Birds of Gazaland. CI 



9 inches in diameter, of dry twigs (amongst tliera several of 

 the common thorny Smilax Kraussiana), and resembled a 

 Dove's nest, though broader and more substantial than the 

 average nest of Turtiir capicola. Tlie depression in which 

 the eggs were kiid was slight and unlined, so slight that one 

 could see practically the whole breast of the bird witii one's 

 eyes on a level with the nest, as it sat with head forward, 

 tail up, and. wings " ajar." The nest was so loosely put 

 together that it came to pieces immediately on being 

 removed from its position. This account differs from 

 Millar's, quoted by W. L. Sclater (Fauna of S. A. vol. ii. 

 p. 32), but there can be no doubt of the identity of my 

 bird, for I shot the female as she left the nest, having 

 first watched her for two or three minutes as she sat. The 

 nest, too, was her own work and not booty taken from a 

 Dove, for the native who shewed it to me had watched its 

 progress from the time that it was only partially built 

 and had reported to me some days later the laying of the 

 first egg. It may, howevei*, have been the work of a young 

 inexperienced couple trying their hand at nidification for the 

 first time. The nest was inaccessible and the eggs, which 

 were four in nvimber, could only be obtained by holding out 

 a hiitterfly-net at the end of a 20-ft. pole and tilting them 

 into it one at a time with a long stick. They were ver}'- 

 large and rounded, with large pale brown and grey blotches, 

 chiefly about the larger end, where in three of the four eggs 

 they form a zone and in the fourth a patch. They vary 

 from 27 to 29 mm. in length (two of them measure 28) and 

 from 21 (three eggs) to 22 mm. in breadth. The stomach 

 of the female contained the remnants of a small bird. Five 

 birds measured in the flesh averaged 9"95 inches, the 

 smallest being 9*5 (a female) and the largest (a male) 10"3. 

 The irides are gamboge, varying a good deal in intensity, 

 and the feet usually pale blue-grey, in two cases dull grey. 



85. NicATOR GULARis. Zauibcsi Green Shrike. 

 Rh., P. During my stay there in the latter half of November 

 the Zambesi Green Shrike was very common throu"hout 



