38 
ch. ii] BIRDS OF THE DISTRICT 
dull-coloured and of the most brilliant plumage. For 
the most part they either had no names at all or names 
that meant nothing to us. There were glossy starlings 
of many kinds, and scores of species of weaver-finches, 
some brilliantly coloured, others remarkable because 
of the elaborate nests they built by communities among 
the trees. There were many kinds of shrikes, some of 
them big parti-coloured birds, almost like magpies, and 
with a kestrel-like habit of hovering in the air over one 
spot; others very small and prettily coloured. There 
was a little red-billed finch with its outer tail feathers 
several times the length of its head and body. There 
was a little emerald cuckoo, and a tiny thing, a barbet, 
that looked exactly like a kingfisher, four inches long. 
Eared owls flew up from the reeds and grass. There 
were big, restless, wonderfully-coloured plantain-eaters 
in the woods, and hornbills, with strange swollen beaks. 
A true lark, coloured like our meadow-lark (to which it 
is in no way related) sang from bushes ; but the clapper- 
lark made its curious clapping sounds (apparently with 
its wings, like a ruffed grouse) while it zigzagged in the 
air. Little pipits sang overhead like our Missouri sky¬ 
larks. There were nightjars, and doves of various 
kinds, one of which uttered a series of notes slightly 
resembling the call of our whip-poor-will or chuckwill's 
widow. The beautiful little sunbirds were the most 
gorgeous of all. Then there were bustards, great and 
small, and snake-eating secretary birds, on the plains ; 
and francolins, and African spur-fowl, with brilliant 
naked throats, and sand grouse that flew in packs 
uttering guttural notes. The wealth of bird life was 
bewildering. There was not much bird music, judged 
by the standards of a temperate climate; but the 
bulbuls and one or two warblers sang very sweetly. 
3 
