Letters, Announcements, i^c. 245 



citron-yellow. My original specimen was very imperfect ; but 

 Mr. Ortlepp has sent several from Colesberg in fine order. He 

 describes the nest as a " small cup of wool and wild cotton, 

 lined with a few grass-stems, and placed in a bush ; the eggs, 

 three in number, are pure white, minutely spotted on the whole 

 obtuse end with red dots. Axis 7'" ; diam. 5i"'. 



172. Drym(eca afrtcana. Mrs. Barber sends eggs of this 

 species, which are, equally with those of the two preceding, most 

 unlike the typical eggs of Drymceca. They are white, more or 

 less clouded (at the obtuse end chiefly) with spots and blotches 

 of a washed-out indian-ink colour. Axis 11'"; diam. 7'". 



176. Calamodyta RUFESCENS. Mr. Ortlcpp scuds this little 

 Warbler from Colesberg, and informs me that " the nest is a cone 

 of wool and straw placed between reeds and rushes ; eggs three.'' 

 These are white, spotted throughout, but chiefly at the obtuse 

 end, with various-sized brown and light purple irregular dots 

 and blotches. Axis 8'" ; diam. 6'". I am more than ever con- 

 vinced that the two species described by Le Vaillant under 

 the names of " La cagueteuse " and " Uisabelle " should be 

 referred to this species, or to this and the next. I put no 

 confidence in his statement that Uisabelle lays pure white 

 eggs. 



183. Bradypterus coryph^us. Mr. Jackson, Mr. Ortlepp, 

 and my son, all forward eggs of this species, which difi"er from 

 those found by me at Beaufort, in that they are irregularly 

 blotched with brown. Axis 9'" ; diam. 6'". They are very 

 Saxicoline in appearance — as is also the nest, off which I several 

 times put the bird whose eggs I describe in my ' Catalogue.' 



I have received eggs of various Chats, but leave their de- 

 scription for another occasion, as I am convinced from specimens 

 that have been forwarded, that several species have been over- 

 looked or confounded with known species. I believe that Le 

 Vaillant has mingled several together under the " Traquet mon- 

 tagnard-/' but must leave a solution of uiy doubts till I acquire 

 a larger series of specimens. 



207. Pratincola pastor. Mr. Ortlepp writes, " Nest like 

 that of Motacilla capensis, in a head of rank grass, near the 

 river's side." Three eggs sent are light verditer, indistinctly 



