from the Ruo and Shire Rivers. 589 



vanish as does the latter bird. It is usually seeu in small 

 parties of five or six. 



45. Melittophagus meridionalis Sharpe ; Shelley, Ibis, 

 1897, p. 544. 



Common, usually seen in pairs. 



46. Merops natalensis Reichenb. ; Shelley, Ibis, 1894, 

 p. 4. 



Merops nubicoides Percival, P. Z. S, 1899, p. 715. 



a. Ad. Ruo River, August 1898. 



During the months of October and November these birds 

 were numerous on the Ruo and Shire Rivers, breeding in 

 colonies in the steep banks in company with M. bullockoides, 

 which they outnumber by ten to one. Early in December 

 they seemed to vanish almost entirely, and from then till 

 March I did not see more than two or three. 



To see the face of a bank covered with these lovely birds, 

 fluttering and clinging to the mouths of their nesting-holes, 

 is a wonderful sight. 



On the Ruo, native children snare many of them by setting 

 a noose in the entrance to the nest. In one place I am 

 sure that I saw fifty snares set, and in many of them a 

 bird hanging, dead or dying. The nests are made of the 

 fibres of an aloe. I asked one of the children what they 

 did with the birds : "■ Eat them, of course," was his answer. 



47. Dicrocercus hirundinaceus (Vieill.) ; Shelley, Ibis, 



1896, p. 230. 



Not common, and only once or twice seen in parties of 

 six or eight. It keeps to the trees more than the otber 

 species of Bee-eaters. 



48. Irrisor viridis Shelley, Ibis, 1893, p. 8. 



Not common, very noisy, and difficult to approach. 



49. Rhinopomastus cyanomelas (Vieill.) ; Shelley, Ibis, 



1897, p. 544. 



A few were seen on the Liadzi River, usually in pairs, 

 hunting around dead trees. Very tame. 



