02 Captaiu G. E. Shelley's Three Months 



a prominent stone, whence it soon flitted on to another emi- 

 nenee, preferring rock to bush for its perch. Amongst the 

 herbage on the top of the mountain I disturbed Sphenoeacus 

 africanm, which quickly took shelter in another thick tuft of 

 grass, when it gradually crept down the stalks and disap- 

 peared, giving me some trouble in again pursuading it to show 

 itself. Having deposited some specimens to get cool in the 

 shade of a large rock, I had wandered a few hundred yards 

 off", when I was recalled by the hoarse croak of Corvultur al- 

 bicollis, which was so intently examining these specimens that 

 it allowed me to get within range, though", as a rule, I have 

 found it a very wary bird. On descending the mountain I 

 enjoyed the luxury of a bath in a shallow stream in company 

 with a pair of my old friends Ceryle rudis, who were con- 

 stantly hovering over the water or plunging into it after small 

 fish. 



The following day I got to Wellington, where I met with 

 a good number of (Ena capejisis, Colius striatus, Pycnonotus 

 capensis, Passei' arcuatus, P. diffusus, and Vidua principalis. 

 Amongst the reeds by the river I obtained a specimen of 

 Laniarius gutturalis, without any signs of a black collar, in 

 which plumage it appears so difierent that at the time I did 

 not recognize the species. 



The trip over "Baines's Kloof is through some of the 

 finest wild mountain scenery in South Africa. The road, on 

 descending towards Darling bridge, runs along the steep sides 

 of a deep ravine, through which the soft green banks of a 

 rippling brook strongly contrast with the harsh outline of the 

 flat-topped mountains which confine the view. Of the hand- 

 some speckled Rock-Pigeon {Stictcenas phteonotus) we saw 

 numbers, both feeding on the road, or dashing out from the 

 overhanging rocks. 



At Darling bridge we left the mountain-gorge for a wide 

 elevated plain, a common feature in this part of the country ; 

 here we met with several specimens of Francolinus capetisis 

 (the " Pheasant " of the colonists) . On first coming upon a 

 small covey of five upon the ground amongst the low bush, their 

 resemblance to Guineafowl was very striking, as, with necks 



