452 NILAUS BRUBRU 
mens have been obtained at Huilla and Humbe by Anchieta, 
who gives its native name as “ Kandilanakiuna,”’ and by 
Kellen at Humpata and Gambos. To the south of the 
Cunene, Andersson writes: “This species is widely distri- 
buted, extending from the Okavango River on the north to 
Lake Ngami on the east, and the Orange River on the south. 
It is nowhere numerous, but is scarcer near the last-named 
river than in the other localities above referred to. Its usual 
resorts are forests or large trees, amongst which it hops about 
incessantly in search of insects. I do not think that I have 
ever seen more than a pair together.” This Shrike has a low 
note somewhat resembling in sound the name Brubru, first 
given to this species which is the type of the genus Nilaus. 
It was discovered on the lower part of the Orange River by 
Levaillant, who described the nest and eggs. He states that 
the nest was placed in the fork of an acacia tree, and con- 
structed of moss and roots lined with wool and feathers. The 
eggs, five in number, are white with brown spots. 
The species has not been recorded from south of the 
Orange River, but is spread over the rest of South Africa from 
Natal to the Victoria Falls of the Zambesi, and is, according 
to Mr. T. Ayres: “ Pretty evenly distributed throughout the 
bush-country of south Central Africa.” Mr. Guy Marshall 
writes from Mashonaland: “A generally distributed resident, 
but nowhere very common, being found singly or in pairs 
searching the trees for insects, in company with other small 
birds.” 
The nesting habits have been more recently described by 
Major Sparrow, who informs me that the nest which he found 
was taken by him at Waschbank in Natal on October 22, 1903. 
He writes: “The Shrike builds in the middle of October a 
nest in the fork of a camel-thorn or other tree, from fifteen 
to twenty feet from the ground. In external appearance it 
