Ornithological Notes from the Transvaal. 57o 
81. Platalea tenuirostris (op. cit. p. 742). 
Only once obtained. 
82. Thalassornis leuconota (op. cit. p. 761). 
Rare. 
83. PoDiCEPs minor (op. cit. p. 787). 
Fairly common. 
II. List of Birds of the Modderfontein District. 
I now give a list of 75 species which I have met with at 
Modderfontein or in the surrounding district^ and add a 
few remarks. 
1. Gyps kolbi (Sharpe & Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 1). 
Common. 
2. Serpentarius secretarius (op. cit. p. 8). 
Scarce. 
3. BUTEO DESERTORUM (op. cit. p. 30). ^ 
Rare. 
4. Elanus c^ruleus (op. cit. p. 52). 
Common. 
I have found the nest of this bird in mimosa-bushes, 
blue gums, and firs. The structure is a rough platform of 
twigs slightly depressed in the centre, and lined with hair, 
wool, twine, &c. The usual number of eggs is three or 
four. Le Vaillant gives their colour as white, but I have 
never found them so ; they are more in accordance with the 
description given in Sharpe and Layard^s work, and are 
very similar to those of the South African Kestrel. 
A female shot as she flew from a nest contained an e^g 
which had a pure white ground blotched with the usual 
markings. 
5. Cerchneis rupicola (op. cit. p. 62). 
Fairly common. (See Ibis, 1901, p. 193.) 
6. Cerchneis rupicoloides (op. cit. p. 63). 
Fairly common. (See Ibis, 1901, pp. 16, 192.) 
