hy Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 711 



[" Iguyamtwama" of the Zulus ; " Dederu" of the Ntebis. 



This was one of the commonest Kingfishers in S, Africa, 

 and I have seen it in every locality from the Cape through 

 East and East-Central South Africa to the Zambesi. It is 

 equally common on rivers and streams in wooded and forest 

 country and on lagoons and open reedy swamps, where it is 

 seen either perched on some overhanging branch or reed 

 waiting for its prey, or flying with incredible swiftness and 

 appearing like a blue streak. It feeds principally on small 

 fishes, besides Crustacea and beetles. I have generally 

 observed it singly. It breeds in the banks of the rivers and 

 streams, but I have never succeeded in finding an occupied 

 nesting-hole. 



The soft parts of an adult are : — Irides dark brown; bill 

 and legs rich tomato-red. In the young the bill is blackish, 

 with part of the lower mandible and the extreme tip of the 

 upper very pale tomato-red ; legs and toes very dark.] 



416. ISPIDINA NATALEXSIS. 



N. Iliovo, Nov. (3) ; Z. Ngoye Hills, Oct. (2) ; Tv. 

 Woodbush, May (1)-; P. Masambeti, Nov., Oct. (.'>). 



Two clutches of two and three eggs each, taken at 

 Masambeti, Oct. 25 and Nov. 11. 



[This little Kingfisher was observed in Natal, the Ngoye 

 Hills, Zululand, Legogot, Woodbush, and the Inhambanej 

 Beira, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa. I did 

 not myself see this species in the Northern Transvaal, but 

 the dried specimen sent flew against the window of a 

 farmhouse in the village of Woodbush and was picked up 

 dead by the farmer, from whom I got it. It is usually 

 observed on the outskirts of woods and forests, not neces- 

 sarily near water, perched on some projecting branch or 

 bough, whence it darts on its prey, which consists largely 

 of spiders and coleopterous insects. I have never seen it 

 take fishes. The fliglit is straight and marvellously quick, 

 and the call is sharp and not easily distinguished from that of 

 Corythornis cynyiostigma. It was found breeding at Masam- 

 beti, near Beira, and two sets of eggs were taken, on Oct. 25th 



3 b2 



