in the Lydenburg District of Transvaal. 423 
The only bird of prey sent in the collection ; the Raptores 
are but poorly represented at the Gold-fields. I, however, 
observed there during my stay of a year and a half the fol¬ 
lowing species, though many of them I saw but seldom, and 
some only once :— Neophron percnopterus , Vultur occipitalis , 
Otogyps auricularis , Gyps holbi , Gypaetus meridionalis , Buteo 
jakal , Helotarsus ecaudatus , Serpentarius secretarius, Falco 
biarmicus *, Tinnunculus ruficollis , Milvus parasiticus, Elanus 
cceruleus, and, I believe, also Accipiter melanoleucus. There 
were two or three species of Owls that frequented the pre¬ 
cipices and woods; but I did not succeed in shooting any of 
them. 
2. Caprimulgus EUROPiEUS, Linn. European Goatsucker. 
A few of these Goatsuckers made their appearance about 
our shanties during the summer months, having the noiseless 
habits of the genus, hiding away amongst the bushes during 
the day, and showing themselves just in the gloaming. 
[Mr. R. B. Sharpe, to whose kindness I am indebted for 
examining several of the birds sent by Mr. Ayres, identifies 
this specimen with C. europceus , to which species he also refers 
C. smithi of Bonaparte. 
The present specimen is paler-coloured than ordinary British 
examples, and, though a male, is destitute of white patches on 
the tail and wings; from which, and from the remarks re¬ 
specting other South-African specimens in the first edition 
of Mr. Layard^s work (p. 47), I infer that the young males 
of C. europceus must, during the first year, be destitute of 
these white patches, and also that probably the young birds 
of both sexes assume a paler hue than the normal tint of 
British specimens during their first southern migration. 
For further information bearing upon this subject, I would 
refer to Mr. DresseFs article on C. europceus in his f Birds of 
* [In a subsequent communication from Potchefstroom Mr. Ayres gives 
the following anecdote of a Falcon of this species :—“ A friend of mine 
saw one come down with great velocity, whilst he was out shooting, and 
clutch a Snipe at which his dog pointed, and which rose at the moment. 
The Falcon was shot at once by my friend ; and the Snipe, strange to say, 
flew away, apparently unhurt.”—J. H. Gk] 
