86 SPREO BICOLOK 



the breast. Iris pale yellow ; bill yellow with the upper mandiliie ami end 

 of lower one black. Total length 10 inches, culuien 0-9, wing 6'2, and 5-8, 

 tail -t-l, tarsus 1-5. 3 and $ , 9. 8. 02, Deelfonteiu (Sloggett). 



After August, the plumage loses most of its gloss and becomes paler 

 brown, especially on the crown and remains in a somewhat mottled condition 

 until March. 



The Cape Brown and white Spreo ranges over Cape 

 Colon\% northward to Lake Nganii and tlie Transvaal. 



The species has not been recorded from Daniaralaad or 

 Great Namaqualand, Init occurs at Lake Nganii, and is 

 plentiful to the south of the Orange Kiver. Stark writes : 

 " This Starling is an abundant and well-known species in 

 many parts of South Africa, but from some districts is 

 unaccountably absent. Although very common at Mossel 

 Bay and Port Elizabeth, it is, according to Kichard, not 

 found at East London. Of social habits, the Brown and 

 White Starling remains in liocks all the vear round. It is 

 nearly always to be found in the neighbourhood of outspans 

 and cattle pastures, where it may be constantly seen perched 

 on the backs of sheep and oxen, engaged in ridding these 

 animals of ticks and other vermin ; but probably the bulk of 

 its food, consisting of grubs, beetles and other insects, is 

 obtained from the ground. During the greater part of the 

 year it feeds almost entirely on insects, very rarely taking a 

 few small seeds, but in the fruit season it eats grapes and figs 

 as well as other fruit, and as a result incurs the enmit}' of 

 the gardeners and fruit growers. The ordinary call-note of 

 the Stai'ling is a fairly loud and rather prolonged whistle. 

 In spring it indulges in a broken and somewhat chattering 

 song, which is not unlike that of the European Starling. As 

 a rule they build their nests at the ends of holes excavated 

 by themselves, to a depth of from •! to 10 feet, in the banks 

 of rivers or dongas, but frequently they take possession of 



