293 Mr. Ayres on Birds of 



allowed to stick out fancifully, which gives the nest an odd 

 appearance as if expressly ornamented ; the inside of the cup is 

 very neatly lined with fine grass and horsehair. All nests are 

 not as large as the one described ; but all partake more or less 

 of the same character. They are built generally amongst the 

 fig-tree hedges common in the town of Potchefstroom. When 

 insects are scarce the birds feed readily on the ripe figs, here 

 very abundant in the autumn months. The eggs are generally 

 two or three in number. It seems to me that the birds add to 

 their old nest each season, which will account for the structure 

 being so extremely large. 



[This Reed-Warbler is the same as that which I have before 

 mentioned (Ibis, 1865, p. 266, and 1868, p. 157) as a variety of 

 the British species, C. strepera, from which it in fact only differs 

 in the comparative length of the first and second primaries — the 

 first being from '1875 to '25 in. shorter than the second, whilst 

 in the English bird it is only about "0625 in, shorter. This 

 difference, though slight, appears to be a constant peculiarity of 

 the South-African race, as I have found on a comparison of spe- 

 cimens from Natal, Trans- Vaal, Damara Land, and Colesberg. 

 — J.H.G.] 



20. (L. 215.) ZosTEROPs capensis (Linn.). Cape Zosterops, 

 Occasionally seen in small companies, actively hopping and 



climbing about the hedges and trees during the winter months. 



21. (L. 219.) MoTACiLLA CAPENSIS, Linn. Cape Wagtail. 

 The nest is coarsely built of rough grass and rather thickly 



lined with short hair; it is cup-shaped and generally placed in 

 some crevice of a wall, or in a bank, or amongst the crannies of 

 a rock, and frequently within a foot or two of some water. It 

 may also often be found under the eaves of a building, or in a 

 hole in the thatch. The eggs are generally four in number. 



22. (L. 240.) TuRDUS olivaceus, Cuv. Olivaceous Thrush. 

 These Thrushes are common in Potchefstroom all the year 



round, but are silent and retiring in their habits, frequenting 

 thickets and dense hedgerows, and occasionally uttering alow 

 short chuck, very similar in sound to that of the Redwing of 

 Europe. 



