74 Mr, A. Eoberts on Birds ni 



niomliors of tlieir own species strayiiifr into their own 

 particular liuntino-grounds. This species was much in 

 evidence whenever cliopping trees was undertaken by 

 natives, and it tlicn always sought to lead them to bees' 

 nests. 



Lybits zomb^ alrigilaris, Kenni. Bull. B. 0. C. vol. xxi. 

 p. 4(5. (1 M., 2 F., 1 y.) Resident. 



I. In-lian red; B. black; Ti. dark slate-blue or l)la<'k. 

 Leng. 182-187 ; ^V. 82-88 ; Tl. 51-5(] ; i\ 19-22. 



This Barbet was common wherever we cncam[)ed, and its 

 noisy duets and call-notes were always much in evidence. 

 I once witnessed a remarkable gathering of these birds at 

 Mpimba. Seeing large numbers flying towards a certain 

 large dead tree and causing a tremendous commotion in its 

 branches, I approached closer and found that there were 

 scores of them, all in pairs, uttering their harsh duets, 

 bobbing their heads up and down, each pair regardless of the 

 others, and, as can be imagined, making a frightful din and 

 discord ; others continued to join their ranks for about 

 fifteen minutes, wdien they gradually disj)ersed in all 

 directions, still in couples. 



A nest containino- five much incubated eo'os was found at 

 Buruma on 21st October ; it was of the usual Barbet type 

 and with so narrow an entrance that the bird could just 

 manage to squeeze in and out ; the bottom of the nest was 

 filled to the depth of about an inch with finely ground touch- 

 wood, in which the etros were half-buried. The eoo-s are 

 pure white, inclined to taper at the acute end, and measure 

 22-7-24-Gxl7-3-l8-l. 



Barbatula bilineata (Sund.). B. 711. (1 F.) 

 July. 



I. dark brown ; V>. A: L. black. Leng. ll(j ; W. 55 ; 

 Tl. :^0 ; C. 13. 



Only one was seen and secured. It was perched in a tree 

 in which were large numbers of Sunbirds, attracted by the 

 flowers of a jiarasitic plant. 



