Mr. T. Ayres on the Ornithology of Transvaal. 297 
Male^ adultj shot 23rd October. Irides bright scarlet; hill 
crimson^ but dusky on the ridge and gonys | tarsi and feet 
dusky^ pale. Contents of stomachy grass-seeds. 
[In the immature bird, shot on the 13th of July^ the bill 
is only about three quarters of the length of the bill in the 
adult.—J. H. G.] 
Ortygospiza polyzona (Temm.). Little Barred-breasted 
Finch. 
Female^ shot near Potchefstroom^ 6th April. Irides bright 
reddish hazel; upper mandible dusky brown; under man¬ 
dible crimson ; tarsi and feet pale. 
Male^ shot 30th April. Irides bright hazel; bill bright 
crimson; tarsi and feet pale. 
This pretty little fellow I shot as he rose from the nest^ 
where he was evidently doing duty for his wife^ by sitting on 
the eggs in her absence. The nest was a very rough struc¬ 
ture^ placed on the ground amongst the grass and not easily 
seen, from its being composed of dead blades of grass; it 
was lined with a few coarse feathers, and in shape was much 
like the nests of some of the Sunbirds, with a projecting 
eave over the entrance, but all very rough. The eggs were 
five in number and pure white; length inch, breadth 
298. Fringillaria vittata, Swains. Rock-Bunting. 
Male, shot 20th February, at Potchefstroom. Total length 
6f inches, bill (from gape) tarsus ^ (barely), wing 3|, 
tail 2f. Irides dark hazel; bill dusky, the under mandible 
paler towards the gape; tarsi and feet dusky, soles of feet 
pale. 
Female, shot 26th December, on the rocky ranges near 
Potchefstroom. Total length inches, bill J, tarsus 
wing 3, tail 2J. Irides dusky; bill dusky bluish horn- 
colour ; tarsi and feet light dusky. 
[Mr. Ayres has affixed to one of the skins sent the English 
name of Rock-Bunting,^-’ which I have therefore retained. 
—J. H. G.] 
299. Pyrrhulauda verticalis. Smith. White-crowned 
Finch-Lark. 
Male, shot in August, in the Marico district. 
