on Birds from Shendi, Sudan. 3 
considerable number of nests, some of which were previously 
unknown. It is not unlikely that, could we have stayed for 
another month, we should have added several more to the 
list. 
There seems to be a good deal of uncertainty as to the 
exact date of the general breeding-season in this part of 
the Sudan. Mr. H. F. Witherby, who was collecting last 
year a short way south of Khartum, but in a country very 
similar to that of Shendi, suggested that it was probably in 
June, after the rainy season. There cannot be the least 
doubt that the general breeding-season occurs in the months 
of February, March, and April. On the other hand, it is 
exceedingly likely that some species may breed again in the 
autumn : for instance, ^demosyne cantans, of which we 
found a nest containing eggs on February 28th, is said by 
von Heuglin to breed in August and September ; but this 
must be taken as the exception rather than as the rule. 
So far as was possible, we only shot specimens of European 
migrants when some doubt was felt as to their identity; 
isolated specimens of migrants in such a case are of little 
or no value, but a careful record, extending over a period 
of a year or more, of those observed at stated points in 
the Mle Valley, which is one of the most important high- 
ways of migration in the world, would be of the greatest 
interest. 
We take this opportunity of expressing our thanks to 
Captain Bulkeley Johnson and other officers of the Egyptian 
Cavalry stationed at Shendi, for much help and many kind- 
nesses, which added greatly to the pleasures of our visit to 
the Sudan. 
The natives we always found very friendly and on the 
whole fairly intelligent. One or two were particularly 
skilful in trapping birds and small mammals, and, whether 
it were a young hare, a bat, or a sand-grouse, they invari- 
ably brought it to us tied to the end of a stout piece of rope. 
They unfortunately have a bad habit of pulling out all the 
primaries from the wings of birds, which are consequently 
of little use as specimens. ^ 
b2 
