CH. II] inUDS OF THE DISTRICT 33 



dull-coloured and of the most brilliant plumage. For 

 the most part they either had no names at all or names 

 that meant nothing to us. There were glossy starlings 

 of many kinds, and scores of species of weaver-finches, 

 some brilliantly coloured, others remarkable because 

 of the elaborate nests they built by communities among 

 the trees. There were many kinds of shrikes, some of 

 them big pnrti-coloured birds, almost like magpies, and 

 with a kestrel-like habit of hovering in the air over one 

 spot; others very small and prettily coloured. There 

 was a little red-billed finch with its outer tail feathers 

 several times the length of its head and body. There 

 was a little emerald cuckoo, and a tiny thing, a barbet, 

 that looked exactly like a kingfisher, four inches long. 

 Eared owls flew up from the reeds and grass. There 

 were big, restless, wonderfully- coloured plantain-eaters 

 in the woods, and hornbills, with strange swollen beaks. 

 A true lark, coloured like our meadow-lark (to which it 

 is in no way related) sang from bushes ; but the clapper- 

 lark made its curious clapping sounds (apparently with 

 its ^vings, like a ruffed grouse) while it zigzagged in the 

 air. Little pipits sang overhead like our Missouri sky- 

 larks. There were nightjars, and doves of various 

 kinds, one of wliich uttered a series of notes slightly 

 resembling the call of our whip-poor-will or chuckwill's 

 widow. The beautiful little sunbirds were the most 

 gorgeous of all. Then there were bustards, great and 

 I small, and snake-eating secretary birds, on the plains ; 

 I and francolins, and African spur-fowl, Mith brilliant 

 j naked throats, and sand grouse that flew in pack; 

 ; uttering guttural notes. The wealth of bird life was 

 I bewildering. There was not much bird music, judged 

 1 by the standards of a temperate climate; but the 

 ^ bulbuls and one or two warblers sang very sweetly. 



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