xxxi [Vol: x. 



will enter the verandahs and kill the pet birds there sus- 

 pended in their cages. Two instances of the death of 

 canaries in this way occurred during my stay in Capetown. 

 The Olivaceous Thrush {Tardus olivaceus), the ' Sprew ' 

 Starling (Amydrus mtrio), the so-called Cape ' Robin ' (Cos- 

 sypha caffra), and the Bakbakiri Bush-Shrike (Laniarius 

 bakbakiri) are four other species that are occasionally seen 

 in the gardens of the town and suburbs, but I should not 

 call any one of them abundant. Tlie Olivaceous Thrush picks 

 about on the ground like our Song-Thrush, and the Busli- 

 Shrike has somewhat similar habits, but attracts attention 

 by a variety of sweet whistling notes and is said to have 

 imitative faculties. 



" A loquat-tree [Photinia japonica) with ripening fruit is 

 the most likely place to see the Cape Bulbul (Pycnonotus 

 capensis). The ridiculous claim of this bird to figure in the 

 British List should be scouted by all sensible persons. It 

 is a strictly local South-African species and does not range 

 far north. 



" The pretty Yellow Weaver-bird (Sitagra capensis) I was 

 delighted to find busy in constructing its excessively neat 

 hanging nests in many gardens of the city and suburbs. 

 One small community had selected a willow -tree close to 

 the Public Library, near the celebrated Oak-walk, for the 

 purpose. I never failed to stop a<< I passed by every day to 

 admire the sprightly and active way in which these little birds 

 exercised their craft. In another spot the ill-advised builders 

 had selected a bunch of papyrus-stalks in an ornamental 

 pond for the seat of their operations. So soon as the nest 

 was complete the weight of the structure broke the papyrus 

 down and caused the fall of stalk and nest into the water 

 beneath. But the indefatigable birds would take no heed of 

 this event and only commenced their fruitless work again 

 on an adjoining stalk. 



" In a garden at Sea-point, the marine suburb of Capetown, 

 I was much delighted, on an afternoon in September, to 

 witness the proceedings of a small flock of Colies (believed 

 to have been Colius capensis). They were creeping about in 



