Expedition to the White Nile. 261 



the gun, but as it was night I thought the bird must be 

 fairly near, since I could see it. So, as it passed, I fired at it. 

 It did not drop, but flew on, and in ten yards or so was out 

 of sight. I thought no more about it, but went on looking 

 for the bat. Not finding it, I called to the camp, which was 

 near, for a lantern. After further search with the light I 

 gave the bat up. On my way back to the tents I turned off 

 to have another look for the first bat which I had marked by 

 a heap of mud. As I flashed the light on the place, there 

 lay this most beautiful of Goatsuckers. After due jubilation 

 and admiration of the prize, a proceeding which caused our 

 men considerable surprise, Saunders and Camburn said that 

 after I had fired a Goatsucker, probably this one's mate, had 

 hovered round the tents, but was gone before they could get a 

 cartridge into a gun. That night we heard a Goatsucker 

 churring, and we imagined that it did not sound quite like 

 Scoturnis climacurus, the common Nightjar of the country, 

 but the difterence, if any, was so slight as to be impossible 

 to describe. 



The country for miles round this camp was singularly bare 

 of trees, while the sand was yellow and not of the earthy 

 colour usual in the district. From 2 to 6 miles inland from 

 the river clumps of long grass and thorn-bushes grew in the 

 dry soil. We tramped far and wide for two days, morning, 

 afternoon, and evening, but never saw or heard a sign of 

 another C. eximins. 



60. SCOTORNTS CLIMACURUS (Vicill.). 



Except at our last two camps near Khartum, this Goat- 

 sucker was seen or heard throughout the district. In crawling 

 through a thick wood I have several times met with it 

 asleep on the ground in the day-time. It constantly came into 

 the trees over our tents and " churred " at all times of the 

 night. Judging from memory, its notes are much more 

 highly pitched, and the vibrations more rapid, than those 

 of our Nightjar. In fact, the sound might well proceed from 

 an enormous locust. When flying, the bird is exceedingly 

 beautiful ; it looks like a great butterfly as it suddenly rises 



