with a wriggling fish 

 in its mouth the gull swooped down upon it, and in self 

 defence the cormorant had to dive again with the fish 

 uns wallowed. This happened repeatedly until the passing 

 of the canoe disturbed the birds, so that I could not see 

 whether the gull had made the cormorant give up its 

 prize. 



Cormorants naturally abound among the islands, and 

 soon become familiar sights. One is much puzzled by the 

 variety of markings of the larger birds {Phalacrocorax 

 lucidus). They may be black without any white, or with 



