613 
1921 .] Birds of Northern Rhodesia. 
F. swainsoni was tlie commonest, and frequented the gardens 
of the natives. I also saw a fair number of Pternistes cranchi , 
which appeared to keep to thick bush by water, and not to 
use the cultivated land; I was surprised to find the range of 
this species extended so far to the south-west of where I 
last saw it in the Nyando Valley, British East Africa. There 
were also a few true Francolins of one or perhaps two species 
found sparingly in the larger patches of thick bush and on 
the top of a kopje near the Nasenga River, but we did not 
obtain any specimens. No Ostrich is found in north-west 
Rhodesia. 
Another family that was notably poorly represented for 
Africa was that of the true Shrikes. I did not see a single 
Lanius or Fiscus ; on the other hand, in most places Urolestes 
was abundant, and Talacoma poliocepJiala often seen in small 
flocks. The latter were very wary and none were shot by us; 
but one day, while tracking an Eland, I saw a small bird 
struggling in the grass at the foot of a tree, and thought that 
it had noosed itself, while Cooper, our hunter, thought that a 
snake had caught it ; we went to it and found two of the 
Helmet-Shrikes fighting. When we were quite near to them 
they disengaged themselves and flew to the branch of a tree 
close above our heads, a third bird joined them, then the 
original two resumed their fight,and locked together fell to the 
ground near my gunbearer, who killed them both with a tap 
from my walking-stick. The wildness mentioned above was 
not confined to the Helmet-Shrikes, all the small birds in the 
plains and bush were extraordinarily difficult to get near, and 
as the larger waders, geese and other birds along the river 
were more approachable than usual, 1 attribute it to the’ 
annual burning of the grass, which in August is just finish¬ 
ing. The heavy summer rainfall and the hot sun produce a 
very strong growth of grass that in places, attains a height 
above the head of a man riding, though generally only 
reaching to the knee. The Mashakalumbwe, who inhabit 
this district, as soon as the grass is dry enough, burn it in 
strips and patches, and with spears and dogs kill all they 
can of the animals hiding in it. Since the arrival of white 
