Mr. T. Ayres on the Ornitholoi/ij of Transvaal. 347 



FuLicA cRisTATA, Gmel. Red-knobbed Coot. 



The knob of the male bird during life is of the most lovely 

 and brilliant crimson, and was particularly striking in one 

 shot in April. 



CuRsoRius RUFUSj Gould. Burchell's Courser. 



I think this species has increased in numbers ; it appears 

 plentifully in June and July, breeding in August and Seji- 

 tember. 



• 374. HiMANTOPUs CANDiDUs, Bonu. Black-winged Stilt. 



Female, shot 28th July, 1883. Iris crimson; bill black; 

 tarsi and feet bright rose-red ; wings greenish black, with a 

 metallic lustre; scapulars and tertials dusky brown; tail 

 pale brownish grey ; the rest of the plumage white, with a 

 slight grey tinge on the head below and behind the eye, and 

 some little mingling of a similar tinge (but very slight) on 

 the back of the head and neck. 



This specimen was shot by my brother on a marsh about 

 nine miles from Potchefstroom ; it was a solitary bird, and 

 had been feeding on small freshwater snails, which formed 

 the contents of the stomach. 



The Stilt is one of our rarest visitors, and I never 

 succeeded in shooting one, though occasionally, years ago, 

 I used to see a couple on a swamp a few miles from 

 Potchefstroom. 



[In the present specimen the brown colouring of the 

 scapulars and tertials, coupled with the worn appearance 

 of that portion only of the plumage, affords, as it seems to 

 me, a strong indication of immaturity, leading to the infer- 

 ence that the nearly pure white head and neck are not, as 

 some ornithologists have supposed, exclusively characteristic 

 of very old individuals. — J. H. G.] 



Gallinago nigripennis, Bon. Black-quilled Snipe. 



While Snipe-shooting on 25th May, 1884, my pointer 

 stood like a rock at something, and for some little time I 

 could not make out what it was ; but looking carefully 

 amongst the grass I found a wee Snipe, not long hatched, a 

 pretty little fellow with a bill about | of an inch long, and 



