BUCHANGA ASSIMILIS. 409 
venient tree, and dart from thence upon insects as they pass. Their 
ordinary flight is of a dipping character. 
Mr. F. A. Barratt writes -—“‘ I observed this Drongo Shrike in 
great quantities in the bush near the Magaliesberg Mountains, on 
the Rhinoster River (Free State), im the bush about the Vaal, and in 
many other places in the Transvaal.” Mr. T. HE. Buckley procured 
a specimen in Bamangwato in August, and the late Mr. Frank Oates 
met with it at Tati in October, and afterwards on the Ramaqueban 
River, on his way to the Zambesi; in the latter district Dr. Kirk 
shot specimens at Tete. In South-Western Africa it is stated by 
Mr. Andersson to be common in all parts of Great Namaqua Land 
and the Damara country; he also found it plentiful m Ondonga, but 
it was there partially migratory. Senor Anchieta has procured it in 
different parts of Mossamedes and Benguela, and it may be said to 
occur in all other parts of Africa beyond our limits, with the excep- 
tion of the forest region on the west coast. It is a bold, fearless 
bird, darting about in the forest after imsects, or chasing another 
one from tree to tree, uttering loud cries, which to some ears are 
anything but musical. Le Vaillant says that they assemble in flocks, 
morning and evening, to catch the bees as they go out from, or 
return to, their hives. He says they make their nests in forks at the 
extremity of horizontal branches. They are composed of roots and 
flexible twigs, and of such a loose texture that the eggs are plainly 
visible from below. The number of eggs is generally four, sprinkled 
with black dots, nearly all of a square form. Mr. L. C. Layard 
found several nests at Grootevadersbosch, some of which resembled 
that figured by Le Vaillant, though not quite so open. He puzzled 
us by sending two very distinct types of eggs, but we afterwards 
ascertained that he was quite right in his identification. One set 
were of the palest pink, unevenly marked with spots of pale and dark 
purple, but not approaching to black, and not square, as Le Vaillant 
stated. Another set were of a deep, rich pink (nearly salmon colour), 
marked throughout with dark salmon-coloured spots, interspersed 
with purple blotches, chiefly in the form of a ring, at the thick end. 
The spots are large and coarse. Axis, 11}’"; diameter, 83”. The 
birds frequent cattle for the sake of picking off the ticks. 
As an instance of the bold character of the present species 
Mr. Ayres has published the following note:—‘I found a nest 
of these birds built on a horizontal bough of an acacia, overhanging 
