164 BIRDS ^ 



time one often hears quite a different noise proceeding 

 from a thick shady tree, obviously emanating from an 

 owl, bub whether from the latter sj)ecies or another I 

 cannot say. 



As with other groups of birds, notable absentees from the 

 islands may be mentioned among birds of prey. Vultures 

 were never seen, but this is perhaps what might be expected 

 from the absence of game. The beautiful Bateleur eagle 

 {Helotarsus ecaudatus), so noticeable on the mainland, was 

 either absent or so scarce on the islands that I cannot 

 remember having seen it there. 



Another fine species, the Black and White Crested 

 Eagle {Spizaetus coronatus), known to the Baganda as 

 " Wonzi," was only very occasionally seen. I first became 

 acquainted with this handsome, fierce looking bird at 

 Jinja, where its rather weird scream was often heard, 

 and the bird was often seen to perch on the summit 

 of a dead tree. 



The next family to be mentioned is that of the Parrots, 

 about which I have not much to say, since I have only 

 met with one species on the islands. This is curious, 

 because at Entebbe and Bukakata and Jinja may be seen 

 quite commonly one of the small green parrots with yellow 

 shoulders. 



The well known grey parrot with red tail occurs on 

 many of the larger forested islands, and its discordant 

 shrieks were familiar. At daybreak and eventide they 

 fly to and from their favourite feeding grounds in small 

 flocks, and, like no other bird, chatter and whistle con- 

 tinually as they go. Often one hears the well known 

 noises high overhead before the birds have come into 

 view. 



On Sanga Islet one day, there were some parrots 

 feeding in the trees which took alarm and flew off as 

 I walked underneatli. One of them gave a call which 

 seemed to be an imitation of the monkey's alarm, the 



