102 Mr. C. F. M. Swynnerton on the 



grandfatherly appearance, peering, as it docs, in a careful 

 and short-sighted manner at every leaf and twig. As well as 

 at various spots in Southern Melsetter, I have noted it on tlie 

 Inyaraadzi, a iew miles above that river^s junction with the 

 Buzi, and in August I shot a female in the thick bush on the 

 Kurumadzi. Its cry when wounded and taken in the hand 

 is a long, stridulous, often-repeated scream (probably its 

 ordinary alarm-note), like that of some of the smaller Hawks, 

 which it also resembles in its flight. In fact, it is often 

 erroneously called by the natives " Ukozi/-' their general 

 term for Hawks. 



The colour of the throat is not an invariable sexual 

 distinguishing mark, for on May 9th I shot an entirely 

 grey-throated female, and I remember noting the same thing 

 at Salisbury ten years ago. 



Five of these birds averaged in length 9*45 inches in the 

 flesh, maximum and minimum 8'8 and 9*9 respectively. The 

 stomachs examined contained weevils, cockchafers and other 

 beetles, grasshoppers, mantises, larvae of different kinds, and 

 locusts. 



143. Gkaucalus c^sius. Grey Cuckoo-Shrike. 



Rh. By no means uncommon in Chirinda, where, during 

 the past season, I have noted quite a number, usually insect- 

 hunting singly or in pairs in the higher branches of the 

 larger forest-trees, and occasionally to be seen on the out- 

 skirts — once quite outside, in a neighbouring grove of 

 Acacias. The bill and feet are black, sometimes with a 

 plum-like bloom of the same delicate grey as the plumage ; 

 this rubs off, unfortunately, with handling. Irides deep 

 sepia ; soles pale ochreous-grey. The stomachs contained 

 two fair-sized weevils (nearly intact), a feather (probably 

 swallowed accidentally), larvae (including a particularly large 

 one, entire), a mantis, and beetles. The specimens measured 

 varied from 9-5 to 10 inches, with an average of 9-7. 



144. HiRUNDO RUSTicA. European Swallow. 

 Singuni : " Ikonjana,'' applied to all Swallows. 



Rh., P. I first fell in with the English Swallow in 1906 



