32 J^99^ of certain South African Birds. 



In this Jonrnul (October 1908, p. 98) Mr. Bucknill de- 

 scribed an egg believed to be of this species ttaken by Mr. C 

 Wilde in Matabeleland, and now in the Transvaal Mtisenm ; 

 but the colouring does not at all agree vith that of the egg 

 now figured, and Mr. Wilde probably made a mistake in 

 identification. Luckily Mr. Butler's egg was available for 

 comparison and was plated instead of Mr. Wikle's, thus 

 avoiding any possibility of error. The egg of this species 

 has not previously been figured. 



The ground-colour is a uniform very light blue. 



The surface is densely and finely pitted and dull : shape 

 oval. 



Size : 4:2-5x 35'5 mm. 



Rhinopomastus cyanomelas (Vieill.). Scimitar^billed 

 Hoopoe. (PI. II. fig. 10.) 



The egg figured is one of a clutch of four taken on the 

 22nd October, 1904, at Potchefstroom, Transvaal, by Mr. 

 Austin Roberts. They are now in the collection of the 

 Transvaal Museum, Pretoria. The egg of this species does 

 not appear to have been figured hitherto. 



The egg is of a uniform bluish green. Surface smooth 

 and glossy : shape an elongated oval. 



Sizes :' 21-0 X 15-8 ; 23'9 x 15-9 ; 23*9 X 15-9; 23-0 x 

 16*0 mm. 



StEphakibyx melanopterus (Cretzschm.). (PL II. 

 fig. 11.) 



The discovery of the eggs of this species was made in 1906 

 by Mr. Clamle Taylor, and a description of the nesting-habits 

 of the bird and of some clutches of its eggs was given by 

 Mr. Taylor and Mr. Bucknill in this Journal (vol. iii. 1907, 

 p. 40). 



The eggs were all taken in early September 1906 at 

 Indhlovodwaiitie, Amsterdam District, Transvaal. Mr. Taylor 

 presented clutches to the Transvaal Museum, Pretoria, the 

 (\mbridge Natural History Museum, and the South Ken- 

 sington Natural History Museum, the egg figured being one 



