518 Capt. G. E. Shelley on Birds 



XXXIX. — On the Birds collected by Mr. Alexander Whyte, 

 F.Z.S., during his Expedition to the Nyika Plateau in 

 North Nyasaland. By Captain G. E, Shelley, F.Z.S. 

 With an Introduction by P. L. Sclater. 



(Plates XI. & XII.) 

 I. Introduction. (By P. L. Sclater.) 

 The collections of birds from the Protectorate of Nyasaland 

 previously described in this journal have all been formed in 

 the country south of Lake Nyasa, mostly in the district 

 called the " Shire Highlands/^ of which a chart has been 

 given in ' The Ibis ' for 1894, p. 462. Sir Harry Johnston, 

 shortly before he left Zomba in 1896, arranged that 

 Mr. Whyte should make an expedition into the high district 

 called the Nyika Plateau, situated some 300 miles further 

 north, on the west coast of the north portion of Lake Nyasa, 

 to ascertain how far the fauna and flora of this part of the 

 Protectorate corresponded with those of the southern portion. 

 This expedition was successfully carried out by Mr. Whyte 

 in May, June, and July, 1896, and the collection of birds now 

 described by Capt. Shelley was formed on that occasion. 

 Mr. Whyte has published an account of his journey in several 

 articles in the 'British Central Africa Gazette' (from 

 Oct. 15th, 1896, to March 15th, 1897), from which I extract 

 the following particulars : — 



Mr. Whyte left Zomba on May 14th, 1896, taking with 

 him his two hunters, Abdallah and Suleiman, two intelligent 

 natives (Atongas), and three personal servants, all of whom 

 could act as hunters and skinners if required. He descended 

 to the Shire at Mpimbi, and thence proceeded up the river 

 in the ' Dove ' to Fort Johnston, which he found much 

 improved since his last visit, many new buildings having 

 been erected and the avenues of trees having made great 

 progress. At noon on May 26th the party transhipped into 

 the * Pioneer,^ and had a pleasant run to Monkey Bay, where 

 collecting was begun, and Sea-Eagles {Haliaetus vocifer) 

 were found nesting on an island at the mouth of the harbour. 

 Next day Kota-Kota was reached in the evening. Here there 



