14 
Mr. G. L. Bates— Field-Notes on the 
and jungle of old cleared land around villages. In such a 
situation was the nest found that has been already described. 
Subsequently another was found in a very different sort of 
place. It was in a small marsh surrounded by the forest, such 
as the people call “engas,” formed by the spreading out of the 
water of a little stream over several acres. The nest rested 
upon the coarse grass of the marsh, which was bent together 
to form its base, with a good many dry blades broken off 
and laid on for lining, and some standing stalks also bent 
and disposed over the nest to form a screen. One egg only 
had been laid, but another nearly ready to be deposited was 
found in the oviduct of the bird which was shot. Twice 
subsequently eggs of this bird have been brought to me 
which were said to have been found in an “ engas ” or 
marsh. Butler (‘ Ibis/ 1905, p. 356) states that in the 
Upper Nile district this species is a bird of the “ sudd.” In 
Kamerun it seems also to frequent marshes to some extent, 
though usually seen on dry ground. 
Three eggs appear to form the clutch. Leaving out one 
clutch of three, which were less surely identified than the 
others and were somewhat smaller, my eggs measure : length 
35-37’5 mm., breadth 26-295 mm. 
[Nine eggs are of a blunt oval shape, practically devoid of 
gloss, and pure white.—O.-G.] 
Besides the insect food—usually grasshoppers—found in 
the stomachs of most specimens, and the larger prey already 
reported, I have found in the stomachs of birds of this 
species bits of the shell of a small speckled bird’s egg, like 
that of a Cisticola , and bits of the shell of a water mollusk. 
I have mentioned the native story that this bird adorns its 
nest with the heads of the snakes that it has killed. Though 
I have never found these, I have seen a poisonous snake—a 
half-grown African cobra four feet long—that had been 
killed by one of these birds. A woman called me to see the 
dead snake, which was found lying with its head bruised and 
pierced. She had seen the bird flv up from the place, and 
on going there had found the snake lying dead. 
