154 Phillips, Birds of the Sudan. [April 



The only common heron was a plain, grey looking species, Ardea 

 inelanocephala, which fed on insects in the great, open, damp 

 "meres." These "meres" are a common feature on the Dinder 

 River, where they attract great herds of game, holding as they do, 

 water and succulent grasses till late in the dry season. With these 

 herds of game enormous flocks of Little Egrets associate, and a 

 lone old buffalo bull would often have a number perched on his 

 back. The stomach of one of these Little Egrets contained lizards, 

 locusts, and to our surprise, a butterfly. 



We saw the curious Hammer-head Stork, an ugly and lonely 

 looking bird quite often, and always by himself, and there was a 

 Night Heron which we did not get. 



The Eg^'ptian Goose brings up thoughts of the departed great, 

 for he figures so often on the tombs of the early dynasties as to have 

 a real historical significance, while his egg had in those times a 

 religious meaning. Apparently he was domesticated by the early 

 Egyptians, but if so, this art was lost very long ago. Hayne, in 

 his book on domestic animals, discusses this point and quotes St. 

 Hilaire's account of an attempt in France to add this bird to our 

 poultry. The attempt extended over a number of years, 1839 to 

 1845, and was partly successful, inasmuch as the birds increased in 

 weight and grew lighter in color, while their breeding and laying 

 time began to be extended. Nothing permanent, however, was 

 accomplished and this species is now only an ornament and not a 

 very desirable one either, for its temper is very uncertain and it is 

 often dangerous in a collection of smaller water fowl. This goose 

 exists at present in Egypt and on the Nubian Nile only in little 

 scattered troops, while its great stronghold is the lower White- 

 Nile. On the Blue-Nile we saw it in scattered pairs and little 

 flocks. Its flesh is tough and dry. 



There are scarcely any other water fowl on the Blue-Nile, except 

 the curious Comb Ducks; but wading birds, mostly of common 

 migratory species, are numerous. Among the resident shore birds 

 the most attractive by far is the very common little Egyptian 

 Courser, Pluvianus oegyptius. I think this is the prettiest shore 

 bird I have ever seen, very tame, with flight like a Spotted Sand- 

 piper, and the most beautifully marked and crested head, and a 

 spotless chest crossed by a broad black band. This is the famous 



