72 Mr. E. L. Layard on South- African Ornithology. 



near L^Agulhas ; they inhabited a dry vley, their colour resem- 

 bling exactly that of the dead grass and rushes. 



74. Cypselus gutturalis. I saw the first specimen of 

 this Swift on the 28th of August, this year; at the same time 

 also, I saw Hirundo capensis, and two days later H. rustica. 

 My son, at Swellendam, two hundred miles off, gives about the 

 same dates, and adds H. dimidiata. He also says that " Atti- 

 cora holomelas arrived on the 5th September, Hirundo rufifrons 

 (the old pair that breed here) on the 6th, and H. capensis on 

 the 8th/' 



94. CoTYLE PALUSTRis remained in sheltered places all the 

 past winter, which was a mild one. 



109. Ceryle maxima*. Mr. Atniore writes : — " I once found 

 one of these birds with his bill shattered, evidently against a 

 stone while striking his prey in too shallow water." 



117. Mekops hirundinaceus. Mr. Ortlepp thinks this 

 species does not migrate like its congener M. apiaster'. He has 

 found it in midwinter (June), hawking over the Orange River. 



196. Saxicola albiscapulata, and 197. S. rufiventer. 

 I have come to the conclusion that these are but male and female 

 of the same species, and the origin of Le Vaillant^s figures (Ois. 

 d'Afr. iv. pi. 188) of " Le Traquet a queue stride''^ and " Le 

 Traquet h cul roux," of which he has wrongly numbered the 

 letter-press. He probably saw, but did not obtain, specimens ; 

 but afterwards becoming acquainted with the Indian species, 

 and recognizing the general likeness, described that bird. 



199. Saxicola sperata. Mr. Atmore writes that "at Oli- 

 phants River a pair made a nest on a hair-broom in a bed-room, 

 and brought off their young," — a fact rather confirmatory of 

 the supposition that this is Le Vaillant's " Traquet familier." 



209. Parus cinereus. Of this Mr. Atmore writes, " common 

 at Swellendam in the mimosa-thickets : breeds in hollow 

 trees. I have seen twelve eggs in a nest which must certainly 

 have required all the fur off a hare to make it ! " 



* [An rectiiiy C. guttata (Bodd.) ?— Ed.] 



