his rotten job or clear off altogether. A final smashing blow, and with a quick 

 sideways dig of his horns he speared my right thigh and buttock and tossed me 

 several yards. As I came to ground my friend fired, and the bull, desperately 

 hit, once more staggered off and plunged down into the deep ravine, out of which 

 he was powerless to get. That final toss did most of the damage; but although 

 the thigh wound exposed and bruised the muscles, luckily none were torn. That 

 I am alive at all today is an absolute miracle and not only so, but I am neither 

 disabled nor crippled, and two months after the incident am running about as 

 hale and hearty as ever, and chasing the wild game as before. I was in hospital 

 six weeks, and the doctor has made a splendid job of me, putting bones back into 

 position, stitching me up and generally patching and mending me. The sum 

 total of the main injuries, all of which were on the right side, were: dislocated 

 shoulder and collar bone; fractured lower ribs, thigh laid open down to muscles 

 from behind knee to buttock; buttock badly and deeply ripped by horn. Well, 

 all's well that ends well; and next time I'll take care to smash the brute right over 

 before he can get away. 



I am awfully sorry indeed to hear about the sad happening which has de- 

 layed the issue of more parts of "The Birds of California." 



You ask me what I am doing out here. Well, I am a settler in partnership 

 with several officers of my regiment, and we have several thousands of acres of 

 farms and are trying to make a living out of growing flax, mealies and coffee. As the 

 first few years of pioneer farming are always lean years, I am trying to obtain a 

 little extra cash by collecting small mammals, butterflies, or bird skins, for any 

 one who will purchase the same at a reasonable price. I have had a good deal of 

 experience at such work, and the British Museum have always given me good 

 reports of contributions I have made to them from time to time. With regard to 

 your institution — all eggs and nests and parent birds I happen to send along to 

 you are, of course, my contribution to you — but if you also want a supply of bird 

 skins on purchase, I'll do the best I can for you. At Nakuru where all is open, 

 settled for years, and cultivation everywhere — weaver finches are common. In 

 these parts, I regret to say, we have none! From May till nearly the end of the 

 year the grass everywhere is at least five feet high and often over our heads — and 

 the cover, on account of nettles, high cutting grasses, etc., is very difficult to reach. 

 I don't suppose any part of the world offers such difficulties to the oologist. Set- 

 tled places like Entebbe, Nairobe, etc., are far better for nesting than the "back 

 of beyond"! As I have to get acquainted with breeding seasons, etc., I am much 

 handicapped, but have discovered the nesting haunts of the Cisticola Warblers, 

 though, I fear, too late. However, I am collecting you a series of nests and typical 

 sites with some parent birds. 



(Signed) C. R. S. P. 



A more formal report from Major Pitman, covering the operations of his 

 first six months in British East Africa, must, regrettably, be condensed. 



It is difficult to make generalizations regarding the breeding seasons of 

 East African birds, because of differences due to altitude. Many tropical species 

 breed throughout the year. This lack of seasonal definiteness is most manifest 

 at the lower levels along the coast and in the Lake Victoria section, while the up- 

 land nesting is likely to be more sharply constricted. In general, however, "the 

 season" extends from July to December. In the Trans-nzoia section, where Mr. 

 Pitman is located, at a point about sixty miles east of Mount Elgon, the rains 

 last from May till October. Ground-nesting birds, such as Nightjar, must nest 

 early, before the grass has grown out of bounds. Bustards are found in this sec- 

 tion, especially the Black-bellied Bustard {Otis melanogaster) and Francolins, in 

 bewildering variety. A mere hint of the richness and variety of the smaller birds 

 is afforded by the fact that the convalescent buffalo-hunter watched a Long- 

 tailed Green Sunbird ( Nectarlnea klllmenslj) from the hospital window at Eldoret, 

 as it flashed in and out intent upon the construction of its nest. No doubt this 



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