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of the commoner forms perhaps are not attractive as cage-birds—

either for plumage or song,—but others sing sweetly and are by

no means unpleasing in plumage. Of these birds the easiest to

secure would be the ‘Yellow-bellied Bulbul’ ( Crinigerflaviven-

tris ) which is a common bird about Durban ; the ‘ Cape Bristle¬

necked Thrush’ (Phyllastrephus capensis) said to be plentiful near

Swellendam, not uncommon to the east of Grahamstown, and

the commonest bush-bird about Durban; the Sombre Bulbul

(Andropadus importunus) which is not rare near Cape Town

and is known as the ‘ Boschvogel ’; the Red-eyebrowed Bulbul

( Pycnonotus capensis) known as the ‘ Kuif-Kop,’ which is common

throughout the colony ; the Black-eyebrowed Bulbul ( Pycnono -

tus tricolor), a good songster, which is common at East London

and occurs at Nel’s Poort and many other places : it is captured

with ease when intoxicated through feeding on the overripe and

fermenting fruit of the Cape gooseberry.


In the Transvaal the Pied Babbling-Thrush ( Crateropus

bicolor) is common throughout the North ; Jardine’s Babbling-

Thrush (C. jardinii) also occurs here and on the Tugela river,

and is common in the Beclniana and Matabele countries ; Kirk’s

Babbling - Thrush (C. kirkii) is common near rivers in the

Zambesi ; the Dark-faced Babbling-Thrush (C. mclanops) may

daily be met with in Damara Land, is gregarious in its habits,

and very confiding.


Of the far more beautiful Rock-Babblers, the Rufous¬

breasted Rock - Babbler is said to be widely distributed,

frequenting high elevations on stony sides of hills, where it

may be seen in small families of three or four individuals.


The Short-footed Rock-Thrusli is tolerably common in

Damara- and Great Namaqua-Lands, feeding on insects and soft

seeds: it is a prettily coloured and rather small bird, 6A- inches

in length ; the Cape Chat-Thrush (or Cape Robin) may be

abundantly met with in all the gardens in Cape Colony, as well

as in the pine woods; it is very confiding and a pleasing songster ;

this therefore is a bird which undoubtedly might be freely

imported.


Among the Chat-like birds the Southern Ant-eating

Wheatear is common at Port Elizabeth, but only in the

neighbourhood of ant-hills ; it would perhaps not be easy to

import, or feed in captivity; perhaps the most suitable of the

Wheatears for aviculture would be the Familiar Chat ( Saxicola

galtoni), which is widely distributed and to be met with at every

farm-house in the colony ; its local name is ‘ Speckvreter ’ ; the



