BRITISH BIRDS IN SOUTH AFRICA 



is seized deftly across the middle of the body, pinched 

 once or twice with the mandibles, and then swallowed. 

 Our English Hoopoe, which it is a pleasure to know 

 is still to be observed in early spring and summer in 

 various parts of this country, although a bird of Africa, 

 does not penetrate so far south as the Zambesi. It is 

 represented in South Africa by a smaller species, whose 

 cry of "Hoop, hoop" is familiar in many a forest and 

 by many a mimosa-margined river-bed. 



I come now to those melodious singers whose sweet 

 voices, heard in English copses, fields, and gardens 

 during April, tell us that at last spring is here. The 

 sedge warbler, the garden warbler, the melodious willow 

 warbler, and our familiar willow wren are all known in 

 South Africa, whither they migrate after their summer 

 visit to Europe. Several species of wheatears are to be 

 found south of the Zambesi, but not our British Saxicola 

 ceiianthe, which apparently penetrates no further into 

 the African continent than Egypt. The blue-headed 

 yellow wag-tail, a bird which visits Great Britain, but 

 rarely breeds here, finds it way to South Africa, usually 

 appearing towards the rainy season. The tawny pipit, 

 a little-known bird in England, though occasionally 

 noted on our southern coastline, ranges as far south 

 as Cape Colony, although better known in North Africa 

 and Palestine. The beautiful golden oriole, a bird 

 which would be commoner in England than it now 

 is if gunners were less impulsive and collectors less 

 acquisitive, is not very plentiful in South Africa. It 

 appears there, however, in Natal, Damaraland, Bechu- 

 analand, and elsewhere, towards the rainy season. 



Our well-known spotted flycatcher, which ranges 

 from the southern shores of the Cape of Good Hope to 

 Lapland, is also well known in South Africa. This 

 charming little bird is more abundant north of the 



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