Lociisl Jiinh i/i the Transvaal. (j|> 



Reiclienow, pp. 670, G71, says that Perissornis cariincv- 

 latus is absolutely dependent on locusts. They appear in 

 large swarms and nest in colonies, in ti-ees or in holes in the 

 sides of dongas ; the voetgangers are their guides ; where 

 they appear in large swarms, Dilophns will build their nests, 

 and should they give out, or be eaten up before the young are 

 reared, the little birds die in numbers. I can only verify 

 this report in so far that anywhere where I saw the Uilopluis, 

 the voetgangers were in abundance. I have heard, however, 

 from Irene, close to Pretoria, that every year some Diloplius 

 breed there — in fact, are resident all the year round. I have 

 seen them at Grootafdeeling, Marico District, where they 

 slept in reeds ; they were seen every afternoon in small 

 flocks in conipany with the Red-wing Spreeuw {Amydriis 

 morio). Along Oberholzer's Kloof, our locust officer caused 

 many swarms of voetgangers to be burnt. This the Dilophis 

 soon found out and fell to eating the half -burnt locusts. A 

 fortnight later when I arrived there it was only necessary to 

 make a little smoke to collect numbers of DUoplws. In this 

 way I got the skins in my possession. At Koekemoer Station, 

 between Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp, I also saw a flight 

 of these birds feeding their young. They came in small 

 flocks, as all the Starlings like to fly, hopped amongst the 

 fast-moving voetgangers, filled their beaks with as much as 

 they could hold, and flew off, a fresh lot taking their place. 

 I watched for about fifteen minutes, and counted about as many 

 different flights of birds, each flight consisting of some fifty 

 in number. I tried to follow them to their nests, but this led 

 me so far off the road into such rough country, that I had to 

 return. Diloplms carunculatus is about the same size as the 

 Starling, greyish brown all over the wings and tail, very dark 

 with a greenish sheen on it. The under part of the abdomen 

 and under tail-coverts is a very pale greyish brown ; around 

 the eyes there is a bare bright yellow patch, on the throat of 

 the males are two black wattles, from which the bird takes 

 its name. These wattles are larger on some specimens, and 

 sometimes there is also another wattle on the top of the head 

 and one on the forehead close to the upper mandible. 



