854 BIR. A. LOVERIDGE : NOTES ON 



Agapornis pbrsonatus Reichw. 



Parties of this handsome little Love-bird flew about with great 

 rapidity, screaraing noisily ; they were first met with at Kongwa. 

 They were nesting in the holes of a baobab-tree, whose apertures 

 they had apparently partly closed with a defence of thorns. Two 

 eggs were found at the foot of the tree side by side, and mea- 

 sured g X I inches. How they came to be there I cannot say, for 

 they contained embryos nearly ready for hatching (Kongwa, 

 26.iv. 17). 



Bubo africanus Temm. 



The Spotted Eagle-Owl was collected at Morogoro and Lumbo. 

 At the latter place one was being mobbed by a flock of crOws, 

 which had driven it from the shelter of the bush and were 

 pursuing it through the mangroves on the sea-shore. It alighted 

 on a sand-bank, and was encompassed by a circle of crows, cawing 

 with outstretched necks. The group would have made a unique 

 photograph (Lumbo, 3. ix. 18). 



Pandion HALiAi^TUS Linn. 



The Osprey was found nesting at Lake Naivasha with young 

 on 16. vii. 15. 



Faloo biarmicus Temm. 



A female of the South African Lanner was shot whilst 

 devouring a chicken in the topmost branches of a baobab-tree 

 (Morogoro, ll.xii, 17). As already mentioned, the cock-bird 

 was shot with a Kingfisher in its claws (Morogoro, 16. i. 18). 



Falco cuvieri Smith, 



The African Hobby was shot while eating a Yellow Wagtail 

 [Motacilla campestris) (Morogoro, 31.x. 17). 



DissoDECTES DiCKiNSONi Sclater. 



Dickinson's Kestrel, shot at dusk in a baobab-tree, was found 

 to have beetles, locusts, and a praying mantis in its stomach 

 (Morogoro, 18. vii. 17). 



Cerchneis tinnunculus Linn. 



The Common Kestrel was very common at Morogoro and 

 Dodoma ; at the latter place particularly it was rarely tha.t 

 there was not one in sight, usually sitting on Euphorbia 

 bushes, which were scattered about the thorn-bush. One 

 which I had in captivity throve well on the remains of 

 specimens which I was preserving. On one occasion, hearing 

 a succession of screeches outside my tent, I ran out to see 

 another Kestrel rise from the cage and fly to a tree near 

 by. The captive bird was clinging to the wire-netting of its 

 extensive run and screeching, being answered b}^ the bird in 



