Mashona/nrid Birds. 253 



banks of streams. It spends most of its time on the ground, 

 but when flushed settles in the lower branches of trees and 

 ascends with a creeping motion suggestive of a Coly. Its flight 

 is very weak, and when frightened it will skulk among the 

 dense undergrowth, refusing to be put up. It utters a loud 

 squawking note at intervals, and the Kafirs say that when it 

 calls frequently it is a sign of rain. Mr. J. ff'olliott Darling 

 has kindly furnished me with the following account of the 

 nidification as observed by him at Mazoe : — 



" In January I found a nest of Centropus burchelli in a low 

 thorn-bush about 6ft. from the ground; it was composed of 

 dry grass, rather roughly constructed, domed, and with a large 

 hole at the side pointing away from the prevailing winds. 

 In it were four young birds a few days old, very extraordinary- 

 looking little creatures, with large heads and enormously 

 distended abdomens ; in the one I skinned I counted 

 17 grasshoppers, besides the debris of various other insects. 

 About a month later I found another nest in a similar position 

 and similarly constructed ; in it were two birds just hatched 

 and two eggs, the latter being round and white and a little 

 larger than those of C. nigrorufus." 



145. Centropus nigrorufus. (Black- breasted Lark- 

 heeled Cuckoo.) 



Not uncommon in the open reedy swamps round Mazoe 

 and about the Gwibi flats. Except for its preferring open 

 country, its habits much resemble those of the precedmg 

 species. Of its nest Mr. Darling writes: — "On 13th January 

 I took a nest of C. nigrorufus in long and thick grass in a vlei; 

 the bird flew out beside me or I should not have found it, so 

 artfully was it concealed, being woven out of the living grass, 

 so that it kept green all the time, and when I stood only a 

 couple of yards away it was impossible to discern the nest. 

 This was situated about 2 ft. from the ground, domed, and 

 with a small aperture at the side, the grass being very finely 

 and carefully woven in small plaits or wisps and not in single 

 blades, and the tops protruding freely for some distance 

 above the nest. The eggs were four in number, pure white, 



SER. VII. VOL. VI. T 



