Ornithology of the Matopo District. 535 



latter birds I had under observation throughout February 

 and March, and have no doubt they nested in the vicinity. 

 One was invariably to be found perclied on a bare thorn- 

 bush close to a sandy patch, where there were innumerable 

 springhaas' and ant-bears' holes. I think this bird must 

 have been a male watching over his sitting mate, but in 

 spite of very careful searchings and continual watching, the 

 bird refused to give away the site of its nest. It would 

 simply flit lazily about, to and fro, uttering very occasionally 

 a soft " zwit" and returning promptly each time to its perch 

 upon my retreat. The latest date which I have of this 

 migrant's occurrence is April 27, when I noticed a small 

 party, including two or three Hirundo puella, flying in a 

 north-westerly direction at sunset. 



119. Riparia fuligula anderssoni. Damaraland Rock- 

 Martin. 



Ptyonoprogne anderssoni (Sharpe & Wyatt) ; Scl. ii. 

 p. 288. 



Within the hills, common in certain localities and often 

 breeding in large colonies ; also sometimes found in lesser 

 numbers in more or less isolated spots. Only occurring to 

 my knowledge at Matjanyoni and the contiguous kopjes on 

 the surrounding veld. Whether it is a resident with us or 

 not I am unable to say, but in 1912 I met with it from 

 February to August ; after the middle of June, however, their 

 numbers appeared to be greatly diminished. At any rate, 

 there is little doubt that it is subject to considerable local 

 movement. The birds nesting beyond the hills proper {e.g., 

 the colony on La Concord farm) probably leave their exposed 

 nesting localities to winter in the more sheltered valleys 

 within the hills. According to my observations, by far the 

 majority of the birds which nested around Matjanyoni left 

 on or about March 24 ; although for two months after- 

 wards there were a few stragglers there raising belated 

 broods, but my notes from then until August are confined 

 to the hills proper. Eventually, this Rock-Martin will 

 probably prove to be found throughout the year in the 



