98 
Mr. B. Alexander —An Ornithological 
during the tedious work of getting her off we took a canoe 
to explore a small island that was overgrown with long dead 
grass and masses of fish-cane. In our ramble, our 
attention was attracted to another little reed-grown island 
some 100 yards distant in mid-stream. 
The reeds were literally festooned with the bodies of Bee- 
eaters and bending under their weight. Most of the birds 
were already asleep, and the reports of our guns threw them 
suddenly into confusion, many clinging to the reeds, hardly 
realizing what had taken place. Soon a great sight met our 
eyes. Shaking themselves free of the reeds, these birds, 
some 300 in number and glorious in their feathered coats 
of scarlet, mounted into the air, and were soon bathed in the 
last glows of a setting sun. They massed themselves together 
after the manner of Starlings, making all the time a great 
noise, in a single note that closely resembled the cry of the 
Fieldfare. Many times they advanced towards their favourite 
little island of rest, but only to retreat, and it was not until 
our canoe had left that the leaders of this great flying column 
of feathered redcoats proclaimed a halt for the night. 
From Senna to the Kafue river we constantly observed in 
certain localities flocks of these Bee-eaters. 
During the winter months, partial migrations occur to and 
from different reaches of the river, these movements being 
influenced to a great extent by the yield of insect-life. 
Essentially river-birds, they never stray very far from water. 
Dried-up watercourses that are studded with pools, and flat 
reedy land interspersed with tall trees, are their resorts; and 
more than once during the day, generally in the early 
morning and again towards evening, they may be observed 
journeying from one favourite feeding-ground to another, 
flying high overhead, sometimes being invisible, and betraying 
their line of flight only by their cries, which sound at a 
height very ventriloquial. 
During the heat of the day this Bee-eater will remain for 
hours inert, being quite indifferent to a near approach. A 
gloriously-coloured bird it appears as it sits perched on the 
stooping hack of a bright green reed. It has indeed a 
