from the colony uf Natal. 37 



pelican. Soaring overhead, and seeing this large, stupid bird 

 fishing beneath, it watches till a fine fish is safe in the pelican's 

 pouch ; when descending, not very quickly, but with consider- 

 able noise of wing, the pelican looks up to see what is the mat- 

 ter, and, as the hawk comes near, he supposes that he is about 

 to be killed, and roars out ' Murder ! ' The opening of his 

 mouth enables the hawk to whisk the fish out of the pouch, upon 

 which the pelican does not fly away, but commences fishing 

 again ; the fright having probably made him forget he ever had 

 anything in his purse." — J. H. G.] 



Athene •woodfordi (Smith). Woodford's Owl. 



Male. Iris dark brown ; bill and cere light yellow ; feet light 

 yellow. This Owl frequents the bushy coast-land. The specimen 

 sent was shot amongst a mass of creepers on the upper branches 

 of a tree, hanging by its feet and defending itself as well as it 

 could against a number of small birds w^hich were annoying him. 

 Of its habits I know nothing ; stomach empty. 



Ploceus ocularis (Smith). Black-lored Weaver-bird. 



Female. Iris very light whitish brown. These birds frequent 

 bush land, and are to be found singly or in pairs. The stomach 

 of the specimen sent was crammed w ith a species of wood-bug ; 

 they are also fond of the berries of the wild date, from the ends 

 of the leaves of which palm they frequently build their nest, 

 composing it of strips of the leaf. 



BucoRAX ABYSSiNicus (Gmcl.). Abyssinian Hornbill. 



Female. Weight 9 lbs. ; contents of stomach, snakes, lizards, 

 frogs, rats, mice, and a variety of locusts, beetles, and other 

 insects. 



Dendromus SMiTHii (Malh.). Picas [Chrysoptilopicus) 

 smithii, Malh. Rev. Zool. 1845, p. 403. Smith's Woodpecker. 



Male andfefjiale. Iris light reddish brown ; bill dark brown, 

 under mandible with a yellowish tinge ; tarsi and feet very dull 

 green. These Woodpeckers are to be found throughout the 

 colony, wherever there is bush land, singly or in pairs ; their 

 note is loud and harsh ; they are very restless in their habits, 

 constantly hunting for food, as if they never obtained a sufficiency; 



