IO4 SOME BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA 



birds, one would naturally expect to find the eggs some- 

 what similar ; oddly enough, however, few eggs present 

 greater contrasts, those of the Red Bishop-bird being 

 of a light blue colour all over, while the eggs of the 

 Yellow Bishop-bird are thickly covered with brownish- 

 green markings. 



A peculiar bird that was rather common about Houw 

 Hoek was the Ground- Woodpecker. One naturally as- 

 sociates a Woodpecker with trees, but there are several 

 anomalies of this kind in South Africa, two others being 

 a Kingfisher that does not prey on fish, and a Cuckoo 

 that builds its own nest. The Ground-Woodpecker 

 bores holes to a considerable length in banks of earth, 

 and lays its eggs in these holes. It is larger than our 

 Green Woodpecker and has the general colour brown, 

 washed in parts with crimson ; the bird has a loud 

 startling cry which reminded me to some extent of that 

 of the Stone-Curlew, which note it will often utter when 

 perched upon a mound or stone. 



About thirty miles south of Caledon, and not very 

 far from the promontory known as Danger Point, is 

 the village of Stanford. This village, like Caledon and 

 Houw Hoek, has its trade in " everlasting " flowers, 

 rows of which may be seen drying in wooden sheds as 

 one passes along its chief street. Stanford is situated 

 on the Klein River, and is distant some ten miles from 

 the sea, towards which the river wends its way, mar- 

 gined broadly here and there with tall reeds. A few 

 rowing-boats and small sailing-boats are to be seen on 

 this river, which is of quite respectable dimensions. 

 Among these reeds were many colonies of Weaver- 



