274 Mr. J. H. Gurney on additional Species of Birds 



[Both in this species and in D. natalensis the male bird con- 

 siderably exceeds the female in size; these two species appear 

 to belong to a somewhat distinct group from the smaller and 

 less robustly-formed species of the genus Drymceca. — J. H. G.] 



Drymceca levaillanti. Smith. Le Vaillant^s Drymceca. 

 (No. 197, Ibis, 1863, p. 324.) 



Male. Iris light brown; bill, upper mandible nearly black, 

 under mandible pinkish-ash ; tarsi and feet pale ; the female is 

 smaller in size, and the tarsi, feet, and irides are lighter in 

 colour. Some of the notes of the pair sent were very loud, and 

 exactly resembled those of Juida phcenicoptera, so much so, that 

 I was astonished to hear, as I thought, one of the latter birds 

 calling from the midst of a rushy swamp without a single tree 

 in the vicinity. 



CisTicoLA AYRESi, Hartl. Ayres's Cisticole. (No. 200, Ibis, 

 1863, p. 325, pi. viii. fig. 2.) 



Male and Female. Bills very finely serrated. 



Francglinus levaillanti, Temm. Le Vaillant's Francolin. 

 (No. 241, Ibis, 1864, p. 354.) 



Male. Ii'is hazel ; bill dusky, yellow at base ; tarsi and feet 

 dull yellow. The female is very similar in plumage, but the 

 spurs are wanting; they feed very much upon bulbous roots, 

 which they scratch up, break to pieces, and devour; they are 

 much esteemed both for sport and for the table ; but the flesh 

 of all our Francolins is, I think, dryer and of less flavour than 

 that of the common English Partridge. 



Geronticus hagedash (Lath.). Gaffer Ibis. (No. 48, Ibis, 

 1859, p. 248.) 



Female. Iris very dark bi'own, with a narrow outer ring nearly 

 white; bill black; ridge towards the base crimson; tarsi and 

 feet dull red. 



These birds are seldom solitary, generally occurring in small 

 families of from four to ten or twelve. When feeding they 

 much frequent the dense bush, and though usually very wary, 

 will sometimes allow one to walk right in amongst them before 

 they rise, which they then do all together, and with such a din 



