110 Mr. W. L. SclsLter— Ornithological 



(especially one known as the Mzingula, the botanical name 

 of which I have been unable to obtain) hovered numbers of 

 Scarlet-chested Sun-birds (Cinnyris gutturalis) , while flocks 

 of small birds of the genera Quelea and Lagonosticta flew 

 from bush to bush. 



On the 8th of September we moved up about seven miles 

 above the Falls to a place called Livingstone, on the north 

 bank of the Zambesi, where the river is broad and open and 

 not obstructed by islands, at least for a mile or two. Here 

 there seemed to be a good many more birds, and we added 

 considerably to our list and collection. One of the com- 

 monest species was the Stripe-chested Weaver-bird (Ptocei- 

 passer pectoralis), which was to be seen everywhere, and was 

 very noisy and quarrelsome. These birds were usually in small 

 parties about the mimosa-thorns, and were a good deal on 

 the ground ; they appeared to be thinking of breeding, and 

 everywhere their untidy nests — woven of dry grass-stems, 

 with the ends sticking out in all directions — were to be seen, 

 a good many generally occupying each thorn-tree. 



A dead mule lying a short distance from thp settlement 

 had attracted a number of Vultures ; these, after gorging 

 themselves, settled in the neighbouring trees to rest and 

 digest. We were fortunate enough to secure two of them for 

 the Museum, and they proved to be very interesting, being 

 respectively Ruppell's Vulture (Gyps rueppelli) and the 

 Hooded Vulture {Necrosyrtes pileatus), species hitherto 

 unrepresented in our collections at Cape Town. 



When on the river one day, unfortunately without my 

 gun, I was much surprised to see a Gull seated on a rock : 

 1 identified it with tolerable certainty as Larus cirrho- 

 cephalus ; unfortunately, neither Drury nor I saw it again. 



We stopped two days at Livingstone, and then proceeded 

 to a camp which had been made for us about seven miles 

 further up the river, where the Sinde, a small tributary 

 from the north, joins the main stream. Here the river is 

 much broken up by islands, and there seemed to be good 

 collecting-ground, so we began our work in earnest. 



By far the commonest bush-bird at this spot was the Black- 



