38 Mr. J. H. Gurney on Birds from Natal. 



auts and other insects appear to be their principal food, which 

 they search for and catch on the rough bark of trees ; they also 

 hammer away at dead boughs, from which they extract soft 

 grubs, &c. Their flight is heavy and dipping ; they are here all 

 the year round. 



[Dr. Hartlaub, in his work on the ' Ornithology of Western 

 Africa,' treats this species as synonymous with Dendromus chrysu- 

 rus of Swainson, described in the 'Birds of Western Africa,' part 2, 

 p. 158. In accordance with this view, I inserted this Woodpecker, 

 under the specific name of " ckrysura," in a foi'mer list of Natal 

 Birds [vide ' Ibis,' vol. ii. p. 213). A subsequent examination of a 

 female specimen from Natal leads me to believe that the two 

 species are distinct. Mr. Swainson, in his description of Den- 

 dromus ch^ysurus, says that the female has "no white spots on 

 the crown," and has "the belly and vent almost unspotted;" 

 but the female of the Natal bird has the anterior two-thirds of 

 the upper surface of the head black, with a single white spot on 

 each feather, and also many dark spots on the feathers of the belly 

 and vent. I therefore cannot doubt that " chrysurus" of Swainson 

 and "smithii" of Malherbe must be considered as distinct 

 species. — J. H. G.] 



« 



Vanellus melanopterus (Riipp.). Black-winged Lapwing. 



On examination of several individuals, the irides of all were of 

 a light greyish-yellow colour ; the tarsi and feet, some dark pink, 

 some purple, others nearly black, especially towards the feet, 

 always lighter at the thighs. 



Parra AFRICAN a (Gmel.). White-necked Jacana. 



Male and female. Iris blackish brown; bill bluish black, 

 pinkish at the tip, the frontal shield and skin at base of the 

 upper mandible light slate-colour; shanks, tarsi and feet slate 

 or ash colour, the feet being rather darker than the legs. The 

 female is considerably larger than the male. They are to be 

 found in considerable numbers in the lagoons and pools along 

 the coast ; their food appears to consist entirely of the seeds of 

 water-plants and small insects, which they find amongst the 

 leaves of the water-lilies and other weeds. Walking with case 

 on the floating leaves of these beautiful plants, they feed more 



