462 Dr. ft. B. Sharpe on Birds 



Mr. Bates has added some field-notes on the species 

 observed by him, and sends the following introduction : — 



" I have already spoken of the fact that the birds of this 

 district may be pretty clearly divided into two classes — those 

 inhabiting the bushes and small trees of old cleared ground 

 which is returning to forest, and those of the forest itself. 

 The birds of the clearings are seldom seen in the forest, and 

 the forest-birds are seldom seen in the clearings, though 

 some species are found in both. 



" The birds of the clearings feed singly or in pairs, or, in 

 the case of seed-eaters, in flocks ; and at times gather together 

 in numbers in the tops of fruit-trees. But most of the birds 

 of the forest have a peculiar way of feeding that is worth 

 describing. They go about in roving companies, consisting of 

 individuals of many species mingled together. These com- 

 panies keep together only loosely, and maybe scattered through 

 the tops of many adjoining trees, often only one or two birds 

 in a tree. Each flies or hops from branch to branch on its 

 own account, and there is no concerted movement; yet all 

 move in the. same direction and keep together. They are 

 mainly engaged in looking for insects, but also keep up a 

 continual noise with their various cries and songs. The 

 noisiest birds seem to act as guides to the rest, just as men 

 walking scattered through a forest halloo to each other, or as 

 the leader of a troop of monkeys barks to keep his followers 

 together. I propose here to call such a company of birds by 

 the native name of ejak. 



" Nearly all the forest-species of birds feed in this way, 

 more or less. Each ejak contains individuals of from three 

 or four to eight or ten species. Nearly always two or three 

 of the Black Drongo (Dicrurus atripennis) are the most 

 conspicuous birds of the ejak. Other species generally found 

 in these companies are Criniger calurus, Bleda tricolor, 

 Anthothreptes fraseri, some species of Malimbus, and some 

 Woodpeckers. Many other forest- species are seen in them. 

 Nearly every large ejak has also one or more squirrels in it. 



" No reason connected with the finding and securing of 

 the food can be given to explain this curious habit. It looks 



