Birds of the Buffalo Basin 41 



naturally be supposed to be nesting. On 2nd February, 1909, 

 he saw a pair at the mouth of the Buffalo River and heard the 

 male give a short pleasing song, and again on October 7th, 1911, 

 he saw one on the east bank of the Buffalo. Mr. H. O. Parsons 

 has also met with this species in the neighbourhood of the Buffalo 

 river bridge in the month of February. 



Blue-headed Wagtail — Budytes flavus (L.): This wagtail is 

 mentioned, in Sharpe's addition of Layard, on the authority of 

 Rickard, as having been once killed near East London. 



Golden Oriole — Oriolus ariolus (L.) : This northern breeding 

 species is an uncertain visitor to our area, occurring about the 

 same time as the European roller. In the local museum are 

 three specimens; one, undated, taken at Kingwilliamstown by D. 

 McPhail, a second obtained at the same place by C. Baines in 

 February, 1906, and a third at Draaibosch by T. A. Newey, 

 on2Cth February, 1912. 



Black-headed Oriole — O. larvaius Licht. : This figures in 

 the early lists of both Rickard at East London, and Trevelyan at 

 Kingwilliamstown, and is at the present day one of our best-known 

 woodland species. Its clear whistle, resounding continually 

 through the forest and the mimosa tracts, captures the attention 

 at once of an observant newcomer ; and the brilliant yellow body- 

 plum.age — from which is derived the local name of Yellow-Spreuw 

 — set off by the black hood, black primaries and long thrush-like 

 bill, settles the bird's identity. The whistle, more or less prolonged, 

 is a clear "myee-o," used by the pair of birds in answering each 

 other. From its other common call, somewhat resembling "um- 

 bo,** is derived the Kafir name of umro. In addition to these cries 

 the bird has a triple note "tj'ah-ho-tyoogh," from which another 

 local name (Tich-tack-toe) is derived. Amidst its various calls 

 I have been unable to determine the song of the species. This 

 oriole lives on insects, fruit and nectar. I have watched one in the 

 thick top of an orange tree darting with some display at insects, 

 apparently bees, coming to the blossoms. In the flowering- 

 season of the red aloe, the oriole clings to the spike and probes 

 its bill into the long corolla tubes for the honey; and, when the 

 flowers of the kafir-boom are laden with nectar, the oriole 



