Vol. V. 1 r M ■ c ^ 



1506 I rroi/i Magazines, &c. ] y i 



of them, invited a number of his neighbours, who, lying in wait 

 for the birds, fired into the trees, and continued to shoot until the 

 ground was literally covered with the dead and dying birds, and 

 for days after wounded Martins could be found fluttering about 

 the neighbouring lawns and roadsides. Estimates of the number 

 of birds killed vary from 8,000 to 15,000." 



Irregular Incubation of Owls' Eggs. — Herr Ludwig 

 Schuster writes on this subject in the OrnitJioIogiscJies Jalirbuch, 

 January-April, 1904. The general rule among birds is, 

 he says, that incubation does not commence till the clutch 

 of eggs is completed. The Owls form an exception. Their 

 eggs are laid at intervals of two or three days, but the 

 female begins to sit as soon as the first (or perhaps the 

 second) ^gg is laid. This irregular incubation occurs with 

 every species of Owl, and seems to be the rule with several of 

 them. Why is this the case } It has been suggested that it is 

 to prevent the first-laid eggs being injured by cold. But the 

 writer points out that other birds which lay at a cold season of 

 the year do not have this peculiarity. It is not certain as yet, 

 he says, whether it is intended to counteract some deleterious 

 influence, but it is certain that the fact that its young become 

 fledged at different times is no disadvantage to the Owl. For 

 Owls are conservative, and keep to the same spot practically all 

 the year round, so that it does not make any difference if two 

 young are still in the nest while two more are sitting in neigh- 

 bouring trees and being fed there, and the eldest couple are 

 already flying afield with their parents and learning how to get 

 their own food. The wants of all can be attended to. The 

 mother's having to leave half-hatched eggs to get feed for the 

 first- hatched young does not interfere with the eggs' chances, 

 for the young in the nest keep the eggs warm. 



Journal of the South AfricaxM Ornithologists' 

 Union. — This newly-formed Union is not only to be congratu- 

 lated on its first publication, but on the possession of a member- 

 roll which contains the names of many of the leading men of 

 South Africa. Mr. VV. L. Sclater, M.A., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U., is 

 president, and the management of \.\\q. Journal is in the hands of 

 a committee of three, with Mr. J. S. Bucknill, M.A., as head. 

 Part i. of vol. i (July, 1905) contains the president's address, in 

 which, after regretting the backward state of ornithological 

 knowledge in South Africa, he gives a succinct account of what 

 has been done in this matter in other parts of the world. But 

 the main part of the paper deals with " South African Ornitholo- 

 gists," giving most interesting particulars regarding Le Vaillant, 



