in Zululand, ivlth Notes on its- Birds. 401 



impassable, but the Government have provided a flat- 

 bottomed " punt," in which a cart and horses or a waggon 

 and oxen can be easily conveyed across by means of a wire 

 rope suspended from bank to bank. After having passed 

 through so much bush-land along the coasts of Natal, the 

 bare hills on the Zulu side did not Iqok so inviting. 

 Proceeding on our journey we came to the Inyoni flats and 

 encamped near a small stream where there are a few mimosa- 

 thorns. In these we found some pretty Honey-suckers, black 

 with scarlet breasts {Cinnyris gutturalis). Here we rested 

 for the Sunday, and next day crossed the river Amatikulu, 

 where the horses had heavy work to draw the cart through 

 the deep sandy drift. There are some white farmers settled 

 near this stream, a few men who secured farms from the 

 chief before the country was annexed by the British Govern- 

 ment. 



The air has a frosty feel at night now, this being mid- 

 winter. Leaving the main road we called at the residence of 

 chief John Dunn, a nice house enclosed in a plantation of 

 Australian blue gums. Near here we saw a number of fine 

 Paauw (Bustard), which is the largest and best game bird in 

 South Africa ; but, strange to say, many of the Boers have 

 a prejudice against the meat and will not eat it. We 

 reached the sea-side at the mouth of the Inlalaas river, 

 where there is a large lagoon, a beautiful sheet of water, 

 where the storekeeper keeps a boat and supplies Eschowe with 

 good fish in the summer. The sandy hills here are covered 

 with thick low bush, in which we secured a number of birds. 

 There are a good many swamps here, which make it un- 

 healthy during the greater part of the year. The marshes 

 are frequented by diff'erent sorts of Waterfowl. It was some 

 time before we could make out what caused the peculiar 

 guttural sounds that issued from amongst the reeds; but 

 by careful watching we discovered that it was made by a 

 species of Water-hen [Limnocorax niyer), and we afterwards 

 shot some specimens of it. A llecd-bird {Catriscus apicalis) 

 here warbles cheerfully, as it runs up and down the stalks. 

 The Black-and- White Kingfisher {Ceryle rudis) is common; 



