120



Mr. L. M. Seth-Smith,



can now and then get a good view of the mountain, but the

summit is usually in clouds. It is about eighty-five to ninety

miles from Jinja, and takes usually six days. At the first camp,

about fourteen miles out, there were very few birds. It may have

been that, there being a large quantity of Water Buck, I preferred

these to the birds. All along here perhaps the commonest bird

is Bayard’s Bulbul ; in fact it is a positive nuisance, as at a

distance it is impossible to identify it and one goes up expecting

to get hold of some rare bird, and it is only Bayard’s Bulbul.

However, by its flight and the fact that it goes about almost

universally in pairs, one gets to know it in time. Another bird

which I have found very deceptive is the hen Weaver-bird, and

suppose I must have shot more of these than any other bird.


The next camp is Iganga where there is a Mission Station.

Near here I shot a species of Turnix which, I regret to say, my

“ boy ” absolutely spoilt in skinning. At this camp there are a

few Guinea Fowl which are more or less common all up the

road. They are most stupid birds as, after being flushed, they

usually fly up into some leafless tree and wait for you to go up

and shoot them. This, of course, is not ‘ sporting,’ but when

the ‘ pot ’ depends on one’s gun, which it often does as regards

fresh meat, one can only be thankful that they are so stupid.

Curiously in some parts they are very wild.


On the way to the next camp, Kelele’s, one passes several

swamps, through one of which is quite a wide flowing stream.

Here I managed to shoot a pair of Pigmy Geese,* most charming

little birds, a duck, a Pelican and a white Stork. It is curious

what a few ducks one comes across out here, in spite of the large

swamps. When I first saw the Pelicans they were sailing about

at a great height, and I should not have recognised them at first

except that I had seen one of those unfortunate St. James’ Park

birds sailing about in exactly the same way some three years ago.

I noticed here two kinds of Kingfishers,! the large blue one and

the little purple one ; J the latter evidently had a nest under the

bridge, but it was impossible to get under to look for it. A third

kind of Kingfisher, not unlike the large blue one, but smaller



* Netty pus auritus .


+ Halcyon cyanoleucus.


t Ispidina picta.



