150 BULLETIN 2 08, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



one on the rounded roof of a road culvert, was of the usual retort 

 shape, lined with feathers. The pair of foster parents was seen bring- 

 ing insects to the nest. 



Hirundo cucullata Boddaert. Larger stripe-breasted swallow. 



Hirundo cucullata Boddaert, Table des planches enlumin^ez d'histoire naturelle, 

 p. 45, 1783. (Cape of Good Hope, ex Daubenton, Planches enluminles, 

 pi. 723, fig. 2.) 



There is a set of eggs in the Transvaal Museum collected at 

 Grahamstown, Cape Province, in January 1896 containing two eggs 

 of the host and one of the parasite (A. Roberts, 1939, p. 100-102). 



Priest (1948, pp. 63-64) lists this swallow as a victim of the greater 

 honey-guide, probably on the basis of the above record, 



Mr. F. G. Turberville, at Highlands Rail in Cape Province, writes 

 (in litt. to C. J. Skead) that for several years the greater honey-guide 

 victimized "one of the larger stripe-breasted swallows, and, like the 

 cuckoo, got rid of the swallow chicks at some stage, finally coming 

 out of the nest and hanging around on a nearby tree for a couple of 

 weeks, making the plaintive cry that most young chicks make; all this 

 time the swallows fed it hard and often. Swallows Imow that the 

 guide is a parasite and go for her on sight if she comes near the nest; 

 last year one tried to get to our swallows on the front stoop, but she 

 was chased so vigorously so often that she gave it up." 



On subsequent questioning, Mr. Turberville recalled the yellowish 

 breast of the young parasite, thus eliminating any doubt as to whether 

 the species was really I. indicator. He further related (to C. J. 

 Skead, who passed the information on to me) that the swallows 

 always nested in an old ironing-room, and that when the young 

 honey-guide emerged from the nest it usually perched on a large 

 Rhus bush about 15 yards from the nest, and remained there cared 

 for by the swallows for "about a week." 



Near Pietermaritzburg, Natal, on March 5 Walter J. Lawson (in 

 litt. to C. J. Skead) found a nest of this swallow containing two dead 

 chicks largely eaten by ants. He felt, from the maxillary hook still 

 discernible on one of them, that it was probably a young greater 

 honey-guide. 



Mondcola rupestris (Vieillot). Cape rock thrush. 



Turdus rupestris Vieillot, Nouveau dictionnau-e d'histoire naturelle, vol. 20, 

 p. 281, 1818. (Near Cape Town, i. e., Table Mountain.) 



One record, of doubtful accuracy. 



The late H. W. Bell-Marley found a nest of this thrush at Vryheid, 

 South Africa, October 25, 1910, containing one agg of the greater 

 honey-guide and two eggs of the builder. This set is now in the 

 Transvaal Museum (A. Roberts, 1939, pp. 100-102). If correct, this 

 is a most unusual record as the thrush builds an open nest in the open. 



