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King William’s Town and Eland’s Post, audit occurs in other parts

of Eastern S. Africa ; the well-known Pin-tailed Whydah

( Vidua principalis ) is probably too familiar to aviculturists to be

worth importing.


The Bronze Mannikin ( Spermes/es cucullata'), which is

usually imported from the West Coast, has been seen in

abundance in Grahamstown. The Red-headed-finch (.Amadina

erythrocephala') is local, and appears not to occur very far to the

South, but it is found in Griqua Eand, Namaqua and Damara

Lands, the Transvaal, etc., and in some places is very common.


Among the Waxbills, the Red-faced-finch (Pytclia melbai)

is believed to be strictly a bird of the interior ; it occurs in pairs,

and is not uncommon on the Crocodile River and in the Rusten-

berg district; it has also been met with on the Limpopo,

Matabeli, Damara, and Great Namaqua Lands. The common

Gold-breasted (or Zebra) Waxbill has been seen near Maritzburg,

but is too freely imported already to be worth troubling about ;

Dufresne’s Waxbill (Estrelda dufresnii) is found near Grahams¬

town, Natal, &c., but in small numbers, not more than

eight or ten being seen together. The Southern Grey Waxbill

IE. incana) has been found in Natal, but not commonly, but the

so-called St. Helena Waxbill (A. astrilda ) is met with in prodigious

flocks throughout the colony.


The much prized Violet-eared Waxbill (Uueginthus

granatimis') is tolerably common in the Transvaal, along the

Limpopo, and in Damara Land; two or three of the extremely

delicate African Fire-finches (. Lagonosticta ) also occur in S.

Africa, but the importation of these Waxbills must always be

unsatisfactory, and their price in this country is so moderate that

it is hardly worth while to trouble about them.


Of the typical finches the Alario will probably always be

a favourite on account of its sweet song; it is obtainable at Port

Elizabeth and many other localities, and my friend, Mr. Distant,

of “The Zoologist,” got a specimen in the Transvaal which he

brought home with him (I believe it died in 1901). The Cape

Sparrow {Passer arcuat us), of which our Editor recently gave us an

illustrated account in the Magazine, is well worth importing; it

is somewhat local in S. Africa, but has been met with not far

from Grahamstown and in various other localities. The Streaky-

headed Grosbeak {Poliospiza gularis ) may be obtained in Natal,

but it is not a specially attractive bird, and it is doubtful whether

it has any song. The common Green Singing-finch is too easily



