74 PYROMELANA CAPENSIS 
vleis or streams, it may be frequently found in very dry and 
arid tracts of country. ‘lhe male in spring and summer is 
fond of uttering his harsh notes from the top of a tall bush or 
reed, and is then very conspicuous in his contrasting glossy 
black and yellow plumage. The female at this season is not 
often seen, keeping much to thick reed-beds or bushes, even 
when not sitting on her eggs. In autumn the old birds of 
both sexes, together with their young, form considerable flocks, 
which do not separate until the following spring. The long, 
loose, yellow feathers of the lower back and rump of the 
breeding males are erectile, and when the bird is approaching 
a hen, or is excited, they stand out at right angles to the body, 
giving him an extraordinary appearance, apparently irresistible 
to the impressionable female.” This mode of courting the 
hens has also been remarked in the Shrikes belonging to the 
genus Dryoscopus. Stark further remarks: “The song consists 
of a series of harsh and discordant notes. Although these 
birds feed largely on grass-seeds or grain, and are accused 
by the farmers of working havoc with the crops, they devour 
a considerable number of insects, and feed their young on 
small caterpillars and grubs. This species nests in September 
or October. The nest, a domed structure with a side entrance, 
is woven out of fine grass, and is usually attached by its 
sides to three or four reed-stems; sometimes it is built in 
thick bushes at a height of four or five feet. The eggs, almost 
always four in number, have a pale greenish blue ground 
colour nearly concealed by spots, blotches and lines of dark 
brown or slate colour. They average 0°85 x 0°60, and are 
hatched in about fourteen days.” With regard to the moult, 
Layard remarks: “ The first thing which changes is the bill; 
the black commences to show at the tip of the lower mandible, 
which gradually darkens, from its usual horn colour to the 
deepest black; before this is accomplished the upper mandible 
