BIEDS—CROCODILES 
415 
The White Nile. 
February 16 th—20 th, 1909. 
Unfortunately a projected journey as far as the Bahr-el-Ghazal 
fell through, and I was able to carry out but a very short expedition, 
which, nevertheless, was the most interesting part of the whole 
tour. 
The steamer was very comfortable and the manager civility itself : 
indeed so luxurious is travelling nowadays that we were somewhat 
disposed to grumble when the supply of ice failed. Yet one might 
well plead extenuating circumstances, for aerated water without ice 
is apt to taste flat at 114° F. in the shade. It was, however, really 
tantalizing to be five days in a country of such possibilities, and yet 
to get in all less than twelve hours’ collecting. An entomologist 
ought, if possible, not to be pressed for time, and he ought to travel 
in a private steamer. 
On February 16th, when about 40 miles above Khartum, at 4.50 
p.m., there being a gentle breeze from the westward, numerous Lady¬ 
birds coming from the eastward settled upon the ship. All those 
examined proved to be Coccinella 11-punctata, a common Egyptian 
species. The flight lasted a little over an hour, and there must have 
been hundreds of the beetles. 1 
During the greater part of the way the steamer passed through 
absolutely flat country elevated but little above the river. At this 
stage interest centred on the number and variety of large birds. We 
soon came to Cranes—grey, demoiselle, and others—Storks, Ibis, 
Herons, Geese of several sorts; Ducks and Teal innumerable. On 
low muddy islands the Cranes stood in rows like soldiers, each kind 
by itself, in scores or even hundreds. Of Pelicans we saw but few, 
of Flamingoes possibly one or two. Then there was the Marabout, 
which is a very handsome bird; so is the less common Fish Eagle. 
There were also Kingfishers and other small fowl. 
Crocodiles were frequently seen asleep upon the banks, for the 
most part very cryptic, but one or two were more brightly coloured. 
One big fellow quite deceived the experts who declared it to be a log, 
a diagnosis that was upset by a rifle shot. My wife complained that 
her usual afternoon siesta was much disturbed owing to the fact that 
“the gentlemen would shoot crocodiles.” A more correct phrase 
would have been “ shoot at crocodiles,” for the huge creatures were 
hard to hit and harder still to kill. Hit or missed they invariably 
1 Proc. Ent. Soe. Lond ., 1909, p. xxxii. 
