from the Ruo and Shire Rivers. 591 
56. Ceryle maxima (Pall.) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1897, p. 544. 
Rare. A very few seen. 
57. Halcyon chelicutensis (Stanl.) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1897, 
p. 545. 
a. Ad. Shire River, February 1899. 
During July and August these birds were common and 
very noisy, calling continually ; but later they were scarce. 
58. Halcyon pallidiventris Cab.; Percival, P. Z. S. 1899, 
p. 715. 
a. S • M^lolo, Chiromo, December 4, 1898. 
59. Scops capensis Smith ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. 
ii. p. 52, pi iii. fig. 1 (1875). 
I know this bird^s call well, from hearing it so often in 
the Transvaal and in Swaziland, where I have shot specimens. 
In British Central Africa it was often to be heard at dusk, 
but it is almost impossible to locate the noise, and even if 
one does so it is by no means easy to see a little Owl in the 
dusk, for, even during the day, the bird is easily mistaken 
for the stump of a branch. 
60. Glaucidium perlatum (Vieill.) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1897, 
p. 549. 
I saw only one specimen of this Owl, in August, 
among the borassus palms, and it was with great difficulty 
that I obtained it, for it dropped dead on one of the large 
leaves of a palm and was not easily dislodged. 
61. Asio capensis (Smith) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1894, p. 465. 
On the voyage down the Shire I saw an Owl, which was, 
I think, Asio capensis : it was flying quietly over the tops 
of the reeds during the afternoon — ^just as one sees the bird 
on the uplands of Natal. 
62. Syrnium woodfordi (Smith) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1897, 
p. 549. 
a. ? ad. Ruo River, November 26, 1898. 
An example of this Owl was obtained on the bank of the 
Ruo early one morning when my boys had called me to go 
after a flock of Geese. I did not get a shot at them, but 
