270 MOTACILLA VIDUA. 



natives " Congombo." In the country between the Cunene 

 and Orange rivers I find the species recorded by Mr. 

 Fleck from Okovango, and along the banks of the latter 

 stream, according to Andersson : " It is generally to be seen 

 either singly or in pairs, and usually settles on stones or on 

 the ground, along which it runs with great celerity in pursuit 

 of small insects, which constitute its chief food, and it also 

 skims the surface of the water for the same purpose." 

 Levaillant discovered the type of the species at the Orange 

 river, and according to Bradshaw it is very common along 

 that stream, but scarce in Cape Colony. 



While I was in Natal I met with a pair at the mouth of 

 the Umgeni river, and another pair at a small brook near 

 Pinetown, which runs through a thickly wooded ravine. 

 According to Mr. T. Ayres, the species is more abundant 

 on the Vaal river than along the Limpopo, where M. ca/pensis 

 predominates, but is the only species of Wagtail he met with 

 on the Urnfuli river. With regard to the habits of this 

 species, Stark writes : " It is most frequently met with on the 

 borders of large rivers and vleis, almost invariably in pairs. 

 It is also partial to pasture land, where it follows the cattle 

 and horses for the sake of the flies and other insects which 

 infest them. It feeds also on small beetles, the larvae of 

 various water insects and mosquitoes. The latter it catches 

 on the wing whilst skimming over the surface of the water. 

 The ordinary note of this Wagtail is a sharp ' chirrup ' 

 resembling that of the other species ; in spring and summer 

 it has a low-pitched but pleasant and melodious song. It 

 runs with great celerity, and its long tail is incessantly in 

 motion, vibrating up and down. Its nest, built in September 

 in inland districts, but about the beginning of August on the 

 coast of Natal, is placed in a hole, on a ledge of rock, or 

 against the bank of a stream. It is rather large, with thick 



