264 Mr. H. F. W\i\xevhy— Ornithological 



flight is decidedly ungainly. Starting out of a tree with a 

 rush, they rise quickly and appear to be going some distance. 

 The pace, however, soon slackens, and the bird dips as though 

 it were being dragged down by the weight of its bill, while 

 it soon alights in the nearest tree. The note is rather like 

 a shriek, with a faint suspicion of music in it. 



Adult. Iris brown ; bill — npper mandible dark red, yellow 

 at base; lower mandible dark red at tip, black in middle, 

 yellow at base ; legs and feet black ; naked skin round eyes 

 purplish ; bare patches on each side of throat reddish. 



69. Ceryle rudis (Linn.). 



The only Kingfisher we saw, and by no means numerous. 

 At Omdurraan it seemed commoner than elsewdiere. A 

 large proportion of the repeated downward swoops of this 

 bird are unsuccessful, as far as any capture goes. 



70. CoLius MACRURUs (Linn.). 



Colics of this species were everywhere common. They 

 kept to the thickest trees and were always in company, four 

 or five being generally together. When alarmed, these birds 

 hide themselves in the densest part of a tree, through 

 which they climb and creep. Arrived at the far side 

 of it, they rush out, uttering a piping note, which denotes 

 but the faintest suggestion of alai'm. Much the same 

 note, but softer and more plaintive, and uttered in a less 

 hurried way, forms the call. The flight is fairly straight 

 and rather heavy. On April 23rd I saw one of these birds 

 collecting stuff in its bill, as though for building, but no nest 

 was to be found, and the birds seemed to have finished 

 breeding and to be in family parties. 



Adult. Iris red ; bill — upper mandible pinkish red, with 

 black tip, lower mandible black ; legs and feet purple ; 

 orbits bare, lake-red. 



71. CucuLus CANORUs Linn. 



AVe saw a Cuckoo at Wad Mariun on May I3th, one of 

 our last days collecting. There were a good many at Gerazi 

 at the beginning of May, but we never heard them utter a 

 sound. A bird that we shot was in adult plumage. 



