coUeded at Blaamchercf, N. Tranacanl. 17 



Si/h'ia 7iisoria, recorded from S. Africa for tlie first time 

 in tlie 'Annals of the Tnins^vaal Museum,' July 1911, 1 found 

 warbling and singing in hundreds at all times of the day ; 

 hut securing specimens was not so easy as one would havo 

 expected considering their numbers, as they took refuge in 

 the densest foliaged trees, singing for a time, and sometimes 

 hopping about, but not showing themselves, and I had to 

 wait long and patiently before I could get a shot at them. 

 After a few days' experience of them, I learnt that they were 

 tamest and most easily secured during the early mornings, 

 and I was then able to secure quite a number of specimens. 

 Only one of these proved to be a hen, the rest being either 

 adult or young cocks. I think it is not at all unlikely that 

 these interesting migrants make this [)lace a regular winter 

 resort, as, so far as I am aware, no collectors have visited it 

 before. All the specimens secured were in good winter 

 plumage and fat, and the profusion of insect life attracted Ijy 

 the wild fruit, the wild fiuit itself, and the altitude of the 

 region seemed to suit them. I am also curious to know if 

 all individuals migrate to Europe, as I do not think that the 

 climate of Blaauwberg in winter would be too severe for 

 them, and also when they migrate northwards. 



I also secured three specimens of the Icterine Warbler 

 (^Hypolais h/jpolais) and two (rarden -Warblers (S/jIria 

 simplex), the only ones I saw ; but they may have been 

 more plentiful tli;;n a]»peared to be the case, as they kept 

 very much to the dense foliage, where it was impossible to 

 distinguish one species from another. The song of these 

 three species seemed to me to be very similar. I did not see 

 any S//lria s//Ivi((, a female specimen of which, collected by 

 me at Wunderboom, Pretoria, on April Nth, 1911, was 

 exhibited at the Annual Meeting of the S. A.O.U., 191 1, and 

 I do not think that it is found at Blaauwberg. While on 

 the subject of this species I may as well record what I noted 

 of it at the time : I was walking through a lucerne-field and 

 flushed two of th<'m, both taking refuge in a thick (juince- 

 hedgo. One I badly wounded and it struggled awav through 

 the hedge, but not knowing that it was one of these rare 



VOL. VIII. 2 



