62 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



diameter, under the eaves of buildings or rocks. A pair 

 were building under the deck-house of a Nyasa steamer 

 in August, and on the boat leaving Fort Johnston 

 where she had been lying for some time accompanied 

 her throughout her voyage up the lake and back. Another 

 pair built under the eaves of my bungalow at Sabi Bridge 

 in February. On April u, the three young ones were 

 just big enough to look over the edge of the nest. On 

 the 2ist, one disappeared, and on the following day a 

 second one was able to go for a short flight. The third 

 was taken from the nest by a grass snake on the 23rd. 

 For the next few days the parents were busy teaching 

 their remaining offspring to fly ; they all slept in the 

 nest at night, and the young one often returned by itself 

 during the day to rest. 



The Smaller Stripe-breasted Swallows build a very neat 

 mud nest with a long funnel as entrance to it, the inside 

 lined with grass and feathers. A pair occupied the same 

 nest for two successive years under my veranda, bringing 

 out three young ones on the first occasion, about the end 

 of February. About the same time the following year 

 (1908) some accident must have befallen the mother bird, 

 since I found three young ones, nearly ready to fly, dead 

 in the nest. 



European swallows, which are present in great numbers 

 all the summer at Sabi Bridge, always roost at night in 

 the reeds on islands in the middle of the river, doubtless 

 for greater safety. They congregate a"t sundown about 

 the cattle pens, where they are accustomed to hawk flies 

 and mosquitoes, and then all together fly off to their 

 night quarters. During a severe storm in April, when 

 both the European and the larger stripe-breasted swallow 

 (an African migrant) were collecting previous to de- 

 parture, it was noticeable that while the former sought 



