Mr. E. L. Layard on South-African Ornithology. 225 



198. RaLLUS AQUATICUS. " Rascoii." 



Common, and breeds plentifully in the marshes near Seville. 



199. Gallinula chloropus. " Polla de agua." 

 Resident, nesting in the marshes near Seville, whence I 



obtained eggs. 



200. FuLiCA ATRA. " Mancon ;" in Valencia, " Focha." 

 Breeds plentifully in the "marisma," and frequents the Albu- 



fera of Valencia in vast numbers in winter. I did not observe 

 it breeding there in May. 



201. FuLICA CRISTATA. 



In Valencia the Crested Coot appears in winter. 



In Andalucia the natives do not seem to distinguish it ; but 

 it breeds in the " marisma," notably near Madre del Rocio, where 

 I saw it, and obtained identified eggs. 



202. PoRPHYRio HYACiNTHiNus. " Calamon,^' '^ Gallo 

 zz\A," in Andalucia ; " Gallo de Canar," in the province of Va- 

 lencia. 



This fine species, though still tolerably abundant in the 

 marshes of the Guadalquivir, is almost, if not quite, extinct in 

 those of Valencia, where it was formerly very numerous ; in the 

 marshes of the island of Majorca its numbers are also sadly 

 diminished. From my own experience, and from clutches of 

 eggs received, the complement appears to be three, which are 

 laid in April. Cavaliere Luigi Benoit, of Messina, assured me 

 that M. Malherbe was quite in error in stating in his 'Faune 

 de Sicile' that it deposited its eggs in February. 

 [To be continued.] 



XVII. — Notes on South-African Ornithology. 

 By E. L. Layard, F.Z.S. 



In the last number of 'The Ibis' I had the pleasure of pub- 

 lishing an interesting letter from ray friend Dr. Exton, on the 

 habits of Schizorhis concolor. During the journey on which 

 these observations were made, Dr. Exton procured a smnll but 

 vei'y interesting collection of birds, containing c^everal very rare 



SER. III. VOL. I. Q 



