840 MR. A. LOVRRIDGE : NOTES ON 



Pyromelana xanthomelana Rdpp, 



Nesting in company with P. nigi-oventris and P. JiammiGejjS. 

 Nests containing three eggs each found on 20. iii. 17 and 5. iv .17 

 (Morogoro, 5.iv. 17). 



Pyromelana nigrivbntris Cass. 



Nests of the Black-bellied Bishop-bird with full clutches of 

 three eggs were found from 14. ii. 17 to 30. iii. 17. »So common 

 v/ere these nests in places, that as many as thirty could be found 

 in about the same number of square yards. The most favoured 

 locality where I met with them was on the edge of a belt of dense 

 thorn-bush scrub at Morogoro. Sharp spear-grass mingled with 

 other kinds grew rank to one's shoulders, whilst scattered thorn- 

 bushes obscured by the luxuriant vegetation waited to entangle 

 the feet of the unwary. Sevei-al species of Yellow AVeavers flew 

 about in the trees from which their pendent nests were hung ; 

 below were the agitated Bishop-birds, whose scarlet-and-black 

 plumage showed to best advantage against the rich green of the 

 freshly-grown grass. Many other birds frequented the spot, and 

 joined their voices to the tumult which greeted the intruder. 

 The nests of the Bishop-birds were so similar to those of the 

 Coliuspasser just described that a fresh description is unnecessary 

 (Morogoro, 14. ii. 17). 



On one occasion (20. ii. 17) when visiting this spot, I found a 

 dead female Black-vented Bishop-bird sitting upon three eggs 

 containing live young ! A few ants were crawling about the eyes 

 and mouth ol the dead bird, but it was so fresh that I was able to 

 leave it twenty-four hours before skinning. Seventeen days 

 later I examined the same nest and found two more eggs in it 

 (9. iii. 17), so it appeared as if the male had installed another mate 

 in the nest. The death of the bird may also be explained by the 

 presence of a Green Mamba (Dendraspis angusticeps) , which was 

 lying sunning itself on a thorn-bush not 20 feet away. It is 

 possible to suppose that it had bitten the bird, which was just 

 able to flutter back to its home before succumbing to the effects 

 of the poison (Morogoro, 9. iii. 17). 



Pyromelana plammiceps Swains. 



The eggs of the Fire-crowned Bishop-bird a,re the same hedge- 

 spirrow-egg blue as the preceding species, but are readily 

 distinguishable by their slightly larger size. Nests containing 

 full clutches of three eggs were found between 23. iii. 17 and 

 5. iv. 17 (Morogoro). 



QUELEA INTERMEDIA. Reichw. 



Nest with three eggs (Nairobi Plains, 7. v. 19). 



QuELEA CARDINALIS Hartl. 



Four nests of the Cardinal Finch containing three eggs each 

 were found (Nairobi, 7 & 8. v. 19). 



