Birds of Southern Kamerun. 67 



1944. Parmoptila woodhousii. (Plate II.) 



Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 323. 



Nos. 2130, 2130 «. Bitye, Jan. 4, 1907. Young, caught 

 in the nest. The four small white wattles at the gape (see 

 the upper figure in the Plate) were conspicuous. 



These birds are seen going about in little companies of half- 

 a-dozen, both in the forests and in the bushes or open land. 

 Their food is insects, largely small ants. The four specimens 

 Nos. 1784-7 were killed at one shot while engaged in picking 

 from a bush the small ants that were swarming over it. 



In my note already published in 'The Ibis' (1908, 

 p. 324), I refer to the large dome-shaped nests of these 

 small birds. I have seen more of these nests since, and 

 there is now no doubt about their belonging to this species. 

 The four immature specimens Nos. 1358-9 were caught in 

 such a nest. Another nest, shown me in a better state of 

 preservation, was a rough mass as big as a half-gallon 

 measure, composed of fine dry grass, with a quantity of green 

 moss thrown loosely over the outside. It was placed on 

 a forked twig which was growing out horizontally. The 

 entrance was at one side and had a sort of portico 

 covering. An egg, taken from a nest in which were also 

 two young birds, measured 14*5 X 10"5 mm. 



[The egg is of a distinctly pointed oval shape, devoid of 

 gloss and pure white. — O.-G.] 



2002. CiSTicoLA ERYTHROPs. [Abankwat, or Tinkwat.] 



Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 317. 



This lively and bold little bird has already been charac- 

 terized in ray brief note in 'The Ibis ' (/. s. c). Its little 

 song was spoken of, and also its sharp-toned notes, which 

 are imitated in the name ^' Abankwat/' the last syllable 

 being brought out with an emphasis almost like the crack 

 of a whip. When these notes are abbreviated at the 

 beginning, they resemble the shorter name " Tinkwat." 

 Still another call often uttered by this Grass-Warbler 

 remains to be described. It is merely a long-continued 

 and rapid repetition of one sharp note. The bird, sittin"- 



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