from South Africa. 355 



gists trekked in mule-waggons to the Wonderboom Tree 

 (a magnificent specimen of Ficus cordatd) on the Magalies- 

 berg Range, under the leadership of Mr. J. Burtt-Davy, 

 Government Botanist, whose kindness we much appreciated 

 thoughout our stay, as we did that of many other good friends. 

 The plants were extremely interesting and birds were plen- 

 tiful. I had the great advantage of the company of Mr. Lionel 

 Taylor, of Irene, whose collection of birds was on view at 

 Johannesburg, with that of Mr. Alwyn Haagner; consequently 

 I was able to identify nearly all the species met with, while 

 Mr. Pole Evans was equally helpful in the botany when we 

 separated from the main party. Two spots had been pointed 

 out as haunts of Gyps kolbii, and to these we first climbed. 

 They were on the cliffs at the top of the high kopjes which 

 composed this part of the range and were fairly easy of access. 

 The Vultures were said to breed in the locality, but we 

 could find no nests, though a dozen individuals or more were 

 seen winging their way to their roosts as the evening came 

 on. We had admirable opportunities of studying the habits 

 and listening to the notes of the species observed, and only 

 regretted that our time was so limited. On or near the 

 kopjes we found Tinnunculus rupicoloides, Cossypha caffra, 

 Pycnonotus layardi, Fringillaria tahapisi, Dicrurus afer, 

 Nectarinia famosa, Laniarius subrujipectus, L. gutturalis, 

 Saxicola familiar'is, Spizocorys conirostris, Tarsiger si/ens, 

 Ortygospiza polyzona, and a species of Apalis (?) ; on the 

 river we observed Pyromelana oryx in its brown winter 

 plumage, Hyphantornis velatus, Motacilla capensis, Hirundo 

 albigularis, Cotile paludicola, and Ptyonoprogne fuligula (?) ; 

 near the Wonderboom we met with Coliopasser ardens, 

 Lybius torquatus, Tricholtema leucomelas, Melittophagns meri- 

 dionalis, Zosterops virens, Dilophus carunculatus, Lamprocolius 

 (? sycobius) , Sphenceacus natalensis, two species of Cisticola, 

 Turtur senegalensis, T. semitorquatus, (Ena capensis, Serinus 

 angoleiisis, Collus erythromtlon, Prinia mystacea, and Polio- 

 spiza gularis ; on the sandy flats Mirafra (? africana) was not 

 uncommon, while not far off a species of Campothera and a 

 Buzzard, which we were unable to determine, were observed. 

 In the scrub on one of the hill-slopes were many old nests 



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