60 NATURE AND SPORT IN SOUTH AFRICA 



matter. Some of tlie most remarkable of these birds 

 are the Malachite sun-bird, double-collared sun-bird, 

 Andersson's sun-bird, a small but very lovely species, 

 the magnificent orange-breasted sun-bird, and others. 

 Some of these species have a very sweet song, notably 

 Andersson's sun-bird {Nedarinia andeo^ssoni), which, the 

 late C. J. Andersson described as producing " exquisite 

 and enchanting melodies " during the pairing season. 



Passing over, with some regret, a number of very 

 interesting small birds, among them some sweet-voiced 

 warblers, one halts at a rather remarkable wheatear, 

 the imitative wheatear {Saxicola inlcata), well known 

 in South Africa by its Dutch name " schaap-wachter " 

 — sheep- watcher. This is a most impudent and 

 amusing fellow. Not content with a fair song of his 

 own, he mimics almost every note he hears, and will 

 imitate, not unsuccessfully, birds, dogs, sheep, goats, 

 and other creatures. He is little afraid of mau, and 

 has apparently a natural fondness for sheep and other 

 stock, for which reason the Boers gave him his 

 colonial name. 



There are some twenty wagtails and pipits already 

 known in South Africa ; while thrushes, warblers, 

 and chats number just upon fifty. 



Another bird fond of man's society, and inquisitive 

 and even impudent in its nature, is a chat-thrush 

 (Cossypha caffra), christened by the Boers "Jan 

 Fredrik." This is a well-known bird in Cape Colony, 



