22 Hon. N. C. Rothschild and ^\\\ A. F. R. Wollaston 
lying mauve spots. They measure 28*7 by 21*5, 29*3 by 
21-1, and 295 by 207 mm. 
The natives call this bird " Abu Tabag " (Father of bowls), 
presumably on account of the bowl-like appearance of the 
open mouth. 
57. Caprimulgus ^gyptius Licht. 
293 ?, 411 cJ. 
We obtained only two specimens of the Egyptian Nightjar ; 
the first was found in long grass among trees during the day- 
timCj the second was flying in the evening in company with 
C. eximius. 
58. ScoTORNis cLiMAcuRus (VieilL). 
199 c^, 410 S , 421 S, 200 ? , 375 ? . 
There is much variation in the general colour of these 
birds, No. 421 being much more rufous, and Nos. 375 and 
41 very much blacker than the others. 
This beautiful long-tailed Goatsucker was fairly common at 
Shendi. Unlike Caprimulgus eximius it is essentially a bird 
of the scrub and thick trees, hiding by day in the most shady 
and impenetrable thickets. At night it seems to spend 
almost as much time in sitting "churring^' at the top of some 
tree as in flying; it was often seen flitting about the river in 
company with C. eximius. The two long central tail-feathers 
of the male are held apart in flight at an angle of about 
twenty-five or thirty degrees. Though pairs were often seen, 
they did not seem to be breeding ; neither the testes nor the 
ovaries of any of our specimens being enlarged. 
59. CoRACiAS ABYssiNicus Bodd. 
376 S> 357 ?, 51 $. 
The Abvssinian Roller was occasionallv seen, but it 
was usually very wary and difficult to approach. The native 
name, which means '' Child of the clouds,'"' is well chosen ; 
you hear one of these birds high up above your head almost 
out of sight, and then down it suddenly comes in a flutter- 
ing corkscrew flight, with wings and tail spread out, to 
perch and chatter at you from the top of a tree, just out 
of gunshot. A pair m ere twice seen to go into a hole in the 
