The Birds of Ga?nbia. 
261 
Ebc iBuDs ot i5an\bia. 
By E. HoPKiNSON, D.S.O.. M.A., M.B. 
(Conlitiued from page 217). 
Malaconotus poliocephalus. GREY-HEADRD BUvSH-SHRIKE. 
Range. Seiieganibia to Caineioous, {H.L.) 
A stroiigl)- built bird :iiostly briglit olive-green above and yellow 
beneatli, with a blue-grey bead sharply demarcated from the green of the 
back and the yellow of the throat, while the lores are a clear fawn. The 
beak, which is a powerful one and strongly notched towards the tip, is 
black, the feet grey and the irides burnt sienna brown. I,engtli about ten 
inches. 
These large " Katchabas " are not uncommon throughout the 
Protectorate and are to be met with all the year round, generally singly or 
in pairs in the larger trees. In such a position the bird's colouration makes 
it extremely difficult to see, even when one hears it's constantly repeated 
call-note, a drawn-out sweet, but rather monotonous double whistle, to 
guide one. The Mandingo names for the bird are Katchaba and Bubu- 
Kila. The first is also applied to other yellow birds, particularly to the 
Golden Oriole, for a large edition of which it may well be taken when seen 
among the branches at some little distance. The second name means 
" Bubu "-caller, and is derived from its note, which to the Mandigo ear at 
any rate suggests the word " Bubu." 
M. sulphureipeciiis. ORANGK-BREASTED BUSH-vSHRIKE. 
Range. Senegal to Loango, Equatorial Africa. {H.L.) 
This is our second " Katchaba " Shrike, and is iiuich rarer than the 
above, than which too it is much smaller, being only some seven inches 
long. The head and face are yellow shading into greenish on the crown, 
and crossed at the sides by a black moustache-streak, the mantle is grey, 
the rest of the upper parts olive green ; below it is yellow deepening into 
orange on the breast. Bill and legs black, iris brown. Young birds are 
duller in colour and have a white instead of a yellow throat. They pro- 
bably only visit Gambia to bieed during the rains, at any rate the few 
occasions on which I have come across tliem have been at that season. 
PRIONOPID^. 
Prionops plumaius. WHITP:-PL,UME1) HELMET-SHRIKE. 
Range. Senegambia to Nigeria. {H.L.) 
A black and while bird, about the size of a Starling, with a long white 
crest and a circular pale yellow wattle round the eye. They are ver3' 
common in the Gambia, where one meets with them in small flocks of 12 to 
20 flitting (this word exactly expresses their movements) from bush to bush 
generally moving in a straight line across country. They search every part 
of the bush they are on for caterpillars and other insects, and then one 
leaves for the next bush or tree, where it will be soon joined by its com- 
