Birds from South-eastern Africa. 353 



Not very common about the Umvuli. We found them 

 feeding amongst the blossoms of the '' Sausage tree." 

 [New to the eastern division of South Africa. — G. E. S.] 



147. Hyphantornis mariquensis (Smith). 



(109) Inshlangeen river, 4th November; Bootlanami Pan, 

 30th December ; and Makara river, 22nd January. 



Not uncommon about the Inshlangeen. Mr. Jameson 

 found them breeding at Palatswie Pan in December ; and sub- 

 sequently I found nests with eggs on the banks of the Ma- 

 kara, a tributary of the Moloppo river, where their neatly 

 constructed nests were hanging on the bushes fringing the 

 stream. 



148. Sharpia ayresi, sp. n. (Plate VII. fig. 2.) 



(125) ^ , Tatin river, 10th December. Iris dark brown; 

 bill bright dark gamboge-yellow; tarsi and feet light ash- 

 colour. Total length in the flesh 6 inches. 



This is by no means a common bird. We found it breed- 

 ing at the Tatin ; it makes a rough retort-shaped nest, which 

 it hangs, mouth downwards, from the outer twigs of rather 

 tall trees. Sometimes a new nest is hung on the tube of the 

 last year's structure. 



Mr. Jameson found a nest to the north of the Umvuli in 

 October, with two blue eggs in it ; and at the Tatin we 

 pulled down one of the double nests, and Mr. Jameson_, on 

 trying to put his hand up the tube, very nearly got bitten by 

 a snake, which was lying in the nest and had swallowed the 

 old bird as well as her blue eggs. It is evident therefore 

 that nests of this shape do not always keep out snakes. 



lAdult male. Head, neck, and front of the chest yellow, 

 or rather strongly Avashed with yellow, the ground-colour of 

 the crown and back of the neck being ashy, and of the throat, 

 ear-coverts, and chest white ; the forehead is margined with 

 blackish brown, gradually shading into yellow, this dark stripe 

 extending backwards to above the centre of the eye; back 

 uniform ashy brown, with the mantle slightly washed with 

 yellow ; wings and tail brown, the vring-coverts and inner 

 secondaries edged with buflfish yellow, the remainder of the 



