456 Mr. V. G. L. van Someren on Birds 



bush or reed-bed. These birds are usually found in the 

 scrub, and reed-beds by rivers and swamps. It invariably 

 builds its nest between two or three broad leaves which it 

 has stitched together. The nest proper is constructed first 

 o£ grass-blades^ then a thick felting of vegetable-down. The 

 eggs are always pale greenish or bluish green, with liver- 

 coloured and brick-red spots. Two to four eggs are laid. 

 They nest twice a year. 



Localities. Embu and Nairobi^ in British East Africa ; 

 Sio River and Jinja, in Uganda. 



Calamocichla jacksoni. 



Calamocichia leptorhyncha (Reichw.) ; Reichenow, Vog. 

 Afr. iii. p. 575 [part.]. 



S . 2. vii. 12. 



These birds are very shy and difficult to procure. They 

 live in the dense papyrus and reed-beds of swamps. 



Locality. Kisumu, in British East Africa. 



Calamocichla ansorgei uilotica. 



Calamocichla ansoi-gei nilotica Neumann, Nov. Zool. xv. 

 1908, p. 246 ; Wadelai. 



(J & ? . 2. vii. 12. 



Found in the dense papyrus-swamps. They were breeding 

 in July. The nest was placed on the top of a flowering 

 papyrus-stem ; it was constructed of papyrus tendrils and 

 fibres. The eggs were greyish white with a few black-brown 

 spots. We procured photographs of the parents at the nest 

 when the young had hatched. 



These birds have a longer and wider bill than C. ansorgei. 



Locality. Kisumu, in British East Africa. 



Calamocichla gracilirostris. 



? . 28. xii. 14. 



This is another of the rare Papyrus War])lers of which 

 little is known. They have a deep throaty warbling note 

 like " Curoo, uroo, uroo.^' They were breeding in June, 

 but we were unable to locate the nest. 



Locality. Kyambu Swamp, in British East Africa, 



