in the Lydenburg District of Transvaal. 433 



42. CucuLus soLiTARius, Stepli. Red-chested Cuckoo. 

 My brother shot this bird on January 24 from a tree close 



to where he was digging ; and this was the only individual we 

 saw in that part of the country. It was sitting motionless, 

 and much resembled a small Hawk. 



Male. Iris dark hazel ; bill black, yellowish at the gape ; 

 eyelids, tarsi, and feet yellow. 



43. Pertstera larvata (Temm.). White-masked Dove. 

 These Doves are pretty common in the dense bush and 



underwood of the kloofs ; but more than two are seldom found 

 together. They utter a low melancholy note, and are not very 

 easy to slioot, as they are generally on the ground, and on 

 the approach of any one are up in a great bustle and are im- 

 mediately lost to sight. 



44. CuRSORius sENEGALENSis (Licht.) . Senegal Courser. 

 Scarce in this part of the country. My brother and I came 



across a pair on July 24, and shot the bird now sent. 



Female. Iris dusky; bill dusky, but pale on the under 

 mandible ; shanks, tarsi, and feet white. 



Besides the above-mentioned birds, I am certain of the 

 following as found in the Gold-fields district: — Oriolus larvatus 

 {=■ capensis) , Batis capensis {=pristinaria) , Tchitrea viridis 

 [:=cristata of Layard), Tchitrea cyanomelas, Corvultur albi- 

 collis, Amydrus morio, Vidua ardens, Pyrenestes albifrons, 

 Estrelda astrihl, Columba arquatrix, Francolinus levaillanti, 

 Francolinus nudicollis, Coturnix dactylisonans, Gallinago ma- 

 crodactyla { = (equatoriaUs) , and Anas sparsa. 



[Mr. Ayres's previous papers on the birds of Transvaal 

 record 152 species (vide Ibis, 1874, p. 107). The present 

 paper records {inter alia) 40 additional species, making the 

 total number of species observed by Mr. Ayres in Trans- 

 vaal 192.— J. H. G.] 



