KNYSNA IT9 



inspection it is noticeable that the bird which is being 

 driven is the more brightly coloured of the two, a broad 

 band which goes across the breast of the bird which is 

 chasine beine black, while in the bird which is beino^ 

 chased there is no band, but in place of this a marking 

 of deep orange colour on the throat. Still being driven 

 from branch to branch, and continuing to utter the same 

 complaining notes, this bird is driven past you, until it 

 stands for an instant upon a knot in a branch of a tree, 

 and then disappears into this knot, with the exception of 

 its head and tail, which may still be seen. The chasing 

 bird, satisfied with its work, now betakes itself off, 

 disappearing from view among the taller trees, after a 

 few short fiights. 



These birds are a pair of the Cape Flycatchers, of 

 which there are many in these woods, this species being 

 the commonest of the various kinds of Flycatcher to be 

 found here. One feature in connection with these birds 

 worth mentionino- is that the female bird is the more 

 brightly coloured of the two, it being she that has the 

 patch of colour on the throat. The knot in the branch 

 of the tree, on which the female settled, turns out to be 

 its nest, and the bird will allow of a very near approach. 

 This fact makes the nest harder to find than it would 

 otherwise have been, for the bird does not betray the 

 whereabouts of its home by flying away until absolutely 

 necessary. The nest itself is a beautiful structure, the 

 framework consisting of dried grass and little strips of 

 bark, covered externally with lichens and a small quan- 

 tity of moss, the materials being felted together with 

 cobweb. The lining, as in the case of all the Fly- 

 catchers that we met with, consisted of a very fine hair- 



