YEMPATA lir 



flycatcher was present, and the familiar notes of a common 

 bulbul made one realize that it had not been found on 

 every island, Nephila was absent ; ten species of butter- 

 flies were noted ; Olossina very scarce, for the nine boys 

 only caught six in half an hour. 



On February 24th we visited Yempata Isle, going first 

 to a minute accessory islet lying off its southern end. 

 This was noteworthy by the scarcity of the " Oluzibaziba " 

 bush ; there were some fig trees and, on the eastern side, 

 " Ekinsambwe " bushes. No ferns were noted, but 

 Ipomaea was abundant, and the whole centre of the islet 

 was covered with masses of a thick leaved aromatic, 

 labiate herb with spikes of purple flowers, and the mauve 

 flowered " Obutwatwa " {Erlangea tomentosa), in which, 

 as on other small islets, the sweet song of the 

 " Nightingale flycatcher " was heard. 



Birds abounded on this islet ; on the rocks surrounding 

 it were cormorants, gulls, egrets and giant heron ; moor- 

 hens were among the bushes on the eastern shore, and 

 many swallows and weaver birds were noted. Nephila 

 and Glossina were absent ; the only butterfly was a 

 Lycaenid ; bees were seen on the flowers. 



The main island of Yempata is rather flat, but there is a 

 small amount of open grass land rising slightly at about 

 the centre ; the rest is well covered with forest or the 

 overgrown remains of former plantations. 



For at least half the length of the western shore there is 

 a pebbly beach, backed by dense thickets of elephant 

 grass (" Ekisagazi "), an unusual feature on any but the 

 largest islands. The remainder of the west coast has a 

 dense wall of bushes ; along the north coast there are 

 rushes and papyrus, and on the east side papyrus, ambatch, 

 and other bushes right up to the water's edge, forming 

 excellent shelter for the Siibutunga antelope which the 

 natives assert lives on the island. Along the southern 

 shore is pebbly beach. 



