166 FRINGILLARIA TAHAPISI. 



recorded by Mr. Fleck, and in Cape Colony I cannot trace its 

 range further west than Colesberg. 



The type of the species was discovered by Sir A. Smith in 

 the country towards the sources of the Vaal river, and is in 

 the British Museum, which contains also specimens from 

 Eland's Post, Kingwilliamstown and Natal. In Zululand the 

 Messrs. Woodward collected specimens at Bschowe. The late 

 Dr. Stark wrote ; " I have generally met with this Bunting on 

 broken hill sides strewn with rocks and partly overgrown with 

 low bushes. Like F. capensis, it is of tame and familiar habits 

 and is fond of uttering its broken song from the summit of a 

 stone or low bush, while at intervals it opens and shuts its 

 wings. Its notes resemble those of the Cape Bunting to a 

 certain degree, but are at the same time easily distinguished by 

 the ear, although the difference is not readily pointed out in 

 words. It feeds on small seeds and various insects. A nest 

 taken in Upper Natal in November was built a few inches off 

 the ground, in a low bush sheltered on one side by a rock. 

 The three eggs resemble those of F. capensis in colour, but are 

 a trifle smaller than the average of the latter." 



Mr. T. Ayres procured specimens at Potchefstroom in 

 February and April and near Eustenburg in May. He writes : 

 " This Bunting afi'ects rocky hill sides with little bush ; it is 

 found in small companies and is generally very tame, feeding 

 on the ground." It was not uncommon on the rocky ranges 

 from whence the Mooi river flows, but he considered it to be 

 scarce in Matabeleland, though he met with the species fre- 

 quenting the rocks near Kanye. 



In Mashonaland, according to Mr. Guy Marshall, they are 

 fairly common, resembling E. flaviventris in habits, but they 

 take more readily to trees when flushed and are apparently 

 more strictly graminivorous. 



From Tete, on the Zambesi, there are five specimens in the 



I 



