22 EINAR LÖNNBERG, BIRDS. 



tree to another in the characteristic manner. Typical birds in the acacias are further 

 Halcyon chelicuti, Tricholcema lacrymosum, Nilaas afer minor, and less coramon Euro- 

 cephalus ruppelli. The African Hopoe is also at home here in the parklike acacia steppe. 

 The black Drongo lives in similar places. Bradornis grisea, Melcenornis äter tropicalis 

 (and the migrant Muscicapa ficedula) lead the typical flycatcher-life from the lower 

 branches of the trees, while the little Batis molitor puella is busy among the twigs of the 

 crown of the trees. The bright yellow of Tmetothylacus tenellus is often seen in the tops 

 of the acacias. And on the uppermost twigs the flocks of the nervous Colius macrourus 

 are resting, and in similar situations Linura was observed a few times. 



Characteristic of the fringe of doum-palms and other trees along the rivers is in the 

 first rank the pretty Columba guinea, Poicephalus rufiveniris, Halcyon se?nicceruleus, Irrisor, 

 several Flycatchers, Drongo etc. Dodsons Bulbul was as a rule found in this fringe of 

 trees at the river as well. Argya rubiginosa is also always an inhabitant of bushes or 

 other vegetation near water. 



Pelicinius cruentus is not uncommon on the southern side of Guaso Nyiri but then 

 always in patches of thornbush. On the often bare ground in such localities Caprimulgus 

 donaldsoni, and stellatus use to sit. Many members of the regular thornbush fauna ha ve 

 very subdued and sombre colours mostly påle grey, or brownish grey which blends ad- 

 mirably together with the monotonous grey 1 of the naked branches of the bushes. Stränge 

 enough the commonest of the there occurring migrants were also grey, orbrownforinstance 

 Muscicapa ficedula, Lanius isabellinus, Hippolais languida, Sylvia sylvia, Agrobates fa- 

 miliaris, Saxicola isabellina and pleschanka. Native species with similar colouration are 

 Sylvietta leucopsis, Calamonastes simplex, Anihoscopus musculus which slip stealthily through 

 the bushes. Po?natorhynchus jamesi in spite of its three headstripes and Pelicinius cruentus 

 in spite of its scarlet markings are »thornbush coloured», and so are several of the Plo- 

 ceids here, like Amadina fasciata, Aidemosyne cantans, Pseudonigrita cdbanisi which when 

 they rest quietly in the bushes catch the eye very little. The Flycatcher of this region 

 Bradornis grisea erlangeri has also the inconspicuous grey colour. Parus thruppi has löst 

 the bright yellow of its congener P. major, and its colouration agrees on the whole quite 

 well with the general shades in the thornbush. The typical Bee-eater of the thornbush coun- 

 try, Melittophagus revoili has a much more modest plumage than its relatives which live 

 in a less dry country with a more flourishing vegetation. Although the general impression 

 of the bird-life in the thornbush is such as has been set forth above, there are, however, very 

 striking exceptions. Cosmopsarus regins is in its brightly glistening, sometimes more 

 bluish sometimes more violet, and rich yellow plumage one of the most beautiful birds, 

 and it is seen to full advantage in the thornbush where no foliage mitigates the power of 

 the tropical sunrays. Galeopsar is also one of the beauties of this country which not a 

 little reminds about some Birds of Paradise. Both these species are very wary. The 

 Vulturine Guineafowl possesses also beautiful colours in its plumage but they are only 

 visible as such at close quarters, at some distance the bird looks uniformly dark. The 

 bright yellow bill of Lophocerus flavirostris is also one of the ornaments of the bird-life 



1 All bushes are not grey in this country, some had for instance quite grecnish yellow bark, but the 

 general impression was grey. 



