24 Mr. C. G. Davies 071 the Birds of the 



soutli-west the country drops rapidly to tbe valley of the 

 Mveiiyane Hiver, and at the extreme south-west corner of 

 the district, known as the lower Mvenyane^ the hill-sides are 

 covered with a fair amount of forest, and here such charac- 

 teristic birds of the low country as the Lourie and Drongos 

 are found. I have not, unfortunately, had much opportunity 

 of collecting in this part, but probably the Avifauna will 

 be found to resemble that o[' Pondoland, wbicli is not far 

 distant. 



1. CoLYMBUs CRISTATUS, L. Crestcd Grebe. 



This species was formerly fairly common in the large vleys 

 in the district, but seems now to have almost disappeared, and 

 1 have not personally met with it, but have lately had a skin 

 sent to me of an adult in full plumage, shot on one of the 

 pans near the town, 



2. CoLYMBUS CAPENSis [(Licht.) Salv.], Cape Dabchick. 

 Very common and a resident. I have found nests ; and 



when shooting in the vleys have sometimes seen young newly 

 hatched^ — curiously striped little things — swimming within a 

 few feet of me ; their mothers calling and swimming all 

 round me, trying to lead me away by every device possible. 



.^. DiOMEDlA EXULANS, L. AVaudering Albatross. 



During the great blizzard of June, l*Jt>2, a specimen was 

 picked up in an exhausted and dying condition on one of the 

 farms. 



4. Hydrociielidon hybrida (Pall.). Whiskered Tern. 

 An occa=ional visitor to some of the vleys ; all those shot 

 were in non-breeding plumage. \ 



.5. PiiALACROCORAX LUCIDUS (Lcht.). "Wliite-breasted 

 Gormorant. 



An occasional visitor in small juimhcrs during the summer 

 months. 



G. PiiALACROCORAX AFRTCAXUS (Gm,). Reed Gonndrant. 

 Like the previous species, it is found in small niimbcrs 

 daring summer months. 



