210 MR. IVAN D. HEPBURN 



formed extel-nally of broad grass-blades with a few dry 

 leaves, and has an inner lining of finer wiry stems with an 

 odd leaf and some rougher material. The eggs, three in 

 number, are white, or, at other times, greyish-white, with 

 a well-defined zonal band of purplish-grey and spots of 

 the same colour suffusing the rest of the shell. They 

 measure 23 by 17 mm. 



The young bird, when newly hatched, has the inside 

 of the mouth yellow, with three black spots on the tongue. 

 In the adult, the inside of the mouth is black. * 



Ecological Notes on the Mountainous Portions of the 

 Herschel District. 



By Ivan P. Hepburn^ B.A. 



Edaphtc Factors. 



The mountains of the Herschel District reach a height 

 of 9,000 feet, and the higher strata consist of Drakens- 

 berg lavas and basalt. The Cave sandstone strata reach 

 a height of between G,0()0 and 7,000 feet probably. Strata 

 of blue and red shale occur between the Cave sandstone. 

 At a lower level the red sandstone occurs. 



Owing to erosion numerous deep valleys and kloofs run 

 down from the mountains. The level strata of sandstone 

 cause numerous plateaux to be formed, where the sand- 

 stone is either exposed, or, as is more usual, covered with 

 alluvial soil of various depths. The usual aspect is a 

 crown of Cave sandstone round the edge of the plateaux, 

 and the escarpments below the crown are strewn with 

 large and small fragments of sandstone. Basaltic and 

 gravelly hills occur, and dolerite dykes intersect the 

 country at the lower levels. 



Numerous streams, most of them perennial, drain the 

 mountains. After rains these become torrential. 



