48 Bird Hunting on the White Nile. 



the pelicansft were, perhaps, the most striking. One 

 evening as we urged our mounts over the brow of a small 

 sandhill we came suddenly in sight of a great flock of 

 these birds in the shallow water at the river's edge. 

 Some were dozing, others were preening their rose-white 

 plumage, others were dabbling their clumsy-looking bills 

 in the water and washing their yellow pouches, while 

 over the whole flock the setting sun threw a delicate 

 rosy hue. 



For so large and heavy a bird the flight of the 

 pelican struck me as being peculiai'ly graceful. A few 

 powerful flaps are given as the bird rises slowly off the 

 water, then the wings are outstretched and it skims 

 straight and swiftly along within a foot of the surface for 

 some hundred yards, then curving slightly upwards, it 

 flaps its wings again and is prepared for another long 

 floating flight. 



Before leaving the river and its attractive birds, the 

 black-headed plover, J J or courser, a bird somewhat 

 smaller than the golden plover, deserves mention if 

 only on account of the interesting and historical habits 

 accredited to it. There can be little doubt that this 

 bird is the "rpop^iXof" of Herodotus, who ascribed 



tt Felecanus onocrotalus, Linn. XX Pluvianus cBgyptius, Linn. 



