from Soulh Africa. 351 



individuals of Podicipcs cristatus, while on a smaller vley near 

 "The Retreat" we found the lovely little Kingfisher Cory- 

 thornis cyanostigma, Gullinula chloropus, and a pair of the rare 

 Duck Thalassornis leuconota. Near the same spot I saw my 

 first Sun-bird (Nectarinia famosa) , which shewed its brilliant 

 metallic-green plumage to perfection as it flew from one gum- 

 tree to another in the sun. Promerops was rare in this 

 locality, but we met with all the common birds seen near 

 Wynberg and also with Lanius collaris, Sphenceacus africanus, 

 and Larus dominicanics. 



The fine Museum at Cape Town, of which Mr. W. L. 

 Sclater is Director, furnished admirable opportunities for 

 identifying our birds. 



A trip by rail to Simonstown took us past many vleys 

 and smaller marshes, where Herons and Little Egrets were 

 constantly to be seen standing in the water, and on arrival 

 at the station Judge Graham's sons drove us out to the hill- 

 sides sloping towards the sea. Birds, however, were there 

 decidedly scarce, though I added to my list the Caspian 

 Tern and the Ground- Woodpecker (Geocolap/es olivacens), 

 of which three rose at my feet from a bushy ravine. A 

 black-and-white Chat was observed, but not identified. 



We left Cape Town on the evening of August 19th 

 for Durban, and touched at Port Elizabeth and East 

 London. At the former town, where we were treated with 

 the greatest kindness, we were shown a good collection of 

 local birds in the Museum, and were conducted over one 

 of the Parks, in which we had an excellent opportunity of 

 observing Weaver-birds * building round a small pond. 

 Males and females were busily engaged, the former constantly 

 bringing the materials to the latter at the nests, while their 

 quick movements in and out of the half-built structures 

 were very striking. None of the birds appeared to be sitting. 

 We had only time at East London to drive to the " Horse- 

 shoe " near Cambridge, a finely wooded curve on the Buffalo 



* In my notes these appear as Hyphantornis velatus, but in ' The 

 Fauna of South Africa ' this species is not recorded from Port Elizabeth, 

 and \cry possibly I was mistaken. 



