THE FAUNA. 



17 



the locust. A variety of the Loxia or grossbill con- 

 structs nests sometimes in bunches hanging from the 

 lower branches of the trees. The mtiko, a kind of 

 water-wagtail (Motacilla), ventures into the huts with 

 the audacity of a London sparrow, and the Africans 

 have a prejudice against killing it. Swallows and 

 martins of various kinds, some peculiarly graceful and 

 slender, may be seen migrating at the approach of 

 winter in regular travelling order : of these, one variety 

 resembles the English bird. The Africans declare that 

 a single species of hirundo, probably the sand-martin, 

 builds in the precipitous earth-banks of the nullahs : 

 their nests were not seen, however, as in Southern 

 Africa, under the eaves of houses. There are a few 

 ostriches, hawks, ravens, plovers, nightjars (Caprimul- 

 gidse), red and blue jays of brilliant plume, muscicapa?, 

 blackcaps or mock nightingales (Motacilla atroca- 

 pilla?), passerines of various kinds, hoopoes, bulbuls, 

 wrens, larks, and bats. We saw but few poisonous 

 animals. Besides the dendrophis,. the only ophidia 

 killed in the country were snakes, with slate-coloured 

 backs, and silver bellies, resembling the harmless " mas " 

 or " hanash " of Somaliland, the Psammophis sibil- 

 aris (L.); C. moniliger Lacepede, — according to Mr. 

 Blyth (" Journal of the As. Soc. of Bengal," vol, xxiv., 

 p. 306), who declares it to be not venomous — they 

 abound in the houses and destroy the rats. The people 

 speak of a yellow and brown-coated snake, eight feet 

 long by five or six inches in diameter ; it is probably a 

 boa or rock-snake. Chiira or frogs are numerous in 

 the swamps, where the frog-concerts resemble those of 

 the New World ; and in the regions about the Tanga- 

 nyika Lake a large variety makes night hideous with 

 its croakings. Of the range there are many species. 



VOL. II. C 



