202 Notes from South Africa.


bird in his possession. The Spotted Emeus were magnificent;

one could hardly believe they had only just been landed after a

long sea-voyage, not to mention the land journey in Australia.

The Kangaroos of various kinds were delightful. So tame and

well kept. And Doves too — Brush Bronze-wings, Bronze-necked

Doves (like very well grown Peaceful Doves) and a big covey of

the little Plumed Doves, sitting closely packed together on the

ground in a very large aviary-cage, and uttering soft cooings*

Mr. Payne tells me these charming little birds are so tame in

their natural state, that they will hardly trouble to move out of

the way of the horses' hoofs as one rides along some track or

primitive road in the Australian bush ; and that their soft coo is

heard on all sides.


On leaving Lyncombe Hill that April morning, I wished

that all the birds and animals could be spared the grief and pain

of finding themselves in places where they would not be cared

for as they are there. I agree that in some shops an inspector of

the R.S.P.C.A. would not be amiss.



NOTES FROM SOUTH AFRICA.



In a private letter to the Editor, dated March 12th, 1907,

which he feels sure the writer will not mind his quoting from,

Captain Horsbrugh writes from Potchefstroom, Transvaal, as

follows: — "Since I last wrote you I have got hold of seven or

eight pairs of Harlequin Quail (C. de/egorguei) and it may interest

you to hear that at this time of the year they are extremely

common here and are breeding. The Cape Quail I have not

found here, and all I have shot or handled of other people's

shooting are delegorguei, while in Bloemfontein it is always

capensis one gets and I never saw delegorguei there. I have

got two pairs of Tumix, but I cannot make out from Stark and

Sclater's book whether my species is lepurana or hottentotta.


I have got, I believe, an adult male of the rare Vidua

albonotata (the White-winged Whydah) which my brother picked

up in Pretoria, and also Lagonosticta rubricata, which is extremely

like L. brunneiceps, except that it is a very little brighter and

larger by perhaps half an inch.



