VOYAGE ON WHITE NILE 



139 



varied waders lay six, eight, or a dozen basking- crocodiles, 

 some with murderous jaws wide agape, lying close along- 

 side the unsuspicious birds. Clearly the latter entertain 

 no fear of their grim neighbours, for we often saw packs 

 of geese, afloat, totally unconcerned by the sudden appear- 

 ance of a crocodile almost in their midst. But, though I 

 watched the smaller waders, such as spur-winged plovers 



GREY HERON. 



GOLIATH HERON. 



and pluvians, poking about the ooze close alongside a 

 sleeping crocodile, yet never did one perch on his back or 

 attempt to "pick his teeth," as was averred by Herodotus 

 to be their habit. 



The avifauna of the Sudan includes some of the biggest 

 flying creatures on earth, such as the marabou, whose 

 wing-expanse exceeds 100 inches, the saddle-billed jabiru 

 and Goliath herons," whose stately figures ornament 

 each morass and lagoon. One evening my ornithological 

 bag included two Goliath herons, weighing 12! Ib. apiece, 



