Ornithological Notes from the Transvaal. 575 



81. Platalea tenuirostris (op. cit. p. 7-i'i). 

 Only once obtained, 



82. Thalassornis leuconota (op. cit. p. 761). 

 Rare. 



83. PoDiCEPs MINOR (op. cit. p. 787). 

 Fairly common. 



II. List of Birds of the Modderfontein District. 



I now give a list of 75 species which I have met with at 

 Modderfontein or in the surrounding district, and add a 

 few remarks. 



1. Gyps kolbi (Sharpe & Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 1). 

 Common. 



2. Serpentarius secretarius (op. cit. p. 8). 

 Scarce. 



3. BUTEO DESERTORUM (op. cit. p. 30). 



Rare. 



4. Elanus c.eruleus (op. cit. p. 52). 

 Common. 



I have found the nest of this bird in mimosa-bushes, 

 blue gums, and firs. The structure is a rough platform of 

 twigs slightly depressed in the centre, and lined with hair, 

 wool, twine, &c. The usual number of eggs is thre3 or 

 four. Le Vaillant gives their colour as white, but I have 

 never found them so ; they are more in accordance with the 

 description given in Sharpe and Layard^s work, and are 

 very similar to those of the South African Kestrel. 



A female shot as she flew from a nest contained an esrar 

 which had a pure white ground blotched with the usual 

 markings. 



5. Cerchneis rupicola (op. cit. p. 62). 

 Fairly common. (See Ibis, 1901, p. 193.) 



6. Cerchneis rupicoloides (op. cit. p. 63). 

 Fairly common. (See Ibis, 1901, pp. 16, 192.) 



