58 Mr. F. V. Kirby on Birds 



native *' Uefana " in company to carry tiie spoil, I witnessed 

 a very bold feat on tbe part of one of these birds. I bad 

 shot a Barbet wliicb fluttered to the ground, but rose again 

 and flew weakly to the lower branches of a thorn-tree, where 

 it struggled for foothold but again fell. The Kite stooped 

 at it when it first fell, but the youngster gave chase and 

 frightened it off. It was once more overhead when the boy 

 picked up the Barbet under the thorn-tree. Stooping so 

 suddenly as to startle the youngster, the latter dropped the 

 bird, which the Kite seized before it reached the ground and 

 flew off with in triumph. 



6. PoiCEPHALus ROBUSTUs suAHELicus, Reich. Red- 

 crowned Parrot. 



Very swift high-flyers. Small flocks frequently visited 

 Murielas, but they always kept out of range of my little 

 " 410.^' Unlike fuscicapillus they would never settle for 

 any length of time, except on such trees the berries of which 

 they feed upon. F.fuscicapillus, on the other hand, remained 

 perched in one spot for a long time, and is partial to dead 

 withered trees. I one day saw nine P. rohustus splashing 

 and enjoying themselves in a small pool (back-water) of the 

 river. 



7. PoiCEPHALUS FUSCICAPILLUS (Verr. Desmurs). Brown- 

 headed Parrot. 



Very common in the cultivated lands of Murielas. 



8. Lybius zomb^ (Shelley). Zomba Barbet. 

 Seen near Murielas Kraal and at the Povarello. 



9. CORACIAS WEIGALLI, Dresser. Fawn-breastod Roller. 

 Seen at Manta (scarce) and at the Povarolla Elephant 



Forest, where they were numerous. Often in company with 

 E. afer. Very wary and perched high. 



10. EuRYKTOMUS AFER (liatli.). Cinnamon Roller. 

 Singularly plentilul on the outskirts of the Povarella. 



Invariably })erched high up on the tallest trees showing 

 marked preferenci' for leafless ones. From such coign of 



