8G Mr. L. E. Taylor— i\^o?c^s from Cape Colony. 



Knysna in January 1908, but I could not hear that it had been 

 seen there before. In Stark and Sclater its western range is 

 given as Port Elizabeth. 



Chrysococcyx smaragdineus. — This Cuckoo, probably the 

 most beautiful of all African birds, is sadly in need of pro- 

 tection at Knysna, where it is persecuted every year from 

 the day it arrives until the day it departs. One man told me 

 that he often killed as many as 60 in a season. Unfortunately 

 it falls an easy prey to anyone who can imitate its call, and 

 there are certain places near Knysna which it regularly fre- 

 quents every year. From all accounts it is certainly a much 

 rarer bird at Knysna than it used to be. Though a migra- 

 tory species, it would appear, from the fact that the same 

 parts of the forest are frequented by them every 3'ear, that 

 some of the birds must return annually. 



Hapaloderma narina. — The same remarks unhappily 

 apply also to the Trogon, but being a resident it stands in even 

 greater danger of being exterminated. The extreme delicacy 

 of its skin may perhaps mitigate this danger, for even a 

 skilled taxidermist will think twice before skinning very 

 many of them. Fortunately, too, for the bird, it only calls 

 during the breeding-season, and unless one hears the call and 

 can answer it there is a very small chance of finding it ; in 

 fact the majority of the inhabitants of Knysna are not aware 

 that it stays there during the winter. 



AcciPiTER MELANOLEUCUS. — I was fortunate enough to 

 obtain three specimens of this rare Sparrow-Hawk at Knysna, 

 all being in immature plumage. Although it is well known at 

 Knysna, I could not find anyone who knew it in the adult 

 black plumage. This bears out the statement made in Stark 

 and Sclater that "the black phase is comparatively rare"; 

 the depredatory habits of the bird were also fully borne out 

 by my informants. 



Strix flammea. — I came across a couple of these Owls in a 

 small cave along the Keurbooms River. The floor of the cave 

 was thickly covered with pellets, many of which I examined 

 on the spot, as well as taking away about 20 for further 



