XXX 
^’ol. X.] 
“In tlie suburbs of Capetown and in the immediate vicinity 
of that city, where I spent the greater part of my short stay 
in South Africa, birds, it must be confessed, are by no means 
abundant, either in species or in individuals. Altl)ough I 
Avas always on the look out for them and made short excur- 
sions into the surrounding country nearly every day, mainly 
for the purpose of observing them, I did not succeed in 
recognizing positively more tlian from 20 to 25 s[)ecies, and 
of some of these I saw but very few examples. 
“The commonest and most all-pervading bird in CapetoAvn 
and its vicinity at the time of year when 1 was there 
(September and October, answering to our March and April) 
w'as certainly the Cape Dove [Turtur capicola). The some- 
what harsh and grating love-call of this species could be 
heard at all times of the day, both in the city and suburbs, 
although it was not always easy to discover the exact position 
of the utterer. The call is something like the three syllables 
‘ kah-kay-ivhoo,’ with the last note much prolonged. The 
bird was evidently intending to breed everywhere, like our 
AVood-Pigeon in the parks of London and Paris. I also 
occasionally saw and heard a rather smaller Dove with a 
much softer and quite different call, which I take to have 
been Turtur senegalensis. 
“ The other birds that I most frequently noticed in the 
gardens at Capetown Avere the Cape Sparrow {Passer 
arcuatus), the Cape AA’’agtail {Motacilla cupensis), and the 
Collared Shrike [Lanius collaris). 
“ The Cape SparroAV is certainly not nearly so abundant as 
its British representative in London, but seems to have 
nearly similar habits. It Avas commencing to breed in the 
gardens, and builds nests similar to those of its European 
ally. The Cape AA'agtail may be seen pursuing insects on 
the w'ell-kept grass-plots suri’ounding the Parliament House, 
and is quite tame and familiar. 
“ The Collared Shrike, which I saAV every day on passing 
through the Municipal Cardens up to the IMuscum, shoAvs 
its pied plumage Avell amongst the green foliage of the trees. 
It is a most ferocious little villain, and if care is not taken 
