862 MR. A. LOVERTDGE ON EAST AFRICAN BIRDS. 



of foolish officers, who blazed away at them with service rifles. 

 One of those shot was brought to nie, and 1. recognised it as the 

 White-bellied Stork {A. abdionii). When one considers what 

 myriads of locusts such thousands of birds must consume — the 

 stomachs of those shot being distended with the insects, — what 

 folly it is to destroy them needlessly. 



Someone reported having seen a Secretary Vulture among the 

 storks, which were picking up locusts among the stubble of a 

 mealie-field. Numbers of hawks, eagles, and rollers were 

 harrying the locusts also. 



Crex crex Linn. 



The Corn-Crake or Land-Rail was taken at Nairobi during the 

 first nine days of May 1916 and 15. iv. 19. 



COTURNIX DELEGORGUEI Hartl. 



A Harlequin-Quail was obtained under rather peculiar circum- 

 stances, and shows how close these birds will squat. I was 

 walking across a patch of grass-grown land in Nairobi when 

 something rustled at my very feet ; jumping to one side, expecting 

 to see a snake, I found it to be a quail that I had trodden upon 

 inadvertently (Nairobi, 2. vii. 15). 



The following records of European migrants may be of 

 interest : — 



Oharadrius alexandrinus Linn. Kentish Plover. Dar-es- 

 Salaam (13. i. 19). 



Oharadrius hiaticula Linn. Ringed Plover. Nairobi (12.x. 

 15) ; Dar-es-Salaam (14. i. 19). 



Tringa subarquata Giild. Ourlew-Sandpiper. Dar-es-Salaam 

 (14. i. 19). 



Tringa minuta Leisl. Little Stint. Lumbo (5. x. 18). 



Oalidris arenaria Linn. Sanderling. Dar-es-Salaam (15. i. 19). 



ToTANUS hypoleugus Linn. Oommon Sandpiper. Lumbo 

 (27. vii. & 4.ix. 18). 



NuMENius PH^opus Linn. Whimbrel. Dar-es-Salaam; often 

 seen in January 1919, but not collected. 



NuMENius ARQUATUS Linn. Curlew. Dar-es-Salaam (7. vi. 18) ; 

 Lumbo (25. vii. 18). 



HiMANTOPUS HiMANTOPUS Linn. Black- Winged Stilt. Tabora ; 

 seen only (11. xii. 18). 



H^MATOPUS OSTRALEGUS Linn. Oyster-catcher. Dar-es-Salaam ; 

 often seen during 1918, 



