Ornitholof/i/ of Modderfontein, Transvaal. 53 



108. Halcyon orientalis. (Peters' Kingfisher.) 



I saw a solitary specimen of this bird two years ago 

 whilst fishing on one of the local dams. I had no gmi with 

 me at the time, but noted down a careful description, and I 

 think the identification quite satisfactory. Its large size, 

 which far exceeds that of any other South African Kingfisher 

 except Ceryle maxima, is alone sufficiently distinctive. 



109. CoLius ERYTHROMELON. (Red-faced Mouse-bird.) 

 A common resident and our greatest fruit thief. Owincr 



to the attentions of these birds our apricot crop was a very 

 poor one last season. They are particularly partial to this 

 fruit and to figs. Mr. Sclater in his ' Fauna of S. Africa : 

 Birds,' vol. iii., gives no description of juvenile plumage, and 

 I therefore append some details of an immature male shot 

 on the 23rd March, 1905. This specimen was flying in 

 company with a flock of old birds. Length 9^'g in. ; wino- 

 3^ in. Bill : tip horn-colour, remainder yellowish-green 

 merging into a slatish tinge at the base and edges ; yellowish- 

 green naked skin round eye ; iris dusky grey ; legs and feet 

 magenta ; claws black. The under surface of the body is 

 paler than that of the adult. 



110. Iynx ruficollis. (South African Wryneck.) 

 Scarce: adult specimens obtained in 1902 and 1.4.05. 



Iris light yellowish brown; bill horn-colour; feet and leo-s 

 greenish slate. Length 7| in. ; wing of in. This bird is 

 apparently a resident, as I have seen it in February, April, 

 and July. Mr. John A. Bucknill shot an adult on the 

 banks of the Crocodile River about twenty miles west of 

 Pretoria on December 26th, 1902. 



111. Lybius torquatus. (Black-collared Barbet.) 

 Resident and breeding, though scarce. 



112. Trichol^ma leucomelas. (Pied Barbet.) 

 Common resident. 



113. CoccYSTES hypopinarius. (Black-and-Grey Cuckoo.) 

 This bird is only an occasional visitor to Modderfontein, 



although I found it fairly conmion in February on Vast- 



