348 Mr. A. L. Butler on the 



These Nightjars are particularly abundant just south of 

 Jebel Ahmed Aga, ou the White Nile, where at sunset I 

 have watched them come streaming out of the bush across 

 an open plain to the river in scores, if not hundreds. They 

 generally keep to thick thorn-bush in the day, and are seldom 

 met with on very open ground. Their habits are distinctly 

 sociable, and I have often come on seven or eight resting in 

 close company — frequently all male birds. Their note is a 

 regular Nightjar's " churr." 



There is something peculiarly moth-like about one of these 

 birds as it rises silently at your feet in the shade, glides 

 a feAv yards, shewing its richly marked wings, and drops 

 again suddenly under a bush. 



I took a pair of fresh eggs at Um Muttra Meila on June 

 8th, 1901, and another pair at Tewfikia on March 24th, 1902. 

 At the latter place I found several hard-set eggs about the 

 same time. On the White Nile these Nightjars were in full 

 moult in November 1902, many being almost tailless. 



With many opportunities for observation, I have never 

 noticed that the " long tail-feathers are held apart at an 

 angle of 25 or 30 degrees in flight/' as described by Messrs. 

 Rothschild and Wollaston. At any rate, I do not think 

 that this is the case as a rule. Very few birds separate the 

 central rectrices much in flight. 



140. Eurystomus afer (Lath.). 



a. ? . Roseires, June 26, 1904. 



b. ? . „ June 11, 1904. 



c. $. „ June 19, 1904. 



My specimens of the African Broad-billed Roller were 

 kindly collected for me by Mr. G. B. Middleton on the 

 Upper Blue Nile. I have only once met with the bird 

 myself, at Gallabat. 



141. Coracias garrulus Linn. 



a. $. Khartoum, Oct. 14, 1902. 



The Common Roller arrives at Khartoum in considerable 

 numbers during the first week of September, and is abun- 

 dant along both Niles for the next two months, after which 



