76 Mr. C. F. M. Swyunertou on the 



in very large parties in the dense scrub covering the sides of 

 the ravines. They kept well hidden whilst thus engaged, and 

 while one would be expecting them to reappear near the spot 

 where one had last seen them, they would suddenly emerge 

 with a harsh chattering chorus fifty yards away. Occasion- 

 ally they would ascend into the branches of the large flat- 

 topped thorn-trees and search their foliage diligently for 

 insects, every now and then breaking out into their loud 

 chattering. They only frequent dense vegetation and were 

 plentiful in the forest-patches and wooded glens of the 

 Chimanimani Mts. and in the Mt. Pene forest in September. 

 I have never found them much below GOOO feet. I may add 

 that Prinia my st area, one. form of which appears to approach 

 the present species in coloration, was also common in its 

 ordinary local plumage at the same time in the grass-veld 

 of the same localities, singly or in pairs, and the contrast 

 between the habits of the two birds was very striking. 



A male in my collection measured six inches in the flesh ; 

 its bill was deep sepia, nearly black, its feet light vandyk- 

 brown, and its irides raw sienna : a second, probably a 

 female, measured 5-4 inches. The stomachs contained small 

 flies, a small green caterpillar, and a beetle. 



107. PiiiNiA MYSTACEA. Tawuy-flauked Wren-Warbler. 



Rh., P. More or less common in all portions of Gazaland 

 which I have yet visited, in pairs or in family-parties. I 

 have found it along the streams of the upper Jihu and 

 throughout the grass-jungle of the lower, in the Inya- 

 madzi Valley, at Maruma, and in the Chikamboge Valley, 

 throughout Southern Melsetter, and, in Northern Melsetter, 

 on the Lusitu River and at the township itself. It is equally 

 abundant throughout the low veld, localities which I have 

 specially mentioned in my note-book being — to the west of 

 Chibabava, the Umtefu and Muzala Rivers, and Inyajena; 

 and to its east, Chironda, Boka, the Idunda River, Umhlonhlo, 

 and Inyamita. At Chibabava itself it was fairly plentiful, 

 both in the rubber-plantation and in the open woods, and 

 also frequented the tall Cyperiis which nearly filled some 

 large pools in the neighbourhood. 



