﻿observed 
  in 
  Eastern 
  Africa. 
  227 
  

  

  tame^ 
  a 
  pair 
  coming 
  constantly 
  to 
  feed 
  from 
  a 
  box 
  of 
  kitchen- 
  

   scraps 
  on 
  the 
  verandah 
  of 
  the 
  bungalow. 
  It 
  sometimes, 
  

   when 
  perched, 
  expands 
  and 
  depresses 
  the 
  wings 
  and 
  tail, 
  and 
  

   its 
  pleasant, 
  careless 
  song 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  characteristic 
  bird-music 
  

   of 
  this 
  coast. 
  

  

  Irrisor 
  viridis. 
  (Cat. 
  B. 
  xvi. 
  p. 
  17.) 
  

  

  I 
  saw 
  this 
  bird 
  on 
  two 
  occasions, 
  at 
  Zanzibar 
  and 
  at 
  Kilin- 
  

   dini, 
  on 
  Mombasa 
  Island. 
  Its 
  flight 
  is 
  much 
  like 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  

   Magpie, 
  but 
  it 
  certainly 
  reminds 
  one 
  of 
  a 
  rather 
  small 
  Horn- 
  

   bill 
  when 
  on 
  the 
  wing. 
  

  

  LoPHocERos 
  MELANOLEucus. 
  (Cat. 
  B. 
  xvii, 
  p. 
  399.) 
  

   I 
  saw 
  some 
  small 
  dark 
  red-billed 
  Hornbills 
  on 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  

   the 
  jungle 
  at 
  Wasin, 
  which 
  I 
  think 
  belonged 
  to 
  this 
  species. 
  

   They 
  flew 
  in 
  a 
  peculiar 
  manner, 
  alternating 
  a 
  heavy 
  flap 
  or 
  

   two 
  with 
  a 
  short 
  sailing 
  interval, 
  and 
  held 
  themselves 
  upright 
  

   when 
  perched. 
  While 
  speaking 
  of 
  Hornbills, 
  I 
  may 
  mention 
  

   that 
  Dr. 
  Baxter, 
  of 
  the 
  Church 
  Mission 
  Society 
  at 
  Frere- 
  

   town, 
  Mombasa, 
  suggested 
  to 
  me, 
  as 
  an 
  explanation 
  of 
  the 
  

   great 
  hollow 
  casques 
  and 
  bills 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  forms 
  of 
  this 
  

   family, 
  that 
  they 
  act 
  as 
  resonators 
  to 
  increase 
  the 
  power 
  

   of 
  the 
  cry, 
  which 
  is 
  so 
  remarkable 
  in 
  these 
  birds. 
  

  

  Ceryle 
  rudis. 
  (Cat. 
  B. 
  xvii. 
  p. 
  109.) 
  

   I 
  saw 
  this 
  bird 
  in 
  Mombasa 
  harbour. 
  Its 
  flight 
  is 
  much 
  

   slower 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  next 
  species. 
  

  

  Alcedo 
  ispida. 
  (Cat. 
  B. 
  xvii. 
  p. 
  141.) 
  

  

  I 
  saw 
  two 
  specimens 
  of 
  the 
  Common 
  Kingfisher 
  on 
  my 
  home- 
  

   ward 
  journey, 
  one 
  in 
  Port 
  Said 
  harbour 
  and 
  one 
  in 
  the 
  Suez 
  

   Canal. 
  I 
  also 
  saw 
  Kingfishers 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  Halcyon 
  at 
  Mom- 
  

   basa, 
  and 
  noticed 
  in 
  one 
  case 
  a 
  distinctly 
  undulating 
  flight. 
  

  

  Merops 
  nubicus. 
  (Cat. 
  B. 
  xvii. 
  p. 
  85.) 
  

  

  This 
  splendid 
  bird, 
  the 
  plumage 
  of 
  which 
  in 
  some 
  lights 
  

   looks 
  like 
  burnished 
  copper, 
  was 
  common 
  on 
  Mombasa 
  

   Island, 
  where 
  I 
  also 
  saw 
  a 
  green 
  Bee-eater. 
  M. 
  nubicus 
  is 
  

   known 
  as 
  the 
  '' 
  Fire-bird.'^ 
  

  

  CoRAciAs 
  CAUDATUs. 
  (Cat. 
  B. 
  xvii. 
  p. 
  21.) 
  

  

  Not 
  uncommon 
  at 
  Mombasa. 
  The 
  affinitv 
  of 
  the 
  bird 
  

  

  