from the Ruo and Shire Rivers. 591 



56. Ceryle maxima (Pall.) ; Slielley, Ibis, 1897, p. 544. 

 Rare. A very few seen. 



57. Halcyon chelicutensis (Stanl.) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1897, 

 p. 545. 



a. Ad. Shire River, February 1899. 



During July and August these birds were common and 

 very noisy, calling continually ; but later they Avere scarce. 



58. Halcyon pallidiventkis Cab.; Percival, P. Z, S. 1899, 

 p. 715. 



a. ^ . M'lolo, Chiromo, December 4, 1898. 



59. Scops capensis Smith ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. 

 ii. p. 52, pi. iii. fig. 1 (1875). 



I know this bird's call well, from hearing it so often in 

 the Transvaal and in Swaziland, where I have shot specimens. 

 In British Central Africa it was often to be heard at dusk, 

 but it is almost impossible to locate the noise, and even if 

 one does so it is by no means easy to see a little Owl in the 

 dusk, for, even during the day, the bird is easily mistaken 

 for the stump of a branch. 



60. Glaucidium perlatum (Vieill.) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1897, 

 p. 549. 



I saw only one specimen of this Owl, in August, 

 among the borassus palms, and it was with great difficultv 

 that I obtained it, for it dropped dead on one of the large 

 leaves of a palm and was not easily dislodged. 



61. Asio capensis (Smith) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1894, p. 465. 

 On the voyage down the Shire I saw an Owl, which w^as 



I think, Asio capensis : it was flying quietly over the tops 

 of the reeds during the afternoon — just as one sees the bird 

 on the uplands of Natal. 



62. Syunium woodfordi (Smith) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1897, 

 p. 549. 



a. ? ad. Ruo River, November 26, 1898. 



An example of this Owl was obtained on the bank of the 

 Ruo early one morning wiien my boys had called mc to go 

 after a flock of Geese. I did not get a shot at them, but 



