Egg -Collecting in the Bitshveld. 35 



Waxbill struggling to get through the branches farthest 

 away from me. On examining the nest, I found it contained 

 one large and three smaller eggs, all of which agree with the 

 respective measurements I have already given of the eggs of 

 the two birds. Since then I have taken another nest of the 

 Common Waxbill near Pretoria, in which there were four 

 small eggs and a large one, these again agreeing with the 

 measurements I have given. 



Quite recently, by accident, my attention has been drawn 

 to a criticism of my first article on this subject, and I 

 must admit I cannot see for what purpose it was written, 

 as it certainly throws no new light on it and merely 

 throws doubt on my observations. I am referring to Dr. A. 

 G. Butler's paper entitled "Is the Pin-tailed Whydah 

 Parasitic? " published in the ' Avicultural Magazine ' (vol. 6 

 of series 2, page 121). Dr. Butler, in order to support his 

 own argument, makes reference only to one naturalist's 

 observations, though there are four others who might equally 

 be considered, each of whom gives a different account of the 

 nest ; he seems also to have overlooked the important fact 

 that Capt. Shelley gives no particulars as to how and where 

 the eggs he attributes to this bird were obtained ; again, he 

 contends that the eggs of Waxbills are notoriously variable, 

 quoting from his experience of them when laid in aviaries ! 

 But strangest of all is a subsequent paper, in the same 

 volume of the ' Avicultural Magazine ' (page 182), in which 

 he brings to light an old well-known fact, which had 

 been disregarded by the "scientific" mind, in regard to 

 the parasitic habits of the Black Cassique. His remarks 

 anent my paper having been founded on a Negro (? Bantu) 

 proverb certainly seems to me to be uncalled for, seeing 

 that I gave the available proof I had, and wrote with the 

 object of getting others to take up and confirm or disprove 

 my thesis. That this bird is parasitic I have now not the 

 slightest doubt, and it only remains for future observers to 

 confirm the statement. 



Shaft-tailed Widow-bird [Tetrcemira regia). — A few were 

 seen, but nothing noted of their nesting habits. 



3* 



