124 Occasional JS^otcs. 



(7) The following extract from ' Nature,' dated July 26th, 

 1906, may bo of interest : — 



" A beautiful coloured plate (by Mr. H. Gronvold) of 

 hitherto undescribed or unfigured eggs of South African 

 perching-birds forms an attractive feature in the first number 

 of volume ii. of the ' Journal of the South African Ornitho- 

 logists' Union.' The accompanying notes are by Messrs. J. 

 A. Bucknill and G. E. Gronvold. In a paper on Bird- 

 migration in South Africa (originally read at last year's 

 British Association Meeting), Mr. W. L. Sclater directs 

 attention to the occasional breeding of the Bee-eater during its 

 (Northern) winter sojourn at the Cape. The evidence is indis- 

 putable ; but the question as to whether the same individual 

 birds breed in May in the Northern, and again in October in 

 the Southern, hemisphere, has yet to be definitely answered. 

 Possibly there are two phases of the bird — the one a Northern 

 and the other a Southern breeder. Those interested in 

 Parisitism among birds should read an article by Messrs. 

 Haagner and Ivy on the breeding-habits of certain South 

 African Cuckoos of the genus Chri/sococc^x." 



(8) Major R. Spakrow writes : — 



" Ground-scraper Thrush {Tardus litsipsirupa) . 



" In my former notes (vol. i. p. 13) I should have described 

 the eggs as : ' Ground-colour pale blue spotted and blotched 

 all over with reddish brown and with faint purple spots 

 deeply inset in the shell.' The paragraph at present reads 

 rather as if the eggs were unspotted. They resemble the 

 pale variety of the eggs of the English Missel Thrush." 



(9) The onnexed cutting from the London ' Times ' will be 

 of interest to South African ornithologists : — 



" Breeding of Black-footed Penguins. — This South 

 African species (Spheniscus demersus) has for many years 

 been represented in the Zoological Gardens ; but no attempt 

 was made to nest till the stock, then largely increased, was 

 transferred to the sea-lions' })oad. About six weeks ago 



