MACKOKYX AMELK?';. 13 



then lived at Pinetowii. However, his father, Mr. T. Ayres, 

 remarks : " These beautiful birds are not nearly so common 

 as most other species in Natal ; they are to be found along 

 the coast on marshy flats, and are fond of perching on small 

 mounds early in the morning and sunning themselves." 



After my return to England Mr. Gordge sent me five 

 specimens from the watershed of the Uralaas river, between 

 Durban and the Tugela, which are now in the British Museum 

 along with one obtained by Mr. Fellowes to the north of the 

 Tugela, where he found the species not uncommon. Messrs. 

 Woodwards saw them at St. Ijucia lake in Zululand, and 

 according to Holub, Bradshaw procured a specimen of this 

 species at the Pantamatenka river. 



Stark writes : " On the flat and swampy grass lands 

 bordering on the coast of Natal this brilliant coloured Pipit 

 is by no means uncommon, and from its habits of perching 

 on ant-heaps and other slightly elevated spots, where its 

 bright pink throat and chest are easily visible, it is not 

 readily overlooked. Like its congeners, it has a " mewing " 

 call-note, usually uttered as it flies from one perch to another ; 

 in spring the male in addition has a short, hurried song, 

 uttered as it hovers for a few seconds in the air. This Pipit 

 feeds on grass- and other small seeds, to a larger extent on 

 various insects, small grasshoppers, young locusts, beetles 

 and termites. A nest containing four eggs, found near 

 Durban in November, was built in a hollow at the foot of 

 an ant-hill. It was deeply cup-shaped, constructed of grass 

 stems, lined with finer grass and a few horsehairs. The eggs 

 resemble those of M. capensis and M. croceus, but are somewhat 

 smaller, averaging 0'95 x 070. 



I fail to see any character for separating il/. lointoni 

 from M. amelise. At Chicowa, on the Zambesi, Captain Boyd 

 Alexander obtained an immature specimen in long grass, 



