34 ( >niU]iul('(j'ii-al Xotc.f from JWital. 



Lower Tugela, known as Bond's Drift, on the 23rJ October 

 last, and after carefully observing them I was surprised to 

 find one had nested about 20 feet from the ground in the 

 nest-hole of a Black-collared Barbet {Lyhhis torqiiatns), and 

 that the old birds were feeding their young on locusts. 



I closely watched them for some considerable time catching 

 the locusts in the air ; after battering them about on the 

 branches until life was apparently extinct, they then flew 

 to the entrance of the nest, when the young Ijirds at once 

 ap])eared and greedily devoured the captures. 



On the following day I came across another nest, which 

 Avas also in the hole of a Barbet about the samo distance 

 from the ground ; this also contained young. 



Although there were suitable banks in the vicinity fre- 

 quented by numbers of other Kingfishers, it seems strange 

 that these birds selected the trees, and as Mr. Sclater mentions 

 that this habit was observed by Bohm in German East Africa, 

 it may be a peculiarity of this peculiar species ; it will be 

 interesting to learn if they likewise build in banks, as is 

 customary with other Kingfishers. 



3. Barbatula pusilla. (Tinker Bird.) 



Like the Barbets, this Tinker Bird makes a small round 

 hole in the dead bough of a tree when nesting, but usually 

 inside the forest about 10 feet from the ground. They lay 

 two pure white eggs, elongated ovals, | x ^^ inch. 



Their nesting-season is during the latter part of October 

 and early in November. 



4. Iynx kuficollis. (South African Wryneck.) 



I have found a number of these birds nesting, all of which 

 were either in Barbets' or Woodpeckers' holes. The last 

 taken by me was on the 28th August, and contained four 

 fresh white eggs. The bird had its head out of the hole, but 

 noticing my approach quickly drew in. I climbed the tree 

 with the assistance of a ladder, and, clinging to the bough 

 about 25 feet from the ground, endeavoured to frighten the 

 bird out of the nest by knocking the tree, but it refused to 

 be drawn, and I had to chop out the entrancCj exi)Osing the 



