Mashonaland Birds. 
253 
banks of streams. It spends most of its time on the ground, 
but when flushed settles in the lower branches of trees and 
ascends with a creeping motion suggestive of a Coly. Its flight 
is very weak, and when frightened it will skulk among the 
dense undergrowth, refusing to be put up. It utters a loud 
squawking note at intervals, and the Kafirs say that when it 
calls frequently it is a sign of rain. Mr. J. ffolliott Darling 
has kindly furnished me with the following account of the 
nidification as observed by him at Mazoe :— 
“ In January I found a nest of Centropus burchelli in a low 
thorn-bush about 6 ft. from the ground; it was composed of 
dry grass, rather roughly constructed, domed, and with a large 
hole at the side pointing away from the prevailing winds. 
In it were four young birds a few days old, very extraordinary¬ 
looking little creatures, with large heads and enormously 
distended abdomens; in the one I skinned I counted 
17 grasshoppers, besides the debris of various other insects. 
About a month later I found another nest in a similar position 
and similarly constructed ; in it were two birds just hatched 
and two eggs, the latter being round and white and a little 
larger than those of C. nigrorufus ” 
145. Centropus nigrorufus. (Black-breasted Lark- 
heeled Cuckoo.) 
Not uncommon in the open reedy swamps round Mazoe 
and about the Gwibi flats. Except for its preferring open 
country, its habits much resemble those of the preceding 
species. Of its nest Mr. Darling writes:—“On 13th January 
I took a nest of C. nigrorufus in long and thick grass in a vlei; 
the bird flew out beside me or I should not have found it, so 
artfully was it concealed, being woven out of the living grass, 
so that it kept green all the time, and when I stood only a 
couple of yards away it was impossible to discern the nest. 
This was situated about 2 ft. from the ground, domed, and 
with a small aperture at the side, the grass being very finely 
and carefully woven in small plaits or wisps and not in single 
blades, and the tops protruding freely for some distance 
above the nest. The eggs were four in number, pure white, 
SER. vit.— VOL. VI. 
T 
