the Birds of Phillpsfown. 7 



mained in the vicinity for about half an hour longer, when 

 1 announced my intention of having "just one more look." 

 Almost immediately! imagined I caught sight of the gosling 

 Iving in a I'agged bush right at my feet, stooped down and 

 examined it casually, and then called to my friend to come 

 and see " how wonderfully like a gosling this sto)ie looked." 

 As he came up I bent down more closely still to examine the 

 sup[i03ed stone, and then to my blank amazement discovered 

 that it was the ji'oslino- after all. The vermiculated colouring 

 of its back harmouisod, quite accidentally I suppose, with 

 stones which were lying about the place. I need hardly 

 say that after it had been examined it was returned to the 

 water. Though I have not found the Biack Duck {A. sparsa) 

 breeding in the district, I have taken the eggs on the Vaal 

 River at Barkly West. The nest consisted of a layer of 

 rushes, while the eggs, nine in number and of a light brown 

 shade, were surrounded and partly covered in a most skilful 

 manner by a ring of down evidently .plucked from the parent 

 bird's breast. The Coot [F. cristata) was found breeding at 

 Pbilipstown in the middle of winter (July). 



The Cape Dabchick (Podicipes capensis) was recorded 

 only once, though doubtless it would be found on the Orange 

 River, which forms the north-eastern boundary of the dis- 

 trict. If this one had found its way from the river, it must 

 have crossed longer stretches of country than one would 

 suppose a bird of such seemingly feeble flight capable of. 



The Grey Heron {Ardea cinerea) is common everywhere. 

 A number breed each year on a farm not many miles from 

 the village. The nests are built in a couple of large willow- 

 trees, but are inaccessible to anyone but an expert climber. 

 These birds may often be seen during the day standing about 

 on the "veld" miles away from water, or stalking along 

 through lucerne-fields. A change of diet from frogs, &c., 

 to beetles, caterpillars, and possibly field-mice, evidently 

 does not come amiss. 



It is hardly necessary to mention that the Hammerkop 

 (^Scopus umhretta) is also found here — where, indeed, in South 

 Africa is it not to be seen ? I had several good opportunities 



