46 Dr. E. Symonds on the 



entrance at one side. When I thought they must have laid 

 all their eggs I cut the branch in the hedge and brought the 

 nest into the dining-room, intending to catch the old birds in 

 the morning ; but my wife, on looking at the eggs early the 

 next day, found one of them chipped : so we replaced the 

 nest, and were very pleased to see the old birds take to it 

 again. Eventually they raised the brood of four, and we 

 always watched their comings and goings in the afternoon. 

 They would fly so close to us that we could see the food 

 in their beaks — generally small green caterpillars of, I 

 suppose, the common cabbage white butterfly. They became 

 very tame and did not mind any of us. When the young 

 began to leave the nest there was a great commotion : the 

 old birds called and twitted incessantly, especially to one 

 weak one, which got on the ground and could not rise again ; 

 so we picked it up and put it in the nest, being afraid of the 

 cats. The others all slept happily in the hedge that night, 

 and the next morning took their departure, including the 

 Aveakly one. This year they are building again, but I have 

 not yet found the nest. 



681. Gallinula chloropus. (Moor Hen.) 



Very common in all the pans in this district, and very 



tame. It is rarely shot, as its edible qualities are not of the 



best unless skinned. 



683. PoRPHYRio MADAGASCARiENSis. (King Reed-hen.) 

 This beautiful bird — the " Konig Reit-haan '' of the Boers — 

 is common in wet seasons. One year they were in this district 

 in large numbers ; there had been heavy rains, and I put up 

 many of them in a large vlei while walking-up snipe. The 

 water was shallow and the grass very long. They do not 

 rise unless one is almost over them. Their flight is heavy ; 

 but they must be able to fly long distances, as they disappear 

 in dry seasons. 



687. BuGERANUS CARUNCULATUS. (Wattled Crane.) 

 Some years ago I knew of a pair of these birds on a large 

 pan (" Trutersdal ^^) in this district, and they nested on 'a 



