52 F. J. Lawrence 



Stra}^ Nature Notes. 

 By F. J. Lawrence. 



I have written to the Rev. R. Godfrey asking him how it is 

 that the sweet continuous song of the white-eye is not referred to by 

 any writer on the birds of South Africa. He replied and asked me 

 which of the two was the song bird, the green white-eye 

 (Zosterops virens) or the Cape white-eye (Zosterops capemis). 

 I believe that I have heard both and only the male when isolated 

 from the group. I am still waiting my opportunity to observe 

 the singer. In the karroo just behind my office the bird was very 

 frequently heard in some large pepper trees (Molle schinus) 

 and I often called the attention of my friends to his song. In 

 Aliwal I do not sec these little friends so often. 



The white bellied sv^dft (Cypselus africanus) arrived in the 

 town of Aliwal on the 18th of August. Sclater writes of it as 

 found in all mountainous districts. I have found it in the 

 plains of the karroo twenty miles from any mountains. In 

 Aliwal these swifts have been very troublesome round bee-hives 

 and in one instance were not driven off until several of their 

 number had been shot. 



The wattled starling or kaalkop spreeuw (Dllophus caruncu' 

 lalus) appeared in my garden on the 21st of August — a little 

 group of fourteen comprising one or two young male birds with 

 undeveloped combs and wattles. They were in the company of 

 some pied starlings (Spreo fci'co /or) which, with the amethyst 

 starling {Pholidauges leucogaster verreauxi), has lately been in- 

 troduced to the visitors of the London Zoo, both according to the 

 "Field" (March 12th, 1921,) for the first time. 



The willow wren (Ph^lloscopus trochilus) arrives in Aliwal 

 in October and leaves early in March. All day long its clear note 

 is heard from some thick shrubbery. It sings almost incessantly 

 in its joyous way. At times, however, the song is so insistent 

 that it would seem as if, while enjoying the rhapsody, some too 



