THE IBIS. 



THIRD SERIES. 



No. III. JULY 1871. 



XXI. — Additional Notes on Birds of the Territory of the Trans- 

 Vaal Republic. By Thomas Ayres. (Communicated by 

 John Henry Gurney.) 



[Continued from page 157.] 



(Plate IX.) 



107. (L. 371.) Philet^rijs socius (Lath.). Social Gross- 

 beak, 



I first met with this curious bird near the Vaal river, where 

 there were several colonies amongst the large Camel-thorn trees. 

 Their huge nests were very conspicuous at a considerable distance; 

 I first saw them in July, 18G9 (midwinter), when the birds, in 

 flocks of from thirty to forty, were still inhabiting their nests, 

 in which they appear to sleep all the year round, adding to 

 them each summer as the colony increases. I visited a nest 

 early one morning and found it apparently deserted ; but on 

 throwing a stone or two at it, I heard a gentle chattering, and 

 presently out flew a bird, and then another, and another, till the 

 whole family were out. I found them afterwards feeding on the 

 ground at some little distance; on rising they uttered the same 

 chattering note, and continued it during their flight. 



The nests are very irregular structures, varying in size from 

 a wheelbarrowful to a large cart-load of coarse sticks and grass, 

 the mass forming a very thick and weatherproof roof, in the 

 substance of which the separate chambers are formed. The num- 



SER. III. VOL. I. T 



