'I'lLi'; FiN(_:iiEs AN II \\'i;avki! J>iuns oi-' the Sl'J)AN 



BEING XOTES ON THE ClltOUl' (U)NTA[NINU THE BlUDS In.H-KIOUS TO 



(iKAIN (hlOl'S 

 r.Y 



A, L. lluTLEK, F.Z.S., Jl.];.().U. 



Superintendent, Sudan Game Preservation Department 



Intkoduction 



A good deal of attention lias lately been called to the damage done to growing grain 

 crops in the Sudan by vast flights of small birds, but we have little or no information 

 as to the relative abundance, distribution, habits, and destructiveness of the different 

 species by which the damage is done in different districts. To obtain this, some knowledge 

 of the group of birds containing the destructive species is required, and, as there is little 

 easily accessible literature on the local avifauna, a general sketch of the grain and 

 seed-eating finches of the Sudan may be useful at the present time. This paper includes 

 all the finches that I know of as occurring witliin our limits, though I believe that only 

 a very small proportion of them will be found to be appreciably destructive to agriculture. 

 As far as my knowledge goes the damage seems to be done entirely by the Sparrows 

 (Pat^ser), and the extremely abundant Weaver Birds of the genera Hi/phantornis, 

 XaiithopMlus, Quelea, and, in a smaller degree, Pyronelana. The full list here given 

 may perhaps, however, lead to the recognition of others as criminals, especially in the 

 remoter districts. 



It should not be forgotten that the birds which congregate on the crops, and do so rtiiiivas 



much damage at harvest time, feed their young almost entirely upon insects during the '"sect killers 



breeding season, and their immense numbers must make them an important factor in 



keeping down insect life. Their utility in this respect, however, seems to be somew-hat 



discounted by the fact that, while they visit the cultivated districts to do damage, they 



retire to forest and marsh country away from the cultivation at the period when they 



become useful as insect killers. The whole question of the relation of birds to agriculture 



in the Sudan would repay study, and in this it is hoped that the present paper may be 



of assistance. 



Paet I 



The Families, Suu-Families, and Geneka 



All the destructive species belong to the Fringilline, or Finch-like section of the 

 Passerine Birds. In this group the bill, though varying in shape and propoi'tionate size, 

 is strong and conical, with smooth unnotched cutting edges to the mandibles, and with 

 the nostrils placed close to the forehead ; the wing has nine or ten primaries ; the tail 

 consists of twelve feathers ; the legs and feet are strong, with the tarsus (the part of 

 the leg between the " knee " and the foot) covered with scales in front and plain behind. 



The group falls naturally into two families : 

 I. F ring ill idle, represented in the Sudan by Buntings, Sparrows, Serin Finches, and 



some others. 



