On Birch from Wakkerstroom. 21 



II. — Notes on a feio Birds from Wakkerstroom. 

 By Austin Roberts. 



Heteronyx ruddi. Rudd^s Luik. 



In Jaiunuy, 1900, I obtained u Lark near Daliiianutlia 

 Station, E. Transvaal, w hich I at once recognized by its song 

 as a species new to me. Three or four of tlieni were hovering 

 high overhead, uttering a series oi:' clear and distinct notes, 

 resembling a person whistling with bubbles in the mouth 

 and then breakino- out into clear whistlin"- notes with vari- 

 ations. When once heard it will not easily be mistaken for 

 any other Lark. I obtained only one specimen there, a 

 female with greatly enlarged ova ; it was not identified, as it 

 was thought to be a young bird, the plumage of the back 

 leading to that conclusion. During September, October, and 

 November, I shot a good many specimens in the vicinity of 

 the village of Wakkerstroom, tracing nearly all of them by 

 their song, uttered at that time of the year from the ground. 

 They all have exactly the same easily distinguished character- 

 istics, viz. : a tail so short and thin as to lead one to suppose 

 them to be another species without a tail, its resemblance in 

 particular to Mirafra ehhuana, its heavy bunch of feathers 

 on the top of the head, the feathers of the eyebrow projecting 

 outwards like horns, and the long hind claw. They frequent 

 the open grass-veld amongst the spurs of the Drakensbcrg 

 range, so far as I know. Two specimens were sent to the 

 Transvaal Museum during the same year, from Rondoland. 



Anthus chloris. Little Yellow-tufted Pipit. 



During September, Octaber, and November — the only 

 months I spent there — I found this Pipit meagrely distri- 

 buted over the grassy valleys, always in pairs ; and the last 

 one I shot was a female, on the 4th October, which would 

 have laid its eggs a day or two later. Subsequent to that 

 date I saw others which, judging by their restlessness, 

 seemed to have nests in the vicinity, but I was not fortunate 

 enough to find any. They very much resemble Anthus 

 rufulus in appearance when their backs are towards one, and 



