342 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Plover about at the mouth of the Umgeni, near Durban, on the 

 2Gth December. Some boys who were shooting there on that day 

 had obtained several, and presented one to Reid. 



Laoniedoutia carunculata (Ginel.), Wattled Crane. — Not so 

 numerous as the two following species, but seen occasionally, in 

 pairs, in the Newcastle district. Though shy, if is generally 

 possible to ride up to within a hundred yards of these stately 

 birds before they take wing. We never attempted to shoot them, 

 but a specimen was obtained close to Newcastle in the spring. 



Grus paradisca, Licht., Stanley Crane. — These graceful 

 Cranes are very common on the " veldt " all about Newcastle in 

 pairs and small parties. We are unable to give particulars of 

 their breeding habits, but Butler and Reid, when searching for 

 their nests in " vleys " or marshy places, were informed by an old 

 sporting Boer farmer that they scratched a hole and laid their 

 eggs, like a Bustard, on the open veldt, and never constructed 

 nests in the " vleys," like the other cranes. He described the 

 eggs, also, as being of the usual Crane type, and nothing could 

 shake his evidence. Unfortunately no nest could be found, though 

 he did his best to find one, galloping hither and thither over the 

 "veldt" on his well-trained pony after every pair of birds he 

 could see, and searching carefully for young ones in the patches 

 of weeds and rank grass. The question, therefore, must await 

 further investigation, though we are strongly inclined to believe 

 in the Boer's account. Bill, in this species, yellow-ochre, with a 

 tinge of red ; iris dark brown ; legs black. A female examined by 

 Butler measured 43 in. in length; wing 38f in. ; tarsus 9^in. ; 

 bill from front 3£ in., from gape 3f in. ; expanse of wings 52j in. ; 

 slightly developed for breeding (B). 



Balearica chrysopclanjus (Licht.), Crowned Crane. — Observed 

 frequently in the more open veldt, generally not far from a " vley " 

 or marshy spot. Appears to breed in the neighbourhood of New- 

 castle, though no nests were found. Reid constantly met with a 

 family party of five near the Ingagane Drift in June and July, and 

 one night, when waiting for ducks, obtained an adult female and 

 two immature birds. The iris of the adult bird is bluish white, 

 bill and legs black. " The total length of the female above- 

 mentioned was only 3 ft. 4 in., yet Layard and Tegetmeier give 

 3 ft. 8 in. and 3 ft. U in. respectively. Is the female smaller than 

 the male ? Called ' Mahem ' by colonists, from their note ; but 



