on some Field Notes in Sotdh Africa. 95


better they liked it. After that they ran loose about the tent and

the waggon till dusk, occasionally taking a mouthful or two out

of a mealie- or maize-cob. When night came they were both

returned to the box. I left this bird with a lady in Mafeking,

and was very grieved some time afterwards to learn that he was

accidentally drowned in a bath, while the poor Squirrel died of

apoplexy—too much sugar I fear.


At various times I had nine of these Parrots, one of which

I still have and which is alive and well and slowly changing into

the adult plumage and getting the golden forehead of maturity;

I kept a keen look-out for any other sort of Parrot, but saw none.

These little birds are quite common in the Magaliesberg, north

of Pretoria, and most days, while there, I saw what were

evidently family parties of five or six individuals; they do not

seem to go in larger flocks, and are only found where there are

plenty of trees. The Boers often keep these small Parrots as

well as one of the Glossy Starlings, these being the only species

I saw in captivity. There should be no difficulty in getting some

of these Parrots imported, and I can assure members of the

Society that they are most desirable little birds with very

engaging manners and a great deal of character. The bird I

have now lived in Mafeking for some months loose about a

house, and slept on the foot of one of the servants’ beds every

night.


Another little bird I noticed in Bosliof (O.F.S.) was the

Red-headed Finch (Amadina erythrocephala). Round the windows

of the Dutch Church in Boshof were some dozens of mud-nests,

built in the style of our familiar House-Martin by a little Black

and White Swift, which very much resembles the House-Martin.

Numbers of these nests were appropriated by the Finches, and I

often noticed them visit the yard where I was staying, to get

feathers for upholster}' purposes. I did not see them making

any nests for themselves, so I presume they found the eviction

plan, worked on the unfortunate Swifts, answered better and was

less bother. I saw no Red-headed Finches in the Transvaal,

although I kept a careful look-out for them.


In the Magaliesberg I saw numbers of the Grey Waxbill



