94 PERSONAL NARRATIVE. 



information, and has indirectly contributed more perhaps 

 than any other living European in making the fauna 

 and flora of the Ethiopian highlands known to the scien- 

 tific world of Europe. 



I reached Lake Ashangi^ once more on April 29th, 

 and remained there for seven days, collecting. Lieut. 

 St. John had lent me an india-rubber boat, which was 

 most useful, as no native craft of any kind existed 

 on the water. The amount of astonishment which the 

 boat produced amongst the Abyssinians was naturally 

 great. The lake swarmed with water-birds, but many 

 kinds of ducks had left. I saw the shoveller, always 

 one of the latest to migrate to the north, and shot 

 the crested pochard [Fuligula cristata), but there 

 appeared to be decidedly fewer than when I passed on 

 my way to Magdala a month earlier. The Egyptian 

 goose {Chenalopex cegyj^tiaca) occurred in large num- 

 bers. The most abundant bird on the lake was the 

 crested grebe {Podicejys cristata) ; I also shot the eared 

 grebe (P. aurita), which was scarce, and the common 

 dabchick (P. minor). A small cormorant [Graculus 

 africanus) was occasionally met with, and I once saw a 

 white pelican, which, however, I failed to secure. The 

 crested coot {Fulica cristata) was tolerably abundant. 

 The umbre {Scopus iimbretta,) occurred on the margin of 

 the lake, with a large black and white ibis, of which I 

 failed to obtain a specimen. In the marshes on the 

 banks Rallus Rougeti and Gallinula chloropus occurred, 



' A brief description of this lake will be found in a subsequent page in the 

 part devoted to the Geology, Section I. 



