by Mr. Claude Grant in Soiith Africa. 707 



lionrs in any one locality. The cry is a single cleai* note, 

 rather londer than that of M. si/perciliosus ; the food consists 

 of insects of various kinds, which are taken ou the wing as 

 descrihed above, 



I find the following note in my diary with reference 

 to the young male shot at Beira on Dec. 11th, 1906 : — 

 *' The immatare mule of M. nuhicus shot to-day is inter- 

 esting, as it is assuming the adult colouring without a moult " 

 (see Bull. B. O. C. xxi. p. 00). 



The soft parts of the adult are : — Irides brown; bill, legs 

 and toes black. Young similar.] 



409. DiCROCERCUS HIRUNDINEUS. 



P. Cognno, Aug. (2). 



[On only two occasions have I seen this pretty Bee-eater; 

 at Coguno, where the pair shot were observed, and again ou 

 the 9tli May, 1907, when another pair were seen at Tambarara, 

 Gorongoza district. It was noticed sitting on the tops of 

 the trees hawking for insects after the manner of the larger 

 Bee-eaters. It has a single clear call, somewhat different 

 from that of the other Bee-eaters. 



Tlie soft parts of the adult are : — Irides bright red; bill, 

 legs and toes black.] 



410. Melittophagus meridionalis. 



INT. Illovo, Nov. (2) ; Z. Jusnsie Valley, Dec. (2) ; 

 Umfolosi Station, June, July, Aug. (0) ; Tv. Klein Letaba, 

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

 Nov. (2) ; Beira, Dec. (3) ; Tete, Aug., Sept. (2). 



Four eggs taken at Masambeti, Oct. 30. 



Three young birds taken at Beira on Dec. 9th arc appa- 

 rentlv just out of the nest, and are in an interesting state 

 of plumage. They are green above, much as in the adult, 

 while below, the breast is green, ])ecoming yellow on the 

 throat and cinnamon on the abdomen. The bill is very 

 short. 



[This is a very common Bee-eater in all the lower hush- 

 velil country in Eastern and East-Central South Africa. 

 I have noted it from Natal and Zululand, the Eastern and 



