102 Mr. F. J. Jackson on the East-African 



at rest perched on a tree, bush, or ant-hill. Its flight is 

 short and jerky, and when flushed from the ground the bird 

 gets up in a leisurely manner and often remains flitting up 

 and down over the spot with a quivering jerky motion of the 

 wings, at the same time calling in a plaintive voice to its mate 

 hidden in the grass. When disturbed, it almost invariably 

 flies up to a bush or tree, from which it can obtain a good view 

 of the intruder. Its nest is placed under the shelter of a 

 tuft of grass, but in Nandi, where I found many of the birds 

 breeding between April and June in 1898, it was always 

 situated at the foot of a common plant, with large velvety 

 leaves and pretty pink flowers, that abounds on the grassy 

 slopes of the hill-sides. The nest is constructed of dry 

 grass-stems and roots, and is lined with fine grass-rootlets. 

 The eggs are generally three in number. Two specimens in 

 my collection, from near Entebbe in Uganda (May 18th, 

 1895) are of a pale brownish white, densely freckled, 

 especially towards the larger end, with dullish light red. 

 A third egg from the same clutch is more thinly marked, 

 and has the ground-colour of a clearer white. The measure- 

 ments of these eggs are 0'8 by - 65 inch. 



Macrunyx sharpei (Plate III.) , which I had great pleasure 

 in naming after my old friend Dr. Bowdler Sharpe (see Bull. 

 B. O. C. xiv. p. 74), appears to be confined to the higher 

 portions of the great Mau plateau, between 7000 and 8500 

 feet in elevation. It is readily distinguished from M. croceus 

 by the smaller size, the greenish-yellow under surface, and the 

 band of black spots across the lower throat and chest, in 

 place of the distinct black gorget of the latter bird. It also 

 differs considerably in its habits, being entirely confined to 

 the open rolling grass-country devoid of bush and trees, 

 and being found for the most part singly, or only occasionally 

 in pairs. When flushed, it flies straight away for a con- 

 siderable distance, and always settles again on the ground. 

 I first came across this bird on a cold blustering day in 

 February 1898, on the Mau downs at an altitude of 8700 feet, 

 where I obtained two specimens out of several seen. I then 



