286 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected 



194. Telephonus australis congener. 



Telephonus minor Stark & Sclater, Bds. S. Afr. ii. p. 23. 



P. Cogimo, Sept. (1). 



This is certainly the most southern record for this sub- 

 species, hitherto onlj' known to range to Tete, where it was 

 obtained by Sir John Kirk. 



[The one specimen taken of this bird was shot in a dense 

 thicket, and was solitary and silent. It appears to exactly 

 re-^emble T. australis in general habits &c. 



The soft parts are : — Irides brown; bill black; legs and 

 toes dark slate-coloured.] 



195. Dryoscopus cubla. 



CC. Knysna, Dec, Jan. (2) ; N. Illovo, Nov. (9) ; 

 Z. Sibudeni, Oct., Nov., Dec, Jan. (7) ; Tv. Klein Letaba, 

 July, Sept., Oct. (6) ; Woodbush, Jan. (1) ; Legogot, 

 May (2) ; P. Coguno, July, Aug. (3) ; Masambeti, Oct., 

 Nov. (3); Beira, Dec. (1); Tambarara, Mch. (2); Tete, 

 Sept. (1). 



["Equmusha" of Zulus. '^ Capok-vogel " of Colonists. 



This is one of the commonest of the Shrikes in all forested, 

 wooded, or well-timbered country, and was noted from the 

 Knysna, eastwards and northwards through Natal and Zulu- 

 land, the Transvaal, and the Portuguese country to the 

 Zambesi. It is by no means vvild, and can always be seen 

 pottering about the shrubs and bushes in pairs. 



In the breeding-season the male looks remarkably pretty 

 when shewing oif, the puff-back being extended like a 

 p(»wder-puff and the wings dro[)ped ; it will often also 

 fly across from bush to bush, chasing the female, the 

 wings being half dropped and rapidly quivering, and the 

 feathers of the rump being extended to their fullest extent. 

 All the while it utters its cheery notes, which cannot be 

 easily rendered in English, but a quick pronunciation of the 

 Zulu name gives an excellent idea of it. 



It feeds principally upon insects, and the nests, of which I 

 have seen several, though I have not succeeded in secui'ing 

 the eggs, are always placed in the fork of some slirub or 

 small tree. 



