192 Mr. F. A. Barratt's Nates on the Birds 



dariiis) in November 1874. A short distance from this I 

 found some Francolins {F. afer) near the foot of the moun- 

 tains, and from the long grass my dog started a few Quail. 



Proceeding towards Sandy's River, leaving Wynberg a few 

 miles to the right, we met with many water-birds, such as 

 Wild Geese, Duck, Coots, Moorhens, and Grebes, started 

 out of the vleys and ditches, whilst in the long waving grass 

 the cackling noise of the " Scolding Cock " {Eupodotis afra) 

 often startled us as it flew up suddenly from under our feet, 

 the more wary E. scolopacea only allowing us to approach it 

 in circles. Ten miles or so to the north of Sandy's River 

 the route lay through a lonely glen threaded by a sparkling 

 stream, in which could be detected large fish of all shades 

 of colour, rolling over in the deepest pools : here it was that 

 I first saw the Night- Heron and the Great African King- 

 fisher, the latter falling to my gun. This glen is a fa- 

 vourite collecting- ground of mine; and I have at different 

 times procured Guinea-fowl, Golden Cuckoos, many species 

 of Hawks (notably Melierax niger), and the Spotted Eagle- 

 Owl [Bubo maculosus). I also found Euplectes capensis and 

 E. oryx breeding in considerable numbers in the reeds on an 

 adjoining farm, where also many of the smaller Warblers 

 were abundant. A few miles further on some mountains are 

 reached; and here, hopping about among the stones, were 

 Thrushes and Stonechats. The mountainous country is fol- 

 lowed by a large flat, varied by a few slight undulations, after 

 which the village of Kronstadt is reached. About ten miles 

 from this I saw for the first time the Crowned Crane {Ba- 

 learica regulorum) in a wild state; nor have I ever observed 

 them south of this point. On a " spruit " about twenty miles 

 distant, I came across some Spoonbills and sundry Herons 

 {Ardea cinerea), which I afterwards found were in the habit 

 of building in a willow tree from year to year. Hence onward 

 to Rhinoster Kop, where formerly wild dogs abounded, and 

 where the cry of the Jackal is frequently heard : many Shrikes 

 and Doves formed the conspicuous ornithological feature of 

 this place ; but perhaps the non-observance of other species 

 was due to my short stay there. We now come to another 

 flat, much the same style of country as the others, where 



