Mr. T. Ayres on the Ornithology of Transvaal. 401 



old bird) as in the male ; this does not entirely accord with 

 the description of the female given in the first edition of Mr. 

 Layard's work. — J. H. C] 



Laniarius atrococcineus (Burch.) . Southern Crimson- 

 breasted Shrike. 



Male, Rustenburg, June 2oth. Irides dusky umber ; bill, 

 tarsi, and feet black. 



This handsome Shrike is decidedly a local species : in some 

 parts of the Magaliesbergen it is tolerably plentiful ; but in 

 other parts equally good-looking cover does not hold a speci- 

 men ; in the more northern portions of the district it becomes 

 much more plentiful. According to my experience it is an 

 exceedingly shy bird. 



Prionops talacoma. Smith. Smithes Flycatcher Shrike. 



Male, Eustenburg, July 26th. Irides pale gamboge; eye- 

 lids orange ; bill black ; tarsi and feet orange. 



These birds are sparingly found in small companies through- 

 out the wooded parts of the Rustenburg district. They are 

 extremely wild and difficult to approach after being shot at 

 once or twice. 



Brauyornis silens (Shaw). Silent Flycatcher. 



This species is tolerably plentiful about Rustenburg ; and I 

 may also mention that on the 26th October I took its nest 

 and eggs near Potchefstroom. The nest was in my garden, 

 placed about eight feet from the ground, on the top of a rough 

 post, sheltered by grape-vines. It was cup-shaped and rough 

 in structure, composed of dry grass, rags, and feathers, giving 

 it a generally white appearance, with bits of wool, fluffy grass- 

 seeds, and finer feathers inside. The eggs, three in number, 

 were of a pale tawny or dingy white, faintly but uniformly 

 marked with very pale brown ; they varied slightly in colour 

 and size, measuring respectively \^ of an inch by ^|, |-| by 

 ^|, and Yq t)y ^. Considering the size of the bn-d, the egg 

 is small and delicate ; it somewhat resembles that of Mota- 

 cilla capensis. 



[Mr. Ayres sends five specimens of this Flycatcher : — one an 

 adult male, a second a female just losing the plumage de- 



