THE JOURNAL 



OF THE 



SOOTH AFRICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' ONION, 



Vol. IV. APRIL 1908. No. 1. 



I. — Some Remarks on the Protective Resemblance of SovfJi 

 African Birds. By Alwin Haagner, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 



(Plates I. & II.) 



In this article it is my intention to give a short general 

 sketch of this subject, dealing chiefly with those families 

 with which I have had some field experience, supplemented 

 by a few of the more striking instances in detail. 



It is greatly to be regretted that hitherto local ornitho- 

 logists have paid so little attention to this interesting branch 

 of research, and it is sincerely hoped that the contents of 

 this paper may stimulate their activity towards further 

 observations. 



Order Passeres. 

 Family Ploceid^. 



At first sight one would be inclined to think that there 

 was very little protective resemblance in this family, con- 

 taining, as it does, some of the most gorgeously plumaged 

 of South African birds ; but this is, perhaps, the most 

 interesting part of it. It is a very noteworthy fact that 

 with the majority of the smalh^r and defenceless species 

 the female is almost always a most inconspicuous object, with 



VOL. IV. 1 



