Birds of Soiillicrn Kaineriiii. 71 



down like thistle-down, which in places was thrust through 

 the leaves to form attachments. Another sort of wool, of 

 tough yellowish-brown adhesive fibres, was used to form 

 the stitches that held the edges of the leaves together, and 

 also woven over the outside of the entire nest to hold the 

 slippery thistle-like down in place. 



2103. Hylia prasina. 



Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 325. 



A very common little bird of the tree-tops iu the opener 

 country and the borders of the forest — never found in the 

 depths of the forest. It Hits among the twigs hunting for 

 its insect food, which is often found to consist of the 

 Cocci that adhere to the bark of the twigs. It never 

 perches fully in sight, like the similar little Camaroptera. 

 A bird-call I had often heard coming from the thickest 

 tree-tops or tangles of vines, which 1 called the "saw-filing 

 note,'' because of its piercing shrillness, and because it was 

 double, like the drawing of a file across a savv and back 

 again, though it was not so grating and harsh a sound as the 

 comparison would suggest, was at last traced to this little 

 bird. 



2105. Stiphrornis gabonensis. 

 Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 325. 



2106. Stiphrornis xanthogaster. 

 Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 325. 



Though Reichenow's arrangement is followed here as 

 elsewhere, it seems strange to associate these two species 

 {^S. gabonensis found in the coast-region and S. xanthogaster 

 at tbe Ja) with such birds as Camuropttra and Sylviella. 

 These latter and other similar Warblers are birds of the 

 bushes and brush of open land, not particularly secretive, 

 but escaping hostile observation by their plain colours, 

 small size, and lively movements. The species of Stiphrornis 

 inhabit the dark forest and seek their food on the ground, 

 while they light up the gloom with their bright colours. 



