from the Colony of Natal. 157 



CoLius STRiATUs (Giiiel.). Striated Coly. 



These birds appear to have the habit of constantly adding fresh 

 and 2;reen leaves to the inner surface of their nests. Is a certain 

 amount of dampness necessary for their eggs during incubation ? 



Toccus MELANOLEUcus (Licht.). Crowucd Hornbill. 



Male. Bill dull red ; tarsi and feet black. 



I shot this Hornbill whilst in the act of swallowing a large 

 locust which it had taken from the bough of a low bush. This 

 bird did not appear to throw the head back so much as I have 

 noticed that some other species do. Its stomach was full of 

 locusts and caterpillars. 



These Hornbills are generally found in companies of from ten 

 to twenty; they mostly frequent the coast districts, but occa- 

 sionally during the winter months they wander more inland. 



[This species is the Calao couronne of Levaillant and the 

 Buceros coronatus of Shaw, but not of Boddaert, as erroneously 

 cited by me in ' The Ibis/ vol. iii. p. 133, the latter being a syno- 

 nym of an oriental species, Buceros monoceros of Shaw. — J. H. G.] 



Dendromus smithii (Malh.). Smith's Woodpecker. 



[Since writing the remarks on this Woodpecker, published in 

 * The Ibis,' vol. iv. p. 38, 1 have had the opportunity of consulting 

 M. Malherbe's article on this species in his magnificent monograph 

 of the Picidce, p. 154, and I observe that the difference between 

 Mr. Swainson's description of the female of his Dendromus chry- 

 surus and the females sent from Natal is there accounted for in 

 the following terms: — "As for the description which Swainson 

 gives of the female, it only applies to a young female which has 

 the forehead and vertex black, without the spots, which extend 

 with age, being as yet distinguishable; which also sometimes 

 happens in other species of the same group." 



M. Malherbe states, however, that he has never himself met 

 with a West-African specimen of this Woodpecker. — J. H. G.] 



BuPHUs coMATUs (Pall.). Squacco Dwarf-Heron. 



Female. Iris light yellow; bill, upper mandible very dark 

 brown, except the margins, which (with the under mandible) are 

 yellowish ; tarsi and feet light yellowish green. 



These birds are not common here; they inhabit the marshes 



