1 92 1.] Birds of Nortliern Rhodesia. 617 



in a narrow spiral, and a s[)leiKlicl flight ensued ; a second 

 eagle joined the chase, and the three birds circled upwards 

 till all were lost to view, and T can give no idea as to the 

 result, but the powers of flight of the owl surprised nie. 



Two specimens o^ Scops capensis were secured with one shot 

 while seated side b}^ side in a " Grerman-s;i usage " tree, at the 

 critiison flowers of which numbers of Cinuyris (juttiiralis in 

 full plumage were feeding; one Bnho verremixi was obtained. 

 I saw one morning a small blue-grey Falcon chasing a little 

 bird, which it pursued like our Merlin, and it seemed to be at 

 least as quick on the wing. The next day my son brought 

 to me a Dickinson's Kestrel {IJissodedes dickinsoni), \N\\\iA\ 

 he shot when coming to drink at a pan ; I l)elieve this 

 was the species I had seen the day previously, and I 

 would humbly suggest that this bird, with its powerful legs 

 and claws, should not be accounted a Kestrel. In some 

 places Guinea Fowl (^Numida mitratd) were abundant in good- 

 sized flocks, their habits similar to other species of their 

 genus, but their flesh was below the usual excellent quality 

 of their race. 



Just before reaching the Kafue River we crossed a low 

 ridge of sandy soil. The Mashakalumbwe like such sites for 

 their villages, and this was thickly populated, no bush had 

 been left, but here and there a few great trees ; in the 

 branches of one which bore an olive-like fruit, were a large 

 flock of green pigeons, one was shot and proved to be Vinago 

 wahefieldii schaloioi. On a tree further on my son saw a bird 

 with a white head and breast ; this was obtained, and was 

 found to be the Barbet now named Lyhius chaplini (PI. VII. 

 fig. 3). An hour later we reached the river, and from its bank 

 enjoyed the spectacle of numberless birds feeding or flying 

 to their roosting grounds. The ford was 150 yards wide, 

 and the banks of the river, except where rocks raised grey 

 masses above them, were lined with a narrow edging of green 

 reeds, with sharp-pointed leaves ; two or three islands of sand 

 divided the river's surface, and birds were everywhere — 

 Scissor-bills flew to and fro, Great White Egrets waded in 

 the shallow water, the rocks carried black flocks of two 



