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



specimen near Chirinda on March 14th, 1907. Odendaal has 

 since sent me a male, dated August 25th, which measured 

 in the flesh 16'2 inches, and an immature female, dated 

 August 20th, which measured 13'6 inches, both obtained in 

 the neighbourhood of Chirinda. In the former the irides 

 were grey-brown, in the latter deep vandyk-brown. In both 

 the feathers of the throat had become a reddish brown, 

 preparatory doubtless to moulting, and in my specimen of 

 March 14th the throat-feathers were already slightly tipped 

 Avith the same colour. By their broader white quill-spots 

 and longer tails my Gazaland specimens are certainly 

 referable to the present species and not to the more southern 

 form, Irrisor viridis. 



In the lowlands I noted parties at the Umtefu, near 

 Chibabava (where I obtained a specimen on June Ist), and 

 twice at Arucate. 



155. KiiiNOPOMASTUs CYANOMELAS. Scimitar-bill. 



Kh., P. I found this bird during the past year at various 

 points in the upper and lower Jihu, at Maruma and in the 

 Chikamboge Valley, where I obtained a female with advanced 

 ovaries on September 17th in short dense bush. In the 

 low veld I met with the bird between Gwaragwara and 

 Inyamita at the beginning of January. It is usually found 

 in pairs, which move with a soft gliding flight from tree 

 to tree and search the trunks and twigs for insects, often 

 turning head downwards while so engaged, and uttering at 

 times a harsh but low " ka-ka"^ ! A wasp and beetles, and 

 in two cases beetles only, constituted the contents of the 

 stomachs examined. 



Two females measured 12*1 and 11 "5 inches respectively 

 in the flesh ; the irides were deep sepia-coloured. 



A male which I shot on the Makabusi River in Mashona- 

 land on August 21st, 1898, seems to be Rhinopomastus 

 schalowi Neum. {R. cyanomelas schalowi Eeichenow, Vog. 

 Afr. ii. p. 347). No. 998, my female of the Chikamboge 

 Valley, appears to be intermediate between the two 

 forms. 



