617 
1921 .] Birds of Northern Rhodesia. 
in a narrow spiral, and a splendid flight ensued ; a second 
eagle joined the chase, and the three birds circled upwards 
till all were lost to view, and I can give no idea as to the 
result, but the powers of flight of the owl surprised me. 
Two specimens of Scops capensis were secured with one shot 
while seated side by side in a “ German-sausage ” tree, at the 
crimson flowers of which numbers of Cinnyris gutturalis in 
full plumage were feeding; one Bubo vevreauxi was obtained. 
I saw one morning a small blue-grey Falcon chasing a little 
bird, which it pursued like onr Merlin, and it seemed to be at 
least as quick on the wing. The next day my son brought 
to me a Dickinson’s Kestrel (Vissodectes dickinsoni ), which 
he shot when coming to drink at a pan ; I believe this 
was the species I had seen the day previously, and I 
would humbly suggest that this bird, with its powerful legs 
and claws, should not be accounted a Kestrel. In some 
places Guinea Fowl (Numida mitrata ) were abundant in good- 
sized flocks, their habits similar to other species of their 
genus, but their flesh was below the usual excellent quality 
of their race. 
Just before reaching the Kafue River we crossed a low 
ridge of sandy soil. The Mashakalumbwe like such sites for 
their villages, and this was thickly populated, no bush had 
been left, but here and there a few great trees ; in the 
branches of one which bore an olive-like fruit, were a large 
flock of green pigeons, one was shot and proved to be Vinago 
icakefieldii schalowi. On a tree further on my son saw a bird 
with a white head and breast; this was obtained, and was 
found to be the Barbet now named Lybius chaplini (PI. VIF 
fig. 3). An hour later we reached the river, and from its bank 
enjoyed the spectacle of numberless birds feeding or flying 
to their roosting grounds. The ford was 150 yards wide, 
and the banks of the river, except where rocks raised grey 
masses above them, were lined with a narrow edging of green 
reeds, with sharp-pointed leaves ; two or three islands of sand 
divided the river’s surface, and birds were everywhere— 
Scissor-bills flew to and fro, Great White Egrets waded in 
the shallow water, the rocks carried black flocks of two 
