212 Mr. F. A. Barratt's Notes on the Birds 



them near Bloemfontciiij and I have observed them a few 

 miles south of Pretoria. 



105. Glareola melanoptera. 



I have sccu quantities of these birds among a flight of 

 locustSj darting about and destroying thousands of them in a 

 very short time. Have shot them near Pretoria, Transvaal, 

 in 1874, also in March 1875. 



106. CURSORIUS BICINCTUS. 



I first found this little bird running rapidly along between 

 the herbage growing on the flats near Sandy River, Orange 

 Free State. I have often watched the waggon-drivers run 

 after them with their whips ; and the birds would run a long 

 way before flying, and then only for a few yards. I have seen 

 them further north, but do not remember having seen them 

 close to the Lydenburg Gold-fields. 



107. HOPLOPTERUS armatus. 



In great abundance about Potchefstroom ; and their con- 

 tinual clicking makes more noise than all the other birds to- 

 gether. I met with them in suitable places close to Lyden- 

 burg and in the greater part of my journey from Bloem- 

 fontein to the Gold-fields. I found them also on my trip to 

 Rustenberg. 



108. Gallinago ^quatorialis. 



This Snipe is distributed through the greater part of the 

 Transvaal; and they breed in considerable quantities in the 

 swamp below Potchefstroom. In the winter months (May, 

 June, and July) they appear in great numbers and are shot 

 for forwarding to the Diamond-fields, where they command a 

 fair price. 



109. RHYNCHiEA CAPENSIS. 



This beautiful Snipe does not frequent the marshy ground 

 about Potchefstroom in such great numbers as the last ; as 

 I have never known more than five or six to have been seen 

 in a month or so. That is about the same place where one 

 can see thousands of G. aquatorialis, which breed there ; but 

 I have never found the eggs of Rhynchaea. 



