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On Bird Notes fro7ii Uganda.



Still keeping to bright coloured birds, we have two lovely

Touracous. the Large Blue Touracou being the commonest.

This bird may be seen in any of the forests around Entebbe,

always several together. The last one I shot (on Jan. 13th)

proved to be a female with an egg just ready to be laid, and now

I am particularly anxious to find their nests, which I imagine

are high up and in the middle of the forest, especially after read¬

ing Mrs. Johnstone’s most interesting account of the nesting of

Fraser’s Touracou in the November number of the Magazine for

last year.


Songsters are numerous, but are mainly Warblers, which

are very shy and keep either in the long grass or forest, making

it almost impossible, without a lot of time to spare (which I

regret to say I have not got) to identify, or even to catch a

glimpse of them.


The commonest, and perhaps finest, songster, however, is

a Chat (Thavmolcea arnotti) a black bird with white shoulders,

which are entirely hidden except when the bird is flyin g. The

hen is dark brown all over. These birds frequent the ant hills,

flying from one to another, although they may often be seen at

the top of trees in the open.


Pigeons and Doves are fairly well represented. One

common one, which we call the Green Pigeon ( Vinago calva), is

wonderfully protected by its colour. You may see three or four,

or even a dozen, fly into a tree, and not a densely foliaged one

either, but when you get there, not one is to be seen. They

see you and keep absolutely still, knowing perfectly well that

their colour harmonises exactly with the foliage. Suddenly

out fly several at a tremendous pace in the opposite direction,

and it is practically impossible to get a shot in ; if you do you are

certain to miss.


It is quite impossible to mention all the birds to be seen

here in a short account, but mention must be made of the

Finches, which are well represented. The pretty Cordon Bleu is

very common, hopping about back yards and in the roads, in

company with Firefinches.


Grey Parrots are very common, but these are usually seen

flying high overhead. Only once have I yet come across them



