1921.] Birds of Northern Rhodesia. 619 



regularly flooded every rainy season, and here we saw the 

 Red-ca]) Lark (^Teplirocorys saturaiior), Macronyx wintoyii, 

 and flocks of the Grrej-ruinped Swallow (^Hirundo griseo- 

 pi/ffo), and occasionally the Pratincole (^(Jlareola pratitieola) 

 flitted over them. We spent two nights hy a shallow pan at 

 the far edge of the flats ; this was the resort every evening 

 of a countless nuniljer of Spurwing Geese, their flocks 

 arriving at sunset in a continuous stream. 



Except where nature hud cleared the ground, we found 

 the bush near the Nasenga River somewhat denser than any 

 we had seen before, the flat country ended, and there were a 

 good many kopjes and ridges flanking the river, the bush 

 continuing over the sides and top of these. The Nasenga 

 River itself is only a few feet across, but generally deeper 

 than a man's height ; here weie a number of birds that we 

 had not seen before. The first day we drove the banks of 

 the river for bush-buck, and my first shot was at a huge 

 Pel's Fishing Owl, which fell and hung in a thick mimosa 

 tree on the far bank ; the beaters on tliat side were all 

 Mashakaluiiibwe, and when they saw the dead owl they 

 thought it to be a leopard. Being ignorant of their language 

 I could not explain matters to them, and so 1 had the 

 painful experience of witnessing a Mauser bullet and two 

 charges of buckshot poured into my owl, before any one 

 would go near it. 



Other interesting birds obtained during these l)eats were 

 Turacus sehalowi miirungensis. Darters (^Anhinga riifn), 

 Grreen-backed Heron {Btitorides atrieapilla), Hah-de-dah 

 {HagedasJiia hagedasli), Pternistfs cranchi, a Stonechat, the 

 skin of which was unfortunately spoilt, and Halcyon 

 orientalis ; the big Kingfisher (^Ceryle maxima) was often 

 seen but never shot at. 



Having obtained specimens of Kudu and Crawshay's 

 Waterbuck, we started on our homeward journey. It was 

 now mid-September, and the weather was perceptibly 

 warmer, though no rain had fallen since we started, the 

 mimosas and other trees were gettino- oreen with their youno- 

 leaves^ here and there a tree showed among the rest scarlet 



