﻿172 
  Lieut. 
  H. 
  E. 
  Barnes 
  on 
  the 
  Birds 
  of 
  Aden. 
  

  

  A 
  disabled 
  bird 
  having 
  a 
  damaged 
  wing 
  frequented 
  

   Captain 
  Light's 
  compound 
  during 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  April 
  ; 
  what 
  

   brought 
  the 
  bird 
  there 
  I 
  cannot 
  say, 
  as 
  his 
  bungalow 
  is 
  in 
  

   the 
  very 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  Crater. 
  

  

  96. 
  Helodromas 
  ochropus 
  (Linn.). 
  

  

  The 
  Green 
  Sandpiper 
  is 
  very 
  abundant, 
  occurring 
  in 
  

   immense 
  flocks 
  on 
  the 
  mud 
  islands 
  in 
  the 
  harbour, 
  but 
  only 
  

   during 
  the 
  cold 
  season. 
  

  

  97. 
  ToTANUs 
  cALiDRis 
  (Linn.). 
  

  

  The 
  same 
  remark 
  applies 
  to 
  the 
  Redshank. 
  

  

  98. 
  Crex 
  pratensis, 
  Bechst. 
  

  

  The 
  Land-Rail 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  last 
  birds 
  one 
  would 
  expect 
  to 
  

   meet 
  with 
  on 
  a 
  barren 
  spot 
  like 
  Aden, 
  yet 
  I 
  have 
  on 
  several 
  

   occasions 
  procured 
  them. 
  The 
  first 
  was 
  on 
  the 
  20th 
  August, 
  

   another 
  on 
  the 
  24th 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  month, 
  one 
  on 
  the 
  17th 
  of 
  

   September, 
  and 
  the 
  last 
  on 
  the 
  15th 
  of 
  February. 
  The 
  first 
  

   was 
  caught 
  alive, 
  and 
  I 
  did 
  not 
  kill 
  it 
  till 
  next 
  morning, 
  as 
  

   I 
  was 
  too 
  busy 
  to 
  stuff 
  it 
  ; 
  it 
  kept 
  up 
  a 
  low 
  plaintive 
  cry, 
  

   like 
  a 
  young 
  kitten, 
  the 
  whole 
  night 
  through. 
  

  

  I 
  fancy 
  all 
  these 
  birds 
  were 
  introduced 
  into 
  Aden 
  from 
  the 
  

   interior 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  manner 
  : 
  — 
  After 
  the 
  jowaree 
  crop 
  

   is 
  reaped, 
  the 
  stalks 
  or 
  kirbee 
  (often 
  seven 
  or 
  eight 
  feet 
  long) 
  

   are 
  tied 
  up 
  in 
  large 
  bundles, 
  which 
  remain 
  in 
  the 
  fields 
  some- 
  

   times 
  for 
  weeks 
  together, 
  and 
  form 
  excellent 
  hiding-places 
  

   for 
  the 
  birds 
  during 
  the 
  day. 
  Early 
  in 
  the 
  morning 
  when 
  

   the 
  camels 
  are 
  being 
  loaded 
  with 
  these 
  bundles 
  of 
  kirbee 
  for 
  

   transport 
  to 
  Aden, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  extensively 
  used 
  as 
  fodder, 
  the 
  

   birds 
  do 
  not 
  fly 
  out, 
  as 
  they 
  keep 
  very 
  close, 
  but 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  

   the 
  bundles 
  are 
  opened 
  for 
  sale 
  they 
  escape. 
  In 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  

   valleys 
  there 
  are 
  patches 
  of 
  salsola, 
  and, 
  for 
  a 
  short 
  time 
  after 
  

   rain, 
  wild 
  portulaca 
  springs 
  up 
  and 
  covers 
  the 
  otherwise 
  bare 
  

   hillsides 
  with 
  verdure, 
  but 
  it 
  has 
  a 
  very 
  brief 
  existence. 
  

   With 
  these 
  exceptions, 
  there 
  is 
  absolutely 
  no 
  cover 
  for 
  

   Land- 
  Rails, 
  and 
  of 
  course 
  they 
  are 
  soon 
  discovered 
  and 
  

   caught. 
  On 
  the 
  mainland 
  there 
  is 
  plenty 
  of 
  cover, 
  and 
  

   some 
  few 
  birds 
  may 
  possibly 
  straggle 
  in 
  thence. 
  It 
  is 
  only 
  

   at 
  the 
  Crater 
  where 
  forage 
  is 
  sold, 
  and 
  there 
  only 
  that 
  I 
  

  

  