20 Mr. John AVood on the 



Variation of the Black Sun-bird {Cinni/ris amethystina, 

 Shaw). 



In the ' Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club,' 

 (vol. xxix. p. 65, 1912), Mr. W. L. Sclater directs attention 

 to a " variation " or " mutation " of the Black Sunbird 

 {Cinnyris amethystina, Shaw), in which yellow pectoral tufts, 

 normally absent in this species, are present. 



It may be of interest to mention that the Durban Museum 

 hns since received a second example, which agrees in every 

 respect with the first. It was shot by Mr. George Bailey 

 at Avoca in 1913. 



111.— The Curleio in South Africa. By John Wood. 



This is a shifty bird — we mean shifty in the sense that in 

 wariness and in readiness for instant flight, the Curlew 

 {Numenius arquatus) is usually a match for the expert stalker, 

 whether he be after taking its life or its photograph ; and 

 here we might remai'k that anyone who has read bird- 

 books of recent years knows sport with the camera brings 

 problems in tactics and technique and knowledge of habits 

 demanding higher qualifications than necessarily go with the 

 " murder-aiming eye." These birds can only be approached 

 by strategem, or circumvented by imitation of their whistle, 

 as a few of the old poachers could do ; and we are inclined 

 to the opinion that they post sentries that rise first and give 

 their crv, "^pipe all hands aloft." 



The Curlew is with us in numei'ous small flocks between 

 October and February, as a migrant from Europe. Ten is 

 perhaps an average number, and every person who has gone 

 fishing upon the estuarine rivers of our south-east coast — 

 but one sector of their distribution — knows the bird ; its call 

 has a haunting flavour, and he does not forget that it w'as an 

 incident of the day. The muddy margins of those rivers are 

 favourite feeding-grounds, and there it may be seen most 

 days in summer walking or running about — at a safe distance. 



