206 PKTRONIA FLAVIOULA. 



The Sontheni Rock-Sparrow inhabits Africa to the south 

 of about 8° S. lat. 



On the Congo, Bohndorff procured the species at Leopold- 

 ville. In Benguela specimens have been collected by Anchieta 

 at Caconda and Quindumbo, and it is called by the natives "Sue- 

 sue." Andersson procured others at Elephant Vley in Damara- 

 land, and wrote : " I have only met with this species near the 

 Okavango river." In the British Museum there ai*e specimens 

 from Bland's Post, Kingwilliamstown, and Pinetown near 

 Durban, and they are apparently common in these districts. 

 In the Transvaal, according to Mr. T. Ayres, " this species 

 affects the wooded and warm country where rocks abound," 

 and during his journey into Mashonaland he found them in 

 August and September near the XJmfuli river "frequenting 

 the high trees, and feeding much as the Tomtits do, hanging 

 about the outer twigs and eating the young buds, &c. ; as 

 however, food of all kinds is scarce for birds, this may not be 

 a usual habit. They are now mostly in pairs and their loud 

 Sparrow-like note, often repeated in the early morning, attracts 

 attention to thera." In Mashonaland Mr. Gruy Marshall records 

 them as abundant at all seasons, generally seen feeding in small 

 flocks on the ground, but occasionally searching the trees and 

 bushes for insects like Tits. With regard to their habits Stark 

 writes: " This species appears to feed very largely on insects, 

 which it finds in crevices of rocks and in the bark of trees. It 

 also eats small seeds of grass and various weeds. It builds 

 a large sparrow-like nest of dry grass and feathers in the hole 

 of a tree or rock, and lays three or four eggs, which resemble 

 those of the Cape Sparrow, but they are slightly larger as a 

 rule, and more sparingly but distinctly spotted with dark slaty 

 brown." 



Mr. Ivy, a resident at Grahamstown, writes : " I have 

 found many nests of this species in the decayed centres of 



