Migration of the Sp/osser and Common Nightingale. 59


Bluethroats, etc. were all passing northwards, I have never seen

a Nightingale at all.


As to the passage of these two species through Egypt I

may quote that very close and reliable observer Mr. M. J. Nieoll.

“ Daulias philomela. I have only twice met with the Sprosser

“Nightingale in Egypt. On May 5th, 1907. I watched an

“ example perched on a wire fence in the Zoological Gardens,,

“and on November 1st, 1908, I obtained a specimen at Giza.

“The latter example had both feet considerably swollen, and

“this probably had retarded its passage southwards.”


“Daulias luscinia. Nightingales begin to arrive in Giza

“ towards the end of March, and for a fortnight they abound.

“ Great numbers frequent the Zoological Gardens, and I have

“seen as many as fifteen together close to the verandah of my

“house. In the autumn I have only met with this species on

“ three occasions. I think it is probable that the birds follow a

“different route on their way south from that taken on the

“passage northwards in spring.”


To sum up these records :


I. Egypt. Common Nightingales ( D . luscinia') arrive in large

numbers in the spring, passing north, but wherever they

come from they do not seem to come down the Nile Valley

past Khartoum. The Sprosser {_D. philomela ) is a com¬

paratively rare bird in Egypt. There is no appreciable

southward migration of either Nightingale through Egypt

in the autumn.


II. Sudan. Sprossers ( D. philomela ) arrive at Khartoum in

large numbers in the autumn, rest for a while, and then

disappear, but these birds are not noticed in any quantities

passing through Egypt on the way. Their return migra¬

tion in the spring does not seem to passthrough the Sudan

at all. and must, I think, follow a route west of the Sahara.

Daulias luscinia is only a rare straggler in the Sudan part of

the Nile Valley, and the large numbers which pass through

Egypt in spring do not appear here previously. Possibly

they work up the west coast and spread across Africa

north of the Sahara before crossing the Mediterranean.

But the facts may be more useful than conjectures!



