HINTS ON EAST AFRICAN STALKING, ETC. 197 



utmost, though with the exception of the yellow- vented bul-bul 

 and one or two other small birds, few can lay claim to anything 

 but a call note, which in most instances is neither melodious 

 nor agreeable to the ears of ordinary people, though to a lover 

 of nature there is something very pleasant even about these. 

 The first bird to make itself heard is the bush cuckoo (Centropus 

 monachus), whose curious guttural rolling note may often be 

 heard on a moonlight night, and nearly always for a few minutes 

 about 4 A.M., after which it becomes quiet again till dawn. The 

 next to wake up is the small kingfisher {Halcyon chelicutensis), 

 whose pleasant though plaintive voice is also the last to be 

 heard in the evening, before the nightjar starts his mono- 

 tonous sewing-machine-like chatter. No sooner is it daylight 

 than all the game-birds in the vicinity begin to call and answer 

 each other. There is the grating cackle of the guinea-fowl 

 (Numida coronata\ which is by far the most plentiful of the 

 four species, excepting N, ptilorhyncha, which, however, is not 

 found in any great numbers south of Lake Baringo, where it is 

 very plentiful. There is the harsh and defiant scream of the 

 bush francolin (F. Grantii) ; the less harsh and more pleasing 

 call of the plain francolin (F. coquet) ; the strident guttural 

 voice of the florican (Otis canicollis] ; the curious indescribable 

 call of the yellow- throated spur fowl (Pternestes infuscatus) ; 

 and later on, between eight and nine o'clock, the shrill scream 

 of the small sand-grouse (Pterocks decoratus) and the guttural 

 chuckle of the larger kind (P. gutteralis] as they fly high over- 

 head on their way to their favourite drinking-place. Most of 

 the above-mentioned game-birds, besides being heard, will 

 probably be seen during a morning's tramp, together with 

 innumerable small birds, which keep up a perpetual chatter. 

 In fact, everything appears to be full of life and energy. Later 

 on, in the middle of the day, everything is quiet and skulking 

 in the shade ; all nature seems dead or asleep, with the 

 exception of the butterflies which flit about, and the myriads 

 of other insects which keep up an incessant hum and ' sissing ' 

 noise. 



