918 MU. A. LOVEEIDGE : NOTES ON 



BUTORIDES ATRICAPILLA. Afzel. 



Two eggs of the Green-backed Heron of a uniform pale green 

 colour and measuring 34x28 mm. were brought me from a 

 swamp by my collector. They were blowable, but had under- 

 gone considerable incubation (Ivilosa, 5. vii.21). 



In the stomach of a specimen were worms identified as 

 Jlymonolepis sp. (near to //. unilateralis (llud.)) ; in the intestines 

 of the same bird was another nematode — Oontraccecum micro- 

 cephalum (Rud.) (Morogoro, 15. i. 18). 



SCOPID^. 



Scopus umbretta bannermanni Grant. 



The East African Hammer-head is known to the Wazigoor as 

 *' Mzeringee," the Wahehe as " Mgetu," the Wanyimwezi as 

 ** Mgenyi." A cock bird, shot while flying overhead this 

 morning, had a frog and a shrimp and a number of parasitic 

 nematodes (Oontraccecum microcephalum (Rud.)) in its stomach 

 (Mkata River, 25, viii. 21). 



A nest was found in the fork of a tree leaning over a lagoon 

 which was 200 yards long but rapidly drying up. The nest held 

 four young within a week of being fledged, and they throve in 

 captivity for six months, but died when transferred to Regent's 

 Park. They would probably have died if left in the nest, hs the 

 suiTOunding ground was swarming with soldier-ants intent on 

 destroying every living thing ; many were already on tjie trunk 

 of the tree (Mkata, near Station, 14. ix. 21). 



ClCONHDiB. 



Abdimia abbimi Licht. 



The Purple Storks always appear with the first rains, and are 

 therefore known to many tribes of natives as the " Rain-birds." 

 They have a peculiar way of circling in the air like a column of 

 smoke, more particularly just before sunset. 'J'he stomach of a 

 piale examined contained centipede, grasshoppers, cockchafer, 

 and three other species of beetles (Simbo-Ndala Road, 14, xi. 21). 

 A great flock appeared at Sagayo camp during the first week in 

 November 1922. 



Ephippiorhynchus seneqalensis Shaw. 



A male shot at Tindiga measured 6 feet 4 inches from tip of 

 beak to tip of longest toe-claw and 8 feet 5 inches across the 

 wino-s • the two floshy lappets depending from the base of the 

 lower bill are bright lemon-yellow, not " bright crimson " as 

 stated by Stark and Sclater *. . 



I also saw Saddle-billed Storks at Kilamatinde and Kipern , but 

 it ia a scarce bird and goes singly or in pairs. 



* Stalk & Sclutor, * Fauna of South Africa,' vol. iv, p. 44, lino 7. 



