Birds of Gazaland. 99 



about Chibabava, and at Gezanye (two males together). I 

 also observed it at Maruma, and Mr, Brent tells rae that a 

 pair frequented the trees at his homestead on the Lusitu 

 (Northern Melsetter) throughout last season, beeoming 

 exceedingly tame and frequently using the sill of the open 

 dining-room window as a base of operations. They would 

 reply when called to, and became quite excited and angry 

 when their note was wrongly imitated. 



A breeding male in my collection measured 17*8 inches in 

 the flesh and two females 7*3 and 7"15 respectively. In the 

 female the bill is somewhat light cobalt-blue, with a black 

 tip to the upper mandit)le, and the feet similar but rather 

 duller ; the eyelids are cobalt and the irides dark brown. In 

 the live male the bill and eye- wattles are very bright 

 cerulean-blue, assuming a more cobalt tinge a little time 

 after death ; extreme tip of upper mandible blackish. The 

 feet are a bright blue-grey. The stomachs have contained 

 small beetles and winged termites. 



I found a nest of this Paradise Flycatcher in a secluded 

 glen near Chirinda on Nov. 7th, 1906. It was a neat nest 

 and occupied the small fork, about 12 feet from the ground, 

 of a lateral twig of Draccena reftexa, and was immediately 

 overhung by the large shady bough of another tree. 

 Externally it was composed of soft grass-blades, worked 

 round horizontally, and of a little moss, the whole plastered 

 over and cemented together with spider^s web and orna- 

 mented with numerous pieces of pale blue-green lichen. 

 Where the material met the supporting twig no braces were 

 carried round the latter, but each edge was attached to the 

 side of the twig by means of cobweb only. The lining was 

 of finer grasses, and more especially of the fine black roots 

 of a fern {Pellcea hastata) which was common in the glen. 

 The nest, which at first sight reminded one strongly of that 

 of Pachyprora erythrophthulma, was not, however, quite so 

 scrupulously neat and compact, and was consequently weaker 

 and more pliable. The eggs were two in num])er, white, with 

 small reddish and light violet-grey spots, congregated chiefly 

 about the larger end, and measured 20 mm. by 14. 



H 2 



