100 Mr. C. F, M. Swynnerton on the 



139. DicRUKUs AFER. Fork-tailcd Drongo. 



Singuni : " latengii^^ or '■' Induna-yezinyoiie " (^'General 

 of the Birds '') . Chiudao : " Indhenguri.'-' 



Rh., P. I frequently saw this Drougo in pairs or heard 

 its tinny notes throughout my last low-veld journey^ noting 

 it particularly on the Umtefu River, and at Chibabava, 

 Muchukwana, Indabila, Chironda, Inyamita, Bimba, 

 Gezanye, and Arucate, in the last-named locality keeping to 

 the Brachystegia-wood^ and not entering the forests. It 

 seemed to be nowhere very plentiful, each pair probably 

 lording it in the breeding-season over a fair-sized piece of 

 country, and resenting intrusion by others of the same 

 species. I have noted it once or twice in the past year in 

 the upper Jihu, and only once in the lower (on the Kuru- 

 madzi on August 1st). It is never found in true forest or 

 dense bush. Tlie natives have an idea that other animals 

 see the new moon on the day before it becomes visible to 

 man, and state that they can themselves tell by the excited 

 cries of the Drongo, silent or comparatively so for some 

 clays previously, when the new moon is about to appear. 

 The three specimens which I have measured varied from 

 9 to 9'35 inches in length in the flesh. 



140. DicRURUs LUDWiGi. Forcst-Drongo. 

 Singuni : " Intengu."" Chindao : " Indhenguri." 



Rh., P. Although its tail is not so deeply forked as in the 

 preceding species, '^ Square-tailed Drongo " is a distinct 

 misnomer for this bird, as anyone who has observed it will 

 agree. 



1 saw and heard it occasionally last August in the denser 

 bush of the lower Jihu, and have noted it in the Maruma 

 and Chikamboge Valley forest-patches as well as in those of 

 Southern Melsetter. It is anything but a silent bird. 



In the low veld I found it in the denser bush at Boka's, 

 in the Idunda River forest-patch, at Inyamita, between the 

 Idunda and Umhlonhlo, and in the Madanda forests. 



Four specimens averaged 7'74 inches in length in the flesh, 

 varying from 7'5 to 7'95. 



