92 Dr. R. B. Sharpe on Birds 



though not so loud. The little 'Abankwata' (Cisticola 

 erythrops) is common in the gardens round the villages, and 

 utters a short trill like that of the Song-Sparrow of America. 

 The ' Nkwe-ele ' (Pycnonotus gabonensis) is one of the 

 commonest birds about village-plantations ; it reminds me 

 of the American Robin, cheerfully and boldly flitting about 

 with its pleasant note, or scolding with its crest raised when 

 displeased. These and the Parrots with their varied screams 

 and calls, the harsh Hornbills and noisy Touracos, the 

 little Barbets and the tiny Sun-birds with voices as fine as 

 insects, together with some others mentioned in my last 

 letter, are almost all the birds I recognise when I hear them, 

 though there are many more of which I have not yet learned 

 the notes. 



"The small red-billed Hornbill (Lophocerus camurus) is 

 often heard in the forest, though not often seen. Its note 

 is more agreeable than those of the other Hornbills, and 

 reminds one of the call which turkeys make to each other 

 when a flock gets separated. 



" Whenever you see a number of birds of different kinds 

 flitting about near the ground in one place and twittering 

 excitedly, you may be pretty sure that there is an army of 

 ' driver ants ' at hand. Many different kinds of birds join 

 in the chase of the driver ants. I have even seen the small 

 white-crested Hornbill (Lophoceros liartlaubi) engaged in it. 



" The habit which many birds have of scratching for food 

 among the dead leaves in the forest, where white ants 

 abound, and probably other insects are found, is shown by 

 the way in which these birds are snared. The Bulu boys 

 find a place where the ground has been thus scratched over 

 and set snares there. They then break up a white ants' 

 nest and scatter it about the ground as bait. The birds 

 spring the triggers of the snares when set, and are caught 

 in the nooses by their legs, which are often broken by 

 the jerk of the stick flying up. The kind most frequently 

 caught this way is the 'Ntyon' (Criniger clrforonotus) ; 

 others are the drab ' Akalat/ the ' Ekwalat ' (? Callene 



