POLIOSPIZA GULARIS. 227 



qualand. Sir Andrew Smith, who discovered the type, found 

 them inhabiting Cape Colony to as far north as Latakoo. In 

 the British Museum there are specimens from the Knysna, 

 Grahamstown, Kingwilliamstown, Natal, Transvaal, the Maka- 

 laka country and Mashonaland. 



Atmore, writing from Geneva Fontein, states : " Tobacco 

 seed is the great attraction to this species ; they feed also on 

 chickweed and groundsel, do not congregate, but go in small 

 lots of from two to eight individuals." Accordiug to Stark : 

 " If disturbed they litter a sharp ' chirp ' as they take flight 

 and fly off to seek refuge in some thick bush, but as a rule 

 they are rather silent birds. In September and October they 

 build in bushes or low trees. The nest is open and cup-shaped, 

 neatly and compactly constructed of dry grass and bents, lined 

 with white cottony seeds and down. The eggs, three or four 

 in number, are very faint bluish-white with usually a few dots 

 or a single streak of dark purplish black towards the larger 

 end. They measure 0-87 x 0-62." 



In Natal I did not meet with this bird during the month 

 I spent at Durban ; but my friend Mr. T. L. Ayres told me that 

 it is common at Pinetown. His father, Mr. T. Ayres, found a 

 nest in a low bush on the top of a veiy exposed hill and another 

 one in the valley below with young birds, in December, and 

 at Colenso Col. Savile Reid met with them breeding in 

 November. 



In the Transvaal, according to Mr. T. Ayres : " This is as 

 common a Sparrow about Rustenburg as Passer armatns (which 

 I did not meet with in the Magaliesbergen) is at Potchefstroom. 

 In habits the present species appears to be somewhat similar 

 to P. arcuahis, congregating in winter in the same manner." 

 During his journey with Jameson through Matabele, they 

 procured a specimen at Matje Umsclope, near Buluwayo, in 

 November. In Mashona, Mr. Guy Marshall informs us that 



