245



j oil Birds of a Bloemfontein Garden.



harsh note which runs through it and sounds like—‘ Shadrach—

oh leave it—Shadrach-rack-rack oh leave it’ constantly repeated.


Three species of doves are very common : the Senegal,

Cape Turtle Dove {Turtur capicola) and the charming little Cape

or Namaqua Dove ( CEna capensis~). I found two nests of this

latter species last June, which is nearly the middle of winter here ;

one of the nests was on top of a furrow in a ploughed field and

not a bush near it. I presume the eggs must have been near

hatching time, as the little hen would only go a few feet away from

her treasures, and as soon as I moved away she flew to them at

once and settled herself down in the most confidential manner.


The Cape Sparrow ( Passer arcuatus) and a little Fantail

Warbler ( Cisticola ) nest in the creepers on the verandah; the

latter shows marvellous skill in just avoiding the cat. Its eggs

show great variations, blue with reddish spots being the usual

type, but I have seen white, white with red spots, pale blue, deep

blue and greenish with no spots; from different nests of course,

those from each nest being of the same general type.


Cabanis’s Thrush ( Turdus cabanisi ) a bird much resembling

our hen Blackbird of home and the Ground Scraper Thrush ( 'Tur-

dus litsitsirupa ) come occasionally, but are always very shy and

rather uninteresting, especially as I have never heard them sing.


Jan Friedrick or the Cape Robin ( Cossypha cafra ) on the

other hand, sings beautifully though not very loudly, and every

evening its clear melancholy notes can be heard from the depths

of a thick pepper-tree. I find this species difficult to ‘ meat off,’

but once used to captivity it stands cage life well and sings well.

One I took home in' 1906 sang finely during the voyage and was

doing well when I gave it to the Zoo. It is quarrelsome to a

degree with its own kind, but harmless with other species.*

The common Weavers (. Hyphantornis velatuas and Quelea russi)

swarm, and do much damage to the farmers, but the only thing

i .that I dislike about them is their song.


i G


The Cape Wagtail ( Motacilla capensis) is a resident here

and sings quite sweetly ; it is a dull coloured little thing, but its

i| cleverly-concealed nest is always interesting, as it is so frequently

the host of the Didric or Green Cuckoo.



\



* The specimen alluded to by Captain Horsbrugh is still alive at the Zoo, where also may

be seen the Red-capped Lark and Blackish Bulbul, recently received there. -Ed.



