226 Messrs. R. B. & J. D. S. Woodward on 



Our next stopping-place for any length of time was at the 

 river Ivuna^ where we remained six weeks and got a number 

 of birds. The country is well wooded on both sides of the 

 stream. We found a nest of the Hammerkop or " Mudlark " 

 {Scopus umbretta) ; it was an enormous construction of 

 sticks, dried grass, and reeds, dome-shaped and loosely put 

 together, with the entrance at one side. It was built on a 

 ledge of the cliff over the river, and the only way to get at 

 the eggs was to remove the roof. There were four white 

 eggs, like those of a small fowl, but more tapered at one 

 end. We also found several pairs of the Magpie-Shrike 

 [Urolestes melanoleucus) nesting in the thorn-trees, and 

 secured their eggs — round, pinkish-white, dotted with brown 

 and purple. These birds keep up a loud and rather harsh 

 whistling. We took one white egg from a nest of the Red 

 Ground-Cuckoo {Centropus senegalensis) : the nest was 

 placed at the top of a euphorbia, the spiny nature of which 

 makes the tree difficult to climb. The young are curious 

 little creatures, covered with long brown hair, not down 

 like other birds. We shot some Black-bellied Korans 

 {Oils melanogaster), which were pretty common. The male 

 bird disclosed its whereabouts by gobbling like a turkey. 

 One night a Koran came to our tent and laid an egg close 

 to the door ; it measured 2\ inches, and was cream-coloured, 

 much blotched with black and brown. We got three 

 species of Plover — the pretty little Senegal Plover [Cursorius 

 senegalensis), which we had not met before; the Crested 

 Plover ; and the Dikkop. Of the latter we got an egg, the 

 size of that of a Partridge, white speckled and irregularly 

 marked with brown and purple, especially at the large end. 

 The call-note of this bird is loud and sounds like the word 

 ''cherawa" repeated three times at intervals accompanied 

 with flapping of wings. Among other birds we obtained 

 here were the Long-tailed Cuckoo {Coccystes cafer) — a 

 favourite bird with the natives, who call it the '' Inkanku,'' 

 — the Grey Lourie, and the Senegal Kingfisher. We saw 

 and heard the South- African Cuckoo (Cuculus gularis) for 

 the first time. 



