426 Mr. C. F. M. Swynnertou on the 



227. AsTURiNULA MONOGRAMMicA. African Buzzard - 

 Eagle. 



Rh.j P. Chipinga and Spuugabera are localities in which 

 I have recently noticed this species, and I have lately 

 received a male from Odendaal, shot by him near Chirinda 

 on April 9th, 1907. It measured 128 inches in the flesh. 



228. BuTEO AUGUR. Augur Buzzard. 



Rh. On the 13tli of September, 1906, Odendaal secured 

 a specimen of this Buzzard, a female in immature plumage, 

 near Chirinda. Its bill was blackish, its cere, feet, and 

 irides were yellow. It measured 2ri inches in the flesh, and 

 its stomach contained sixteen of the common red migratory 

 locusts and three pupae. 



229. MiLvus .EGYPTius. Yellow-billed Kite. 



Singuni : " Inkoinyana.^' Chindao : " Indjerere.'^ Chiz- 

 wina (Mashona) : " Ingavi,^' 



Rh., P. I shot a male Yellow-billed Kite, which had 

 evidently been recently breeding, on the Kurumadzi on 

 August 2nd, 1906. This was about a month earlier than I 

 have ever seen the bird in this district before. The natives 

 would have it that it was not a Kite, but an Eagle, ''because 

 the time had not yet come for the Kites to leave their holes'^ ! 

 I again saw two examples near Chirinda on the 16th of the 

 same month, and on the following day six, all pursuing 

 swarms of locusts, while from that time they became com- 

 paratively plentiful. They were common at Melsetter in 

 September, on the 24th of which month I saw one with a 

 snake in its talons, at which it took an occasional leisurely 

 pull as it sailed slowly past. In the lowlands from November 

 to January I found them occurring at constant intervals 

 throughout from the Jihu to Gwaragwara, and again from 

 Chibabava south to Arucate. They always flock to grass- 

 fires, one Kite after another appearing on the scene directly 

 the fire is lit, while their graceful gliding flight answers the 

 slightest turn of the tail. It is a most pleasing sight to 

 watch a Kite wheeling in circles in the smoke, while it turns 

 its head, now to one side, now to the other, to ascertain 



