﻿collected 
  in 
  Nyassaland. 
  5 
  

  

  Warblers, 
  and 
  tlie 
  ubiquitous 
  Great-billed 
  Raven 
  {Corvultur 
  

   albicuUis), 
  which, 
  however, 
  was 
  not 
  so 
  numerous 
  as 
  on 
  the 
  

   plains 
  below. 
  In 
  the 
  adjoining 
  forest 
  bird-life 
  was 
  abundant. 
  

   Bulbuls, 
  Flycatchers, 
  Warblers, 
  Finches, 
  and 
  Honey-birds 
  

   joined 
  in 
  chorus 
  in 
  celebrating 
  the 
  springtime 
  and 
  nesting- 
  

   season, 
  which 
  was 
  then 
  in 
  full 
  progress. 
  Altogether 
  about 
  

   200 
  specimens 
  of 
  birds 
  were 
  obtained. 
  Of 
  mammals 
  few 
  

   were 
  met 
  with. 
  The 
  beasts 
  of 
  prey 
  consisted 
  of 
  the 
  

   leopard, 
  the 
  spotted 
  hysena, 
  the 
  serval, 
  and 
  an 
  ichneumon. 
  

   Examples 
  of 
  three 
  species 
  of 
  Muridce 
  were 
  also 
  obtained, 
  and 
  

   a 
  little 
  antelope, 
  probably 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  Neotragus, 
  was 
  

   observed, 
  but 
  not 
  procured. 
  A 
  few 
  snakes 
  were 
  likewise 
  

   met 
  with. 
  

  

  2. 
  Mount 
  Zomba 
  is 
  more 
  nearly 
  in 
  the 
  centre 
  of 
  the 
  Shire 
  

   Highlands, 
  between 
  the 
  Upper 
  Shire 
  and 
  Lake 
  Sliirwa. 
  It 
  

   rises 
  to 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  about 
  5133 
  feet, 
  and 
  foi'ms 
  the 
  water- 
  

   parting 
  between 
  the 
  Shire 
  and 
  the 
  Shirwa 
  Basin. 
  Upon 
  its 
  

   slopes 
  is 
  placed 
  the 
  British 
  Residency 
  of 
  Zomba, 
  at 
  a 
  height 
  

   of 
  2971 
  feet, 
  and 
  here, 
  it 
  is 
  said, 
  will 
  be 
  the 
  future 
  capital 
  

   city 
  of 
  Nyassaland. 
  

  

  Capt. 
  Sclater, 
  writing 
  from 
  Blantyre 
  on 
  May 
  29th 
  last 
  

   year, 
  speaks 
  of 
  it 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  — 
  '' 
  To-day 
  we 
  have 
  been 
  up 
  to 
  

   the 
  top 
  of 
  Zomba. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  extraordinary 
  feature 
  of 
  this 
  

   country 
  that 
  nearly 
  all 
  the 
  mountains 
  are 
  simply 
  huge 
  tables, 
  

   Avith 
  precipices 
  all 
  round. 
  Zomba 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  these, 
  also 
  

   Milanji, 
  and 
  others; 
  very 
  few 
  really 
  rise 
  to 
  peaks. 
  On 
  the 
  

   top 
  of 
  Zomba 
  we 
  found 
  the 
  climate 
  and 
  flora 
  like 
  those 
  of 
  

   the 
  Cape. 
  The 
  general 
  plateau 
  is 
  from 
  4000 
  to 
  5000 
  feet 
  

   above 
  the 
  sea-level 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  short 
  grass 
  and 
  

   clumps 
  of 
  trees, 
  similar 
  to 
  Milanji; 
  the 
  difference 
  is 
  that 
  

   there 
  are 
  no 
  cedars 
  ^ 
  and 
  much 
  less 
  forest 
  ; 
  the 
  soil 
  also 
  is 
  

   better. 
  There 
  is 
  one 
  fine 
  large 
  valley 
  (that 
  of 
  the 
  stream 
  

   running 
  down 
  by 
  the 
  Residency) 
  which 
  formerly 
  was 
  thickly 
  

   ])opulated; 
  but 
  some 
  thirty 
  years 
  ago 
  all 
  the 
  people 
  were 
  

   sold 
  and 
  made 
  slaves 
  of 
  by 
  the 
  invading 
  Yaos, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  

   now 
  uninhabited." 
  

  

  "* 
  /. 
  r. 
  NN'iddi'in^'loiiin.s 
  : 
  see 
  Iboluoto, 
  p, 
  4, 
  

  

  