360 Mr. 0. Salvin's Five Months' Birds' -nestin(/ 



not until afterwards recognize the birds seen at the latter place 

 as belonging to this species, which they undoubtedly did. At 

 Chot Saboun, the eastern extremity of the marsh of Zana, the 

 bird was most numerous. I myself only saw an occasional bird 

 near our camp at Zana, Chot Saboun involving a longer ride 

 than I could take without an attack of the climatic fever under 

 which I suffered during the last three months of my stay. 



124. HiMANTOPUs MELANOPTERUS. (Black-wingcd Stilt.) 

 Abundant at Zana, a few pairs occurring at Djendeli and 



Guerah el Tharf. Over the whole of the lower end of the marsh 

 of Zana and Chot Saboun the Stilt breeds in great abundance 

 amongst the wet grass, choosing for the position of its nest a 

 small tuft, so as just to keep the eggs out of the water. Some- 

 times, however, this object is not attained, as we occasionally 

 found nests in which the eggs were half immersed. The bird 

 uses its long legs with much greater ease than might be ex- 

 pected; and its long, deliberate strides, as it stalks about in search 

 of food, are far from being ungraceful. The only time they seem 

 to be in its way is at the moment of taking flight, when they 

 hang awkwardly down till the bird, being fairly started, stretches 

 them out, extending them far beyond the tail. We used to 

 search for the nests of this bird on horseback, and, on observing 

 one sitting, to ride up without taking our eyes off the place. The 

 bird would remain quiet till we were within thirty yards of the 

 nest, when it would walk slowly away, till, aware of our purpose, 

 it would rise and fly wheeling and screaming overhead. The 

 young Stilt is able to walk almost immediately on leaving the 

 egg ; one we found was capable of moving about while the other 

 three were struggling to free themselves from the shell. The 

 nest is composed of a few bits of dead reed or grass. The com- 

 plement of eggs laid by one bird is four. 



125. ScoLOPAx GALLiNAGo. (Commou Snipe.) 



Mr. Simpson and I found several Snipes in a small marsh near 

 Sousa. I afterwards put one up at Zana, about the middle of 

 June. 



126. Rallus aquaticus. (Water Rail.) 

 Common in the marshy ground of Zana and Djendeli. 



