EAST AFRICAN B1;RDS. 919 



Anastomus lamelligerus Temm. 



The stomachs of a pair of Open-billed Ibis shot here contained 

 some hard muscle-like lumps of matter, apparently from shell- 

 fish. No parasites were observed (Kilosa, 2. iv. 21). 



A N A T I D in. 



Sarkidiornis melanotus africanus Hartl. 



The Knob-billed Goose is very common here. An imniafcuro 

 female shot to-day had down still mixed with its feathers. In 

 the stomach and crop there was a large quantity of maize (Kilosa, 

 30.V.21). 



Col YMDID JE. 

 PODICEPS RUFICOLLIS CAPENSIS Salv»d. 



The following notes on the nidification of the Cape Grebe were 

 all made on a small swamp or accumulation of temporary water 

 which forms after the big rains and lasts about three months : — 



Found a floating nest containing two dirty -white eggs 

 (14. iv. 21). Revisited the nest at 5 p.m. on the 15th when 

 there were three eggs, and again to-day when there were six. 

 The hen bird appeared flapping about in the water in an attempt 

 to decoy us away. Not far away I found another rlest with four 

 eggs (18. iv. 21). The bird, which laid four eggs and whose nest 

 I robbed, laid a fifth egg yesterday on a few partly-submerged 

 reeds which it had collected together for the purpose some fifty 

 feet from the abandoned nest. To-day it laid its sixth egg iii 

 the deserted nest of another bird. The full clutch would appear 

 to be six eggs (20. iv. 21). 



A new nest with two eggs (22. iv. 21) ; five in this nest, and one 

 of them partly incubated (25.iv. 21). A fourth nest found con- 

 taining two eggs (25. iv. 21). The fourth nest held seven eggs, 

 some freah, some incubated. Shot what I thought to be the hen 

 bird, but she had a pure-white egg in the oviduct measuring 

 36 X 24 mm. and two enlarged ovules in the ovary. The 

 " colour " of this egg compared with the brown reed-stained ones' 

 in the nest was very striking (3. V. 21 ). 



Revisited the swamp for the first time since 3. v. 21. One 

 nest held two eggs. Two pairs of birds were swimming about 

 with their young ; their conduct was now very difierent ; pre- 

 viously they had only splashed and dived to decoy one away, 

 now they showed themselves boldly. From time to time one of 

 the birds would utter a sharp whistling note, and having thus 

 attracted attention, would dive with a splash ; after a few' 

 moments the head would appear some distance oflT, and the cry 

 would be repeated to lead one away from the young. These 

 wore entirely black, showing no rufous whatever ; broken bits of 

 shell were left in the nest from whence they came. It was a 

 pretty spectacle to watch the old ones taking the young for rides 

 on their' backs, themselves semi-submerged (30. v. 21). 



60* 



