















192 Mr. F. A. Barratt’s Notes on the Birds 
darius) in November 1874, A short distance from this I 
found some Francolins (F. afer) near the foot of the moun- 
tains, and from the long grass my dog started a few Quail. 
Proceeding towards Sandy’s River, leaving Wynberg a few 
miles to the right, we met with many water-birds, such as 
Wild Geese, Duck, Coots, Moorhens, and Grebes, started 
out of the vleys and ditches, whilst in the long waving grass 
the cackling noise of the “ Scolding Cock” (Eupodotis afra) 
often startled us as it flew up suddenly from under our feet, 
the more wary E. scolopacea only allowing us to approach it 
in circles. Ten miles or so to the north of Sandy’s River 
the route lay through a lonely glen threaded by a sparkling 
stream, in which could be detected large fish of all shades 
of colour, rolling over in the deepest pools: here it was that 
I first saw the Night-Heron and the Great African King- 
fisher, the latter falling to my gun. This glen is a: fa- 
vourite collecting-ground of mine; and I have at different 
times procured Guinea-fowl, Golden Cuckoos, many species 
of Hawks (notably Melieraxv niger), and the Spotted Eagle- 
Owl (Bubo maculosus). I also found Huplectes capensis and 
E. oryx breeding in considerable numbers in the reeds on an 
adjoming farm, where also many of the smaller Warblers 
were abundant. A few miles further on some mountains are 
reached; and here, hopping about among the stones, were 
Thrushes and Stonechats. The mountainous country is fol- 
lowed by a large flat, varied by a few slight undulations, after 
which the village of Kronstadt is reached. About ten miles 
from this I saw for the first time the Crowned Crane (Ba- 
learica regulorum) in a wild state; nor have I ever observed 
them south of this point. Ona“ spruit” about twenty miles — 
distant, I came across some Spoonbills and sundry Herons 
(Ardea cinerea), which I afterwards found were in the habit 
of building in a willow tree from year to year. Hence onward 
to Rhinoster Kop, where formerly wild dogs abounded, and 
where the cry of the Jackal is frequently heard: many Shrikes 
and Doves formed the conspicuous ornithological feature of 
this place; but perhaps the non-observance of other species 
was due to my short stay there. We now come to another 
flat, much the same style of country as the others, where 








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