-* Collection of Birds 



The beautiful male bird is black and yellow in colouring. 

 At the mating- time, in March, I saw it on the velt, near Pare 

 ya Maboga, going through a most wonderful performance. It 

 ascended high in the air, and after some extraordinary evolutions 

 perched on a tree. I was reminded of a canary escaped from 

 its cage. The green grass of the velt was then very high and 

 I myself in a great hurry, and so I did not succeed in finding 

 its nest. I suppose the birds only began building their nests 

 about this time of the year. The nearest water-hole was to be 

 found at a distance of one hour and a half away from the place 

 the birds frequented. 



Alaudidae 



298. Mirafra pcecilosterna (Rchw.) Yumbe ya Mawe, II. 



299. Mirafra inlercedens, Rchw. Xjiri, VI. ; Xgaptuk, X. ; 

 Donje Erok, VIII., IX. ; Matiom, XI. ; Kilimanjaro, VIII. 



300. Mirafra cantillans (Jerd.; Blyth. Gonga Plains, XII. 



301. Mirafra albicanda, Rchw. Donje Erok, IX. 



302. Mirafra fischeri (Rchw.). Kahe, IV.; Mirwani Kibwezi, 

 II. 



This lark produces a very peculiar rattling kind of noise 

 which may be heard a long way off. I have heard it in January, 

 February, and March. Even when 200 paces from the camp you 

 imagine when the bird commences the noise that it is quite near. 

 This rattling is effected through a rapid movement of the wings; 

 I ascertained this myself for a fact. The bird only produces 

 this rattle when it rises a few feet from the ground. This rattling 

 resembles the noise created by beating a thin board with whale- 

 bone rods. The bird often perches on dead branches. 



303. Mirafra africana af/ri, Hartl., Kiraragua Matiom, XI. ; 

 Kilimanjaro, VIII. 



304. Pyrrhulauda leucotis (Stanl.). Kilimanjaro, VIII. 



305. Pyrrhulauda leucofareia (Fschr.). Njiri, V.; Yumbe ya 

 Mawe, IV. ; Kilimanjaro, VIII. 



306. Calandrella athensis (Sharpe). Matiom, XI. 



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