] 2 lion. N. C. Kothscliild and Mr. A. F. R. Wollaston 



wool^ and was shaped somewhat like a very untidy nest of a 

 Greenfinch. Unfortunately, when two eggs had heen hiid, 

 the nest was ruthlessly destioyed by a pair of Passer rufi- 

 dorsalis, who paid the penalty of their crime with their 



lives. 



22. Lagonosticta brunneiceps Sharpe. 



m (^ , 146 c?, 259 c?, 250 ? , 260 ? , 263 ? , 403 ? . 



The adnlt males are exceedingly bright, very much more 

 so than specimens from Tropical Africa in the Tring 

 JNIuseum. 



These beautiful little birds were never observed far from the 

 huts on the river-bank, where they were often seen picking 

 i;p crumbs of dhurra-meal almost out of the hands of the 

 natives. 



23. Hyphantornis vitellinus Gray. 



30 c?, 143 c?, 268 cJ, 132 ? , 269 ? , 270 ? , 301 ? . 



The adult male is a very conspicuous bird, and his long- 

 drawn wheezy call-note might be heard about every fifty yards 

 in the thick scrub. Several of their hanging bottle-shaped 

 nests were found, sometimes three or four depending from the 

 same branch ; one pair of birds was observed building at 

 intervals for three or four weeks, but no eggs were laid 

 during our stay at Shendi. 



24. Spreo pulcher (P. L. S. Mull.). 

 115 ?, 324 ?, 440pullus. 



• The last specimen has the upper side slaty black with a 

 very faint greenish gloss; the abdomen is dull rufous in 

 colour, the rufous extending upwards towards the throat. 



These Starling-like birds were occasionally seen in small 

 parties of four or five, always several miles out in the desert. 

 Tbey were very wary and difficult to approach. 



According to von Ileuglin, this species breeds in September 

 and October ; but our young bird, caught on March 23rd, 

 cannot have been out of the nest for more than a few days. 



We were very much puzzled by the large number of empty 

 nests in the trees in the desert ; in some places every little 

 tree contained one or more nests compactly built of twigs 



