Letters, Announcements, S^c. 243 



rived from the bones of the small mammals and reptiles devoured 

 by them in their wild state and brought by their parents. He 

 suggests sprinkling their food (usually raw meat) with chalk as 

 a substitute. This is not a bad idea for those who rear Falcons. 



59. Bubo maculosus. Mr. H. Jackson sends numerous 

 eggs of this species ; he says it makes no nest, but lays on the 

 bare sand, on a ledge in a river-bank. 



HiRUNDo RUFfFRONS. My SOU has found this species breed- 

 ing at Grootevadersbosch. The eggs are white, much pointed in 

 shape at the small end, and spotted chiefly at the other, in the 

 form of a ring, with dark green, brown, and yellow dots, with 

 here and there a large well-defined spot. Axis 11"; diam. 7". 



86. HiRUNDo LUNiFRONs [H. alfvedi, Hartl. supra, p. 153]. 

 On this species Mr. Ortlepp makes the following interesting ob- 

 servations : — " Nests closely packed together, composed of pellets 

 of mud. I counted no less than sixty in a square yard, against 

 an overhanging bank. Each nest is half a sphere, with a small 

 hole for entrance, sometimes with a short neck. Boers tell me 

 that formerly these birds were unkuowni to them. When first 

 seen they appeared in small numbers, which is not the case now, 

 as I saw hundreds hawking about near Sandpoort. I calculate 

 that at least 2000 will be hatched at that place this year." The 

 eggs sent are very beautiful, being a delicate white, tinged with 

 the faintest blush of pink, spotted chiefly in a ring near the other 

 end with dififereut-sized spots of various shades of brown verditer, 

 and even yellow. 



118. Upupa minor. My son Leopold has taken several nests 

 near Swellendam, chiefly in the walls of old " kraals" (enclosures 

 for sheep and cattle) . He is not certain that the female never 

 leaves the nest, but speaks of always finding her at home, and 

 of the stench of her dwelling. The eggs are of a very pale green- 

 ish-blue ground, smeared throughout, unevenly, with indistinct 

 pale brownish. Axis 12'" ; diam. 8'". 



123. Nectarinia afra. Mr. Atmore found several nests of 

 this species in the Long Kloof, George district, in October. 

 They were " well woven with the fibre of Asclepias, grass-bents, 

 snake-skins, and all sorts of odd things, and then filled up with 

 feathers. My boys have taken three or four nests, each with but 



