60 Captain G. E. Shelley's Three Months 



tain/' overhanging the town^ contrasts strongly with the jagged 

 outline of the range extending to the south, the peaks of which 

 are known as the twelve Apostles. To the west of the town the 

 lower hills are called the " Lion/' from their fancied resem- 

 blance to that beast in a crouching position ; the head, point- 

 ing to the south, is formed of a barren mass of rock, while on its 

 other extremity is the signal-station. On the eastern slope of 

 Table Mountain is situated the town of Wynberg ; and the 

 vineyards of Constantia and many other pretty little villages 

 lie embedded in the pine-forests which clothe the base of this 

 remarkable mountain, wliile beyond the villages to the north- 

 east the country opens out into a wide plain, only covered 

 with stunted bush backed up in the distance by mountain- 

 ranges. Having glanced at the nature of the country, I pro- 

 ceeded with my gun to make my first personal observations 

 upon the avifauna of South Africa. What first struck me 

 was the absence of bird- and insect-life ; nor did a six weeks' 

 knowledge of Cape Colony, from Cape Town to Worcester, 

 alter my impressions, though sea- fowl are very abundant. 

 At Cape Town the commonest land-birds are Laniarius gut- 

 turalis, Lanius collaris, Drymosca maculosa, Zoslerops ca- 

 pensis, Cossypha caffra, and Turtur albiventris (frequenting 

 the fir-woods and bushes), Saxicola familiaris on the more 

 barren open ground, Promerops caffer, Nectarinia famosa, N. 

 chalybea, and N. afra around the flowering aloes ; and on the 

 more marshy land, especially towards Salt River, Motacilla 

 capensis and Calidris arenaria were very common. By the 

 20th every thing was arranged for a trip to the Kuysna in a 

 waggon drawn by eight horses, when one of my friends, Mr. 

 Elliot, was taken suddenly ill ; but thinking that a few days' 

 rest would restore him to health, I started alone for Wel- 

 lington, where three days later I heard of his death ; thus my 

 pleasure-tour received at its outset the severest of blows, the 

 loss of a friend, and I gave up all thoughts of the Knysna. 



During my tour in the colony, between Stellcnbosch and 

 the Paarl, I " outspanned " near a small pond, where flocks of 

 jEgialitis tricuUuris and Trinya minuta were very abundant ; 

 and amongst the neighbouring stunted bush there was a good 



