54 Mr. W. Ayres on Birds collected in the 



are plentiful^ and the Kaffirs told me that in the summer 

 months they come in great numbers and do much damage 

 to their crops of Indian corn and millet. I generally met 

 with them in pairs, but sometimes saw as many as seven or 

 eight together. They are fond of sitting in the top branches 

 of some dead tree, and are very difficult to see, as, when 

 approached, they hide most cleverly behind the branches ; I 

 have sometimes stood for nearly half an hour gazing up at a 

 dead tree in vain, though I knew that two or three of these 

 birds were hiding amongst the branches. They continually 

 utter their loud and harsh cry, but see them you cannot, even 

 in trees where one would think a mouse would hardly evade 

 detection. In winter their food consists of the fruit of the 

 wild fig-trees, of which there are an abundance, in full 

 bearing, along the Olifants and Mashupan rivers. 



391. CossYPHA NATALENsis, Smith. ISlatal Chat-thrush. 

 Female^ shot 24th July, 1885, at Umzingeilla's near Olifants 



river (Transvaal). 



I met with a few of these birds in the above locality and 

 also at Uovi-rand ; they are found in the dense underwood 

 along the river-banks searching for their food on the ground, 

 and are difficult to shoot on account of the impenetrable 

 nature of the bush which they frequent. 



392. CossYPHA QUADRiviRGATA, Rcich. Four - streaked 

 Chat-thrush. 



Male, near Olifants river, Transvaal. 



This bird I shot on 29th July, 1885, in the thick Mopani 

 forest some few miles from Umzingeilla^s. I do not remember 

 having met with this species previously, and I know nothing 

 of its habits. 



[The specimen sent is the most southern example of this 

 species which has come under my notice ; it has been added 

 to the collection of the British Museum. — J. H. G.] 



393. Saxicola shelleyi, Sharpe. Shelley^s Wheatear. 

 Two males, shot at Lehtaba river-drift, August 1885. 

 Female, shot at Umzingeilla's, Olifants river (Transvaal), 



29th July, 1885. 



