46 Mr. C. F. M. Swynnerton on the 
other trees of the open woods from October to February. It 
is caught by the natives in traps baited with field-mice. 
Its Tshindano name may be translated ‘ impaler of food,” 
in reference to the bird’s well-known habits. 
40, Lanius corturio. Red-backed Shrike. 
This is only a summer-visitor, but is commoner, during its 
stay, than the preceding species. I have had a number of 
specimens in immature plumage brought to me of late 
(February and March) by natives. The crops examined 
contained beetles, grasshoppers, larve (both coleopterous 
and lepidopterous), a spider, and a small bug; also, in one 
case, a number of winged termites. 
41. TeLerpHonus sENEGALUS. Black-headed Bush-Shrike. 
This species is plentiful throughout the district. Its song, 
being uttered somewhat slowly and distinctly, readily lends 
itself to words, and the natives have two or three different 
renderings for it, of which the version “ Inkos’ induwe 
tshwa-ita’’ is perhaps the best. Every year, it is said, in 
December, Gungunyana would decree the singing of a certain 
song throughout the land for about six weeks, and at the end 
of this period indulge in a great slaying; after which the 
song was not to be sung again till the following year. It 
appears that after one of these annual massacres the bird’s 
song was interpreted by the youngsters of the royal kraal as 
“ Tnkos’ induwe tshwa-ita ” (“ King, it was you who did it’). 
This, combined apparently with a fancied resemblance to 
the tune of the forbidden song, roused the chief’s ire, and 
he ordered that for the future every native finding an 
“ Umquibane ” was to slay it. A fairly systematic destruc- 
tion of the birds “‘ that accused the king” is said to have 
resulted; but like the blue-buck of Chirinda, also stated 
to have been destroyed wholesale by Gungunyana, they have 
since made up for lost time. 
The nest, which is usually placed a few feet from the 
ground in some small tree, is strong, but somewhat 
slightly built with a shallow cup, that in my collection 
measuring 1°5 inches in depth and 2°5 by 3°5 in diameter, 
