KNYSNA 121 



is a restless bird, keeping for the most part well out of 

 sight, and as it flies across one's path in the forest, its 

 plumage lit up here and there by a gleam of sunshine, 

 it presents a brilliantly red appearance, the two long 

 feathers in its tail streaming behind as it flies. Nests of 

 this species were very similar to those of the Cape Fly- 

 catcher, but were as a rule deeper. These birds always 

 seemed to place their nests over water, either in the 

 form of some small stream which intersected one of 

 these wooded valleys, or else above a pool of stag- 

 nant water in the forest. In the case of the nests 

 of each of the other two species of Flycatcher men- 

 tioned above, the nests were always placed in the 

 vicinity of water, but not necessarily actually above 

 it. The eo'Sfs of all these birds were much alike, 

 being of a pale cream colour speckled with reddish- 

 brown ; the markino-s would difler sli^htlv in the case 

 of each bird. 



These nests were not really so difficult to find, but 

 they harmonised so well both in colour and in shape 

 with the innumerable other objects in the forest which 

 caught the eye, that they seemed to fit in as a face does 

 into a picture puzzle, appearing very simple when re- 

 garded as nests, but when taking their place in the 

 picture, not so apparent. On one of the many creepers 

 which huno- about the trees in the woods I noticed a 

 kind of excrescence that would often make its appear- 

 ance ; this was about the size of half an orange, and was 

 coloured grey outside, while the top of it was of a red- 

 brown colour. It seems quite possible that these Fly- 

 catchers in making their nests, imitate to a certain 

 extent these peculiar growths with a view of gaining 



