EXTRAORDINARY FLIGHT OF SMALL BIRDS. 131 



village, from whence probably it will soon depart upon 

 its first and last visit to Europe. 



Feb. 10. The lions last night were specially enter- 

 taining, for three were heard roaring in different direc- 

 tions about the same time, and very near the camp. In 

 the morning an Arab from the other camp came in great 

 haste to tell us that he could hear a buffalo making a. 

 great noise as if caught by a lion, and that his people 

 wanted us to help them to find it, Vivian being 'at home/ 

 joined the party, and, advancing in line, they searched 

 the country for some time, but found nothing. He r 

 however, made them very happy by previously dropping 

 a buffalo dead by a ball in the neck from his ten-bore. 

 Coke has hit a hippo in the head, and believes that it is 

 dead, but he could not remain long enough near the 

 pool to see if it floated. 



Myriads of small birds have passed eastwards over 

 our camp both this morning and evening. Their flight 

 is very rapid, and they are packed so closely that they 

 appear like a cloud of dust, and in their swoops over the 

 river they make a noise like a rushing wind. Hawks 

 follow in their wake, and catch in the air or on the water 

 any unfortunate stragglers. Every evening soon after 

 sunset we have other winged visitors which fly at a tanta- 

 lising height over the camp. In their flight and call 

 they resemble geese, but the only specimen Ragged by 

 the occasional volley fired" into them proved that they 



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