the Transvaal Museum from Boror. 53 



Small flocks of these birds were frequently seen clinging 

 to the leaves as they searched for their insect food, and they 

 seemed to be always restlessly moving onwards from tree to 

 tree. They were often seen in company with other small 

 birds bent on the same quest. 



Melocichla mentalis ORiENTALis (Sharpe). R. 1951a. 

 {2 M.) Resident. 



I. hazel ; B. brown, tomia and mand. horn-blue ; L, slate- 

 blue. Leng. l'J3-212 ; W. 7G ; Tl. 8G-91 ; Ts. 27 ; 

 C. 18-18-5. 



These interesting birds were found only amongst tall 

 matted grass in open glades, and seemed only to show them- 

 selves when the sun appeared early in the morning or during 

 the intervals between the showers on rainy days. During 

 the dry season I often saw quite a number scattered about on 

 the tops of tall grass-stems just after sunrise as they sunned 

 themselves and loudly warbled to each other ; but no sooner 

 were attem[)ts made to get near them than they would dive 

 into the dense grass and nothing could induce them to rise. 

 At Ngamwe I was once attracted by hearing a wild and 

 musical song proceeding from the depths of a tangled bed of 

 cane-grass, and carefully creeping in I was able to watch one 

 of these birds as it spread its tail, and showed oft' its fine 

 fluffy plumage and danced about on its perch while it sang 

 away with all its power ; I should never have thought this 

 sluggish-looking bird capable of such exuberance of spirits 

 had I not been an eye-witness, for its general appearance is 

 very much like that of the S. African Grass Birds 

 (Sj)hena'anis), and one gets accustomed to expecting similar 

 moods in birds of like appearance. 



CiSTICOLA NATALENSIS (A. Sm.). R. 19G7. (1 M., 1 F.) 

 Resident. 



(M. data lost.) ¥. : I. hazel ; B. max. brown, mand. 

 l)rownish yellow ; L. pale brownish pink. Leng. 130 ; \\ . 

 71 k 59 ; Tl. GG & 49 ; Ts. 27 <fc 2-1 ; 0. 11-5 & U. 



The Natal Grass-Warbler was not unconnnon in the ojien 



