619 
1921 .] Birds of Northern Rhodesia. 
regularly flooded every rainy season, and here we saw the 
Red-cap Lark (Tephrocorys saturatior ), Macronyx wintoni , 
and flocks of the Grey-rumped Swallow (Hirundo griseo- 
pyga ), and occasionally the Pratincole ( Glareola pratincola) 
flitted over them. We spent two nights by a shallow pan at 
the far edge of the flats ; this was the resort every evening 
of a countless number of Spurwing Geese, their flocks 
arriving at sunset in a continuous stream. 
Except where nature had cleared the ground, we found 
the bush near the Nasenga River somewhat denser than any 
we had seen before, the flat country ended, and there were a 
good many kopjes and ridges flanking the river, the bush 
continuing over the sides and top of these. The Nasenga 
River itself is only a few feet across, but generally deeper 
than a man’s height ; here were a number of birds that we 
had not seen before. The first day we drove the banks of 
the river for bush-buck, and my first shot-was at a huge 
Pel’s Fishing Owl, which fell and hung in a thick mimosa 
tree on the far bank ; the beaters on that side were all 
Mashakalumbwe, and when they saw the dead owl they 
thought it to be a leopard. Being ignorant of their language 
I could not explain matters to them, and so 1 had the 
painful experience of witnessing a Mauser bullet and two 
charges of buckshot poured into my owl, before any one 
would go near it. 
Other interesting birds obtained during these beats were 
Turacus schalowi murungensis , Darters (.Anhinga rufa ), 
Green-backed Heron (Butorides atricapilla ), Hah-de-dah 
(Hagedashia hagedasli), Pternistes cranchi , a Stonechat, the 
skin of which was unfortunately spoilt, and Halcyon 
orientalis; the big Kingfisher (Ceryle maxima) was often 
seen but never shot at. 
Having obtained specimens of Kudu and Craw r shay’s 
Waterbuck, we started on our homeward journey. It was 
now mid-September, and the weather was perceptibly 
warmer, though no rain had fallen since we started, the 
mimosas and other trees were getting green with their young 
leaves, here and there a tree showed among the rest scarlet 
