MACRONYX CROCEUS. 7 



found them at Cambarabe in Angola, where they were called 

 " Dibaquela " by the natives. In Benguela Anchieta has 

 collected specimens at Galanga, Ambaca, Cacoiida, Huilla 

 and Cuce, at which latter place it is known to the natives 

 as the " Kilongo." 



I can find no mention of these birds from any part of 

 Western South Africa between Huilla and Cape Town, 

 Grrahamstown being the most western locality known to me in 

 Cape Colony, from whence the species has been procured. 



According to Stark, this species is rarely found in Cape 

 Colony. It is the commonest Long-claw in the lower parts of 

 Natal, Zululand and the Transvaal. It "does not appear to 

 differ in any of its habits from M. capensis, and in localities 

 where the two species occur together I have in vain tried 

 to detect any peculiarity, apart from colour, by which they 

 might be distinguished. Their call-notes are, to my ear, 

 exactly the same, and their eggs are exactly similar." 



The eggs of this species in the British Museum are of a 

 blunt oval shape and moderately glossy, they differ from those 

 of M. capensis in the same collection only in being rather 

 less boldly marked. 



In Natal these birds are decidedly abundant in certain 

 places. I found them generally in pairs, and when disturbed 

 from the high grass they flew to the topmost branch of 

 some neighbouring tree. I only met with them at Durban 

 within half a mile of one spot ; here they were fairly 

 plentiful on a patch of marshy ground covered with tall 

 grass and bushes, and although there is much similar country 

 within the semicircle formed by the Berea hills, I never saw 

 one in any other place. My friend, Mr. T. L. Ayres, collected 

 for me many specimens at Pinetown. In Zululand Messrs. 

 Woodwards obtained the species at Eschowe : " Common 

 everywhere," they write, " it is naturally very tame ; boys 



