4 Hon. N. C. Rothscliild and Mr. A. F. R. Wollaston 
The list of birds ^hich follows will, we hope, prove of 
interest and of some value as an addition to our knowledge 
of their geographical distribution. It will be noticed how 
large a nnmber of the species belong to Abyssinia also. We 
have purposely omitted to mention a large majority of the 
migratory birds wliich we saw. We have, moreover, made 
no attempt to describe the call-notes and songs, or to render 
tliem into words ; such things can only be learnt by personal 
experience. 
Our thanks are due to Mr. E. Hartert and the authorities 
of the Tring Museum for much valuable help in identifying 
our specimens. 
N.B. — Species marked with an asterisk were fully 
identified, but specimens of them were not obtained. 
We purposely avoided shooting Vultures, Cranes, &c., 
partly because most collections are well supplied with them, 
and partly on account of the great difficulty of drying and 
packing the skins of large birds. 
1. Nectarinia metallica Licht. 
28 c?, 61 J, 188 S, 299 S, 341 S, 401 S juv., 
419 cT j^^v., 203 ? . 
This was the only species of Sun-bird which we obtained. 
It was very plentiful in the scrub along the river-bank, 
especially frequenting those places where the Sodom-apple 
[CaJotropis procera) was growing; a pair of these birds 
perched on the flowers of this plant, with constantly 
quivering tails and wings, made as pretty a picture as one 
could wish to see. 
Yon Heuglin says that this species begins to breed in 
June and July, when it lays a white e^^ with large red 
spots at the broad end. We found several nests ; the first, 
on March lOth, contained three much-incubated eggs, and 
this seems to be the full clutch. All the eggs which we 
obtained were pure white, with a very few minute purplish 
spots, hardly visible without the aid of a lens, scattered 
over the broad end. Tlie nest, which somewhat resembles 
that of the Long-tailed Tit, is usually built in an acacia-bush. 
