118 Occasional jXotes. 



River Colony, where he devoted his leisure to the practice o£ 

 aviculture. On his recent return to England he brought with 

 him about 100 birds, all rare, and some imported for the first 

 time. Of these a few passed into the hands of other avi- 

 culturists, who were glad to secure such prizes ; the rest, 

 representing 21 species, in 19 genera, he presented to the 

 Zoological Society. The Waxbills, Finches, Buntings, and 

 Weaver Birds, which form the bulk of the collection, will 

 appeal strongly to all interested in aviculture, as several have 

 not been exhibited before. There are the Black-faced Wax- 

 bill (Estrilda eri/thronota), of which Capt. Horsbrugh sent 

 home a skin last year ; the Ruddy Waxbill (Lagonosticta 

 hrunneiceps), the Queen Widah Bird ( Vidua o^egia), the Taha 

 Weaver (^Pyromelana to/«a),the Cape Robin (Cossj/pJia ca^ra), 

 the Pale White-eye (Zosterops pallida), and the Golden- 

 crested Bunting (Emberiza flaviventris). In the collection 

 are also three Pied Barbets (Ttichokcma lettcomelas), with 

 black and yellow plumage, crimson forehead, and the feathers 

 of the breast hairy, whence comes the generic name ; a 

 Bacbakiri Shrike (^Laniarius gutturalis), a bush-haunting bird 

 of green plumage, recognized principally in its native haunts 

 by its loud call, for it is seldom seen, owing to its protective 

 plumage ; a Tit-Babbler {Parisoma subcceruleum), a little 

 ash-coloured bird with a long fantail edged with white ; a 

 Double-banded Courser (Rldnoptilus bicinctiis), differing from 

 the northern species in being brown, with dark markings 

 above, and having two black bands on the chest ; and a 

 Lesser Red-shouldered Glossy Starling (Lamprocolius phceni- 

 copterus), with bluish-green metallic plumage and a red 

 shoulder-spot. Two Red-cheeked Mouse-Birds (Colius ery- 

 thromelon) and four Guinea-Fowls — two examples of two 

 species {Guttera edouardi and Numida coronatd) — are welcome 

 additions, as few individuals have previously been exhibited." 

 Capt. Horsbrugh is now stationed at Potchefstroom, 

 Transvaal. 



(5) The expedition planned by Dr. Turner during the 

 winter months of last year was a great success. A short 



