712 Mr. W. L. Sclater u7i Birds collected 



ami Nov. lltli, i90G, Tlie nestinor-lioles were situated in the 

 cut-away hank of tlie railway and ran in ahout two or three 

 feet Avitli a slight upward tendency, the eggs being deposited 

 in a cavity at the end on the bare earth without any lining 

 or debris. 



The soft parts of an adult are : — Iridcs darlc brown ; bill^ 

 legs and toes pale tomato-red.] 



417. Halcyon swainsoni. 

 P. Masambeti, Oct. (1). 



Four eggs taken at ]\Iasambeti, on Oct. 25th, closely 

 resemble those of other species of the genus, being white 

 and very round. 



[Only at Masambeti, where a single pair wei'c found 

 breeding, was this species observed. The flight and cry are 

 similar to those of H. 07-ie?ita/(s, and its general habits are 

 probably much the same. The nesting-hole was situated in 

 a cut-away bank of the railway and ran in about three or 

 four feet; four eggs, which is the full clutch, were found in 

 a cavity at the end and were deposited on the bare soil 

 withoiit lining or debris. 



The soft parts of an adult are : — Irides hazel ; bill, legs 

 and toes red.] 



418. Halcyon albiventris. 



N. Hlovo, Nov. (2) ; Z. Jususie Valley, Nov., Dee. (2) ; 

 Ngoye Hills, Oct. (1) ; Tv. Klein Letaba, July, Sept. (2) ; 

 AVoodbush, June (1) ; Legogot, ApL, May (4) ; P. Coguno, 

 June, July (3). 



Some individuals of this species are much more strongly 

 washed with ochreous on the breast and flanks than others. 

 In the above series the birds from Legogot, killed in April 

 and May, shew this most clearly, and I imagine that these 

 are freshly moulted individuals and that the buff graduallv 

 wears off in the course of the year. 



The birds from Coguno ought to be referable to H. orien- 

 tctlis, the type of Avhich is said by Peters to have come 

 from Inhambane, but they have all the characters of 

 //. albiventris. 



