1865.] LETTER FROM MR. F. L. LAYARD. 619 
The following letter waxy read from Mr. BE. L. Layard, Corr. 
Memb. :— 
“ Cape Town, July 11, 1865. 
“ To the Secretary of the Zoological Society. 
“‘ Sir,—I perceive, by one of the printed notices, that on the 9th 
of May last a communication was read from Dr. G. Hartlaub, de- 
scribing a new Sazicola, forwarded by me, and procured at Wind- 
vogelberg, in this Colony, by Capt. Bulger, of H.M. 10th Regiment, 
2nd Battalion. 
“I have much pleasure in acquainting you that I can now supply 
a pretty full account of the habits, nest, and eggs of this species, 
through the kindness of my talented friend Mrs. Barber of Graham 
Town, an enthusiastic lover of natural history and botany. 
“* My fair friend writes under date June 22nd, 1865—‘ These 
birds [Saxicola spectabilis, of which she sends specimens] are 
dwellers amongst the rocks, and frequent rocky mountains and hills, 
old stone kraals, &c., &c. They build their nests under shelving 
rocks, near or upon the ground, and sheltered by spreading ferns or 
long grass; and their eggs are usually three in number. The male 
is fond of placing himself on some high projecting rock, and of 
making himself conspicuous by chirping away in a cheerful voice, 
either to annoy a rival or amuse his mate ; he is also fond of opening 
and shutting his wings, bowing and scraping, &c., and, I have no 
doubt, thinks a great deal of himself. 
«<The female is a very quiet retiring little body. The males pos- 
sess the power of mocking other birds and animals. When we were 
living in the district of Graaf Reinet I had a beautiful spotted Mere 
Cat | Surieata capensis, Desm., the Meer Kat of the Dutch colonist, 
lit. Pismire Cat, or Ant Cat, from their feeding on ants.—E. L. L.], 
a tame one ; it was very fond of me, and my companion in all my 
walks. These little animals have a peculiar bark, and produce a 
great variety of sounds with their pretty little voices; and these 
mocking-birds would imitate all the sounds that my pet made natu- 
rally. I have also heard them mocking our Robins (Petrocincla 
superciliosa, BK. L. L.) and Sugar-birds (Cinnyris), but they seldom 
use this power. I send you a nest and eggs.’ 
«The nest forwarded by Mrs. Barber is cup-shaped, 6" across and 
3" deep, the cup 23" across by 13! deep, composed almost entirely 
of the fine roots of grasses (7), with here and there a strengthening 
twig; the lining is entirely of roots. Clinging round the outside, 
and worked into the structure so as not to be disturbed by the wind, 
are two fronds of the common fern (Pteris aquilina), effectually 
concealing the fabric from a casual observer. The eggs, three in 
number, are cream-coloured, with reddish blotches, more or less mi- 
nute, thickly sprinkled throughout the surface, but coalescing into 
a ring at the obtuse end, on which some bluish tints may be observed. 
Each egg differs from the other in shape, the medium measurement 
is, axis 11!"!, diam. 72!". 
