246 Letters, Announcements, ^c. 



clouded with faint reddish markings, which coalesce and form a 

 ring at the obtuse end. Axis 9'" ; diam. 7'". 



301. DicRURUs Musicus. Few eggs that have come into my 

 hands have given me greater pleasure than the egg of this species. 

 A description without a coloured drawing gives but a faint idea 

 of its great beauty. The nearest approach I know of to it, in 

 form and coloration, are the eggs of the genus Tyrannus. My 

 son took a single egg from a nest in a thick, large bush. It is 

 of the most delicate pink colour, unevenly mai-ked throughout 

 with various-sized spots of pale and dark purple. Axis IIV"; 

 diam. 8|"'. Le Vaillant states that the spots are black and gene- 

 rally square. Nothing of this is visible in the lovely example 

 before me. Since this was written he has sent two more. 



330. CoRvus ALBicoLLis. Several eggs of this fine Crow have 

 been sent from various correspondents. They are pale green, 

 profusely marked with dark brownish green blotches, confluent 

 on the obtuse end. Axis 1" 11'"; diam. 1" 3'". 



344. JuiDA FULViPENNis. Mr. H. Jackson has discovered this 

 species breeding at Nels Poort, in holes in banks. The eggs are 

 of a lovely light verditer, minutely speckled throughout with 

 brown. Axis 1" 4"; diam. 9". 



353. DiLOPHUs CARUNCULATus. Mr. J. P. Maunsel Weale 

 writes me word from Bedford that some years ago this species 

 appeared in that neighbourhood in considerable numbers. 

 " They built on thorn-trees on the Page River ; their nests were 

 described as filling the tree, so that it isesembled a Kaffir hut." 

 This confirms the account given me by Mr. Schwartz, of Zoeten- 

 dalsvley. It is singular that they should thus migrate to nests 

 in diflferent places. 



365. Hyphantornis auricapillus. I had failed to recog- 

 nize this species until a specimen collected by Mr. Andersson in 

 Damara Land attracted my attention. I am now'quite satisfied 

 that this is only a small race of H. capitalis, into which its name 

 must sink as a synonym. Swainson's measurements (Anira. 

 Menag. p. 346) puzzled U-C. They should be — Length 5" (in- 

 stead of 6"), wing 3" 1". I suspect he measured from a badly 

 stuffed skin. I have now obtained small races of the following 

 allied species of this family : — H. capitalis, H. capensis, Plo- 



