On the Birds of tJie District of Matatiele. 23 



to obtain good specimens of them, as tlioy arc so cunsfantly 

 moving about on or near the ground in the densest ])arts of 

 the scrub, that though one can follow them by their call- 

 notes — much to the detriment of one's clothes — when one 

 does catch a momentary glimpse of them they are generally 

 so close as to be blown to pieces with the smallest charge of 

 dust-shot ; the plumage is also very loose and comes away 

 in bunches with every pellet that strikes it. It has rather a 

 pretty little song, wdiich it utters at intervals nearly all day 

 long, whilst creeping about. One hen I shot had enlarged 

 ova, and a few days later, 24th Nov., I found a nest with 

 two eggs. It was made of dry blades of grass curled loosely 

 round a lining of fibrous roots, and placed in a thick, dry 

 patch of " kat bosch,^' a few inches from the ground. 



III. — Sotes on the Birds of the District of Matatiele, 

 East Griqualand. By (J. G. Davies, M.B.O.U. 



In the number of this Journal for October 1008, I gave 

 some notes on the water-birds of this district ; these notes 

 were mainly based on a few made by me when stationed here 

 in 1808 and 1890, at which time I did but little systematic 

 collecting. During the past year (lOlO) I have travelled 

 over the greater part of the district, and am able to give a 

 better idea of the birds inhabiting it. The species in the 

 following list have all been collected by myself, with the 

 exception of a few which have been procured by Dr. Pope 

 and Mr. Gould, both of this town, and to both of whom I am 

 indebted for notes on many species secured here before my 

 arrival. I also have to thank Dr. Duerden, of the All)anv 

 Museum, for kindly giving me a list of specimens presented 

 to the Museum by Mr. Gould, and forwarding some of the 

 doubtful ones for my inspection. 



In this paper 1 have followed the new Check-list of Dr. J. 

 W. B. Gunning and Mr. A. K. Haagner. 



Although the greater part of the Matatiele district is what 

 one might call high veldt, the country to the north-east 

 sloping gradually up to the Drakcnsberg Mountains, to the 



