Jr.NE, 1901.] 



KNOWLEDGE. 



139 



bability. it will be possible to steam l!500 inilos up this 

 wonderful river at all times of the year. 



The wild life in the river and along its banks was a 

 eoutinual souree of pleasure to us as we rode along. 

 Hippopotami were rarely seen, but now and again an 

 enormous black licad would show above the water for 



Boatbutldiug on tlie Whit* Nile. 



Fioiu o Pliotoci.-niili !.]( Mr. C. K. C.\miui<n. 



a few moments, and sometimes a long black ridge in 

 the middle of the river would deuote where a hippo 

 was resting ou some sandbank barely covered by the 

 water. We often saw gigantic footprints on the bank, 

 where one of them had come out of the water to feed, 

 and at night the natives light fires at intervals along the 

 river side to keep the great beasts in the water, for a 

 patch of beans is little to boast about after even one 

 hippopotamus has been browsing in it. 



Much further south than we travelled the hippo is 

 exceedingly common, and notwithstanding the re- 

 strictions, many must be killed if one may judge by the 

 univei-sal use of the " Korbag," a whip which is made out 

 of its hide. It is curious how this whip, which, by the 

 way. we found very useful for both man and beast, is 

 employed under various names (such as " sjambok in 

 the south') all over Africa. Crocodiles were common and 

 were often to be seen, sometimes three or four together, 

 Iving asleep on the bank, facing the breeze with their 

 mouths wide open. Once we saw two calves standing 

 unprotected at the water's edge, and just as we passed, 

 the ugly head of a crocodile appeared within ten yards 

 of them, but it slowly drew back on seeing us. As a 

 rule the natives make a ring of thorn bushes in the 

 river where they water their goats and cattle to protect 

 them from the crocodiles. But they seem to have no 

 fear of the reptiles for themselves. They wade out into 

 the river to fetch water ; if a boat sticks on a sandbank 

 t he crew jump out without hesitation ; and, more re- 

 markable still, fishei-men may often be seen standing 

 motionless up to their shoulders in the water while 

 lishing witli nets. The natives are very fond of the flesh 

 of the crocodile, and once when 1 had shot, but failed 

 to kill, one of the reptiles, our camel men threw off 

 their clothes and rushed into the river in the hope of 

 •• tailing " it. It is true that the men were hungry at 

 the time, having squandered their money upon 

 " merissa ' or " boozer," and having had little to eat 

 for some time, with the exception of a large fishing 

 eagle, which they had consumed with avidity some hour 

 or two after it had been shot. A specimen of this 

 eagle, the vociferous searsagle,* may be seen at the Zoo- 



♦ Hnlineliit voHfer. Paiid. 



logical Gardens in London. With its white hood it is 

 a conspicuous object, aiul a fine looking bird when 

 perched upon some tree or on some snag in the river, 

 but near at hand it is dirty and disappointing looking, 

 and to my taste decidedlv unappetising. 



Other birds** abounded in the river and on its banks. 

 Nile gecsef were numerous, but very wary. The white 

 man shoots at them with every sort of firearm at every 

 sort of range, for their flesh is good, and the natives, 

 with shouts and sticks and stones worry them out of 

 tlieir bean crops. Another much handsomer and larger 

 goose, the spur-winged goose, | was rarer, and so cautious 

 that we were never able to shoot a specimen. Cranes, 

 storks, ibises, and herons of various kinds were generally 



A Midday Hall. 



VtOin -I j<hi}t(Mji-ii]>h \nj Mr. L'. F. Camiuiun. 



in sight wading in shallow water or stalking about on 

 the short grass by the river. We sometimes passed 

 within a few yards of a group of crowned (!ranes,§ 

 with their rich colouring of black, white, and chestnut, 

 and their curious tufts of golden grass-like feathers, and 

 at one camp a confiding old bird used regularly to 

 roost on the top of a tree near our tents until ho was 

 added to our collection. The sacred ibis.jj celebrated by 

 having been much mummified, and by its many portraits 

 upon the tombs and temples of ancient Egypt, was most 

 confiding. This bird only visits Egypt during the 

 period of inundation, and consequently very few tra- 

 vellers in that country see it, the buff-backed heron 

 being made to do duty for it by the tourists' dragoman. 

 However, the real thing is totally unlike the substitute. 

 Its jet black head and neck, which arc bare of any 

 feathers, and its black legs, serve to accentuate the pure 

 white plumage of its body, while its wings arc edged 

 with black like a mourning envelope, and from each 

 shoulder droop green-black feathery plumes. When 

 flying towards one the bird seems to be streaked with 

 blood, for the wing-bones aa-e bare of feathers on the 

 under side, and the skin which covers them is of a rich 

 vermilion colour. At intervals along the river were beds 

 of shell fish (Aetheria) like oysters. The Nile fell so low 

 m 1900 thai a great many of thest' " oysters " were left 

 high and dry. and were consequently decomposing. Yet 

 numbers of" wading birds frequented the beds, and 



*» For a full arcouiil. ot llie bird- .■idlefled aud ubBer\ed during 

 the expedition see the Ibis, April, UWl, pp. 237-278. 

 t Chenalopex agnptiacus, Hriss. 

 X Plectropterus riippelU, Sclat. 

 § Balearica paoonina, Linn. 

 \\ Ihis icthiopica. Lath. 



