454 THE LAST JOUENAL OF W. A. FORBES. 



its rising. I shot a Qlareola cinerea (legs and base of beak bright red), 

 a Hyphantornis personatus, male, and one of another species (eyes orange- 

 brown) which was nesting on the acacia-bushes on the bank. The nests 

 are of grass, nearly circular, of the size of one's two fists, with the aper- 

 ture vertical to one side. An egg was bluish green, thickly freckled 

 with red-brown blotches, forming a zone round larger pole. Captain D. 

 Macintosh also shot a Rhynchops for me ; we had seen large flocks of it 

 on the banks coming up. When settled on the ground looks peculiarly 

 small. Saw also Corvus curvirostris, which has a caw like our crow. 



Aug. 18th. At Abutschi. Captain D. Macintosh out shooting in the 

 morning and brought me in six or seven birds, including a nice Centropus 

 and a Pogonias. Caught a most peculiar pale glaucous-green Homopteron 

 in garden, flying about amongst shrubs, like a Geometer, which it was, I 

 thought, till I pinned it. In. evening shot two Euplectes flammiceps, 

 these and Vidua macrocerca being very common in grass-lands behind 

 factory amongst their plantations. 



Aug. 19th. Went out in morning with young Macintosh along bank. 

 Shot thirty of the orange-headed Hyphantornis, an Estrelda, and a 

 Pluvianus cegypticus, of which I had seen plenty before (bill black, eyes 

 dark brown, legs beautiful pale greyish blue, claws black). Started to 

 get ready for Onitschi ; but a heavy shower came on just after we 

 started, so Greenshields and I turned back, Ashbury going on. After 

 Ibis, 1883, lunch at Abutschi on 'King Massaba' we went out after birds, D. 

 Macintosh shooting Hyphantornis luteus (eyes orange-brown), Hyphant- 

 ornis personatus ?, Spermestes cucullatus, a Timeliine bird, and a Telephonus 

 (eyes deep smalt-blue). Also saw Euplectes oryx or ignicolor, several of 

 a Buceros and Psittacus erithacus. About 5.15 P.M. started on horses for 

 Onitschi factory, which we got to in three quarters of an hour's ride 

 through a sandy grass-covered country, with scattered trees and termite- 

 hills 6 feet high. Swarms of a Lampyroid glowworm outside factory. 

 Some nests of the Hyphantornis on beach (? Hyphantornis aurifrons) had 

 callow young, and one an egg of uniform pale chocolate-brown colour. 

 Beautiful little purse-like nests of vegetable fibres in long grass made by 

 the little Estrelda. 



S. Aug. 20th. Started about 9 for a creek on left bank of river, a 

 little above Onitschi, with Greenshields in a canoe with five boys. Saw 

 no Hippopotami (native " Itabo "), but shot a Manati, and saw several 

 monkeys, apparently Cercopithecus mona, and a black one. One of the 

 former I wounded, but did not secure. Saw several Plotus, and shot a 

 female, its stomach just as in Plotus melanoc) aster : gastric epithelium to 

 top of and covering proventricular area, and no' V-shaped ridge distinct. 

 Stomach full of nematodes, but none penetrated (apparently) past plug, 

 numerous ones being caught and detained in it. Pood was apparently 

 entirely freshwater prawns. Saw several fine Ilaliaetus vocifer, several 



