on Birds from Shendi, Sudan. 3 



considerable number of nests, some of which were previously 

 unknown. It is not unlikely that, could we have stayed for 

 another month, we should have added several more to the 

 list. 



There seems to be a good deal of uncertainty as to the 

 exact date of the general breeding-season in this part of 

 the Sudan. Mr. H. F. Witherby, who was collecting last 

 year a short way south of Khartum, but in a country very 

 similar to that of Shendi, suggested that it was probably in 

 June, after the rainy season. There cannot be the least 

 doubt that the general breeding-season occurs in the months 

 of February, March, and April. On the other hand, it is 

 exceedingly likely that some species may breed again in the 

 autumn : for instance, yEdemosyne cantmis, of which we 

 found a nest containing eggs on February 28th, is said by 

 von Heuglin to breed in August and September ; but this 

 must be taken as the exception rather than as the rule. 



So far as was possible, we only shot specimens of European 

 migrants when some doubt was felt as to their identity ; 

 isolated specimens of migrants in such a case are of little 

 or no value, but a careful record, extending over a period 

 of a year or more, of those observed at stated points in 

 the Nile Valley, which is one of the most important high- 

 ways of migration in the world, would be of the greatest 

 interest. 



We take this opportunity of expressing our thanks to 

 Captain Bulkeley Johnson and other officers of the Egyptian 

 Cavalry stationed at Shendi, for much help and many kind- 

 nesses, which added greatly to the pleasures of our visit to 

 the Sudan. 



The natives we always found very friendly and on the 

 whole fairly intelligent. One or two were particularly 

 skilful in trapping birds and small mammals, and, whether 

 it Mere a young hare, a bat, or a sand-grouse, they invari- 

 ably brought it to us tied to the end of a stout piece of rope. 

 They unfortunately have a bad habit of pulling out all the 

 primaries from the wings of birds, which are consequently 

 of little use as specimens. 



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