Mr. T, Ayres on the Ornithology of Transvaal. 297 



Malc^ adult, shot 23rcl October. Irides bright scarlet ; bill 

 crimson_, but dusky ou the ridge and gonys ; tarsi and feet 

 dusky, pale. Contents of stomach, grass-seeds. 



[In the immature bird, shot on the 13th of July, the bill 

 is only about three quarters of the length of the bill in the 

 adult.— J. H. G.] 



Ortygospiza polyzona (Temm.). Little Barred-breasted 

 Finch. 



Female, shot near Potchefstroom, 6th April. Irides bright 

 reddish hazel; upper mandible dusky brown; under man- 

 dible crimson ; tarsi and feet pale. 



Male, shot 30th April. Irides bright hazel; bill bright 

 crimson ; tarsi and feet pale. 



This pretty little fellow I shot as he rose from the nest, 

 where he was evidently doing duty for his wife, by sitting on 

 the eggs in her absence. The nest was a very rough struc- 

 ture, placed on the ground amongst the grass and not easily 

 seen, from its being composed of dead blades of grass ; it 

 was lined with a few coarse feathers, and in shape was much 

 like the nests of some of the Sunbirds, with a projecting 

 eave over the entrance, but all very rough. The eggs were 

 five in number and pure white ; length ^ inch, breadth ii. 



298. Fringillaria vittata. Swains. Rock-Buntine-. 

 Male, shot 20th February, at Potchefstroom. Total length 



6| inches, bill (from gape) -^-^, tarsus || (barely), wing 3|, 

 tail 2|. Irides dark hazel ; bill dusky, the under mandible 

 paler towards the gape ; tarsi and feet dusky, soles of feet 

 pale. 



Female, shot 26th December, on the rocky ranges near 

 Potchefstroom. Total length 6^ inches, bill ^, tarsus i4, 

 wing 3, tail 2i. Irides dusky; bill dusky bluish horn- 

 colour ; tarsi and feet light dusky. 



[Mr. Ayres has affixed to one of the skins sent the English 

 name of '' Rock-Bunting,^^ which I have therefore retained. 

 —J. H. G.] 



299. Pyrrhulauda verticalis. Smith. White-crowned 

 Finch-Lark. 



Male, shot in August, in the Marico district. 



