LETTERS FROM SOUTH AFRICA 
*45 
be recognised that these birds are wee beauties. Though they 
have no song to give, their plumage, and pert sociable ways, 
together with the fact that they are seed-eaters and do not 
readily languish in confinement, have led to their being con- 
sidered, as is all the genus in South Africa, fitting subjects (or 
the aviarists’ aggressive care. 
We have no heather here to set in lurid blaze on autumn 
nights ; but to provide stock with a sweet bite during winter our 
farmers burn off large patches of the veld (uncultivated ground 
everywhere in South Africa is called “ veld ”), and drawing near 
to one of these fires not long started, I was interested to observe 
a host of swallows and swifts busily hawking leewards, often in 
the densest of the smoke close up to the flames, after the flies 
which the fierce heat compelled to take wing. We by no means 
despise smoked fish, and I trusted these particularly industrious 
birds equally relished that meal. 
Rising from a headland overlooking one of our tidal rivers 
called Nahoon, where there are a few stretches of the damp, low- 
lying ground they are said to prefer, were seen a couple of Pallid 
Harriers ( Circus macrurus ), whose general colour is from ashen to 
bluish grey. These have a perfect flight, being equally clever 
at hovering, arching hither and thither, skimming along just 
shaving the ground, or beating across the sky in swift measured 
progression, their big sickle-like wings and long broad tails being 
well fashioned for such varied work. A glimpse was also caught 
of our little sparrow-hawk ( Accipiter miniillus), which is not often 
seen, as it keeps close to the bush, and being rather dark coloured 
one does not usually detect it perching. 
Only a few species of Woodpecker appear in this locality 
and these but sparsely, probably because our “ bush ” is bush 
and not forest ; their first cousins, the Barbets, being, however, 
more in evidence. The Campethcra notata which I saw with 
a swinging sort of flight cross the river, is perhaps oftenest 
observed, and is a pretty bird in its way — brownish green 
above, much barred and spotted with pale yellow, occipital crest 
scarlet, which colour spreads over the cheeks and tips the head 
feathers, under surface yellowish, with numerous dark spots 
from round to triangular in shape, the tail being a warm brown 
with golden bars and tips “worn down to the bone” in true 
picinian style. The total length of this species is 85 inches. 
We are the happy possessors (or at any rate, would so con- 
sider ourselves, did more than 5 per cent, of us know one bird 
from another) of an Oriole, which either never adopted or long 
ago resigned the “ harbinger ” role. It is fairly numerous here 
all the year round, and kloofs, where real trees (required for 
nesting) and a stream exist, are often much enlivened by the 
liquid piping of this lovely bird, whose coal-black head alone 
distinguishes it from the Golden Oriole you English folks who 
are not Selbornians, give such warm reception to. I notice 
when the breeding season is past its rich golden yellow is toned 
