48 i Mr. J. S. Budgett on the 



plenty of time for fishing and shooting, as we stayed at the 

 important places for several days. The towns visited were 

 Sukuta, Kaihai, Demfai, Tabanani^ Same, and Koruntaba, 

 most of them several miles from the river, as the natives 

 almost always prefer to live in the higher country. On this 

 trip I first became acquainted with the little flocks of the 

 Long-tailed Shrike [Corvinella corvina), which were every- 

 where seen flying from bush to bush along the native roads, 

 not in the least shy of our rather numerous string of porters 

 and servants. 



On reaching our destination we took up our quarters in 

 native huts set aside for the Commissioner's special use, 

 usually sharing them with the small Red-breasted Weaver- 

 birds [Lagonosticta senegala), while in the trees overhead 

 Pycnonotus barbatus reiterated its clear but plaintive little 

 song. About the towns numbers of Cryptnrhina afra 

 acted as general scavengers. The males had brilliant red 

 beaks, the females black. It was near Tabanani that I 

 first saw perched on the top of some solitary tree-stump 

 Lanius auriculatus, and also identified the Parrots pre- 

 viously noticed, viz. Pmocephalus senegalus in large flocks of 

 over twenty, and Palaornis docilis in small parties. Here 

 also I shot a number of the handsome green Pigeon ( Vinago 

 waalia), which never alights on the ground and feeds chiefly 

 on young figs, the trees being literally crowded with the 

 birds. In the gullies the noisy chatter of parties of some 

 half-a-dozen Babblers {Crateropus platycercus) attracted my 

 attention as they ran up the tree-trunks in search of insects, 

 in Woodpecker fashion. 



At Same, on the Kunchow Creek, while fishing with tram- 

 mel-net and linCj I had an opportunity of identifying the 

 Kino-fishers Ceryle rudis, C. maxima, and Halcyon senegalensis. 

 The first-named aff"orded a most attractive spectacle as it 

 poised itself in mid-air above its prey, with the neck and beak 

 pointing downwards. Up and down the stream, skimming 

 the surface as a Swallow does, flashed the gorgeous green, 

 orange and crimson Melittophaga buUocki, while from the 

 bushes along the banks came a noisy chatter that might 



