154 DENIZENS OF THE FOEEST 



East Africa. In the Albany Division we found them nesting ; 

 the few eggs taken were invariably of a plain pale greenish- 

 blue, whereas Dr. Stark describes them as being spotted 

 with reddish-brown. It is, however, possible that they vary 

 occasionally, like those of the ordinary Spreo Mcolor. 



A superbly beautiful bird is the Plum-coloured Starling 

 (Cinnyricinclus leucogaster verreauxijithe male of which has 

 the upper parts, head and upper chest a bright metallic 

 copper colour with purplish and violet reflections, the rest 

 of the under surface being white. The female is totally 

 different, being of a mottled brown. 



This bird ranges from Natal, the Orange Free State and 

 Damaraland, through Zululand and the Transvaal to the 

 Congo on the West, and German East Africa on the East. 

 They feed chiefly on berries and insects. In the Pretoria 

 District along the Crocodile River, North of the Magaliesberg 

 Eange we found them not uncommon, and also along the 

 Pienaars River Valley. 



They nest during December in holes in trees, laying four 

 pale blue eggs spotted with pale brown. 



ORIOLES 



The Family Oriolidce is represented in South Africa by 

 four species, one of which {Oriolus notatus), though coming 

 as far South as the Northern Transvaal, is scarce and little 

 known, while the other (0. auratus) has only recently been 

 added to the South African Fauna by Alexander, who met 

 with it in the Zambesi Valley. 



Of the remaining two species, the Golden Oriole of Europe 

 (0. galbula) is a fairly scarce visitor to South Africa, being 

 recorded, amongst other places, from Pondoland, by Sergeant 

 Davies, C.M.R. ; Damaraland by Andersson ; Eustenburg 



