Expedition to the Zambesi River. 91 



from tlie throaty sides of tlie face, and fore-neck. In old 

 males the crown appears to become like that of the female. 



Adult. Iris black ; bill slate-colour ; Avattled eyelids blue ; 

 legs and feet bluish slate-colour. 



lis. CoTiLE PALunicoLA (Vicill.). 



A large colony of these birds was breeding in holes in a 

 flat sandy stretch of ground close to the river, some 60 miles 

 below Tete, at Umquasi, where we landed on August 1. The 

 holes went a considerable distance into the ground, but were 

 not deep, and were very tortuous. 



A specimen shot off the nest had the upper parts brownish 

 blacky rump white, striated with brown, and underparts 

 white. 



119. HiRUNDO RUSTICA (LiuH.) . 



From October 20 onward Chimney-Swallows kept on 

 increasing in numbers^ the adults appearing first and then 

 the immature birds. 



On December 28 we witnessed a remarkable flight. It 

 was towards evening, and we were just able to reach a sandbank 

 before a heavy storm came on. Large flocks of Swallows 

 kept passing us, flying southward before the inky darkness of 

 the rain-clouds. 



When nearing Tete on January 29, we pitched our tent 

 for the night close to a large reed-bed. Just before dusk, 

 countless numbers of Swallows, all adult birds, a])peared 

 high in the air flying round in circles. Then_, suddenly, 

 they swooped down with a rustling sound of wings into the 

 reed-bed close to our tent, where they stayed for the night, 

 and when morning broke not a Swallow was to be seen. 



120. HiRUNDo sMiTHi Lcach. 



A well-distributed resident on the Zambesi and observed 

 as far as the Kafue river. It builds its nest on the ledges and 

 under the projecting eaves of rocks that border the river, 

 and also on the roof-trees of the Kaffir huts^ paying no regard 

 to the inhabitants., flying in and out of the hut-doors, that are 

 continually surrounded with Kaffir childien. 



