BEYOND THE SUDD 293 



ringed plovers (&g. curonica), stone-curlews (65". senegalensis), 

 ruffs, little stints, common and curlew-sandpipers, greenshanks 

 in both sizes, stilts, and once, on March 8th, 1919 (as 

 mentioned later), a single spotted redshank. At Rejaf I col- 

 lected a crested hawk-eagle, pallid harrier, red-headed barbets 

 (Lybius abyssinicus), sunbirds (jCinnyris erythrocereus), red- 

 throated pipit (Anthus cervinus}, serin-finches, golden oriole, 

 and a desert-wheatear (Saxicola deserti}, apparently far beyond 

 his bearings, besides observing a dark-coloured mirafra which 

 " drummed." Among the many forms of brilliantly-hued bee- 

 eaters with which Nature has adorned the Sudan, there is one 

 which appears to be confined to these regions "beyond the 

 Sudd." That is, the white-throated bee-eater (Merops albicollis), 

 a bird of lovely sea-green, characteristic of these rocky regions, 

 but never observed north of the Sudd. Shrikes in Africa are 

 legion ; but at Mongalla (and there only) we met with the 

 rather striking white-crowned shrike (Eurocephalus rueppelli). 

 Its curious flickering flight though essentially shrike-like 

 attracted my attention ; the crop of one I shot was crammed 

 with ants, and about half of them walked away so soon as 

 released ! The abounding waterfowl on the river remained 

 practically the same as farther north, including the terns (big 

 and small) already specified, and the small unidentified marsh- 

 gulls. Seagulls proper one would scarcely expect to find here 

 in the heart of Africa ; yet two species do penetrate even 2500 

 miles up Nile. Both are British, the lesser blackback and the 

 black-headed gulls ; though Sir Frederick Jackson suggests 

 that the latter may include the Ethiopian grey-headed Larus 

 cirrhocephalus. 



To the above Mr A. L. Butler appends the following note : 

 There is also found here, though rare, that species of spur- 

 winged plover in which the wing-armature attains its highest 

 development the white-headed Xiphidiopterus albiceps, carry- 

 ing black needle-sharp spurs an inch in length. The white- 

 throated bee-eater {Merops albicollis), while certainly character- 

 istic of rocky regions, is by no means confined to the "south 

 of the Sudd as above." I have met with it at Jebelein, and on 

 the Upper Blue Nile, ISettite, and Atbara; also at Gedaref, 

 and on rocky jebels between the latter and Blue Nile.] 



