_ 8 ~ 



in Mombasa for a period of ten years is: March 2.96 ins., April 

 11.88 ins., May 17.08 ins., June 5.32 ins., etc. The same figures 

 are given in "The Red Booli", 1919, p. 132, for a period of six 

 years. The total rainfall amounts to 58.71 ins. per annum. 



We stayed at Mombasa four days and made some short 

 excursions in the environs of the Gulf of Kilindini but were 

 unable to make any collections as our outfit, with all the taxi- 

 (ierniic parajjhanclia, had not yet arrived, neither could such be 

 procured in Mombasa. On the 25th April we returned, however, 

 to the coast-land and now spent several days collecting birds, 

 and a rather tine collection of 109 si)ecimens was i)rocured. 



In the interior of the town itself, in the parks and in the 

 trees growing around the Metropol Hotel Xantopkilus bojeri was 

 breeding everywhere. Indeed, this species was one of the very 

 commonest. In the stony surroundings of the cultivated land we 

 frequently saw Vpupa africana, and Corvus albus (=:: scapulatus) 

 appeared in single specimens or small flocks round the refuse 

 heaps, in the market places or in the dwelling quarters of the 

 Suaheii negroes. Milvus migrans parasifus also occurred in fair 

 numbers, even within the town itself and was very numerous on 

 the Kilindini Gulf, where they swarmed in large flocks round 

 the steamers lying at anchor. It kept company with the gulls, 

 and like them, deftly snatched u[) various edible things from the 

 surface of the water. When I crossed the gulf in a rowing-boat 

 they sometimes flew so near that I could strike th.em with the 

 oar and they were not frigthened off when I shot a few specimens, 

 which fell into the water. The bird-life in the vicinity of Kilin- 

 dini Gulf, where we stayed for the most part, was very rich. In 

 the small groves found here, which consisted mainly of cocoanut 

 palms with various smaller trees and bushes here and there 

 Eyphantornis nigriceps bred in exceedingly large colonies, some- 

 times numbering several hundred nests in the same tree. Most 

 of the birds we collected during our excursions in the coast-land 

 were at this time of the year busy pairing and building their 

 nests. Some had already assumed their new dresses, but the 

 majority, however, were in a more or less advanced phase of 

 moulting. 



A very common bird in these districts was Dicrurus adsi- 

 milis divaricatus, as also was Boicephalus fusicapillus, although 

 rather difficult to get within range. In the same kinds of lo- 

 cality as that frequented by these birds, that is to say, among 

 the palms and large trees, Oriolus auratus and 0. notatus, 

 Bhinopomastus cyanomelas schalowi, Campeihera caillauti call- 

 lauti, Irrisor erythrorhynchus marwitzi and Accipiter tninullus 

 tropicalis etc. occurred, and from the tops of the Mango trees 

 was heard the beautiful song of Farus albiventris. On the 

 outskirts of the forests — towards the sea — where trees and bushes 

 grew solitary and sparse Lyhius melanopterus, Lyhius torquatus 



