380 VAST MIGRATORY FLIGHTS OF STORKS. 



hours afterwards, there was a constant succession of 

 flight after flight of various kinds of birds, all winging 

 their way to the southwards, and flying quite low; in 

 fact just clear of the stunted swamp timber. At times 

 it was impossible to load fast enough with the old 

 muzzle-loading guns, to take all the shots that came 

 within easy range, and by midday all hands were glad 

 enough to return to the hospitable shelter of the log 

 cabin, hungry, half frozen, and with shoulders sore 

 from the constant firing, A heavy double shoulder 

 gun charged with BB, or other mould shot, was generally 

 kept in reserve for geese which could generally be 

 heard approaching like a pack of hounds in full cry, 

 long before they came into view. The best time was 

 always just when it was barely light enough to see to 

 shoot. When it became clear daylight the birds were 

 apt to see the shooter unless he kept very close under 

 cover. Small blinds had therefore to be erected to 

 mask the gun. 



On the Nile the great migratory flights consisted 

 mostly of the black and white stork (Ciconia Alba) and 

 the great pelican (Pelicamis Onocrotalus). But there 

 were also many geese (Chenalopex dEgyptiacd) and 

 other waterfowl. The passage of the countless myriads 

 of storks passing overhead at enormous altitudes, 

 almost without intermission for several hours together, 

 constituted what we must describe as one of the 

 most wonderful ornithological spectacles we have 

 ever witnessed. It was between the First and Second 

 Cataracts that we saw them. At these great heights 

 many of them appeared like mere specks floating in 

 the expanse of the heavenly blue but an examination 

 with a good field glass placed their identity beyond 



