82 Bird HuntiiKj on the White Nile. 



was too hot to hold with the bare hand. I am advised 

 on good authority that this violent explosion of white 

 powder in a hot dry climate could be prevented by 

 using a small cap and a small charge of powder. A 

 charge of 35 grains of Schulze to one oz. of shot in a 

 twelve-bore cartridge instead of the usual charge of 38 

 grains of powder would remedy the defect without 

 deteriorating the killing power. But care must be 

 exercised in the loading, and the extra space in the 

 cartridge case must not be filled with hard wads or 

 used for a deep " turn-over," which would tend to 

 keep the powder back and increase the recoil. 



Besides the sandgrouse, pigeons§ provided us with 

 many a meal — indeed, too many. So numerous were 

 the pigeons and so thickly did they cluster in the trees 

 that, to save time and ammunition, we often shot from 

 twelve to sixteen with a single cartridge. The pigeons 

 were gi'eat drinkers, but unlike the sandgi^ouse, their 

 favourite hour for imbibing was just before sunset. 

 Sandgrouse also came down to the river just then, but 

 only irregularly and in small numbers. Apparently only 

 the very thii^ty individuals drank in the evening as 

 well as the morning. After their drink the pigeons flew 



§ Turiur ambiguus Boc. Turtur roseogriseus (Suiulev.). 



