()(; Cai.tnin (i. K. Sliclloy's Thrvc Months- 



(juently carries oil' poultry, though its favourite food appears 

 to be rats. In habits it is sluj^jgisb, sitting stationary for a 

 long time on the same bough, only moving its head at inter- 

 vals from side to side, or erecting and depressing its fine crest. 

 When flying, the white on the under surface of the wing is 

 very apparent. Cere and feet yellow ; the irides in an adult 

 specimen 1 shot were brownish yellow; in a less mature bird 

 I killed at Pinetown, the occipital crest was faintly tij)ped Avith 

 buff, and the irides were brown. 



8. Elanus ceruleus (Dcsfout.). Black-shouldered Kite. 

 I occasionally saw single specimens in the more open coun- 

 try about Durban, but did not observe it in Cape colony. 



9. Baza verreauxi (Lafr.). Verrcaux Kite- Falcon. 

 This is the most abundant species of Hawk near Durban, 



where it frequents the thick woods. I was, however, not 

 fortunate enough to obtain a specimen, although I fired at 

 three and knocked one down into the bush. 



10. TiNNUNCULUS RUPicoLus (Daud.). South-African 

 Kestrel. 



I shot one specimen at Pinetown while it was hovering 

 over the grassy jdain, and occasionally saw Kestrels in Cape 

 colony, probably of this species. Its habits appeared iden- 

 tical with those of our common English Kestrel. 



11. Aluco PUNCTATA (Licht.) ■'^. Brown-backed Barn-Owl. 

 I met with one specimen to the east of the Umgeni, which 



rose out of the high grass while I was searching for Quail. 



* [We take this opportunit}' of expressino; our dissent from tlie view 

 propounded by Professor Newton respecting the impropriety of applying 

 tlie term Sfn'x to the liarn-Owl (fStri.r Jlammea) : see Yarrell, JJrit. 13. 

 4th ed. p. 11)4. 



lirissou recognized two genera of Owls, under the names Asio and Strij-. 

 The former of these, being additional to the genera given in the 12th edi- 

 tion of the ' Systema Naturoj,' must be accepted, Asio of us being tlie 

 Brissonian type of the genus. Prof. Newton truly says that S/n'jr aliico 

 is JJrisson's type of the Linnrean genus Sfn'x as restricted. But does 

 the rule Avhich admits the additional Brissonian genera give Brisson 

 any right to define other Linnroan genera? We think not. If not, 

 •Sfri.r. as furtlier re.-'tricted 1)v Saviirnv in IHOO, may still stand for the 



