Nesting- Ilahlts ^c. of South African Birds. 



II. — Supplementary Notes on the Nesting- Habits and Eggs of 

 certain South African Birds described in Stark and Sclater's 

 ^ South African Fauna' (Birds, vols, i., ii., & iii.). ^Y 

 EiCHARD Sparrow, M.B.O.U., Major 7th Draf^oon Guards. 

 (Communicated to and prepared for publication by Mr. A. 

 Haagner ; with some Notes by the latter.) 



(Plates I. & II.) 



1. Corvultur albicollis. (White-necked Raven.) 



The clutch is usually five, not three eggs. In the O.R.O. 

 and Natal I have found that it lays in August. 



2. BuPHAGA erythrorhyncha. (Red-billed Oxpecker.) 

 This species also nests in stone walls, and the eggs are of a 



white ground covered with dark pink spots and blotches. It 

 nests from November to January. 



3. Lamprocolius ph(enicopterus bispecularis. (Lesser 

 Red-shouldered Glossy Starling.) 



Nests in November. The clutch is only three eggs. 



4. Lamprocolius melanogaster. (Black-bellied Glossy 

 Starling.) 



This bird nests on the coast of Natal in the early part of 

 November, and lays three pale blue-green unspotted eggs. 



5. Hyphantornis subaureus. (Yellow Weaver Bird.) 

 The eggs of this species vary as much as those of H. spllo- 



notus, and pure white, pure blue, and white and blue spotted 

 eggs are equally common. • 



[This is also my experience. — A. Haagner.] 



6. Sitagra ocularia. (Smithes Weaver Bird.) 



I have found that eggs pale blue with dark spots are as 

 common as the white eggs spotted with red. 



7. Sycobrotus bicolor. (Black-backed Weaver Bird.) 

 In Natal this species lays in November, and frequently 



deposits four eggs. 



