Mashonaland Birds. 233 



water wherever there are thickets sufficiently dense to suit 

 them. Their almost incessant harsh chatter becomes very 

 wearisome after a time. They feed entirely on the ground, 

 scratching noisily among the reeds or undergrowth. The 

 stomachs examined contained chiefly ants, but also a few 

 beetles and crickets. 



43. Parus afer. (South-African Tit.) 



Not uncommon in the mosasa-bush ; it closely resembles 

 the European Great Tit in general habits. 



44. Parus nicer. (Black-and-White Tit.) 

 Noticeably scarcer than the preceding species, which it 



resembles in habits, though I have occasionally noticed a pair 

 hawking for insects in the air, just like Flycatchers. 



45. Parus pallidiventris. (Pale-bellied Tit.) 



This species, which has not previously been recorded to 

 the south of the Zambesi, was kindly identified for me by 

 Capt. Shelley. I shot one of a pair in August 1898 on a farm 

 nine miles east of Salisbury, and subsequently observed 

 another pair in October in the same locality, these being the 

 only examples which have come under my notice. In both 

 cases they were busily engaged in searching the young shoots 

 of mosasa-trees for phytophagous beetles in true Tit-fashion, 

 occasionally uttering a loud churring call, very similar to 

 that of P. niger. 



46. ^GiTHALUs caroli. (Andcrssou's Penduline Tit.) 

 This little bird is not uncommon, but seems to be more 



in evidence during the winter months. Three or four indi- 

 viduals are usually found together assiduously investigating 

 low trees and buvshes, but they are especially fond of several 

 kinds of very tall flowers, on which they find an abundance 

 of minute insects. I have heard only a faint chirping note 

 uttered. 



47. Telephonus erythropterus. (Cape Red-winged 

 Bush-Shrike.) 



Recorded by Mr. Ayres from the Umfuli, but I have not 

 yet succeeded in recognizing the species'^. 



* [Probably the same as T. senegahis, the next species. — Edd.] 



