Buluaaijo, SoutJiern Rhodesia. 141 



30 inclies, and practically all of this falls during the summer 

 months, viz. from October to ^larch. On account of the 

 elevation of the town and its situation on the Mater-parting, 

 the rainfall is rapidly drained away, and it is only where 

 artificial dams have been built, as at the "Waterworks, that 

 there are any permanent sheets of water. 



Although well within the tropics, the small number of 

 really tropical species occurring here is remarkable, and may 

 probably be accounted for by the high altitude and dry 

 climate. 



The Whitcthroat [Sylvia cinerea) and the Senegal Coucal 

 (Centropus seiiegalensis) are now recorded for the second 

 time from South Africa, while the following sixteen species 

 appear to be new to Southern Rhodesia : — 



Glareola melanoptera. 

 Ardetta payeti. 

 Deudrocygna viduata. 

 Halcyon albiventris. 

 Coccystes serratus. 

 Erythropygia zambesiana. 

 Dryodromas fulvicapilla. 

 Eremomela polioxantha. 



Camaroptera siiiidevalli. 

 Fiscus subcoronatus. 

 Aiithus vaalensis. 

 Mirafra nigricans. 

 Hjpochera funerea. 

 Pyrcmelana taba. 

 Coccopygia dufresnii. 

 Oriolus lavvatus. 



The dominant native race in this the Western Division of 

 Southern Rhodesia is the Matabele, a branch of the great 

 Zulu nation, which in 1836, under the leadershij) of 

 Mziligazi, came up from the south, conquered the various 

 tribes then living in the country, and settled among them, 

 taking their women for wives and their children as slaves. 



These natives take a great interest in the animals and 

 birds around them, having separate names for most of the 

 species. But it is the young boys avIio are most conversant 

 with the names of the smaller and less conspicuous birds; 

 for at this age most of their time is spent in herding cattle 

 and sheep, and they observe and talk about the birds that 

 they see. 



I have given the Matabele names to as many species as 

 I have been able. In reading these names, C and Q, are to 

 be pronounced like ilie Zulu " clicks " : the former is much 



