Mr. E. L. Layard on South- African Ornithology . 369 



the whole surface. Altogether it is one of the richest-looking 

 eggs I know; axis 9"', diam. 6'". 



277. TcHiTREA CYANOMELAS. Another of my son's prizes 

 that escaped Le Vaillant is the nest of this very local Flycatcher. 

 He has sent several specimens of the bird, both male and 

 female, from Grootevadersbosch, and one nest with two eggs. 

 The former is cup-shaped, covered with moss and lichens, and 

 was placed in a " wait-a-bit " bush about breast-high, close to 

 that of the precedmg. The eggs, of a pale cream-coloured 

 ground, are profusely spotted and blotched in a band near the 

 thick end with red, brown and purple ; axis 8'", diam. 6"'. They 

 much resemble those of the preceding (No. 273), but are not 

 nearly so rich-looking. 



301. DiCRURUs Musicus. In addition to the eggs previously 

 described in 'The Ibis' (1868, p. 246), my son has sent several 

 more specimens, some of which exhibit a singular variation. 

 Had he not on each occasion seen the parent bird on the nest, 

 I should have doubted the correctness of his identification ; but 

 there cannot be any mistake, and his capture confirms another 

 single egg, which was given me some years ago, as the egg of 

 this species ; but as it diifered so much from those figured by 

 Le Vaillant, and the donor was not an experienced collector, I 

 doubted it. They are a deep rich pink (nearly salmon-colour), 

 marked throughout with darker (browner-pink) spots, inter- 

 spersed with purple, chiefly in the form of a ring at the thick 

 end. The markings are larger and coarser than in the pale 

 variety. 



The nest is lightly made, but not so light and transparent as 

 that figured by Le Vaillant (pi. 168). 



347. BuPHAGA AFRiCANA. This species seems common in the 

 Matabili country, whence Dr. Exton has sent several specimens. 

 He describes the irides of the male as deep orange-red, while 

 those of the female are orange-yellow. 



359. Hyphantornis capitalis. Messrs. Henry Jackson, of 

 NclsPoort, Sidney Jackson, of Brakfontein,Ortlepp, of Colesberg, 

 and Cotze, of Berg River, have each of them sent/zwre white eggs 



