462 Ml'. J. II. Gurney on additional Species 



on the coast, and believe they are entirely confined to the upper 

 districts ; they are, however, also found on the river Limpopo. 



312. Hyphantornis olivaceus (Hahn). Cape Weaver- 

 bird. 



Male. Iris light tawny-yellow ; bill dusky ; wing yellowish 

 underneath ; tarsi and feet pale dusky. 



These Weavers are exceedingly fond of sucking the nectar 

 from the flowers of the Cape-Broom, a thorny ti-ee which bears 

 a bright scai'let blossom before the leaves appear, and is common 

 all along the coast, where it blooms in the very early spring. 

 They also feed on insects ; their flight is heavy and undulating. 

 They are sometimes solitary, and at other times to be seen in 

 companies. These birds are more numerous in the Transvaal 

 than in Natal, and breed there side by side with Euplectes 

 sundevalli, and apparently in equal numbers. Their nest is 

 also composed of the same material as is used in the nest of 

 that species; it is woven to two or more reeds, and consists of 

 the leaves of the reeds torn into strips. The nest is in the 

 shape of a retort with the neck cut off, the opening being 

 downwards; and there is a sort of bar across the entrance, 

 which prevents the eggs from rolling out : it is lined with the 

 soft flowering heads of grass, which form a very warm bed for 

 the young birds. 



313. Fringillaria tahapisi (A. Smith, Rep. Exp. C. Afr. 

 p. 48) ; Emberiza septemstriata, Riipp., N. Wirbelth. Taf. 30, 

 fig. 2. 



The specimen sent was shot by me in November, at the upper 

 drift of the Tugela, amongst the thorn-bushes. There were 

 three of them together, feeding amongst the short grass. 



314. Geocolaptes olivaceus (Gmel.). South - African 

 Ground- Woodpecker. 



Male. Iris light ashy brown ; bill black; tarsi and feet light 

 ash-colour. I first met with these Woodpeckers at the Movi 

 River, creeping with much agility amongst the crevices and 

 holes in some loose stone walls erected by the Cafires as 

 enclosures for their cattle. One of the birds sent I captured 

 alive, after having pulled down a large piece of wall ; the unfor- 



