Expeditiun to ilie Zambesi River. 451 



244. Phyllopeztjs africaxus (Grin.). 



Inhabits the vicinity of pools in dried-up watercourses. 

 Always found in pairs. It is by no means shy, and allows 

 of a close approach. In the breeding-season tiiey become 

 very demonstrative, the male continually chasing the female 

 from one side of the pool to the other, and utteinng the 

 whole time a series of hoarse guttural notes. The flight is 

 weak, the long legs being dropped, which gives a very clumsy 

 appearance to the bird. 



Adult S • Total length (measured in the flesh) 10 inches, 

 wing 7. Iris bluish black ; frontal shield and bill bluish 

 lead-colour; legs and feet lead-colour. 



Adult ? . Total length (measured in the flesh) lO'G inches, 

 wing 7'6. Colours as in male. 



This last specimen was obtained on Oct. 17, and had 

 sexual organs in breeding condition. 



Immature birds with white breasts were also obtained 

 about the same time. It is probable that these birds do not 

 assume the adult plumage till the second year. In immature 

 individuals the iris is brown, tlie legs and feet brownish 

 green. 



245. LOBIVANELLUS ALBICEPS (Gould). 



First observed near Senna on July 22. This bird is found 

 in pairs here and there along the river, haunting the margin 

 of the water where the banks are gently sloping and of a 

 sandy nature. At one's approach these Plovers jump up in a 

 spasmodic manner, as if their very souls had been startled, 

 to fly out low across the water in a circuitous flight, in oidcr 

 to regain the bank further ahead. When startled they are 

 noisy birds, uttering their plaintive but not unmusical 

 " whit," " whit," repeated rapidly in succession, and they will 

 often set up these cries for no apparent reason whatever, 

 obliging the feeding Water-hen {Limnocorax niger) to take 

 quickly to the shelter of the reeds, and causing the neigh- 

 bouring wild-fowl much uneasiness. Ihey seem to take a 

 delight in giving alarm on the slightest provocation. They 

 are often to be found at some distance from water, haunting 



