Ml". E. L. Layavd on South-African Ornithology. 227 



of the body whilst producing, the sound could then be readily 

 distinguished. The female has the same note as the male. The 

 bill (in the living specimen) is greenish-yellow, tipped with 

 black; the iris reddish-brown. The gizzard contained some 

 berries and shreds of leaves ; that of one female contained only 

 shreds of leaves " *. 



Dendrohates namaquus (Licht.), D. brucii, Malh., and Campe- 

 thera bennetti, A. Smith, were also procured in the same region. 

 D. bmcii presents some diflFerences from specimens killed in 

 Damaraland, the markings on the breast and underparts being 

 bolder and more elongated ; it may be called a local race, if not 

 elevated into a species. In the latter case, I would suggest for 

 it the name of D. striatus, as pointing out the striated character 

 of its distinctive marking. 



Among Raptorial birds Dr. Exton was fortunate enough to 

 obtain a very fine male of Erythropus amurensis in the Matabili 

 country, and a beautiful example of Aquila desmwsi, Hartl., in 

 the stage of plumage represented by the left-hand figure in 

 plate 77 of the ' Transactions of the Zoological Society,' vol. iv. 



This beautiful and rare Eagle was obtained at Kuruman, thus 

 coming within my South-African limits ; and I record its addition 

 to our fauna with sincere satisfaction. 



Taking advantage of the presence in London of the veteran 

 South- African naturalist M. J. Verreaux, of Mr. J. H. Gurney, 

 whose experience in South-east and South-west African forms, 

 consequent on his study of the collections of Mr. Ayres and the 

 late Mr. J.C.Anderson has been very great, and of the Rev. Canon 

 Tristram, who, as all readers of 'The Ibis ' well know, has col- 

 lected largely in North Africa, and is well up in Larks and 

 Chats, Mr. R. B. Sharpe and myself have submitted to their 

 united inspection fine series of several obscure and doubtful 

 birds, selected from the extensive and rapidly increasing collec- 

 tion of Mr. Sharpe, supplemented by fresh specimens brought 

 home by myself. The result has been the clearing up of much 

 doubtful synonymy, and the fusing into one of several species 



* Quopopo, the hideous name adopted by Sir A. Smith, is the general 

 Bechuana name for the Woodpeckers — the word meaning literally Wood- 

 pecker. 



q2 



