176 BIRDS 



Damba Isle was found to have eaten only grasshoppers 

 in two cases, in the third grasshoppers and one beetle. 



Very noticeable absentees from the islands are the black, 

 fork-tailed, insectivorous Drongos (Dicruridae) , which were 

 never met with there. The first ones I ever saw were on 

 the frontier between German East Africa and Uganda 

 in the early days of the war, and later in various parts of 

 German East Africa they were seen abundantly, so that 

 I became thoroughly familiar with them. When I returned 

 to the islands in 1918 for about three months, I should 

 therefore certainly have seen Drongos had they been 

 present. It has seemed to me during my wanderings 

 that where Drongos were abundant Bee-eaters were scarce, 

 and since Bee-eaters appear to be unusually plentiful on 

 the islands and Drongos are absent, it is possible that these 

 birds of similar habits take each other's place to a certain 

 extent. 



The Starling family is also notable for the absence of 

 conspicuous species from the islands, viz. the Glossy 

 Starlings, which certainly could not escape notice. These 

 birds have the typical shape and noisy habits of our 

 home species, but their dark plumage is resplendent with 

 metallic purple and green. Their harsh voices are very 

 familiar at Entebbe among the tall trees, and their noisy 

 flight also renders them conspicuous to the ear. Directly 

 I entered the forests on the Kyagwe coast opposite the 

 islands where I was working, these noisy birds attracted 

 attention, so that I am quite sure they do not exist on any 

 island I have visited. 



Weaver Birds (" Endegeya ") are abundant among the 

 ambatches which overhang the water ; but some species, 

 that make their nests in colonies on large trees on the 

 mainland, so that the noise of them at a little distance is 

 like the sound of a waterfall, have not been met with 

 on the islands. 



Neither have I seen the Bishop and Widow finches, 



