38 Rev. Robert Godfrey 



close of the performance, the singer descends abruptly, uttering its 

 single note continuously during the descent; when near the ground 

 it resumes silence and slides off gently along the surface to alight. 

 My dates for the song are 27th August to February 15th, but 

 I have also heard the song in May and in July, and I am not 

 certain that this pipit has an actual break in its period of song. 

 On the ground this pipit walks smartly, nodding its head actively 

 as it walks; but, sometimes, in running rapidly out of the way 

 of a horseman, it jumps over obstructions caused by tufts of 

 grass. ^ Though essentially a ground species, it occasionally 

 perches on slight eminences, such as the wall of a ruined hut. 

 At Somerville, the feathered young have been brought to me on 

 October 26th, but in the neighbourhood of Pirie the earliest nest 

 with eggs was brought in on November 1 9th. The nest, built in 

 the ground, is constructed externally of rough withered grass, the 

 amount of material and the shape being determined by the nature 

 of the nesting-site. Inside this framework is set the cup proper, 

 of finer grass or of fine roots, with a few goats* hairs or tufts of 

 cows* hairs or even a piece of thread. The eggs, three to five 

 in number, measure on an average 21x16 mm. As is usual in the 

 case of pipits, they vary considerably in their markings. The 

 ground colour, greenish-white, creamy-white or greyish, may be 

 sparingly or thickly spotted, streaked or blotched vsdth various 

 shades of brov^ or purplish-brown. 



Cape Wagtail — Moiacilla capensis L. : The confiding Quacky, 

 as this species is locally called, is an attendant on man throughout 

 our area. In the towns it hunts for its food on the roadways, 

 and delights to parade on the highest roofs, drawing attention 

 to its presence in the heights by its distinctive cry. In the rural 

 districts also it delights to fiit about on the roofs of houses and to 

 rest during the mid-day heat in the shade of the buildings. It 

 acquires confidence to enter buildings and march jauntily about 

 the floor at ease, calling to itself all the time; it may even settle 

 on a piece of furniture and trip daintily along over its surface. 

 In the native locations this wagtail wanders about among the 

 kraals and runs over the thatch-roofs in perfect security. Its 

 presence is believed by the kafirs to ensure a well-stocked cattle- 



