Ornitholog]/ of the Egyptian Soudan. 209 



crossed)^ Ofio's, and Chak Chak. The natives along this 

 route are mostly Jurs and Golo, with Niam-Niams on the 

 Pongo, and Dinkas again at Chak Chak. The names given 

 are mostly those of villages of considerable size. 



At the Khor Gitti I was on what is, to a naturalist, classic 

 ground. Here Thcodor von Heuglin spent nine months in 

 1863, and doubtless explored and collected as happily as I 

 did, though novelties were more plentiful forty-four years 

 ago. Here, also in 1863, Dr. Steuduer died ; and here the 

 unfortunate, brave-hearted Miss Tinne spent the miserable 

 weeks which ended in her mother^s death in this remote 

 spot. From the work of another famous follower in their 

 steps. Dr. Georg Schweinfurth, I have gathered the details 

 of the past {' Heart of Africa,' vol. ii. p. 199). 



From Chak Chak we went about fifty miles south-west 

 towards Dem Zubeir *, keeping E. of the Chell River, and 

 wandered about exploring the open 'ichors ^' which intersect 

 this forest- country and drain into the Chell. The natives of 

 the few villages here are Kreish. We returned to Meshra 

 by the same route, with a short deviation to the Jur village 

 of Dud Majok, about twenty-five miles north-west of Wan. 



On this journey I was accompanied by a friend, Mr. Gilbert 

 Blaine, who had with him his English falconer, Best. The 

 latter also collected birds and made very good skins of them, 

 but confined himself mostly to Hawks and brightly-coloured 

 species, 



Best^s want of success in trapping mammals was the 

 subject of a good deal of chaft' from me, until one day he 

 succeeded in catching a full-grown male leopard in a half- 

 crown rabbit-trap set for a mongoose, whereafter I had to 

 hold my peace ! 



The Bahr-el-Ghazal is rather a bad country for insect 

 pests, which are a considerable drawback to collecting and 

 preserving specimens. The most enthusiastic ornithologist 

 cannot remain long staring up into a thickly-foliaged tree 

 while the tsetse-flies are lining up in rows on his face, neck, 



* Dem Zubeir, 7° 43' 30" N. lat., 26° 8' 30" E. long. 



