MEM § ue vo ik ° ai bi) ey a Tea te Me meow vray ee eu boy PP Vad ee kh Be YS Cue FOLD Ley pee wad nn MP wun apt Wal, pr aye a0, es Peat LAR Ui) 7 ‘ ves One te ah lL Ms Oe pwn Atte adi ean NeW BL MD HN Wy eine ‘ yee M5 j ie hi Sen Ac es ‘ bi bey p Ad Ms v" FD OOP EA ita ye a bane ; ‘ , ve . ¥ " ih 4 sites Worl i bly i i Pinu , MYCN an) yyy ite yMveqemien ye eye ' Heke he ty wn F i 7 Ne ¥ n,! f 7 af tira Hee sists bon eer % a if A Vests ig Aah i eae Pa f Ranta" ways vie Ve | 3 as ‘you x hy eon Viv a! ' ene +3) FL OE Ae IP 5 | ya Alt oo oe 8 Versa innd ey ary a \\ (y i i re TI Wane Vays CANES en HA , fae | ae fl Hh teat iat h Saw ite ee Na ay FM ear Ve Vib rat NOG ni tin Diy), * Watt) A) ’ v3 He yi digiey , itr Sie yn > er renitn: ts Ua : ; , bfvalsiahis Hes Ve phen pd tea ie Pal itet Bee Ca CP were wy MEDI bed FoR i Pr Ne Wea Oat IY i cy i ny dt 7 yo , idle Pied i, au rah my “at ida 4 hah Ye Dee Sh LSS see ae 2 ‘eS ios se bed ! - *44 MOAR TC) 8 * : a) Veith ag Hectic mee Rte CYL GH Ras oH is ai Hd a hay f Cea * ; ny Li he Lore Ow ir " POR ere SMM AMR CHUB te PCr CURA MOTTA IE NUL Men 20 | - tee = aes TSist De + En ba sane say We is eet = \e bo 1 ‘4 « Feit Oya yaoi ie Tides CLV a ROR Ot dae & * Hite be 4 i el \ Vea Oe eo ebay HAY LANA Ee hp nN AWN PEN Ty ee u Wek: eit i Day ve Mey ri i ul i i i ra Fae ty ears } Hi { a f , ud Au Abt 0 CP AM ee aye Ahad f Mh Py DANS ae A Ke Mh ie Samer cay Cats Vis) The ne Mee Ha ALI atte i a ues i i K i i vl by Oy yen ue Wnt aii - ma THE IBIS, — : A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY, EDITED BY ile Utne SC iA. ).Se.5-8 RS, AND A, Hi. EVANS, M.A. F.ZS. NOD Ver ei NINTH SERIES. Delectasti me, Domine, in operibus mantiin tuarnm, 222548 LONDON: R. H. PORTER, 7 PRINCES STREET, CAVENDISH *QUARE, W. Tue ALERE FLAMMAM. PRINTED BY TAYLOR AND FRANCIS, RED LION COURT, FLEET STREET. PREFACE. Tue Two-hundred-and-sixth Number of ‘The Ibis’ completes the Fifty-third Volume of our Journal, leaving only one more volume required to finish the Ninth Series. Few peridicals, we believe, devoted to special subjects have lasted for so long a time, though we must not forget that the ‘Journal fiir Ornithologie’ started in 1855. The British Ornithologists’ Union is fortunate in increasing the number of its Members every year and consequently in augmenting the resources of its Journal. The most important events connected with our branch of Science that have taken place during the past year have been the return of the Expedition sent under the auspices of the British Ornithologists’ Union to New Guinea, and the donation of the ‘* Alexander” Collection to the British Museum. We have duly chronicled these events in the pages of ‘The Ibis,’ but may repeat that the Alexander Collection (see above, p. 187) contains about 4,000 skins, among which are the types of all a2 iV the many African species which Alexander discovered and described, and that the Collection made by the Naturalists of the New Guinea Expedition contains about 2,300 skins, which are now being carefully examined and determined at South Kensington. ba bi a Ane ieee Offices of the ZOOLOGICAL Society oF Lonpon, Regent’s Park, London, N.W.,, Octoker 1st, 1911. LIST OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS UNION. OW. {An asterisk indicates an Original Member. It is particularly requested that Members should give notice to the Secretary of the Union of any error in their addresses or descriptions in this List, in order that it may be corrected. | Date of Election. TOLL, HOA. to 1885. 1901. 15 1908. ALEXANDER, CHRIsToPHER JAMES; 3 Mayfield Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. ALEXANDER, Horace Gunpry; King’s College, Cambridge ; and 3 Mayfield Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. . APLIN, OttveR VeRNon; Stonehill House, Bloxham, Oxon. . ARCHIBALD, Caartes F.; 2 Darnley Road, West Park, Leeds, Yorks. ARRIGONI DEGLI Opp1, Count Error, Professor of Zoology, University, Padua; and Ca’ oddo, Monselice, Padua, Italy. . ARUNDEL, Major Watrer B., F.Z.S.; High Ackworth, Ponte- fract, Yorks. . AsoBy, Hersert; Broadway House, Brookvale Road, Southampton. . AsowortH, Dr. Jonn Wattwork, M.R.CS., L.R.C.P., F.R.G.S., F.G.S.; Thorne Bank, Heaton Moor, near Stockport, Cheshire. . Asttry, Huserr Detavat, M.A., F.Z.S.; Benham Park, Newbury, Berks. Bacxuovuse, Janus, F.Z.S.; Daleside, Scarborough, Yorks. . Baur, Poin Hernricu, M.A., M.B., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., F.Z.S.; Stockhurst Farm, Oxted, Surrey. . Barzrwarp, Col. Arraur Caurcuitt, F.Z.S. (R.F.A.) ; 64 Victoria Street, S.W. . Baxur, E. C. Sruarr, F.Z.8.; c/o Messrs. H. 8. King & Co., 65 Cornhill, E.C.; and Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Dacca, India. Baxer, Joun C., M.B., B.A.; Ceely House, Aylesbury, Bucks. Batt, Crisery Atrrep (Sudan Civil Service) ; Geteina, White Nile Province, Sudan. 20 25 35 40 Date of vi Election. 1889. 1906. 1890. 1903, 1906. 1908. 1902, 1910; 1897. 1897. 1907. 1907. 1880. 1892. 189t, 1903. 1897. 1905. 1894. 1906. 18y8. 1904. 1907. 1908. Barston, Ricnirp James, '.Z.8,; Springfield, Maidstone. Bannerman, Davin A., B.A.; 11 Washington House, Basil Street, S.W. Barciay, Francis Husrrt, F.Z.8.; The Warren, Cromer, Norfolk. . Barcray, Huew Gurvey, F.Z.8.; Colney Hall, Norwich. 89. Barrurr-Haminron, Major Geratp KE. H., F.Z.S.; Kilmanock, Campile, Waterford, Ireland. . Barrineron, Ricuarp Manutrre, LL.D.; Fassaroe, Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland. Barrets, Max.; Pasir Datar, Halto Tjisaiit (Preanger), Java, Dutch East Indies, Bates, Grorezk L., C.M.Z.S.; Bitye, Ebolowa, Kamerun, West Africa. Beaumont, Watrer Ippotson, F.Z.8.; 1 Osborne Place, Plymouth. Becner, Harry, C.E.; Strathmore,, Burnham-on-Crouch. Beeston, Harry; Sunnymead, South Street, Havant, Hants. Beysoy, Joun; The Post Office, Vancouver, B.C. Berry, Wittiam, B.A., LL.B.; Tayfield, Newport, Fifeshire. Beruect, The Hon. Ricuarp ; 30 Mill Street, Mayfair, W. Bickerton, Witiiam, F.Z.8.; The Hawthorns, Mariborough Road, Watford, Herts. Browett, Epwarp; 1 Trig Lane, Upper Thames Street, F.C, Brrp, The Rev. Maurice C. H., M.A.; Brunstead Rectory, Stalham, 8.0., Norfolk. Braauw, Frans Ernst, C.M.Z.8.; Gooilust, ’sGraveland, Hilversum, Noord-Holland. Bratawayt, The Rev. Fraycis Lintry, M.A.; Doddington Rectory, Lincoln. Bonar, The Rev. Horativs Nrvian, F.Z.8.; Saltoun, Pen- caitland, N.B. Bonz, Henry Perens, F.Z.S. ; 28 Adelaide Crescent, Brighton, Bonnorr, Joun Lewis, M.A., F.LS., F.Z.8.; Gade Spring Lodge, Hemel Hempstead, Herts. (Secretary & Treasure P) Boorman, Sratnes; Heath Farm, Send, Woking, Surrey. Boorgs, Grorce Arserr; 6 North Road, Preston ; and Fern Hill, Grange-over-Sands, Lanes. Boorn, Harry B.; Rybill, Ben Rhydding, vid Leeds, Yorks, Borasron,Joun Macratr; Ingleside,Stretford nearManchester. Borxer, Currrorp Darisoy ; 6 Durham Place, Chelsea, $.W. 45 60 Date of Election, i910, Brarourner, Wynpwam Wentwortn, Lord, F.Z.S8.; 8 Talgarth Mansions, Talgarth Road, West Kensington, W. 1895. Braprorp, Sir Jonn Kose, K.C.M.G., M.D., D.Sc., F.RB.S., F’.Z.S ; 8 Manchester Square, W. 1902. Bripgeman, Commdr. The Hon, Ricuarp O. B., R.N.; Weston Park, Shifnal, Saiop. 1909. Brices, Tuomas Henry, M.A., F.E.S.; Rock House, Lynmouth, R.8.0., N. Devon. 1902, Bristowr, Bertram Artuur; The Cottage, Stoke D’Abernon, Surrey. 1885. Brockuores, Wintiam Firzurersert ; Claughton-on-Brock, Garstang, Lancashire. 1908. Broox, Epwarp Jonas, F.Z.S8.; Hoddam Castle, Ecclefechan, NSB: 1890. Brooxr, Harry Briystey; 33 Egerton Gardens, 8.W. 1899. Brooxs, Joun Arruvr, J.P.; Fenay Hall, Huddersfield; and Fearn Lodge, Ardgay, Ross-shire. 1900. Bruce, Wittram Speirs, LL.D., F.R.S.E.; Scottish Oceano- graphical Laboratory, Surgeon’s Hall, Edinburgh, 1907. Buckiey, Coartes Mars; 4 Hans Crescent, 8.W. 1906. Bucxnitt, The Hon. Josn Arexanper Srracuey, M.A., F.Z.8.; Kioshly Chiftlik, Nicosia, Cyprus; and Hylands House, Epsom, Surrey. 1895. Butearia, H.M. Frrptnanp, King of, F.Z.8.; The Palace, Sofia, Bulgaria. 1908. Bunyarp, Percy Frepericr, F.Z.8.: 57 Kidderminster Road, Croydon, Surrey. 1907. Burner, ArrHor Garpiner, Ph.D., F.L.S., F.Z.8.; 124 Beck- enham Road, Beckenham, Kent. 1899, Butter, ArrHur Lennox, F.Z.S.; Superintendent of Game Preservation, Sudan Government, Khartum, Sudan. 1884. Burter, Lieut.-Col. EK. A.; Winsford Hall, Stokesby, Great Yarmouth. 1900. Burrress, Bernarp A. E.; Craft Hill, Dry Drayton, Cambridge. 1905. Buxron, Anrnony; Knighton, Buckhurst Hill, Essex. 1884. Buxron, Grorrrey Fowe rt, F.Z.S8.; Dunston Hall, Norwich. 1896. Capp, Francis J.; Mosborough, The Park, Cheltenham. 1889. Cameron, Ewen Somertep, F.Z.S.; Tallon, Montana, U.S.A. Date of Election. 1€96. Oo (hy 1888. 1892. 1909. 1909. 70 1904. 80 1889. 1898. 1895. 85 1911. vill Camenoy, Capt. James 8.; (2nd Bn. Royal Sussex Regt.) Low Wood, Bethersden, Ashford, Kent, Cameron, Joun Duncan; Low Wood, Bethersden, Ashford, Kent. CampsEtn, CHartes WiitiamM, C.M.G., C.M.Z.8., H.B.M. Chinese Consular Service; British Legation, Peking, China. Camppett, Davin Cattenper, J.P.; Templemore Park, Londonderry, Ireland. Carrott, Cremer Josep; Rocklow, Fethard, Co. Tipperary, Treland. CarrutHers, ALEXANDER Dovetas M.; Little Munden Rectory, Ware, Herts. . Carrer, Thomas; Wensleydale, Broome Hill (Great Southern Railway), Western Australia. Cave, Cuarits Joun Puitip, M.A., F.Z.S.; Ditcham Park, Petersfield, Hants. . Cuance, A. Macous, M.A.; c/o E. P. Chance, Esq., Lawnside, Edgbaston, Birmingham. . Cuarpman, Apny, F.Z.S.; Houxty, Wark-on-Tyne, North- umberland, . Cuasz, Roserr Wirr1aAm; Pool Hall, Wishaw, near Bir- mingham. CuersmMan, Rosert E.; Tilsden, Cranbrook, Kent. CuotmLEy, ALrrep Joun, F.Z.S.; Place Newton, tillington, Yorks. Cuuss, Cuartes, F.Z.8.; British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, 5, W. . Crarxn, Capt. Gotanp van Horr, D.S.O., F.Z.8. : Chilworth > l d ? Sy Court, Romsey, Hants. Crarkr, Lt.-Col. Srrruznson Rozert, F.Z.8.; Borde Hill, Cuckfield, Sussex. Crarkge, WitniAM Eaerr, F.L.S.; Royal Scottish Muscum, Edinburgh. Cocnrane, Commdr. Henry Lan, R.N.; Junior United Service Club, Charles Street, St. James’s, S.W. Cocks, AurreD Henracr, M.A., F.Z.8.; Poynetts, Skirmett, near Henley-on-Thames. Cores, Ricrarp Epwarp; Ashley Arnewood, New Milton, S.0O., Hants. Cottetr, Anthony Keetinc ; 0 Stone Buildings, Lincoln's Inn, W.C, NS ) o5 100 105 Date of Election. 1904. 1909. 1910. 1896. 1897. 1883. 1908. 1905, 1909. . Cowrz, Col. AtexanpER Hveu, F.Z.S. Cottinr, Cuarrrs, F.Z.8.; Bridge House, Culmstock, Devon; and Windham Club, St. James’ Square, S.W. Concreve, Wirntram Marrranp (Licut. R.A.); Breinton House, near Hereford. Conicrave, Cuar.es Price, F.R.G.S., R.A.O.U.; Department of Agriculture, Perth, Western Australia. ConpEaux, Major Witiram Witrrip, (late 21st Lancers), Hopebourne, Harbledown, Canterbury. ; Uddens House, Wimbourne, Dorsct. . Crews, Sir Vauncuy Harpur, Bt.; Calke Abbey, Derby. Crossman, Anan F., F.Z.8S.; Cumminin Station, near Dood- lakine, Western Australia, CrowLEy, Joun Cyriz, M.A.; 5 Becch House Road, Croydon, Crowrey, Rreinatp Atwyn; Bernards, Vines Cross, Sussex ; and 22 High Street, Croydon. Corris, FrepErtcx, F.R.C.S.; Lyndens, Redhill, Surrey. Datertisn, Joun J.; Brankston Grange, Bogside Station, Alloa, N.B. Danrorp, Capt. Bertram W. Y., R.E.; Bermuda. Daryiry, Ivo Francis Watton, Earl; Cobham Hall, Gravesend ; and Clifton Lodge, Athboy, Co. Meath. Davipson, James, F.Z.8.; 32 Drumsheugh Gardens, Edin- burgh. Davies, Craupp G.; ‘E’ Squadron, Cape Mounted Riflemen, Matatiele, E. Griqualand, South Africa, Davis, KennetoH James Acron; Julian Hill, Harrow; and King’s College, Cambridge. Derrmt-Rapcrirrn, Capt. Atrrep (105th Maratha Light Infantry); Satara, Deccan, India; and c/o Messrs. Cox & Co., 16 Charing Cross, 8.W. Denr, Cuartes Henry; c/o Messrs. Barclay & Co. Ltd., Darlington, Durham. De Vis, Cuarters W.; Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Australia; andcare of Mr. B. Quaritch, 11 Grafton Street, W. De Winton, Wititam Epwarp, F.Z.S.; Southover Hall, Burwash, Sussex. . Lopate, James Brxt, F.R.S.E., F.Z.8.; 12 South Inverleith Terrace, Edinburgh. It5 Date of Election | 1889. 1911. 1904. 1904. 1865. 1896. 1890. 1884, 1902. 1904. 1866. 1879. 1892. 1909. 1894. Dostr, Witi1im Henry, M.R.C.S.; 2 Hunter Street, Chester. Dopsworra, Pernam Taeosatp Lanpaues, F.Z.S.; Carlton Grove, Simla, 8.W., (Punjab), India. Dorriex-Sauiri, THomas Atcurnon, J.P., D.L.; Treseo Abbey, Scilly Isles. Draket-Brocxman, Dr. Ratepa Evetyn, M.R.C.S., L.2.C.P., F.Z.8.; Cheriton, Wellington Road, Bournemouth. Dresser, Henry Estes, F.L.S., F.Z.S.; 44 Hornton Court, Kensington, W. Drewitt, Frevertc Dawrrey, M.A., M.D., F.Z.S.; 14 Palace Gardens Terrace, Kensington, W. Drommonp-Hay, Col, Jamns A. G. R.- (Coldstream Guards); Seggieden, by Perth, N.B. . Dockworta, Grorep Hurpert; Philpots, East Grinstead, Sussex. Dvrnrorp, W. Artuur, J.P.; Elsecar, Barnsley, Yorks. Dutron, The Hon. and Rev. Canon Frepertck Gurorce; Bibury, Fairford, Gloucestershire, Farts, Epwarp Vavasour ; 4 Broad Street Place, E.C. Eiiior, Epmunp A, 8., M.R.C.8S.; Woodville, Kingsbridge, South Devon. Extiorr, Ateprnon, C.1.E.; 16 Belsize Grove, Hamp- stead, N.W. Extison, The Rey, Arran, M.A.; Althorpe Rectory, Doncaster, Yorks. E:ron, Henry Brown, B.A., M.B., B.C., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.; Glenview, Llandovery, South Wales. Ewes, Henry Joun, F.R.S., F.Z.S.; Colesborne, Cheltenham. Kivans, Antaur Humste, M.A., F.Z.S8.; 9 Harvey Road, Cam- bridge. (Joint Editor.) . Evans, Wittiam, F.R.S.E.; 38 Morningside Park, Edin- burgh, . Ewen, Guy L’Esrraner (King’s Messenger); St. James's Club, Piccadilly, W. Farreriven, Winrtam Groree; 141 Long Market Street, Capetown, South Africa. Fansniwe, Capt. Rrewarp D. (late Scots Guards); Adbury Holt, Newbury, Berks, Farquuar, Rear-Admiral Arrnvr Murray, 0.V.0.; Granville Lolge, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, N.B. 130 140 145 150 Date of Election. 1898. 1881. 1895. 1909. 1881. 1886. 1907. 1900. 1892. 1902. 1904. 1903. xi Farquuar, Capt. Sruarr Sr. J., R.N.; Naval & Military Club, Piceadilly, W. . Frizpen, Col. Henry Wemyss, C.B., C.M.Z.S.; Burwash, Sussex; and Junior United Service Club, S.W. . Fintivson, Horace W., F.Z.8.; 5 Rosamond Road, Bedford. 2. Finn, Frayx, B.A., F.Z.8.; 36 St. George’s Road, Regent’s Park, N.W. 2. Frowrer, Capt. Srantey Suyrn, F.Z.S.; Kedah House, Zoological Gardens, Giza, Egypt. . Forses, Henry Oce, LL.D., F.Z.S.; 46 Leinster Square, Bayswater, W. . Fosrer, Nevin Harkness; Hillsborough, Co. Down, Ireland. . Foster, Witt1am; 39 Colville Gardens, Bayswater, W. . Fowrer, Wittram Warpe, M.A.; Lincoln College, Oxford. 5. Fox, The Rev. Henry Exriotr, M.A. ; The-Croft, Lytton Grove, Putney Hill, 8.W. Frexe, Percy Evans; Southpoint, Limes Road, Folkestone. Fronawk, Frepprick WitL1am; Ashmount, Rayleigh, Essex. Frost, Witt1am Epwarp, J.P.; Ardvreck, Crieff, Perthshire. Gavow, Hans, Ph.D., F.R.S., F.Z.8.; University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge. GatnsporouGH, Coartes Wititam Francis, Earl of; Exton Park, Oakham, Rutland. Ganpotri, ALronso Orno Ganporri-Hornyotrp, Duke, Ph.D. ; Blackmore Park, Hanley Swan, Worcestershire. Garnett, Coartes; 9 Cleveland Gardens, Hyde Park, W.; and New University Club, St. James’s Street, S.W. Gerrard, Joun, Government Inspector of Mines; Worsley, near Manchester, Lancs. . Gissins, Wittiam Bevineron, F.Z.8.; Ettington, Stratford- on-Avon, Warwickshire. . Grsson, Ernest, F.L.S., F.Z.S8., F.R.G.S.; 25 Cadogan Place 3 | 9 ) oD 9 S.W.; and c/o Messrs. Fraser, Stodart & Ballingall, 16 Castle Street, Edinburgh. Gittman, Arntuur Rirzy ; Heath Vale, Farnham, Surrey. Gitroy, Norman; 95 Claremont Road, Forest Gate, E.; and Seaford, Sussex. Grapstonr, Huen Srevanrr, M.A., F.Z.8.; Capenoch, Thorn- hill, Dumfriesshire, 155" 160 165 170 Date of Election. X11 1889. GLunconner, Epwarp Priavrtx, Lord, M.A, F.ZS.; 1908. 1906. 1901. 1900, 1906, 1899. 1895. 1909. 1909. 1906, 1885. 1908. 1870. 1896. 1890. 34 Queen Anne’s Gate, 8.W. ; and The Glen, Innerleithen, Peeblesshire, N.B. Gorman, Capt. Epwarp Sartrtey (2nd Dorset Regiment) ; Muntham, Horsham, Sussex. . Gopman, Frrprricx DuCanr, D.C.L., F.R.S., F.Z.8.; 45 Pont Street, S.W.; and South Lodge, Horsham, Sussex. (President.) (Gold Medallist.) . Gopman, Prrcy Sanpen, B.A., C.M.Z.S.; Muntham, Horsham, Sussex. (Gold Medallist.) Goopatt, Jeremtad Marruews, F.Z.8.; 52 Oxford Gardens, North Kensington, W. GoopcniLp, Herserr; 66 Gloucester Road, Regent’s Park, N.W. Gooprettow, Watrter, F.Z.S.; Mont Fleuri, Southbourne Grove, Bournemouth, Hants. Gorpon, Seron Pavt, F.Z.8.; Auchintoul, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, N.B. Govutp, Francis Herserr Carruruers, F.Z.8.; Matham Manor House, East Molesey, Surrey. Grabuam, Oxtyy, M.A.; The Museum, York. Grant, Craups Henry Baxter, F.Z.8.; 66 Hurlingham Road, Hurlingham, 8.W. Grey, The Rt. Hon. Sir Epwarp, Bt., P.C., F.Z.8.; Falloden, Christon Bank, R.S.0., Northumberland. Grirrirn, ArtHuR Fosrpr ; 59 Montpellier Road, Brighton. GuILLFMARD, Frixcts Henry Hitt, M.A., M.D., F.Z.8.; Old Mill House, Trumpington, Cambridge. Gurygy, Gerarp Hupson, F.Z.S., F.E.S.; Keswick Hall, Norwich, Norfolk. Gurney, Joun Heyry, F.Z.S.; Keswick Hall, Norwich; and Athenzeum Club, Pall Mall, S.W. Gurney, Rosert, F.Z.S.; Ingham Old Hall, Stalham, Norfolk. Gwatkix, Josoua Reynotps Gascoren ; The Manor House, Potterne, Devizes, Wilts. . Haren, Grorcr Hunry Caron ; Grainsby Hall, Great Grimsby, Lincolnshire. . Haryes, Joun Prevpett Witron ; 17 King Street, Gloucester. . Hare, The Rev. Jauzs Rasuteteu, M.A.; Boxley Vicarage, Maidstone, Kent. d. Hamerron, Capt. Atserr Epwarp, D.S8.0., R.A.M.C., ‘.Z.8.; c/o Messrs, Holt & Co., 3 Whitehall Place, 8.W. 180 185 190 Xili Date of Election 1904, Hariyeron, Major Hernerr Hastixes; 92nd Punjabis, Mandalay, Upper Burma; and ¢/o Messrs. Thos. Cook & Sons, Ludgate Circus, I.C. . Harrrr, Epmunp Witriay, F.Z.8. ; c/o Mombasa Pharmacy, Mombasa, British East Africa. . Harris, Henry Epwarp; 2 St. Aubyn’s Mansions, Hove, Sussex. . Hartert, Ernst J.O., Ph.D., F.Z.8.; The Zoological Museum, Tring, Herts. . Hartine, James Epuunp, F.L.S., F.Z.8.; Edgewood, Wey- bridge, Surrey. . Hartmann, Wrttram; Milburn, Esher, Surrey. . Harvey, Major Rosperr Narier, R.E.; Broxhead Cottage, Bordon Camp, Hants. 3. Harvie-Brown, Joun A., F.R.S.E., F.Z.8.; Dunipace, Larbert, Stirlingshire, N.B. 1900. Hastuck, Percy Pepnrey Harrorp; The Wilderness, South- gate, N. 1902. Harremp, Jonn Ranpatt; Edlington Hall, Horneastle, Lincoinshire. F 1898. Hawker, Ricnarp Macponnett, F.Z.8.; Bath Club, Dover 1905. Street, W.; and c/o Messrs. Dalgety & Co., 96 Bishopsgate Street Within, E.C. Hawxsuaw, Joun Cranks, M.A., M.LC.E., F.Z.8S., F.G8.; Hollycombe, Liphook, Hants ; and 33 Great George Street, Westminster, 8.W. 5. Heavier, Freperick Wrss, M.A., F.Z.S.; Haileybury Coliege, Herts. 7. Hepvers, Georce Mircnrrt; 42 Kensington Park Gar- dens, W. 5. Hettmarr, Cart E.; Wittelsbacherstrasse 2 III., Munich, Germany. . Hert, Grorrrey Seccompr, M.B., F.Z.8.; 8 Wimpole Street, W. . Heywoop, Ricwarp, F.Z.8S.; Narside, Narborough, Swaffham, Norfolk. . Hors, Jonn Watrter,; Queen Anne’s Mansions, West- minster, S.W.; and Highhead Castle, Carlisle. . Hotpswortu, Cuarres James, J.P.; Fernhill, Alderley Edge, Cheshire. 1905. Horxinson, Eutrrus, M.B., D.8.0., F.Z.S.; 45 Sussex Square, Brighton, Sussex ; and Medical Offieer, Gambia, West Africa. 195 200 210 XIV Date of Election. 1904, Horssrven, Major Born Ronerr, F.Z.S. (Army Service Corps) ; Morristown Biller, Newbridge, Co. Kildare, Treland. 1888. Horsrrerp, Herbert Kyicut; Crescent Hill, Filey, Yorks. 1895. Howarp, Henry Entor, F.Z.8.; Clarelands, near Stourport, Worcestershire. 1881. Howarp, Roser James; Shearbank, Blackburn, Lancashire. 1911. Hupson, Epwarp; 15 Queen Anne’s Gate, S.W. 1911. Hopson, Rreetnatp; 16 Warwick Road, Stratford-on-Avon. 1869. Hume, Atian Octavian, C.B., 0.8.1, F.Z.8.; The Chalet, 4 Kingswood Road, Upper Norwood, 8.E. 1890. Hunter, Henry Cuartzs Vicars, F.Z.8.; Abermarlais Park, Llangadock, Carmarthenshire. 1901. Ineram, Cottrnewoop, F.Z.8.; Sussex Mansions, Westgate- on-Sea, Kent. 1902. Innes Bey, Dr. Water Francis; Curator of the Zoological Museum, School of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt. 1888. Jackson, Frepertck Jony, C.B., C.M.G., F.LS., F.ZS.; Entebbe, Uganda, British East Africa ; and The Red House, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. 1892. James, Henry Asnworrn, F.Z.S.; Hurstmonceux Place, Hailsham, Sussex. 1896. Jusse, WrntiaM, B.A., F.Z.8.; Meerut College, Meerut, India. 889. Jonnson, FrepERiIck Ponsonsy, B.A., J.P., D.L.; Castlesteads, Brampton, Cumberland. 1891. Jounston, Sir Harry Hamitton, G.C.M.G., K.C.B., F.Z.S.; St. John’s Priory, Poling, near Arundel, Sussex. 1905. Jonnstonn, Epwin Janus, F.Z.S. ; Burrswood, Groombridge, Sussex; and Junior Carlton Club, Pall Mall, S.W. 1900. Jonxs, Major Henry, F.Z.S, (late 62nd Regt.) ; East Wickham House, Welling, Kent. 1909. Jones, Staff-Surgeon Kennern Hvrtisronr, M.B., Ch.B., F.Z.8., R.N.; The Manor House, St. Stephen’s, Canterbury, Kent. 1899. Jourparn, The Rey. Francis Coarres Rosert, M.A.; Clifton Vicarage, near Ashburne, Derbyshire. 1902. Joy, Norman Houmpert, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.; Thurlestone, Bradfield, near Reading, Berks. 1880. Krrmam, Col. Henry Roserr, C.B. (late Highland Light Infantry); Army and Navy Club, Pall Mall, S.W. 215 220 225 230 235 xV Date of Election. 1894. Kersatx, Major Harry Josrrn, R.A.; c/o J. W. Jameson, Esq., Langham Lea, Bowdon, Cheshire. 1897. Krtsatt, The Rev. Joun Epwarp, M.A.; Milton Rectory, New Milton, Hants. 1904, Kurso, Joan Epwarp Harry, M.D.; Holmwood, Hayling Island, Hants. 1891, Kerr, Jonn Granam, F.RS., F.Z.S., Regius Professor of Zoology, 9 The University, Glasgow. 1895, Kinesyorp, Witti1am Epwarp ; Cairo, Egypt. 1902. Krynrar, Norman Boyp; Bombay Natural History Socicty, 6 Apollo Street, Bombay, India. 1910. Kross, Ceciz Bonen, F.Z.S., F.R.A.I.; Curator of the Perak State Museum, Taiping, Perak, Federated Malay States. 1882. Knusxey, The Rev. Enwarp Ponsonsy, M.A.; Steeple Ashton Vicarage, Trowbridge, Wilts. 1900. Kornic, Dr. ALEXANDER Frerprnanp ; Coblenzer-Strasse 164, Bonn, Germany. 1906. Kottisay, Paut; Ring 121, Neisse, Germany. 1892. Larptaw, THomas Geppes; Bank of Scotland, Duns, N.B. 1884. Laneron, Hersert; St. Moritz, 61 Dyke Road, Brighton. 1881. Lasceties, The Hon. Geratp Witiian, F.Z.8.; The King’s House, Lyndhurst, Hants. 1892. La Toucnz, Joun Davin Dieuns, C.M.Z.8.; c/o Custom House, Chinkiang, China (vid Siberia). 1910. Lees, T. O. Hasrinas, M.A., F.Z.8.; 4 Osnaburgh Terrace, Regent’s Park, N.W. 1905. Lrecr, The Hon. Greratp; c/o Messrs. Hoare, 37 Fleet Street, E.C. 1906. Leica, Jonn Hamitron, F.Z.8.; Matcham’s Park, Ringwood, Hants. 1898, Le Sovir, Dupiey, C.M.Z.8.; Director of the Zoological Gardens, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. 1868. Lr Srraner, Hanon, F.Z.8.; Hunstanton Hall, King’s Lynn, Norfolk ; and 1 Eaton Place, Eaton Square, 5.W. 1889, Leyzanp, CuristoPneEr Joun, F.Z.8.; Haggerston Castle, Beal, Northumberland. 1897. Lrrorp, Jonn, Lord, F.Z.S.; Lilford Hall, Oundle, Northants. 1909. Lines, George Hersert; Barciecroft, Burnage, Didsbury, Manchester. 1897. Loner, Grorcr Evwarp, F.Z.S.; The Studios, 5 Thurloe Square, S.W. 240 245 250 255 xvi Date of Election, 1908. Lona, Syvpvery Hersert, M.D.; 37 St. Giles Street, Norwich, Norfolk. 1904. Lows, Dr. Percy R., B.A., M.B.; ¢/o Sir Frederic Johnstone, Bt., The Hatch, Windsor, Berks. 1889. Lorn, Lt.-Col. Anraur Purvis, F.Z.8. (ate 21st Hussars) ; Hurst Lodge, Sunningdale, Berks. 1902. Lucas, AuBEron Tuomas, Lord, F.Z.S.; 33 Grosvenor Road, S.W. 1877. Lumspen, James, F.Z.S.; Arden House, Arden, Dumbarton- shire, N.B. 1908. Lyen.i, Cnoartres Henry, ; 48 Eaton Place, S.W. 1904. Lynes, Commander Huserr, R.N.; Garthmeilio, Corwen, North Wales. 1900. McConnetr, Freperick Vavasour; Camfield Place, Hatfield, Herts. 1905. McGrureor, Perer Jamas Corevsoun; H.B.M. Consul, British Consulate, Erzerum, Turkey in Asia. 1897. McLean, Joun CuHampers; Te Karaka, Gisborne, New Zealand. 1899. Macmurttan, George Aveustin, F.Z.8.; 2 Gardens, S.W. 1906. Macwittay, Wirtram Epwarp Frank; 27 Queen's Gate Gardens, S.W. 1909. Macnacurey, Norman Donnetty; Ministry of the Interior, Cairo, Egypt. 1894. Macrzerson, Artaur Hotrrn, F.Z.S.; 21 Campden Hill Square, Kensington, W. 1906. Magraru, Major Henry Aveustus Fruperick ; c/o Messrs. H. S. King & Co., 9 Pall Mall, 8.W. 1907. Many, Tuomas Hueu, F.Z.8S.; Trulls Hatch, Rotherfield, Sussex. 1908. Marres, Srvarr; Lytton House, Stevenage, Herts. 1904. Marteron, Harvey Wittiam, B.A.; Weare, Axbridge, Somerset. 1894. Marswantt, Arcuipatp McLean, F.Z.8.; Great Chitcombe, Brede, Sussex. 1894. Marsuatt, Jauns McLray, F.Z.8.: Bleaton Hallet, Blair- gowrie, Perthshire, N.B. 1897. Mason, Col. Epwarp Snow; 10 Lindum_ Terrace, Lincoln, Queecn’s Gato Date of Election. 1898. 260 1907. 1908. 1896. 1883. 1899. 265 1886. 1903. 1879. 1901. 275 1897. XVU Massry, Hersert; Ivy Lea, Burnage, Didsbury, Manchester, Matnews, Grecory Macatister, F.L.S., F.Z.8.; Langley Mount, Watford, Herts. Marsews, Ricnarp Owen; Langley Mount, Watford. Maxwett, The Rt. Hon. Sir Herserr Eustace, Bt., P.C., F.R.S.; Monreith, Whauphiill, Wigtownshire, N.B. Mrapre-Wautpo, Epmunp Gustavus Broomrirenp, F.ZS. ; Stonewall Park, Edenbridge, Kent. MetnertzHacen, Capt. Ricnarp, F.Z.8. (Royal Fusiliers) ; c/o Messrs. Cox & Co., 16 Charing Cross, 8. W. Mitrats, Joun Guitte, F.Z.S.; Compton’s Brow, Horsham, Sussex, Mitts, The Rev. Henry Horroyn, M.A., F.Z.8.; The Rectory, St. Stephen-in-Brannel, Grampound Road, Cornwall. Mircnert, Freporick Suaw; MHornshaws, Millstream, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Mitcrett, P. Cuatmers, M.A., D.Sc., LL.D., F.B.S., F.LS., F.Z.8.; Secretary to the Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, N.W. . Momarr, A. R.; Magdalene College, Cambridge. Monro, Horace Ceci, C.B.; Queen Anne’s Mansions, Queen Anne’s Gate, S.W. . Moors, Lt.-Col. Cyriz H.; Regimental Accountant’s Office, Colchester, Essex. . Murrneap, Gerorce, F.R.S.E.; Speybank, Fochabers, Morayshire. . Muttens, Major Witt1am Hersert, M.A., LL.M., F.Z.8.; Westfield Place, Battle, Sussex. . Munn, Partie Wincuester, F.Z.8.; Laverstoke, Whitchurch, Hants. Mont, Henry, F.Z.8.; 10 Ashburn Place, South Kensington, S.W. . Murray, Epwarp Macrenzin; Woodside, Coupar-Angus, Perthshire. . Murray, Hersert Wittaume, F.Z.8.; The Old House, Epsom, Surrey. . Musrers, Jonn Partrrcrus Coaworru, D.L., J.P.; Annesley Park, Nottingham. Neave, SHerrrerp Arrey, M.A., B.Sc. F.Z.S.; Mill Green Park, Ingatestone, Essex XV Ol Ve bh Date of Election. 280 1882. 1895. 1904. 1902. 1900. 285 1876. 1902. 1904. 1892. 1890. 290 1889. 1907. 1906. 295 1908. 300 1891. 1902. XVlil Netson, Tuomas Hunson; Seafield, Redear, Yorkshire. Nesuam, Rosert, F.Z.8., F.E.S.; Utrecht House, Queen’s Road, Clapham Park, 8.W. Newman, Tuomas Henry, F.Z.8.; Newlands, Harrowdene Road, Wembley, Middlesex. Nicuots, Joun Brucz, F.Z.8.; Parliament Mansions, Victoria Street, S.W. Nicuots, Watrer Bucwanan; Stour Lodge, Bradfield, Manningtree, Essex, Nicnotson, Francts, F.Z.8.; The Knoll, Windermere, Westmoreland. Nicoti, Mrcaart Joun, F.Z.S.; Valhalla House, Zoological Gardens, Giza, Egypt. Noakes, Wickham ; Selsdon Park, Croydon, Surrey. Ocitvin, Fureus Menrerre, M.A., F.Z.8.; The Shrubbery, 72 Woodstock Road, Oxford. Oaitvin-Grant, WitttAM Roserr, F.Z.S.; British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, 8.W. Ocin, Brrrram Savitre; Hill House, Steeple Oxford. Oxpuamu, Cuarues, F.Z.8.; Kelvin, Boxwell Road, Berk- hamsted, Herts. Aston, Osmaston, Bertram Brrusrorp (Imperial Forest Service) ; Naini Tal, India. Panrkur, Henry, C.E.; Whitbourne Lodge, Manby Road, Great Malvern. Parkin, Tuomas, M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S.; Wickham, Hastings, Sussex, Patron, Epwarp Ricumonp, F.Z.8.; Brookdale, Grassendale, near Liverpool, Lanes. Patrerson, Rosert, F.L.S., M.R.I.A.; Glenbank, Holywood, Co. Down, Ireland. Parrerson, WinttamM Harry; 25 Queen’s Gate Gardens, 8. W. Pearse, Tnrep; Central Park, British Columbia; and Mentmore, Ampthill Road, Bedford. Prarson, Cnartrs Epwanp, F.L.S.; Hillerest, Lowdham, Notts. Pearson, Henry J., F.Z.8.; Bramcote, Notts. Pease, Sir ALFRED Epwarp, Bt., F.Z.S. ; Pinchinthorpe House, Guisborough, Yorkshire ; St. James’s Street, S.W. Fairseat, High and Brooks’s Club, BOD 31¢ SL) Date of LENG Election. 1898, 1891. 1900. 1907. Percy, Lord Witttam; 2 Grosvenor Place, S.W.; and Alnwick Castle, Ainwick, Northumberland. 1886. Puitiirs, Ernersert Lor, F.Z.8.; 79 Cadogan Square, S.W. 1893. Picort, Sir THomas Diesy, K.C.B.; The Lodge, Lower Sheringham, Norfolk. 1908. Prayer, W.J. Percy; The Quarr, Clydach, R.S.O., Glamor- ganshire. 1907. Pocock, Reernavp Innss, F.R.S., F.L.S., F.Z.8.; Superintendent of the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park, N.W. 1905. Pottarp, Capt. Arraur Ersxinr Sr. Vincent (The Border Regiment) ; Haynford Hall, Norwich, Norfolk. 1896. Popnam, Hvea Leyzorne, MLA. ; ; Hunstrete House, Pensford, near Bristol, 1898. Price, Arnetstan Exper, F.Z.8.; 61 Great Cumberland Place, W. 1903. Procror, Major Frepericx Wittiam (late West Riding Regt.) ; Downfield, Maidenhead, Berks. 1901. Provp, Joun T.; Dellwood, Bishop Auckland, Durham. 1893. Pycrartr, Witi1amM Prane, F.Z.8S.; British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, 8.W. 1888. Rapctyrre, Cuartes Roserr Evsracr; Hyde, Wareham, Dorset. 1903. Rare, Pitcher Gxrorce; The Parade, Castletown, Isle of Man. 1903. Rarcuirr, Freperick Row.tnson ; 2+ Lancaster Gate, W. 1879. Rawson, Hersert Evetyy; ene Hill, Ufracombe, N. Devon. 1894. Reap, Richarp Henry, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P.; Church. Strect, Hanley, Staffordshire. 1888. Reap, Rozerr H.; 8a South Parade, Bedford Park, W. 1877. Rei, Capt. Purtre Savine Grey (late R.E.); The Elms, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent. 1903. Renavr, Wituam E.; 192 Belsize Road, Hampstead, N.W. 1908. Ricwarpson, Norman Freperic, F.Z.8.; Lynndale, Manor Pryn, Eric Franz; 42 Gloucester Square, W. Prenrosz, Francis Grorecr, M.D., F.Z.8S.; Wick House, Downton, Salisbury, Wilts. Percivat, ArtHuR Brayney, F.Z.S.; Game-Ranger, Nairobi, British East Africa Protectorate: and Somerset Court, Brent Knoll, Somerset. Road, Forest Hill, $.K. bo (eS) ios) io) ww Date of Election. 1907. Ricumonp, Herserr Witrtam; King’s College, Cambridge. 1895. Rickrerr, Cuartes Boucuey, F.Z.8.; 13 St. Paul’s Road, Clifton, Bristol. 1896. Rrepvon, Lt.-Col. Gzoran, F.Z.8.; 89th Punjabis, P.O. Kalaw, Southern Shan States, Upper Burma. 1907. Rircurz, Axcarpanp THomas Ayres; Magdalen College, Oxford ; and Overstrand, near Cromer, Norfolk, 1902. Rivikre, Bernarp Beryt, F.R.CS8.; St. Giles’s Plain, Norwich, Norfolk. 1908. Roprertson, Sir Henry Bryer, B.A.; Palé, Corwen, North Wales. 1898. Rosinson, Herspert C., C.M.Z.S.; Selangor State Museum, Kuala Lumpur, Federated Malay States. 1896. Roczrs, Lt.-Col. Joun Muipptrron, D.S8.0., F.Z.S. (late Ist Dragoons); Riverhill, Sevenoaks, Kent. 1893. Roruscnitp, The Hon. Lionet Watrer, D.Sc., Ph.D., F.Z.8. ; The Zoological Museum, Tring, Herts. 1894. Roruscuttp, The Hon. Narmanirt Cartes, M.A., F.Z.8.; Arundel House, Kensington Palace Gardens, W. 1910. Ricker, Sir Arravr Wit, M.A., D.Se., LL.D., F.R.S.; Everington Heuse, Newbury, Berks. 1907. Russet, Conran Groree Epwarp, F.Z.8.; 2 Audley Square, We 1910. Russert, Hanozp, F.ZS8.; 16 Beaufort Gardens, Chelsea, S.W. 1883. Se. Quintin, WittiaAm Herserr, F.Z.8.; Scampston Hall, Rillington, Yorkshire. 1903. Sanppmay, Capt. Ronertr Preston (late 10th Hussars) ; Dan-y Pare, Crickhowell, Breconshire. 1889. Sarsworrn, Arno~tp Dver, F.Z.8.; National Liberal Club, Whitehall Place, 8.W. 1902. Sareeaunr, Arruur Sr. Gerorce; LExbury, Padstow, Cornwall. 1904. Sareunr, Jamus; 76 Jermyn Street, 8. W. 1902..Saunpers, WittiAm Henry Ranciirrr, C.E., F.Z.8.; The White Mansion, 91 York Street, Westminster, S.W. 1909. Savacn, The Rev. Ernest Urnuson; 129 Upper Canning Street, Liverpool, Lanes. 1907. Scuwayn, Grorrrey; 4 Prince’s Gardens, S.W. 1905, Scuwanyn, Harorp, F.Z.8S.; 45 Brompton Square, S.W. 35° 355 360 365 xxi Date of Election. i 1858. Sctater, Purrip Lutter, D.Sc., F.R.S., F.Z.8.; Odiham Priory, Winchfield, Hants; and Athenzeum Club, Pall Mall, S.W. (Joint Editor.) (Gold Medallist.) 1891. Senater, Wittram Lurtery, M.A., F.Z.8.; 10 Sloane Court, Chelsea, S.W. 1907. Scorr, The Rev. Canon Samvnt Girberr, M.A.; The Rectory, Havant, Hants. 1899, Setous, Freperick Courteney, F.Z.5.; Heatherside, Worples- don, Surrey. 1889. Sennouse, Humpurey Parricius, B.A.; The Fitz, Cocker- mouth, Cumberland. 1908. Srppines, Capt. Joun Wuttram Hamitron; Army Pay Office, Bootham, York. 1899. Serie, The Rev. Wirtram, M.A., B.D.; The Manse, Dudding- ston, Edinburgh. 1901. Sers-Suirn, Davin, F.Z.8.; 34 Elsworthy Road, South Hampstead, N.W. 1904. Sera-Smire, Lestre Morrat, B.A., F.Z.8.; Alleyne, Caterham Valley, Surrey. 1909. Seron, Matcotm Correr Carrsron ; 13 Clarendon Road, Hol- land Park, W.; and Union Club, Trafalgar Square, S.W. 1899. Suarman, Freperic, F.Z.8. ; 47 Goldington Road, Bedford. 1865. Surruerp, The Rev. Crartes Witt1aM, M.A., F.Z.8.; Trottis- cliffe Rectory, Maidstone, Kent. 1908. Smattey, Freperic WitiraM,F.Z.S.; Challan Hall, Silverdale, near Carnforth, Lancs. 1906, SnouckaErt van Scuaupure, Baron Runfé Cuartes ; Neerlang- broek, Holland. 1903. Sparrow, Major Ricwarp, F.Z.S. (7th Dragoon Guards) ; Rookwoods, Sible Hedingham, Essex. 1906. Sranrorp, Surgeon Cuartes Epwarp Cortis, B.8c., M.B., R.N.; Royal Marine Barracks, Plymouth. 1910. Sraxrorp, Epwarp Fraser; 9 Cumberland House, Kensington Court, W. 1893. Srantey, Samurt S.; Fair View House, Harbury, Leamington, Warwickshire. 1900. Srares, Jomn Wrtrram Cuzsrer ; Portchester, Hants. 1902, Srennovusz, Jonn Hurron, M.B., R.N.; 67 Marine Parade Sheerness, Kent. 3/0 Date of Election. 1910. xxl Srevens, Herperr; Dejoo, North Lakhimpur P.O., Assam, India; and c/o Messrs. Thos. Cook & Sons, Ltd., Ludgate Circus, E.C. . Srewarp, Epwarp Srimons, F.R.C.S.; 10 Prince’s Square, Harrogate, Yorks. . Sronnam, Cartes, C.M.G., F.R.C.8., F.Z.8.; 4 Harley Street, Cavendish Square, W. . Sruppy, Col. Roperr Wrieur (late Manchester Regiment); _ Waddeton Court, Brixham, Devon. . Styan, Freperick Witiiam, F.Z.8.; Stone Street, near Sevenoaks, Kent. . SWINBURNE, JouHN; Haenertsburg, Transvaal, South Africa. 2, Swinnor, Col. Coarues, M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.8.; 6 Gunterstone 9 ) > ’ ’ Road, W. Kensington, W. . Tarr, Wittram Cuaster, C.M.Z.8. ; Entre Quintas 155, Oporto, Portugal. . Tatbor-Poxsonsy, CHartes Georce; 5 Crown Office Row, Temple, E.C. . Tarron, Reainatp Arruur; Cuerden Hall, Bamber Bridge, Preston, Lanes. 5. Taytor, Lionen Epwarp, F.Z.8.; Bankhead, Kelowna, British Columbia. . Tentson, Lieut. Witiram Prercrvat Cosnauan (62nd Battery, R.F.A.); Nowshera, N.W.F.P., India. . Trrry, Major Horace A. (late Oxfordshire Light Infantry) ; The Lodge, Upper Halliford, Shepperton, Middlesex. . THomson, A. LanpsporoveH ; Castleton House, Old Aberdeen, Aberdeen. . Tuompson, WititAm R. (Lieut. R.G.A.); ‘ Ravello,’ Carlton Road, Weymouth, Dorset. . THorBuRN, AncHIBALD, F.Z.8.; High Leybourne, Hascombe, near Godalming, Surrey. . THorve, Dixon L.; Loshville, Etterby Scaur, Carlisle. . Ticrnurst, Craup Bucuanan, M.A., M.D., M.R.CS.; Grove House, Lowestoft, Suffolk. . Ticrnurst, Norman Freperic, M.A., M.B., F.R.C.S., F.Z.S. ; 35 Pevensey Road, St. Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex. 2. Townsend, Reoinatp Guittiat, M.A.; Buckholt, Dean, Salisbury, Wilts. Date of XX1ll Election, 1893. 390 1894. 395 1890. . VereY, ALFRED SAInspuRrY; Heronsgate, near Rickmansworth 9 > te) } b] Hoo 1895. 1896. 405 1903. Trevor-Barryz, Ausyy, F.Z.8.; Stoner Hill, Petersfield, Hants.; and Royal Societies Club, St. James’s Street, S.W. . Trrwuirt-Drake, Huen Garrard, F.Z.8.; Cobtree, Sandling, Maidstone, Kent. 2 . Urcnrr, Henry Morris, F.Z.8.; Sheringham Hall, Cromer, Norfolk. Ussuer, Ricnarp Jonn, M.R.I.A.; Cappagh House, Cappagh, 8.0., Co. Waterford, Ireland. . Van Oort, Dr. Epvarp DanteL; Museum of Natural History, Leyden, Holland. . Van Somuren, Dr. Ropert Apranam Logan; Uganda Medical Staff, Kyetumi, Uganda, British East Africa. . Vaueuan, Marrnnw; Haileybury College, Herts. . Vauenan, Lieut. Ropert E., R.N.; H.M. Coast Guard, Lynn, Norfolk. Venour, SrepHen; Fern Bank, Altrincham, Cheshire. Herts. . Verner, Col. Wittram Wittovensy Cote (late Rifle Brigade) ; Hartford Bridge, Winchfield, Hants ; and United Service Club, 8. W. . Wapz, Epwarp Watrer; Middelburg, North Ferriby, East Yorks. . WaveE-Datrton, Col. H. D.; Hauxwell Hall, Finghall, R.S.0., Yorkshire. Watuis, Henry Marriage; Ashton Lodge, Christchurch Road, Reading, Berks. . WatsincHaM, THomas, Lord, M.A., LL.D., F.R.S., F.Z:S. ; Merton Hall, Thetford, Norfolk. . Watton, Major Hrrsert James, M.D., F.R.C.S., C.M.ZS., I.M.S.; c/o Messrs. King, King & Co., P.O. Box 110, Bombay, India. . Warpiaw-Ramsay, Lt.-Col. Ropert Grorer, F.Z.S.; Whitehill, Rosewell, Midlothian, N.B. Watkins, Watkin, F.Z.8.; 33 Evelyn Gardens, 8.W.; and Wellington Club, 8. W. Warr, Huen Born; 3 Willow Mansions, West Hampstead, INS Wi. 410 415 420 425 Date of Election. 1900, 1891. LSol: 1909. 1903, 1903. WestetL, Wittiam Percrvat, F.L.S., F.R.H.S. ; Verulam, Icknield Way, Letchworth, Herts. Waitaker, Bensautn Ineuam; Hesley Hall, Tickhill, Rother- ham, Yorks. Warraker, Josern I.8., F.Z.S.; Malfitano, Palermo, Sicily. Wuirr, Henry Luxe; Belltrees, Scone, New South Wales. Wurre, Sternen Josepn, F.Z.8.; Oakwood, Crayford, Kent. Waurrexeap, Capt. Caartes Hues Termprsr; Deighton Grove, York. . WaItedeaD, Jerrery,; Mayes, East Grinstead, Sussex. . Wuymprr, Cuartzs, F.Z.S.; 11 Orange Strect, Haymarket, pone . WietEsworta, JosrrH, M.D., F.R.C.P.; Rainhill, near Liverpool, Lanes. . Witktnson, Jonnson; St. George’s Square, Huddersfield, Yorkshire. . Witson, Attan Reap, B.A., M.B., B.Ch.; Edgewood, Lower Arrow Lake, British Columbia. . Wuson, Caries Josren, F.Z.S.; 34 York Terrace, Regent’s Park, N.W. ; Witsoy, Dr. Epwarp Aprtan, F.Z.S.; SS. “Terra Nova,” Christchurch, Lyttleton, New Zealand; and Westal, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. . Wuson, Scorr Barcaarp, F.Z.S.; Heatherbank, Weybridge Heath, Surrey. Wirnersy, Harry. Forsss, F.Z.8.; 3 Cannon Place, Hampstead, N.W. Wirnertneton, Gwrnnz; Aberlash, Sonning, Berks. Wottaston, ALEXANDER FRepeERtck Ricamonp, B.A.; 31 Argyll Mansions, King’s Road, Chelsea, 8. W. Woosnam, Ricuarp Bowen, C.M.Z.S8.; Game Warden’s Office, Nairobi, British East Africa. . Workman, WitttAm Hvueurs; Lismore, Windsor, Belfast, Treland. Wricut, WitttAm Crawrorp; Roslyn, Marlborough Park, N., Belfast, [reland. Yersory, Lt.-Col. Joan Witriam (late R.A.), F.Z.8.; 8 Duke Street, St. James’s,S.W.; and Army and Navy Club, 8.W. Youne, Capt. Jamzs B., R.N.; Tytherley, Wimborne, Dorset. XXV Date of Election. Extra-Ordinary Members. 1899. Gopwin-Austen, Lt.-Col. Henry Haversuam, F.R.S., F.Z.S. ; Nore, Hascombe, Godalming, Surrey. 1909. TscermererR, Witiram Bernuarp; 19 Westbere Road, W. Hampstead, N.W. 1860. Wattace, Atrrep Russzz, O.M., D.C.L., LL.D., F.RB.S., F.Z.S. ; Broadstone, Wimborne, Dorset. Honorary Members. 1907. Aten, Jont Asapu, Ph.D., F.M.Z.S.; American Museum of 1910. 1911. 1910. 1910. Neal 1910. Natural History, Central Park, New York, U.S.A. . Ayres, THomas; Potchefstroom, Transvaal, South Africa. . Berterscu, Graf Hans von, C.M.Z.S.; Schloss Berlepsch, Post Gertenbach, Witzenhausen, Germany. . Cottert, Prof. Rospert, F.M.Z.S.; University Museum, Christiania, Norway. . Fiyscu, Prof. Dr. Orro, C.M.Z.S.; Altewiekring 19°, Bruns- wick, Germany. . Gortpt, Prof. Dr. Emr A., C.M.Z.S.; Zieglerstrasse 36, Berne, Switzerland. . RetcHenow, Dr. Anton, C.M.Z.S.; Museum fiir Naturkunde, Invalidenstrasse, Berlin, Germany. . Rrpeway, Rosert, C.M.Z.S8.; Smithsonian Institution, Wash- ington, D.C., U.S.A. . Satvavortr, Count Tommaso, M.D., F.M.Z.S.; Royal Zoological Museum, Turin, Italy. Honorary Lady Members. Batt, Miss Dororny M. A.; Bassendean House, Gordon, Berwickshire. Baxter, Miss Evetyn Vina; Roslea, Kirkton of Largo, Fifeshire. Beprorp, Mary, Ducugss oF, F.Z.S.; Woburn Abbey, Beds. Lewon, Mrs. Marearerra Louisa, F.Z.8.; Hillcrest, Redhill, Surrey. Rintout, Miss Luonora Jerrrey; Lahill, Largo, Fifeshire. Turner, Miss Emma Lovisa, F.Z.8.: Upper Birchetts, Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. SER. IX,.-—VOL. V. c Date of Election. 1904. 1908. 1910. 1909. 5 1908. 1908. 1905. 1903. 1907. 1909. 1900. 1904. 1880. 5 1906. 1906. 1902. XXV1 Colonial Members. Camppett, ArcHIBALD JAMus; Custom House, Melbourne, Australia. Fareunar, Jonn Henry Josern, B.Sec., N.D.A.; Assistant Conservator of Forests, Calabar, Southern West Africa. Fremine, James H.; 267 Rusholme Road, Toronto, Canada. Haacner, Atwin Kart, F.Z.8.; Transvaal Museum, Pretoria. South Africa. Hatt, Rosert, F.L.S., C.M.Z.8.; Curator of the Tasmanian Museum, Hobart, Tasmania. Leece, Col. W. Vincent, F.ZS.; St. Mary’s, Tasmania. Macoun, Jouy, M.A., F.R.S.C.; Naturalist to the Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, Canada. Nortu, Arrrep J., C.M.Z.S8.; Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales. Swynnerton, Caarres Francts Massy, F.L.S.; Gungunyana, Melsetter, South Rhodesia. Nigeria, Cullenswood House, Foreign Members. AtpHiéRAky, Sercius N.; Imperial Academy of Science, St. Petersburg, Russia. Braneu1, Dr. Varnntine; Imperial Zoological Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. Brasivus, Geh. Hofr. Prof. Dr. Winnetm, C.M.Z.S.; Gauss- Strasse, 17, Brunswick, Germany. Bureav, Louis, M.D.; Ecole de Médecine, Nantes, France. Birrixorer, Dr. Jonannes, C.M.Z.8.; Director of the Zoo- logical Garden, Rotterdam, Holland. Bourvuriin, Sereius A.; Wesenberg, Esthonia, Russia. Cuapman, Frank Micuter; American Museum of Natural History, Central Park, New York, U.S.A. - Dorta, Marchese Giacomo, F.M.Z.8.; Strada Nuova 6, Genoa, Italy. . Iverine, Dr, Herman voy, C.M.Z.8.; Museu Paulista, Sao Paulo, Brazil. » Mavarisz, Dr. Jurrus von; National Museum, Budapest, Hungary. XxXvil Date of Election. 1903. Martoretu, Prof. Dr. Gractnro; Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Milan, Italy. 1894. Munzsrer, Prof. Dr. Micnaznr, C.M.Z.S.; Imperial Society of Naturalists, Moscow, Russia. 1905. Ospernorser, Harry Cacrcn ; Biological Survey, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. 1900. Retsrr, Dr. Orumar; Landes Museum, Sarajevo, Bosnia, Austria. 15 1908. Ricumonp, Cuartes Wartacr; United States National Museum, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. 1894, Scoatow, Herman; Traunsteinerstrasse 2', Berlin W. 30, Germany. 1900. Sresnecer, Leonnarp, C.M.Z.S.; Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. 1902. Susuxiy, Dr. Perer, C.M.Z.8S.; Imperial University, Moscow, Russia. 1911, Tscuust zu ScumipHorren, Vicror, Ritrer von; Villa Tannenhof, bei Hallein, Salzburg, Austria. 20 1896. Wiyer, Heruvr, C.M.Z.8.; University Zoological Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark. CONTENTS or VOL. V.—NINTH SERIES, (1911.) Numpber XVII., January. I. Nine Days on Grimsey and the North-east Coast of Iceland. By Mary, Ducurss oF Beprorp, F.LS., F.Z.S., H.M.B.O.U. (Text-figs. 1-4.) . II. On Birds from the Northern Portion of the Malay Peninsula, including the Islands of Langkawi and Terutau; with Notes on other rare Malayan Species from the Southern Districts. By Hersert C. Rosinson, C.M.Z.S., M.B.O.U., Director of Museums, Federated Malay States, and Crcin Bopen Kuoss, F.Z.8., M.B.0O.U., Curator, Perak State Museum. (Plate I. and Text- figures 5 & 6.). III. List of Birds collected in Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil, with Field-notes. By Cravupu H. B. Grant, M.B.0.U. —PartI. Passeres. (Plate I.) IV. On the Birds of the Cayman Islands, West Indies. Percy R. Lows, B.A., M.B. (Cantab.), M.B.O.U. (Text- fig. 7.). ; ee ee ee ated. SER, IX.—VOL. V. d Page 10 XXX CONTENTS. Page V. Notices of recent Ornithological Publications :— : ‘The Avicultural Magazine ’ : . 162 e Benham on the Moa of Stewart aed : ~ Wb2 3. Bucknill’s List of the Birds of Cyprus . 163 4, Butler on Foreign Birds for Aviaries . » 63 5. The Check-list of North-American Birds : . 164 6, Check-list of North-American Birds abridged . . 165 7. Dewar on Indian Birds . «166 8. ‘The Emu’ : : ‘ . 166 9, Finn on ee ic Wetentow : 5 ae OS 10. Flower’s Report on the Zoological Gardens of Giza . 168 11. Fulton on the Bronze Cuckoo of New Zealand . . 169 12. Gladstone on the Birds of Dumfriesshire «169 13. Grant’s List of British Birds ; ~ LeO 14. Griffith on Additions to the Booth Collection of Birds 172 15. Gunning and Haagner on the Birds of South Africa, 172 16, Lonnberg on Birds from Transbaicalia and Mongolia. 173 17. MacGillivray on the Life of William MacGillivray . 174 18. Madarisz on New East-African Birds iio. 19. Martorelli on Variation in the Ring-Ousel . . 176 20. Mathews on the Birds of Australia « a BAG 21. Ménégaux on Birds from Bolivia and South Bend ee 22. Pycraft on Birds « jx, LTS 23. ‘The South African Journal ’ . 180 24. Swarth on Two new Owls from Arizona . 180 25, Thanner on the Birds of Grand Canary Island ken! 26. Van Oort on new Birds from New Guinea . 2 ey 27. Winge’s Report on the Birds of the Danish ight houses, 1909 ; 82 VI. Letters, Extracts, and Notes :— Letters from Messrs. S. A. Buturlin, H. 8. Gladstone, ard Edward Bidwell; Report of the South African Museum for 1909; New Ornithological Periodical ; The Expedition of the B.0.U. into Central New Guinea ; Boyd’ Alexander’s Collection of Birds; Death of Captain G. E. Shelley . . 182 CONTENTS, Nompber XVIII., April. VIL. Notes on the Ornithology of Corsica. By the Rev. VILI. On the Birds collected by Mr. Claude H. B. Grant at various Localities in South Africa. By W. L. Scrater, M.A., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. With Field-Notes by the Collector, (Plates III. & IV. and Text-figures 8 & 9.) IX. List of Birds collected in Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil, with Field-Notes. H. B. Grant, M.B.0.U.—Part II. Pricarra— RNAI Dee cee Nitehees ee esi ek Gls X. On recently described Paradiseide, with Notes on some other new Species. By Watter Roruscurtp, Ph.D., MG.O5U. (Plates V¥i& VI.) XI. A note concerning Red Grouse on the Continent. By W. Somurvitre, Professor of Rural Economy, Oxford. XII. Obituary: Capt. Shelley, Dr. A. B. Meyer, Mr. W. E. D. Scott, and Dr. Carl Parrot XITI. 23; 29. 30, dl. 32. Francis C. R. Jourparn, M.A., M.B.O.U. Notices of reeent Ornithological Publications :— Alien on Brisson’s ‘ Genera of Birds’ ‘ Annals of Scottish Natural History ’ CMG IES ies eet Dee : See CS ‘The Avicultural Masaiiten Pt oy tae Beetham on the Spoonbill, White Stork, Common and Purple Herons . British Museum Collector’s Tnetauciione. . Carriker on the Birds of Costa Rica . . . . . . 5. Dresser on Palearctic Birds’ Eggs 3. Ferry on Birds from Costa Rica . Gyldenstolpe on Algerian Birds . Hartert’s ‘ Miscellanea Ornithologica ’ By Craupe . 189 . 208 . 350 . 009 2 WwW CO CO ® 00: CON em CO bo = = # XXXii CONTENTS. 39. Hartert on the Eggs of the Paradise-birds . 40, Hellmayr on the Species of Perenostola . 41. Hellmayr on the South-American Species of Chetura. 42, Hellmayr on the Birds of the Rio Madeira . 43, Hiesemann on the Protection of Wild Birds 44, Howard on the Warblers s 45. Innes Bey on the Birds of Egypt . . Jourdain on European Birds’ Eggs Loudon on the Birds of the Baltic Peeeiioes . McGregor’s ‘ Manual of Philippine Birds’ . Mathews on the Birds of Australia : . Mathews’ proposed Alterations in Nomenclature : . Moulton on the Sarawak Museum . ‘The Oologist’ ce . Parrot on Birds from Siam ‘nd mene : . Roosevelt’s ‘ African Game-Trails ’ . Rubow on the Common Gull 56. Salvadori and Festa on a new Thinocorys 57. Schiebel on new Corsican Birds : 58. W.L. Sclater’s Record of the Ornithological Tirana Pop Pp RP SOODID Or Or Or Gr Or or Ore W bo of 1909 . : 5 59. The South African Or ae ah é Tatenel? : 60. Thienemann on the Migration of the Stork . 61. Tschusi on the Ornithological Literature of Austria- Hungary for 1999 XIV. Letters, Extracts, and Notes :— Letters from Mr. Douglas Carruthers, Mr. J. C. Kershaw (text-fig. 10), Dr. Claud B. Ticehurst, and Mr. David A. Bannerman; Birds of the Central Sahara; Introduction of Paradise-birds into the West Indies; The Expedition of the B.O.U. into Central New Guiuea; The Annual General Meeting of the B.O.U. . 398 CONTENTS. XXX11 Number XIX., July. Page XV. On the Birds collected by Mr. Claude H. B. Grant at various Localities in South Africa.—Part II. By W. L. Scrarer, M.A., F.Z.S., M.B.0.U. With Field-Notes by the TicouO nae aie uae ee Oe eer ae ee grat oe ge AOS XVI. Notes on the Ornithology of Corsica.—Part II. By the Rev. Francis C. R. Jounpain, M.A., M.B.0O.U. (Text- enema! 2.) ee ae et SM, se, ee ce, 2 AST XVII. List of Birds collected in Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil, with Field-notes. By Craupg H. B. Grant, M.B.O.U.—Part II. Cotumpipm—Rurmwm. . 459 XVIII. Further Notes on the Birds of Southern Cameroon.— PartI. By G. L. Bares, M.B.0.U. With Descriptions of the Eggs by W. R. Oeitvin-Granr, M.B.O.U. (Plates VII.-IX. aembexd- Toutes lo Colts )\e woh Seca a c.g ee ary ATO XIX. Note on the Whooper Swans which visit the River Eden in Cumberland. By the Rev. H. N. Hinv. (Text- SECO ea et Mece ine cr, SP Te: lye nan DAG XX. On the Irish Coal-Titmouse (Parus hihbernicus). By. W. KR. Oeitvis-Grant, F.Z.8., M.B.O.U. (Plate X.) . . . 548 XXI. Proceedings at the Annual General Meeting of the British Ornithologists’*Union, 1911 . . i+; » . . . . 5538 XXII. Obituary: Dr. A. B. Meyer, Dr. Carl Parrot, and eta oCOvuses. art a. se eatery ck vip the. cy..6 DOG XXIII. Notices of recent Ornithological Publications :— 62. * Annals’ of the Natural History Society of Cyprus. 561 63. ‘Archivum Zoologicum’ . . eee ie ee aa ee Ol. 64. Arrigoni’s Ornithological Note. . . . . . . . 562 Gonthe Auk. eee sac | ime. GD 66. ‘The Avicultural Magazine’ . ..... =. . 564 XXXIV CONTENTS. 67. Dubois on new Birds from Congoland 68. Eckhardt on the Migration of Birds . 69s Thetltniuy ese. eels e = : 70. Flower’s List of Animals in aie Gina eee 71. Grinnell on the Birds of the Campus of the University of California 2.20. . Hall on the Distribution of perenre and birds 72 73. Jackson on the Game-birds of East Africa . 74. Kirkman on British Birds 75. Mathews on the Birds of Australia, 76. Ménégaux on the Birds of Ecuador : 77. North on the Nests and Eggs of Australian Hane 78. Percival on European Migrants in British Kast Adtrica ve ae ee 79, Salvadori on a new Ais ons 80. Thayer and Bangs on new Birds from China XXIV. Letters, Extracts, and Notes :— Letters from Messrs W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, C. E. Hellmayr, William Serle, and J. A. Harvie-Brown; Mr. Brook’s Paradise- birds; Col. Roosevyelt’s East African Expedition; The Expedition of the B.O.U. into Central New Guinea; Mr. Beebe’s Expedi- tion; he Zoological Museum at Munich; Army Manceuvres in the New Forest; New Work on South-American Birds; The Honey-bird in North-East Rhodesia . Number XX., October. XXY. Further Notes on the Birds of Southern Cameroon.— Part IL. By G. L. Bares, M.B.O.U. With Descriptions of the Eggs by W. R. Ocrtvie-Grant, M.B.0.U. (Plates XI. & XII. and Text-figures 16-21.) XXVI. A further Contribution to the Ornithology of Cyprus. By Jonn A. Bucxniut, M.A., F.Z.8., M.B.0.U. XXVII. On some Birds observed in the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wei, North-East China, By Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jonrs, M.B., iE ZAo Ns, WI BOA, QO su WwW CONTENTS. XXXV Page XXVIII. On the Birds collected by Mr. Claude H. B. Grant at various localities in South Af. Ill. By W. L. Scrarer, M.A., F.Z.S., M.B.0.U. With Field-notes by the Ce LOVe ewe eere eer See ee beeen ce Sa) oy att es, 098 XXIX. On the Birds noticed during a voyage to Alexandria. ibyeCravp B. Ticnpursr, M.A. M:R.C.S., MAB:O.U . . . . 741 XXX. On the relation of the Spine-tailed Swift (Chetura caudacuta) to Weather Conditions in Victoria and Tasmania. Dyete SruaRT Doyen, :Z.8:, MOR-AGO.U. . 3 3. Ow 748 ONE Obituary. Mire Ae DY Millan s 9 i.0.. 2. 3:30 752 XXXIT. Notices of recent Ornithological Publications ;— 81. ‘Annals of Scottish Natural History’ 723 82. ‘The Avicultural Magazino’ Tot 83. Barthclomew’s Zoogeography . . 755 &4. Beetham on the Practical Photography of Birds : 757 85. A. H. Evans on the Fauna of the Tweed Area 757 86. W. Evans on the Mealy Redpolls 760 87. Faxon on Brewster’s Warbler . .. . 5 88. Gyldenstolpe on Birds from Russian qe a br LhO) 89. Hamilton’s List of the Birds of New Zealand. . . 761 JOm- oRherlrishpNasuraliste es 2's fe sa te en ote FOL 91. Kloss on Malayan Birds awe Be 762 92. Madardsz on new Birds from Africa . . . . . 763 93. Madarasz on two Humming-Birds . . . . » 163 94, Mathews on Alterations in the None of Inds ye an ben Sas ce, Where 95. Mathews on the Birds of eet ere Mes, wie Geer fot: 96. Mathews on two new Australian Birds . . . . 765 97. Mearns on ten new African Birds . . .. . . 766 98. Mearns on fifteen new African Birds . . . . . 766 99. Oberholser on the Forms of the Ladder-backed Wood- pecker . . 3 eee en ON 100. Pycraft on the ereibton of PAE Wiis eters. eis eho 101. Reichenow on Birds from Spanish Genes 102. Reichenow on the Birds of Cameroon . . . . . 768 XXXV1 CONTENTS. Page 103. Reichenow on the Birds of the Mid-African Lake Disttictoc. in t,o. ee oe ete eS 104. Snethlage on the Avifauna of the Amazonian Campos too 102 AP eee eh ne Pian Bee 105, Winge on the Birds captured at the Danish Light- hOUSES. “ye “a sel Bes i ele ey Ee eae, ee XXXIITI. Letters, Extracts, and Notes :— Letter from Mr. E.C. Chubb; Report on the British Museum, 1911; The American Pheasant-Expedition ; The Report of the National Museum, U.S.A., for 1910; Mr. E. C. Chubb; Mr. G. L. Bates; New Inquiry on the Migration of Birds . . . 771 Index of Scientific Names . ........ +. Cd Index of Contents . +. hd ee len” ius wee, BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS UNION. PRESIDENT. F. Du Cane Gopman, Esa., D.C.L., F.R.S. EDITORS. P. i. Scuater, Ese., D:Sc., F-R.S. A. H. Evans, Esa., M.A., F.Z.S. SECRETARY. J. Lewis Bonuore, Esq., M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S. COMMITTER. Tue PRresipENtT. Tue Eprroxs or ‘Tue [ats.’ - Ex officio. THE SECRETARY. W. R. Oeitvis-Grant, Esq., F.Z.S. (Elected 1908.) Davip Seru-Smiru, Esq., F.Z.S. (Elected 1909.) Epwarp Bipwe Lt, Esq. (Elected 1910.) 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Report on the Immigrations of Summer Residents in the Spring of 1907: also Notes on the Migratory Movements during the Autumn of 1906. 1908 .. 6/- Bok ie (Session 1908-09). L909: 25 0 os oie ces eee 6/- XXIV. Report on the Immigrations of Summer Residents in the Spring of 1908: also Notes on the Migratory Movements during the Autumn of 1907. 1909 .. 6/- XXV. (Session 1909-1910). LEU! S Soe cenne tg sete een 6/- XXVI. Report on the Immigrations of Summer Residents in the Spring of 1909: also Notes on the Migratory Movements and Records received from Lighthouses and Light-vessels during the Autumn of 1908. POUG wis cebcole ected tana. 2 Se 6/- MV. (Nos. CLAUT-CLAY.) 4910" 0.0.0. eoueke 1/- each LONDON : WITHERBY & CO., 326 HIGH HOLBORN, W.C. LH eae lS, NINTH SERIES. No. XVII. JANUARY 1911. I.—Nine Days on Grimsey and the North-east Coasé of Iceland. By Mary, Ducuess or Beprorp, F.L.8., F.Z.8., eM. B.O.U, (Text-figures 1-4.) Havine heard that the Island of Grimsey was of interest to ornithologists, I decided to visit it im my yacht this summer (1910). Though the time at my disposal was far too short te enable me to make any specially valuable contribution to what is already known of the birds of that island, the observations made during my brief visit may be of sufficient interest to be worth placing on record. IT embarked at Invergordon, Twelve hours brought me to Fair Isle, where L had spent such an extremely interesting time during the spring migration. But that island boasts of few resident birds, and 1 saw nothing of interest in an hour’s walk except some White Wagtails, which were evidently breeding there again. A few hours were also spent at Balta Sound and the Faroe Isles, but time did not allow of any bird-watching. I left the Faroe Isles at 6 p.m. on the 6th of July. The voyage was uneventful, except for coming across a dead whale surrounded by hundreds of Fulmars, and for being delaved SER. IX,—-VOL. V. B 2 Duchess of Bedford : Nine Days on Grimsey by fog for twelve hours when we ought to have been in sight of Iceland. I afterwards noticed that during the whole of my visit this heavy belt of fog lay some miles off the north and east coasts of Iceland when the coast itself was in bright sunshine. I am of opinion that could we have gone nearer land on arrival we should have run through the fog which delayed us, but the risk of such a proceeding was too great. There are very few birds out at sea at this time of year. Puffins were the first to shew us that we were approaching land, then Fulmars, Arctic Skuas, Arctic Terns, and Kitti- wakes. I spent a few hours at an anchorage at the entrance to Seydisfjord, and left for Grimsey at 9 p.m. Early the following morning we were off Langanes Point, the extreme north-east point of the mainland, and had a beautifully clear view of the snow-covered mountains of Northern Iceland, We reached the Island of Grimsey at noon on July 10th. Fortunately the wind was E.N.E., an ideal one for this anchorage. Grimsey is about 24 miles long and 1 mile wide at the broadest part. The highest cliffs are on the north and east coasts. A narrow promontory slopes almost down to sea-level on the extreme N.W., and I imagine that a landing could be effected there in a S.E. wind. The chief landing-places are on the S.W. and W., and in the absence of a swell are perfectly easy, but on the K. and N.E. of the island landing could only be effected with the assistance of a rope. The ground is very undu- lating and covered with the hummocks so characteristic of Northern Iceland (see text-fig. 1, p. 3). There are a number of smal! freshwater lochs, which should be a great attraction to passing migrants. At the time of my visit snow was still lving in drifts on the shore, but it had melted on the higher ground. The first birds that I saw on arrival were Snow-Buntings. They are as tame and as common round the houses in G rimsey as the House-Sparrow is at home. I found one nest with and the North-east Coast of Iceland. 3 eges in it, but most of the young birds were able to fly. Hundreds of Arctic Terus were breeding all over the island and I found both nests and eggs. EKider-Ducks were very abundant and tame. A great many of them had taken their families down to the sea, but some were still sitting, and one of the first inhabitants I spoke to was collecting down, The uatives are on such good terms with the birds that they can stroke them on their nests. Text-fig. 1. Bird's-eye view of Grimsey, shewing typical hummecky ground. Every little tarn is inhabited by at least one pair of Red-necked Phalaropes and often by three or four pairs. The White Wagtail was breeding there, as I saw both adults and young birds. Dunalins and Ringed Plovers in pairs also frequented these small lochs. Unfortunately during the first day of my visit there was very thick fog, which prevented my seeing twenty yards ahead of me, but my sense of smell always told me when I was approaching the cliffs. Practically the whole of the coast-line is the resort 4 Duchess of Bedford : Nine Days on Grimsey of thousands of sea-birds in the breeding-season, even the lower cliffs, which are easily acessible and in some places little more than banks, are tenanted by them. Fulmars, Razorbills, Black Guillemots, Kittiwakes, and Briinnich’s Guillemots are the most numerous, The last are easily distinguished from their more southern relatives by the hight lme at the edge of the upper mandible and their blacker colour. Text-fig. 2. Breeding-place of the Little Auk. In two places at least on the S.E. and S.W. of the island, where the cliffs are much lower and there are large boulders on the shore, there are breeding-places of the Little Auk. The birds look like miniature Razorbills in flight. They are much shyer than the Puffins, and, if once disturbed, it is a long time before they will settle again even if the observer remains hidden. I do not think there can be many breeding on the island, as | watched them for a long time and never saw more than six flying at one taoment, and each time that I returned to the same place I saw the same number of and the North-east Coast of Iceland. 5 birds. They may have been concealed beneath the boulders, but I doubt whether they would be sitting so closely in the middle of July. There were a great many Purple Sandpipers on the island, but, though J met with parties of them some distance from the shore, I could not see any which looked like young birds, nor did they seem to be paired. Amongst the rocks on the shore were a few ‘lurnstones, and in a little bay a pair of Grey Phalaropes. I saw these beautiful little birds repeatedly during my visit and regretted that I could not afford the time to watch them and ascertain whether they .were nesting. As, however, they were a pair and never left the bay in which I first noticed them, I think it is more than likely that at this date (July 10th) they were not passing visitors. Ou the high ground Golden Plovers and Meadow-Pipits were breeding, as I found nests of both. I also saw two male Teal on a loch, a pair of Mallards and a pair of Ravens on the cliffs. The Great Skua, Arctic Skua, Gannet, and Great Black-backed Gull were the only other birds noted during my visit. The whole island is covered with short grass and moss, and the inhabitants have no crops of any description, ‘There are about fifteen inhabited houses, and I estimate that each contains an average of not less than six inmates. The people have a good many sheep, seven cows, and three ponies. There are two or three wooden houses, but most of them are made of turf. A few large stones are mixed with the turf, for the foundations, and the front of the main entrance is generally made of wood. [I was invited into one of them, the entrance- passage of which was so dark that I had to feel my way. Probably for the sake of warmth this passage turned at right angles, anda door led into the principal living-room. It was lined with wood and was almost filled by four wooden box bed- steads, on which was piled a great deal of disorderly bedding. The room, however, was clean, and so were the inhabitants, more or less. The remaining rooms, a pantry and what might be called by courtesy a kitchen and storeroom ccm- bined, were made entirely of turf. On the floor was lying 6 Duchess of Bedford: Nine Days on Grimsey the prospective dinner of Puffins and Razorbills. In the outside larder, a construction of poles which appears in the photograph (text-fig. 3), was hung a supply of dried fish aud mutton, the odour of which accompanied me some distance after leaving the house. Though they bolt like rabbits into their houses on the approach of a stranger and are very shy when first spoken to, the inhabitants soon become very friendly and talkative when the ice is broken, Text-tig. 5, Huts ou Grimsey. There are no dogs on the island. I gathered that they had been put down, owing to a fatal complaint with which they had been wont to infect their owners. There is ex- cellent sea-fishing. As the wind changed in the night and blew from the S.W. I was compelled to leave Grimsey after a visit of forty-cight hours, aud went over to an anchorage in Kyjafjord (text-fig. 4). On a loch not far from the anchorage I saw Scaup with and the North-east Coast of Iceland. 7 young and three pairs of Sclavonian Grebes. One of these birds appeared to be sitting on a nest in the grass at the edge of the loch, but the water was too deep for me to make certain. Farther up the valley I came upon a large tract of marshy ground which was teeming with wildfowl. There were a great many Scaups and Wigeons with young, large flocks of Teal, a few Mailards, Dunlims, Red-throated Divers, Red- shanks, and, I think it would be no exaggeration to say, Text-fig. 4. Kyjafjord, hundreds of Red-necked Phalaropes. I also saw two Long- tailed Ducks. On the high ground above the marsh were numbers of Whimbrel, Golden Plovers, a few Ringed Plovers, and many Wheatears. I should have said (judging from my experience in Fair Isle) that the Wheatears certainly did not belong to the larger race, but as I did not shoot any I am unable to prove it. 8 Duchess of Bedford: Nine Days on Grimsey As the promontory at the extreme N.E. of Iceland promised to be interesting ground for the bird-watcher, | went next to an anchorage on the south side of it. Close to the anchorage, and separated from the sea by a bank of shingle not fifty yards wide, was a freshwater loch, on which I saw many Great Northern and Red-throated Divers, the former with young. The Eider-Duck was more abundant than in any other place that I have visited. I saw one female a long distance from any other birds with twenty-four young ones, but I think she must have been the superintendent of an Eider-Duck créche, as I cannot believe that they were all her own. I have often wondered why the minds of people accustomed to watch birds should be so much exercised over the problem of how young ducks which are hatched in a nest high above the water are taken down to it. Walking ona cliff here above the sea, I accidently scattered an Eider-Duck and her brood. The mother took to flight and the little ones, which were in down, rolled over the edge on to rocks some seventy fect below. I have often seen little birds fall into water or on to grass from a height with impunity, but as these had fallen on to boulders and sharp rocks, I thought their chance of survival was small. On looking over the cliff, however, I saw them pick themselves up as if nothing had happened and run towards their mother in the sea. She obviously expected them to be alive, as she was calling loudly. Evidently they are so light and well protected by down that a voyage in an aeroplane woull have no terrors for them. I was much interested in seeing several Little Auks at this place. Grimsey is said to be their most southern breedivg-place ; but these birds were always flying about the part of the shore where there were boulders similar to those under which they nest in that island, and though I never saw them settle, it is rather strange that they should have been here on the 14th of July unless they were nesting. A chain of lochs and low swampy ground extends across and the north-east Coast of Iceland. 9 the peninsula, and on one of the former I saw a flock of ten Whooper Swans and a Goosander with young. Great numbers of Dunlins and Golden Plovers frequented the stony ground above the lochs. The melancholy “ wheep”? of the latter became almost wearisome, but seemed in keep- ing with the desolate region in which they lived. Houses were few and far between, and there were no tracks, but the direction from one farm to another was marked by large cairns. These cairns, however, are so far apart that I did not find them very helpful in a fog, and deviation from the right path was only ascertained by landing in an impassable bog. I came upon a breeding-place of the Purple Sand- piper. The birds were seen singly or in pairs, and they fluttered round me with trailing wing trying to draw me away whilst I searched for nests or young. In Slater’s ‘ Birds of Iceland,’ the author says that he has never met with their nests lower than 1200 to 1500 feet above the sea, but the birds which I saw here were breeding at certainly less than 200 feet above sea-level. Red-necked Phalaropes were plentiful on the shore of Thistilfjord, and I also saw White Wagiails and Snow-Buntings with young. On a hill over- looking the anchorage I found some Rock-Ptarmigan. As low, flat, marshy ground is often the best field for the ornithologist, I was attracted by the appearance of Heradsfloi on the chart and made this my next anchorage. J arrived there at 8 p.m. on the 15th of July and went on shore after dinner. A more weird spot I have never been in. A stretch of land 18 to 15 miles wide and extending far inland is entirely composed of black sandy lava, the alluvial deposit of two large rivers. If the charts are to be believed (in these regions we find that they are often untrustworthy), the course of these rivers is at times well defined, but at the date of my visit, probably owing to melt- ing snow, they had widened out into a great lake. Nothing grows on this vast expanse of sandy lava except a very coarse grass, which here and there has managed to get ahold and forms a small mound. Walking in the soft sand was a Herculean labour, and landing on the shore was attended B* 10 Messrs. Robinson and Kloss on Birds from the with much difficulty owing to the surf, though the sea was very calm. On the loch were great flocks of Red-throated Divers. I counted 69 in front of me, and there were twice that number in the distance. Very striking also was the number of Arctic Skuas, and amongst them were several Great Skuas. As many as a dozen would sit within gunshot of me at one moment. The only other inhabitants of this dreary waste were a few Great Black-backed Gulls and hundreds of Arctic Terns, on the proceeds of whose fishing the Skuas probably lived. The following morning I landed again, hoping to explore further, but, though there was no wind, the swell had increased, and after taking a few photographs I was com- pelled to leave. The dinghey was half filled with water and nearly upset, but we got off with the loss of an oar, and I was sorry that the fear of rising wind deterred me from further exploring this remarkable place. The only bird added to my list of the previous evening was the Great northern Diver. After a visit to a whaling-station I left Iceland. I].—On Birds from the Northern Portion of the Malay Peninsula, including the Islands of Langkawi and Terutau ; with Notes on other rare Malayan Species from the Southern Districts. By Hersert C. Rosrnson, C.M.Z.S., M.B.0.U., Director of Museums, Federated Malay States, and Crci1 Bopren Ktoss, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U., Curator, Perak State Museum. [Concluded from ‘ The Ibis,’ 1910, p. 675. ] (Plate I. and Text-figs. 5 & 6.) Rayip&. 712. RaLLINa sUPERCILIARIS. Rallina superciliaris (Eyton) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 76 (1894). Distinctly rare in the Peninsula and not improbably Northern Portion of the Malay Peninsula. 11 migratory. A male was obtained on Langkawi in February 1909" 713. AMAURORNIS PHENICURA. Amaurornis phenicura (Forst.) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 156. Common in Trang and in Langkawi, as throughout the Peninsula, in swamps, and especially among the thick and tangled vegetation on the banks of rivers flowing through more or less cultivated ground. The Malay name for the bird in the south is ayam ayam, which may be translated “a kind of a hen” !! Laripa. +14, STERNA BERGII. Sterna bergi Licht.; Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxv. p. 89 (1896). Common at Langkawi and Terutau in November 1907 and March 1909. This large Tern is distinctly a deep-water species, and is, in the main, found off rocky islets or in the middle of the Straits of Malacca, and not inshore on the mud-tats as are the smaller species of Sternula. CHARADRIIDZ. + 15. SarcoGRAMMUS ATRINUCHALIS. Sarcogrammus atrinuchalis Jerdon; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 152 (1896). Exceedingly common on the Langkawi group and through- out Trang on the buffalo-lawns and rice-fields, but rather rarer down south, except on the Pahang River, where the bird nests on the broad sand-banks that border the river in certain parts of its course. In the south the bird is known to the Malays as the burong duit duit or burong mint a duit, the *‘ ask a penny bird,” from its cry. ~+ HopLoPTEeRUs VENTRALIS. Hoplopterus ventralis Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 159. On the road between Tap-tien and Chong, after heavy rain 12 Messrs. Robinson and Kloss on Bards from the at the end of December, while ina gharry, we caught a glimpse of a large Plover running on the road, that may possibly have been this species, which was found in the district by Dr. Abbott. We did not obtain a front view, so that definite identification was not possible, J 16. OcHTHODROMUS GEOFFROYI. Ochthodromus geoffroyi (Wagl.) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 217. Common at Kuala Kedah and at Langkawi in November and December 1907. + 17. OcHTHODROMUS PYRRHOTHORAX. Ochthodromus pyrrhothorax (Gould) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 226. Pulau Terutau, December 1907. Common on sandy shores throughout the Peninsula during the winter months. The presence of the allied form O. mon- golus is open to doubt, but it may possibly occur. In winter plumage, however, the two species, or rather forms, are almost indistinguishable. +18. NuUMENIUS ARQUATA. Numenius arquatus Linn. ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 341. -+~_19. NuMENIUs PHAZOPUS. Numenius pheopus Linn.; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 355. Both the Curlew and the Whimbrel are numerous along the coasts of the Peninsula throughout the winter months, but the latter is by far the commoner of the two, and on more than one occasion I have seen it in flocks that must have numbered several hundred individuals. The Malay name for both species is burong pisau raut, from a fancied resemblance of the bill to an implement used for splitting rattans. + 20. Toranus CALIDRIS. ~ Totanus calidris Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 414. The Redshank is common everywhere along the coasts during the winter months, keeping to the mud-flats and creeks among the mangroves, where it is met with in flocks, some- times numbering over a hundred individuals. Northern Portion of the Malay Peninsula. 13 + 21. TrINGOIDES HYPOLEUCUS. Tringoides hypoleucus (Linn.) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 456. The Common Sandpiper is found throughout the Peninsula in every month of the year, though, of course, more sparingly from April to August. 22. ToTANUS STAGNATILIS. Totanus stagnatilis Bechst.; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 422. A male was shot on Langkawi in February 1909. 23. TEREKIA CINEREA. Terekia cinerea (Giuldenst.) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 474. Very common along the coast in the winter months. +24. PsEUDOGLOTTIS GUTTIFER. Pseudoglottis guttifer (Nordm.) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 479. This rare Limicoline bird is probably a great deal com- moner, at any rate in its winter-quarters, than would appear at first sight from the number of skins in collections. It is likely to escape notice owing to its very close superficial resemblance to the Common Greenshank, along with which it occurs. We have obtained five specimens, two from Kuala Kedah in November 1907, and three from Kuala Kurau on the Perak coast, about thirty miles to the south of Penang, in February 1908. +25. GLOTTIS NEBULARIUS. Glottis nebularius (Gunner); Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 481. The Greenshank was common at Kuala Kedah and on Pulau Terutau in November and December 1907. +26. RuyacoPpHILUS GLAREOLA. Rhyacophilus glareola (Gmel.) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 491. The Wood-Sandpiper is not a common bird in the Peninsula, and seems to be met with only in the more inland districts. Two or three were obtained on the lake at Lay Song Hong in the interior of Trang at the end of January 1910. 14 Messrs. Robinson and Kloss on Birds from the + 27. LIMoNITES RUFICOLLIS. Limonites ruyicollis (Pall.) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 545, A female in winter plumage obtained at Kuala Kedah in November 1907 appears to belong to this species, which occurs in numbers along the Peninsula coast during the winter, though some individuals may prove to be referable to L. minuta. -- 28, ANCYLOCHILUS SUBARQUATA. Ancylochilus subarquatus (Giildenst.) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 586. The Curlew-Sandpiper is widely, though somewhat sparingly, distributed throughout the Peninsula, but indi- viduals appear to arrive early and remain late, and specimens in almost complete breeding-plumage are not infrequently met with. Our collection contains a male from Kuala Kedah, shot in November 1907. —+ 29. GALLINAGO STENURA. Gallinago stenura (Kuhl) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 619. The Pintail Snipe was exceptionally abundant in the rice+ fields both in Langkawi and in Trang ; in the latter locality Gallinago megala, which has recently been obtained in Selangor, probably occurs also, though we did not obtain specimens. ARDEID&. + 30. ARDEA SUMATRANA. Ardea sumatrana Raffles; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. Xxvi. p. 68 (1898). Common along the coasts, both among the mangroves and on the shores of rocky islands. We found it very abundant in the Rhio Archipelago, and discovered that the breast, well hung and well rubbed with pepper and salt, was by no means a bad substitute for beef-steak. A fine male, now mounted in the Selangor Museum, was secured on Terutau in November 1907. Northern Portion of the Malay Peninsula. 15 + 380. DEMIEGRETTA SACRA. Demiegretta sacra (Gmel.); Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 137. The Reef-Heron is common throughout the coasts of the Malay Peninsula where the shore is of rock or sand, but appears to avoid the mangroves and mud-flats. All the specimens that we have secured are in the grey phase of plumage. + 32. GoRSACHIUS MELANOLOPHUS. Gorsachius melanolophus (Raffles); Sharpe, tom. cit. p- 166. This Bittern is very sparingly distributed throughout the Peninsula, though its comparative rarity in collections there- from is probably due to its nocturnal habits. We are inclined to think that the species is at least partially migratory, and the majority of the few specimens that have passed through our hands were obtained in the winter months. Most of our material was secured actually on the coast or on small islands in the Straits of Malacca, but the Trang collection contains an immature female from Ko Khau, at some considerable distance inland. + 33. BurorIDES JAVANICA. Butorides javanica (Horsf.); Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 177. Abundant everywhere on the coast and on the tidal estuaries, wherever there are mangroves. + 34, ARDEOLA BACCHUS. Ardeola bacchus (Bp.); Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 211. A male Pond-Heron, indubitably of this species, was obtained on Pulau Langkawi in March 1909, and Pond- Herons were also abundant in Trang on the flooded rice- fields in December and January. All the specimens obtained were, however, in winter plumage, in which stage it is almost impossible to separate the two species A. grayi and A. bacchus, whose ranges overlap in the northern Malay Peninsula. The genus is extremely rare in the south, though a specimen of A. grayi is in the British Museum 16 Messrs. Robinson and Kloss on Birds from the from “ Malacca,” while the Selangor Museum possesses a specimen from Klang that we regard as belonging to the same species, which has also been recorded by Grant from Patani. In Trang this bird kept in large flocks, and, unlike Bubulcus coromandus, was so shy as to be almost un- approachable. + 35. BusuLcus coroMANDUS. Bubulcus coromandus (Bodd.) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 217. The Cattle-Egret is a bird of very uncertain distribution in the Peninsula, though in some districts, usually near the coast, it is very abundant. It is, as its trivial name implies, almost invariably associated with cattle, in the case of the Malay Peninsula with the water-buffalo, which it attends so closely that it is often difficult to obtain specimens with- out injuring or stampeding the beasts. It was very numerous and tame in Trang in December and in Langkawi in November. In the south of the Peninsula the buff breeding- plumes are assumed about April. CIcONIIDA. +36. DissuRA EPIscoPUus. Dissura episcopus (Bodd.); Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 294. This Stork is common on the rice-fields and open plains of Trang and also in Langkawi. Dr. Annandale and I found it abundant in the interior of the Patani States on the east coast of the Peninsula, but it has not, as yet, been recorded from south of the latitude of Penang. + 87. LepropriLus DUBIUS. Leptoptilus dubius Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 815. A specimen of this large Adjutant was obtained on the Lay Song Hong, a shallow lake or rather lagoon in the interior of Trang, in January 1910. Most of the records for this species from the Malay Peninsula should probably be referred to the smaller species L. javanicus Horsf., which is very common along the coast, though hard to procure in most places owing to its shyness and the depth of the mud, which is infested with crocodiles. VaitNV Viv te} LHTEVAOY HG = Northern Portion of the Malay Peninsula. 17 ) Tpipip. + 38. GRaPTOCEPHALUS DAVISONI. Graptocephalus davisoni (Hume), Sharpe; Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 14 (1898). Pseudibis papillosa (nec Temm.), Miill. Journ. fiir Orn. 1882, p. 437 (Salanga). This species is evidently common in Trang, and we have received several specimens from the Lay Song Hong, a large lake or swamp in the interior of the State. Our specimens agree exactly with the types of the species from the Pakchan estuary in the extreme south of Tenasserim, while a skin collected by Lt.-Colonel Wingate in S.W. Yunnan differs in having had the base of the neck on the bare parts deep red instead of livid yellowish-white. Elliot (P. Z. 8. 1877, p- 490) has already noticed this difference in certain Siamese birds, but it is improbable that the two forms are specifically distinct, the colours of the bare parts, as in other Ibises, varying greatly with age, sex, and season. 4 39. Tuaumarisis cicantea. (Plate I.) Ibis gigantea Oust. Bull. Soe. Philom, (7),1.p.20. (1877). Thaumatibis gigantea Hihiot,. P. Z. 8. 1877, -p.. 489: Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 14, note. g. Krongmon, Interior of Trang, 19th February, 1910. This is the third known specimen of an exceedingly rare Ibis. Oustalet’s type came from Cochin China, and Dr. Abbott obtained a second specimen in the interior of Trang, where he states that it was not uncommon in the dry season. We did not ourselves come across the species, and it was only with great difficulty that our collectors succeeded in obtaining a single individual. Our specimen (PI. I.)_ which, judging from the bill and feet, is an adult bird, agrees precisely with the type as described by Dr. Elliot. The dimensions are :— Wing 21°5 ; tail 10°5 ; bill along culmen 9°3; tarsus 4°4 inches. SER, [X.—VOL, V. c 18 Messrs. Robinson and Kloss on Birds from the The colours of the soft-parts are not noted by the collector, but appear to have been :— Bare parts of head and neck bluish-black, with black Text-fig. 5. Front aspect of right tarsus of 7awnatibis gigantea, showing hexagonal and slightly irregular scaling. ¢f(Uu Text-fig. 7. 7 Base of bill of 7. gigantea, showing slit-like nostril. transverse bars on the back of the head and neck ; bill dull lake; feet and legs bright crimson-lake, claws horny. Northern Portion of the Malay Peninsula. i SULIDA. #40, Suta suna. Sula sula (Linn.); Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. Xxvi. p. 436 (1898). Numerous off Langkawi in November 1907. The Booby is found in large numbers throughout the Straits of Malacca south to Singapore, but, at any rate on the western side, is seldom seen near land. It breeds on a small rocky island, one of the Aroa group, in mid-channel between the coast of Selangor and Sumatra. Near Pulau Jarak, in December 1904, ove actually flew under the thwarts of our boat in the early morning and being a fine adult specimen was duly enshrined in the Selangor Museum. PHALACROCORACID&. + [PLorus MELANOGASTER. Plotus melanogaster (Gm.) ; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 414 (1898). We saw a Darter on the freshwater lake in the Langkawis (alluded to, ‘ Ibis’ 1910, p. 664), but it kept to the middle of the lake, and having no boat we were unable to secure it. We are quite at a loss to know where the specimens in the British Museum from ‘‘ Penang,” ‘* Province Wellesley,’ “Malacca,” and “Johor” really came from, as it is highly im- probable that they were derived from the localities ascribed to them. The Hume collectors do not appear to have come across the species, nor have we met with it ourselves in over seven years, and there are no local specimens in any of the Malayan Museums. It has been uncertainly recorded from the headwaters of the Perak and Pahang Rivers by Annandale and Hubback (in litt.), but the observers were not ornitho- logists and may possibly have confused it with the Finfoot (Heliopais personata) met with in these localities. } ANATIDA. ~ 41, AsARCORNIS LEUCOPTERA. Asarcornis scutulata (part.) Salvad. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. XXvil. p. 60 (1895). 20 | Messrs. Robinson and Kloss on Birds from the Asarcornis leucoptera (Blyth) ; Oates, Man. Game Birds Ind. pt. ii. p. 136 et seqq. (1899); Robinson, Journ. Fed. Malay States, iv. p. 132 (1910). This Duck was very abundant in Trang, from various districts in which State we have obtained over a dozen specimens. At Chong near the foot of the main dividing-r ange, which was the only locality in which we personally met with the species, it was fairly numerous and used to come down to the partially flooded rice-fields to feed in the early morning and late afternoon, For so heavy and solid a bird it was a very powerful flier and capable of carrying off a large dose of lead. In the evening, after feeding, it went off to roost in the patches of jungle growing on small and steep hills rismg from the general level of the rice-fields. The specimens that we ourselves examined had been feeding on very large snails, apparently a species of Ampullaria, with which their crops were crammed. The changes of plumage are very puzzling in this species, and we are rather doubtful whether the sexes really differ in any material particular, save the slightly larger size of the male. Of the eight specimens now before us, four are almost uniform glossy black below and have the mantle and back also black, the former glossed with metailic green. The black wing-speculum beneath the white shoulder is broad — and clearly defined, and the bills are bright yellow blotched with fuscous. Three of these specimens are sexed male and are un- doubtedly adult. They have the bony knobs at the angle of the wing well developed. A fourth is sexed female by the collector, but cannot be in any way distinguished from the other three specimens. A fifth bird has the under surface brown, a black collar round the fore-neck, and the upper surface dull oily brown, some glossy green feathers are, however, appearing. The speculum on the wing is ill-defined and the ‘ knuckle- dusters ” not very pronounced ; bill paler than in the others and more heavily blotched. Wing 14°2 inches. Northern Portion of the Malay Peninsula. Pa ~ This bird is marked male and is probably an immature bird of that sex. The sixth, sexed male, is similar in every way to the pre- ceding, except that the black collar is less in evidence; the “ knuckle-dusters” are well marked. Wing 13:2 inches. The seventh and eighth birds are sexed female. Wing 13°2 and 12°2 inches, wing-speculum well defined. In one specimen the black collar is not very clear, but in the other it is broad and extends weil on to the breast. Back of the neck in both specimens glossy greenish black. The evidence therefore tends to shew that the adult males are entirely black beneath and that the immature males are brown beneath with a black collar, but whether the fully adult females ever become quite black beneath or remain like the immature males is still uncertain. ~ 42, DENDROCYCNA JAVANICA. Dendrocycna javanica (Horsf.); Salvad. tom. cit. p. 156. The Whistling Teal is common in Trang and on the Langkawis, and indeed in the north of the Peninsula generally, in swamps and rice-fields and on the larger rivers. Further south it is very much less common and is rarely met with in the Federated Malay States, except on the Perak and Pahang Rivers, where it is sometimes exceedingly numerous. In Patani it was said to be a migratory bird, as is probably true of Asarcornis leucoptera, arriving with the breaking of the N.E. Monsoon in October and November ; but its movements are probably only of a local character, depending rather on the relative suitability of the feeding- grounds in one district or another than on a true season migration. FAaconip&. 443. CIRCUS ZRUGINOSUS. Circus eruginosus (Linn.) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. 1, p. 69 (1874). Langkawi, November and February. The Marsh-Harrier is fairly numerous in the winter 22 Messrs. Robinson and Kloss on Birds from the months, wherever there are suitable open spaces. It is particularly abundant in a big marsh near Kuala Lumpur, whence Seimund has secured numerous specimens together with examples of C. spilonotus and C. melanoleucus. + 44. AsTUR POLIOPSIS. Astur poliopsis (Hume) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 110. Two adult females and an immature bird from the interior of Trang agree weil with this race and differ from the typical A. badius of the Indian Peninsula in their smaller size and in the absence of the rufous nuchal collar. In the Singapore Museum there are specimens of this species from “ Singapore,” but their provenance is somewhat doubtful. 4 45. ASTUR SOLOENSIS. Astur soloensis (Lath.) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 114. Very rare in the Malay Peninsula, whence we have only one specimen from Langkawi, shot at the beginning of December 1907. + 46. IcTINAETUS MALAYENSIS. Ictinaétus (Neopus) malayensis (Rheinw.); Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 257; Robinson, p. 171. The Black Eagle is rare in the plains, though often seen in the mountains of the Malay Peninsula. 208. GEOCICHLA CITRINA. Geocichla citrina (Lath.); Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. v. p. 172 (1881). A large series of this and the succeeding species was collected at various places in Trang during December, January, and February. We have also obtained it from Langkawi and Terutau im the months of February and March. + 209. GrocicuLa INNOTATA. Geocichla innotata (Blyth) ; Seebohm, tom. cit. p. 176; Oates, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, ii. p. 141 (1890) ; Robinson, p. 206. A few specimens from Trang lack the white spots to the 64. Messrs. Robinson and Kloss on Birds from the wing-coverts and are therefore referable to this species; the character, however, is so variable:that we rather doubt if the form can be maintained even as a subspecies. It is significant that in the southern part of its range the species is one of the most extreme rarity, and that no recent collector has met with it, though it has been specially searched for during the last seven years. The British Museum possesses no exactly localized or authenticated specimens from any penin- sular locality other than ‘* Malacca,” which is vague and unsatisfactory. +-210. Turpus osscurus. Merula obscura (Gm.); Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. Wap. 270. Quite common in Trang, more so than further south. Y~ 211. PETROPHILA SOLITARIA. Monticola solitaria (Mill.); Seebohm, tom. cit. p. 319. Petrophila solitaria Robinson, p. 207. A single specimen was shot at Kantan, Trang, near the coast of Trang, in December. We have examples of this species also from Pulau Pandan, between Langkawi and Terutau. It has not been recorded from anywhere south of the Larut Range in Perak. ™ 212. HyprocicuHa FRONTALIS. Hydrocichla frontalis (Blyth); Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. vii. p. 321 (1885). Ko-khau, Trang, North Malay Peninsula, January 10th, 1910. Rarer than Henicurus schistaceus and Hydrocichla rufi- capilla, the only other Fork-tails whose occurrence in the Peninsula rests on well-authenticated specimens, the records of Henicurus leschenaulti and H. sinensis being open to very considerable suspicion. +213. Larvivora CYANEA. Erithacus cyaneus Seebolm, Cat. Birds B. M. v. p. 303 ; Robinson, p. 207. Very numerous in all the inland localities in Trang. Northern Portion of the Malay Peninsula. 65 A winter visitor to the Malay Peninsula, generally distri- buted but commoner on the hills than in the plains. +-214. Copsycuus MusIcus. Copsychus musicus (Raffles) ; Robinson, p. 208. Copsychus saularis (partim) Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. M. vii. p- Gr. Though it occurs in Trang, the Dial-bird, or Straits Robin, is much rarer than in Selangor, where it is the commonest and most familiar of garden birds. It was met with, though sparingly, on the Langkawi Islands. 215. CirrocINCLA MACRURA. Cittocincla tricolor (Vieill.) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 85. Cittocincla macrura (Gm.) ; Robinson, p. 208. Common, both at Trang and on the Langkawis. The Shama is another of the Malayan birds that is espe- cially numerous on the outlying islands, probably because they afford the rocky jungle-covered hill-sides that the bird generally frequents. On Pulau Tioman, off the east coast of the Peninsula, it is so numerous as to be almost the dominant species. SYLVIIDA. T~ 216. PHyLioscopus TENELLIPES. Phylloscopus tenellipes Swinh.; Seebohm, Cat. Birds B. M. v. p. 46 (1881). Acanthopneuste tenellipes Oates, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, 1. p. 416 (1889). Two specimens of a Pale-legged Willow- Warbler obtained at Chong and on the hills above it agree perfectly with the series of this species in the British Museum from Tenasserim and China. ‘The present locality is the most southerly recorded for the species. +217. PHYLLoscoPUS BOREALIS. Phylloscopus borealis (Blas.) ; Seebohm, tom. cit. p. 40. Acanthopneuste borealis Oates, tom. cit. p. 412. Four or five specimens were obtained. ‘The species is the most generally distributed of the genus in the Maiay Penin- sula, but they are all rare except in the extreme north. SER, IX.—VOL. V. F 66 Messrs. Robinson and Kloss on Birds from the +218. PHYLLOSCOPUS SUPERCILIOSUS. Phylloscopus superciliosus (Gm.); Seebohm, tom. cit. p. 68 ; Oates, tom. cit. p. 409. Four specimens of this species, not hitherto recorded from the Malay Peninsula, though obtained in Trang by Dr. Abbott (Richmond, in litt.). + 219. PHYLLOSCOPUS CORONATUS. Phylloscopus coronatus (Temm. & Schleg.); Seebohm, tom. cit. p. 49. Acanthopneuste coronata Oates, tom, cit. p. 416; Robinson, p- 208. Three specimens only. 4- 220. OrTHOTOMUS RUFICEPS, Orthotomus ruficeps (Temm.); Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus, vii, p. 224 (1883). 3d. Chong, Trang, North Malay Peninsula, December 1909. Decidedly a rare bird. In six years we have obtained two other specimens only, at Temengoh in North Perak, in August 1909, and at Cheras near Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, in March 1908. ~- 221. ORTHOTOMUS ATRIGULARIS, Jrthotomus atrigularis (Temm.); Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 220 ; Robinson, p. 208. Not met with in Trang, but common in the Langkawi group of islands. + 222. SuroRia MACULICOLLIS. Sutoria maculicollis (F. Moore) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 218 ; Robinson, p. 208. A female from Lam-ra in the interior of Trang, shot on January 22nd, was the only specimen obtained. + 223. LocusTELLA LANCEOLATA. Locustella lanceolata (Temm.) ; Seebohm, Cat. Birds B. M. Ferpe 1s. A single specimen was procured in the interior of Trang. Elsewhere in the Peninsula we have obtained this species on Northern Portion of the Malay Peninsula, 67 the hills, as well as on the coast of Selangor and in the Aroa Islands, in the middle of the Straits of Malacca, during the winter months. + 224. FRANKLINIA RUFESCENS. Cisticola beavani (Wald.); Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. M. vil. p. 225. Franklinia rufescens (Blyth); Robinson, p. 208. ?. Tap-tien, Trang, North Malay Peninsula, lst De- cember, 1909. Widely distributed both in the mountains and plains, as far south as Selangor, during the winter months only. STURNIDA. f+ 225, HULABES JAVANENSIS. Mainatus javanensis (Osbeck); Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xiii. p. 102 (1890). The large Mynah is fairly common in well-wooded country throughout the Peninsula, and was especially abundant on Pulau Tioman and on the Langkawi group. It is social in its habits, flying and feeding in parties of six or seven. It nests in holes in dead trees, usually very high up and generally inaccessible. As elsewhere where the genus occurs, it is a favourite cage-bird, and can readily be taught to talk, clever birds commanding a very high price. ~ 226, EuLABES INTERMEDIUS. Mainatus intermedius (A. Hay); Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 66; Bonhote, P. Z. 8. 1901, p. 66. We secured two specimens of the smaller Grackle in Trang, the first, curiously enough, that we have as yet obtained, though we have made a point of shooting one or two of the genus in every locality visited. It is distinguishable at a glance from E, javanensis by its very much smaller size, especially in the bill, and by the form of the lappets, which are quite different in the two species. Eulabes intermedius appears to be essentially a northern F2 68 Messrs. Robinson and Kloss on Birds from the species, and though specimens from Klang, Malacca, and Singapore are catalogued by Sharpe as belonging to this species and not to £, javanensis, examination of them and also of the specimens from Kossoom shews that they are, on the whole, nearer to the latter species. 227. ArusropsaR Fuscus. LKthiopsar fuscus (Wagl.); Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 86. Common on the plains of Trang. This Mynah extends as far south as Taiping in Perak, where it is fairly common, and we have obtained a single specimen from Jeram on the Selangor coast, whence Davison also obtained it; but south of this it is unknown, the skin in the British Museum from Malacca (Cantor) being of un- certain origin. It is known to Malays as the burong gembala kerbau, * the herdsman of the buffaloes,” from the fact that wherever it is found in the Malay Peninsula it is, like the Cattle-Kgret, almost invariably in attendance on domestic cattle. 231. TePHRODORNIS GULARIS. Tephrodornis gularis (Raffles) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 278 ; Robinson, p. 209. Very common at Trang and throughout the rest of the Peninsula to Singapore at medium elevations up to 2600 feet. Found in pairs or occasionally in small flocks and usually in very lofty trees. + 232. PLATYLOPHUS ARDESIACUS. Platylophus ardesiacus (Cab.); Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 317; Robinson, p. 209. Very abundant throughout the Peninsula in thick jungle, but not at any great height in the mountains. + 233. Lanrus cRIStTaTUs. Lanius cristatus Linn. ; Gadow, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. viii. p. 271 (1883). Immature birds of this species were very common in those parts of Trang visited by us. It is generally distributed throughout the Peninsula during the winter months, but adults are rare. 234. LANius LUCIONENSIS. Lanius lucionensis Linn. ; Gadow, tom. cit. p. 274. Very rare in the Peninsula; we have ourselves come across two specimens only—a female adult shot on Langkawi in March 1909 and an adult from Kuala Lumpur dated March 1907. 70 Messrs. Robinson and Kloss on Birds from the PaRID&. } + 935. MELANOCHLORA FLAVOCRISTATA. Melanochlora flavocristata (afr.); Hellmayr, Tierreich, Paride, p. 31 (1903) ; Robinson, p. 210. Melanochlora sultanea (part.) Gadow, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. viii. p. 6 (1883). Mr. Hellmayr regards the Malayan form of the Sultan Tit as subspecifically distinct from the Himalayan and Burmese bird M. sultanea under the above given name, on account of its smaller size. He gives the wing as 100- 107 mm., as against 110-115 mm. in the northern bird. Five males from various parts of the Malay Peninsula measure from 98°5-104°5 mm. in the wing, as against an average of 112 mm. in a similar number of birds from Sikkim. The species was rather scarce in Trang, and we only got three or four specimens. Elsewhere in the Peninsula it is widely distributed, chiefly in the foot-hills and up to about 3000 feet. It flies in small flocks in the jungle or at the edge of jungle clearings. SITTID#. +> 236. DeNDROPHILA SATURATIOR. Sitta frontalis saturatior Hartert, Nov. Zool. ix. p. 573 (1902). Dendrophila saturatior Robinson, p. 210. This species occurs in Trang, whence we have a male obtained by Dr. Abbott and another from Lam-ra secured by our own men on January 26th, 1910. Dr. Abbott’s specimen is very pale beneath, almost matching true D. frontals in this respect, but specimens from Bankasoon in the extreme south of Tenasserim are almost as dark as some of the darker Malayan specimens. We have compared a series of about sixteen Peninsular specimens with the types of the species from Java and with other skins from the Himalayas, Central and Southern India, Northern Portion of the Malay Peninsula: al Burma, Assain, and Palawan, and find that the differences as noted by Dr. Hartert, viz. the much richer colouring of the upper and lower surfaces, are fairly constant. Curiously enough, a specimen from the type-locality of the subspecies, Gunong Tahan, is paler than any of the others. The form is separated from JL). corallipes of Borneo by its brownish-black feet, and from LD. enochlamys of some of the Philippine Islands by its red, not greenish beak, the uniform back and mantle, and the absence of a white loral spot. CorviIp. 7-237. CoRVUs MACRORHYNCHUS. Corone macrorhynchus (Wagl.); Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. ii. p. 38 (1877). The Common Jungle-Crow was very abundant in Trang and also in Langkawi and Terutau. In the southern half of the Peninsula it is scarcer, being only seen in numbers on the coast in the vicinity of the fishing villages. From Perak southwards to Johor the Slender-billed Crow, Corvus enca Horsf.,; occurs, but is very rare, only three or four specimens having been obtained. + 238, PLarysMURUS LEUCOPTERUS, Platysmurus leucopterus (Temm.) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 90. Fairly numerous in Trang in the secondary jungle, but not so common as in some of the more southerly districts. Known to Malays as the burong kambing (goat-bird) from its harsh call. DicrRvuRIDz. +- 239. DissEMURUS PARADISEUS. Dissemurus paradiseus (Linn.) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 225 ; Robinson, p. 211. Very common everywhere throughout the Peninsula, especially in bamboo-forest. Exceptionally numerous on certain of the smaller islands. 72 Messrs. Robinson and Kloss on Birds from the 240. DicruRUS ANNECTANS. Dicrurus annectans (Hodgs.) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 231; Robinson, p. 211. Imm. Chong, Trang, N. Malay Peninsula, 7th December. A migratory bird, common all over the Peninsula and the outlying islands during the winter months. T 241. Dicrurus LEUCOGENYS. Buchanga leucogenys Walden ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 251. Dicrourus leucogenys var. salangensis Rehnw. Nomencl. Mus. Hein. p. 69 (1890). The White-cheeked Drongo was abundant at most of the places visited in Trang, and is possibly resident there. It has been recorded from as far down the Peninsula as Malacca, but in the south it is a rare bird and probably only a winter visitor. The variety salangensis described by Reichenow from the island of Salanga—or Tongkah, as it is more usually called —to the north of Trang, as having the sides of the face ashy and not white, is obviously based on an immature specimen. An adult from Salanga in the British Museum agrees in every respect with the typical specimens from Tenasserim and the mainland of the Peninsula. ORIOLIDA. 242, Or1oLUs INDICUS. Oriolus indicus Jerd.; Hume, Stray Feathers, vii. p. 63 (1879) ; Oates, Birds Brit. Burm. 1. p. 211 (1883). Oriolus diffusus Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. in. p. 197 (1878). Fairly abundant at all our collecting-stations m Trang in December and January. The species is not resident in the Peninsula, only occurring during the winter months, and has not as yet been met with further south than Malacca. + 248. Or1oLUs MELANOCEPHALUS. Oriolus melanocephalus Linn.; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 215; Hume, Stray Feathers, viii. p. 156 (1879) (Tonka). An adult male and an immature female, obtained on Northern Portion of the Malay Peninsula. 73 Pulau Langkawi in March 1909, constitute the most southerly record for this species. + 244, ORIOLUS ZANTHONOTUS. — Oriolus zanthonotus Horsf.; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 213. Common over the greater portion of the Peninsula, but becoming rather scarcer to the north of the Peninsula and evidently rather rare in Trang. Moraciuuip@. + 245. MoraciLua MELANOPE. Motacilla melanope Pall. ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. x. p. 497 (1885). The Grey Wagtail was met with in flocks among the rice- fields at Chong in December. It is found throughout the Malay Peninsula and outlying islands from August to April. © 946, MoracinLa BOREALIS. Motacilla borealis Sundev.; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 523 ; Grant, Fasc. Malay Zool. iii. p. 71 (1905). Budytes cinereocapillus (nec Savi), Hume, Stray Feathers, vill. pp. 65, 161 (1879). A single young female was shot at Chong from among a number of J/. melanope, the present form being very much rarer in the Peninsula than that species. The British Museum contains immature specimens from Ban Sai Kau and Nawnchik near Patani on the east coast of the Penin- sula, shot in September and November; an adult from Kosoom, north of Trang, shot in April; and another adult from Klang, dated 20.vi.79. Both the latter are in full breeding-plumage. 4~— 247. LimonrpRomus INDICcUs. Limonidromus indicus (Gm.) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 582 ; Robinson, p. 212. One or two specimens were obtained, but in Trang, as elsewhere in the Peninsula, the Forest-Wagtail is by no means common, probably remaining for a short time only 74 Messrs. Robinson and Kloss on Birds from the during the winter months. It may be of interest to record that on December 25th and 26th, 1908, the species occurred literally in thousands on the summit of the Larut Hills, Perak, at an elevation of 4500 feet, after wind and heavy rain. On the 26th not a single bird remained. t 248. ANTHUS MALAYENSIS. Anthus malayensis Eyton, P. Z. 8. 1839, p. 104. Anthus rufulus (part.), Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 574. The Malayan Pipit, as everywhere else in the Peninsula, was abundant on the rice-fields and other open spaces in Trang. + 249. ANTHUS MACULATUS. — Anthus maculatus Hodgs.; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 547; Butler, Journ. Straits Branch Roy. Asiat. Soc. xxxii. p. 21 (1899) ; Robinson, p. 212. Our men obtained two specimens of the Indian Tree- Pipit in low jungle near Chong in December 1909. With the exception of the specimens recorded by Butler (oc. cit.) from the Larut Hills in Perak, the species has not hitherto been obtained in the Malay Peninsula. NECTARINIIDE. > 250. AlTHopyGa SIPARAJA. LKthopyga siparqja (Raffles); Gadow, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. ix. p. 21 (1884). 3. Chong, Trang, N. Malay Peninsula, Dec. 1909. 6. Lamra, _,, 35 ye Jan. 1910. This Sun-bird is sparingly distributed throughout the Peninsula at low elevations from the Tenasserim border to Singapore. It is most common in the vicinity of the coast and on the small islands, especially at Singapore and Penang. Further in the interior, and at elevations up to about 3000 or 4000 feet, its place is taken by the succeeding species. The specimens enumerated above, and indeed all those in the British Museum from the northern portion of the Penin- sula, are not typical 4. siparaja, but shew a marked approach to Al. cara (Hume, ‘Stray Feathers, u. p. 4738, 1874) in Northern Portion of the Malay Peninsula. 75 having the crown, upper tail-coverts, and tail strongly tinged with metallic greenish, not rich violet as in more southern specimeus. The rump also is paler, less orange, yellow, but these characters are not very constant -+ 251. AfrHopyGa TEMMINCKI. Aithopyga temmincki (S. Mill.) ; Gadow, tom. cit. p. 16 ; Robinson, Journ. Fed. Malay States Mus. i. p. 28 (1905) ; id. Op, cli, 11. ps elo (1909). 6. Hills above Chong, Trang, N. Malay Peninsula, Dec. 1909. This species also is generally distributed throughout the Peninsula from the above mentioned locality, which is the northernmost recorded, to Gunong Angsi in Negri Sem- bilan. It is not met with in the low country nor, on the other hand, at great elevations, where the genus is repre- sented by 4’. anomala or At. wrayi. +252, ANTHOPYGA ANOMALA. Athopyga anomala Richmond, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. Xxxil. p. 319 (1900) ; Robinson, p. 2138. We have not as yet ourselves obtained this species from Trang, but have before us a pair of the typical series col- lected by Dr. Abbott on Khau-nom-plu, a mountain in the State about 3000 feet high. The species differs from 44. wrayi, of the mountains of Perak, Selangor, and Pahang, only in lacking the yellow rump-band. The females of the two species are indistin- guishable. 44. saturata, with which its describer compared it, is a very much larger bird than A. anomala. +253, ANTHOTHREPTES SIMPLEX. Anthothreptes simplex (S. Miill.) ; Gadow, tom. cit. p. 114. Anthreptes xanthochlora Hume, Stray Feathers, iii. p. 320 (1875). 3. Chong, ‘Trang, N. Malay Peninsula, 9th December, 1909. Iris chestnut-red; bill black; feet greenish, with soles yellowish. 76 Messrs. Robinson and Kloss on Birds from the This plain-coloured Sun-bird is a decidedly rare species in the Malay Peninsula, but is sparingly distributed from the northern border south to Klang in Selangor. It does not appear to have been obtained up to the present in Johor, and the Hume collection contains no specimens from that State. It is met with usually in pairs, and not in open country like its congener A. malaccensis. The type of A. wanthochlora from Tenasserim is a rather small female, with the upper surface strongly tinged with yellow. It can, however, be matched by specimens from other parts of the range of A. simplex, and is probably an immature bird. 4 254. ANTHOTHREPTES HYPOGRAMMICA. Anthothreptes hypogrammica (S. Miill.); Gadow, tom. cit. p. 112; Robinson, p. 213. Searce in Trang, where it is approaching its northern limit, but widely distributed throughout the Peninsula. +255. ANTHOTHREPTES RHODOLZMA Shelley. Anthothreptes rhodolema Shelley, Mon. Nect. p. 313, ld Ole tis 11573), Anthothreptes malaccensis (partim) Gadow, tom. cit. p. 128. This species, which is very different from the commoner A, malaccensis and at once distinguishable by the darker olive-green colour of the belly and the reddish ear-coverts, was exceedingly abundant at Chong, feeding in large numbers on trees in flower in the park. It appears to be commoner in the northern districts, but is found sparingly throughout the Peninsula, south to Singapore, and whereas A. ma/accensis is always found either near the sea or on cocoanut palms, the present form is met with further up country, and always in jungle or forest land. \ a+. 256. ANTHOTHREPTES MALACCENSIS. Anthoihreptes malaccensis (Scop.); Gadow, tom. cit. p- 122. Abundant in the cocoanut-groves of the Langkawi group. Northern Portion of the Malay Peninsula. “i > 957, Leprocoma HASSEETT. Cinnyris hasselti (Temm.) ; Gadow, tom. cit. p. 67. Not rare along the coast and islands of the Malay Peninsula, but seldom, if ever, seen at any considerable distance inland. Abundant at Pulau Terutau in December 1907 and March 1909, and met with sparingly at Trang. + 258. CyrtostoMUS PECTORALIS. Cinnyris pectoralis (Horsf.) ; Gadow, tom. cit. p. 83. Both this and the following species are found in the northern parts of the Peninsula, C. flammazillaris being not uncommon in the Langkawi group, while both occur in Trang. -- 259. CyrTOsTOMUS FLAMMAXILLARIS. Cinnyris flammazillaris (Blyth) ; Gadow, tom. cit. p. 83. +~ 260. ARACHNOTHERA LONGIROSTRIS. Arachnothera longirostris (Lath.) ; Gadow, tom. cit. p. 103; Robinson, p. 218. Only two or three specimens of this species were obtained. In the central and southern portions of the Peninsula it is very abundant, together with A. modesta, especially in the banana-plantations. + 261. ARACHNOTHERA MODESTA. Arachnothera modesta (Eyton) ; Gadow, tom. cit. p. 107; Robinson, p. 214. Quite the commonest species in the Peninsula generally. Very few, however, were met with in Trang, the larger and more powerful A. robusta and A. flavigaster appearing to monopolize the flowering trees, whence we obtained the majority of our specimens of this genus. + 262. ARACHNOTHERA CHRYSOGENYS. Arachnothera chrysogenys Temm.; Gadow, tom. cit. p-. 108. Rather rarer in Trang than the other members of the genus and nowhere very abundant. 78 Messrs. Robinson and Kloss on Birds from the ? 263. ARACHNOTHERA FLAVIGASTER. Anthreptes flavigaster Eyton, P.Z. 8. 1839, p. 105 (Malacca). Arachnothera eytonit Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. v. p. 182 (1874) (Borneo). Arachnothera simillima Hume, Stray Feathers, v. p. 487 (1877310. Op. cit.vi. p.l/L (1878). Common along with other species of the genus in the park at Chong in December 1909. We have examined the type and two other specimens of Arachnothera simillima, all “ Malacca” trade-skins. The characters in the bill on which the species is founded are obviously due to immaturity. Parallel cases occur in other species of the genus. ~~ 264, ARACHNOTHERA ROBUSTA. Arachnothera robusta Mill. et Schleg. ; Gadow, tom. cit. paLOl. Quite common in Trang, but decidedly rare throughout the rest of the Peninsula, the British Museum possessing only three specimens, viz. from South Perak, Selangor, and Malacca. Dic#zID&. 7-265. DicmuM cRUENTATUM. Diceum cruentatum (Linn.); Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. x. p. 15 (1885). Rather scarce, though a few specimens were met with at Chong. The species is in the main an inhabitant of the coastal zone, and becomes much rarer in the inland districts. ~ 266. DiczuUM TRIGONOSTIGMA. Diceum trigonostigma (Scop.); Sharpe, tom, cit. p. 38; Robinson, p. 214. The commonest species of the family in Trang. 4 267. DicmuM CHRYSORRHEUM. Diceum chrysorrheum 'Temm. ; Sharpe, tom, cit. p. 44. Rather rare. Northern Portion of the Malay Peninsula. 79 ~ 968. PRIoNOCHILUS IGNICAPILLUS. Prionochilus ignicapillus (Eyton); Sharpe, tom. cit. p., 60. +> 269. PrionocHILUS MACULATUS. Prionochilus maculatus (Temm.) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 69 ; Robinson, p. 215. The species of this genus were not nearly so common as those of Diceuwm, and were harder to get, as they seemed to frequent loftier trees. ~~ 270. PreRIsOMA MODESTUM. Prionochilus modestus (Hume) ; Sharpe, tom. cit. p. 32. Piprisoma modestum Oates, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, 1. p. 383 (1890). A single specimen was obtained among numerous others of the family at Chong in December. It is probably not uncommon in the State, as Dr. Abbott also obtained it, but from its sombre and inconspicuous coloration it is very liable to escape notice. The present locality is the most southerly recorded for the species, which certainly does not occur in that portion of the Malay Peninsula under British influence. ZOSTEROPIDA. 4 271. ZosTeROPS TAHANENSIS. Zosterops tahanensis Grant, Bull. B. O. C. xix. No. exxvil. p- 10 (1906); Robinson, p. 215. Very numerous at Chong on one particular tree, in company with large numbers of Bulbuls, Flower-peckers, and Sun-birds. The species was originally described by Mr. Grant from a single specimen obtained on Gunong Tahan at an altitude of about 5000 feet, but it has since been found at several localities along the main range at lower elevations. Nine specimens before us differ from Z. aureiventer Hume in the characters stated by Mr. Grant, while in 80 Mr.C.H.B.Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, addition the yellow of the throat is very much duller and the white ring round the eye somewhat narrower. From Z. palpebrosa, which also occurs in the Peninsula, the species is at once differentiated by the yellow mesial streak on the abdomen and the absence of a yellowish- orange tinge on the forehead and in front of the eye. III.—List of Birds collected in Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil, with Field-notes. By Ciaupe H. B.. Grant, M.B.O.U.—Part I. Passeres. (Plate IL.) Tue collections on which this paper is based were made in various localities in Argentina, Paraguay, and Southern Brazil (see map, Plate II.). At Los Ynglases I collected in the Ajé district, some fifty miles to the south of Buenos Aires, between September 1908 and June 1909, and from December 11th, 1909, to March 11th, 1910, on behalf of the British Museum and Mr. Ernest Gibson, F.Z.S. I also visited the following localities in Northern Argentina, Paraguay, and the Matto Grosso district of Brazil (where I accompanied Mr. G. W. Tudor in his steam-launch ‘ Leda,’ on an expedition up the Rio Parana and Rio Paraguay), between the end of July and the middle of November 1909, when we proceeded as far north as Corumba in Matto Grosso :— Northern Argentina.—Rosario, Santa Elena, Esquina, Goya, Bella Vista, Riacho Ancho, Colonia Mihanovitch. Paraguay. Humaita, Tayru, Villa del Pilar, Tebicuari, Arjerichi, Villa Franca, Villa Oliva, Mortero, Santa Rosa, Villeta, Monte Alto, Maseras, Puerto San Juan, Puerto Asir, Curuzu Chica, Sapatero Cué, Puerto Pinasco, Colonia Risso, Cerro Concurencia, Puerto Maria, Puerto Medano, Fuerte Olimpo, Cabo Emma, and Bahia Negra. Bolivia.—The few miles of the river-bank that have now i L Wd ‘W6t’ slat - eo os ° o SIT AHIPIS JO eTBOS | XVOOVUVd ONY VNVUVd SUAATL | amy da PeTPAe saox 2 pus WT OILNVTLV ¥ LOMLLsIad orv ommID}y ay Oxrosuopy amp yo worsted ax) Surmore UES |} of WIIMAWNV HLAOS ss poured jo mkny Po SN CAGES ts } ff se ogpranvnoyy 2%, | ag a ee ha ei catia 9 Mostrar. NVAIO = \ ; a Qsaulv SONS NN Dg Nig! ( Ue 28 }) “erp.1091D,) Z BgOPIOD? wus J es) o | =X : vu: mbsz by i nN ls & ' Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 81 been conceded to Bolivia are between Bahia Negra and the fort of Coimbra, S. Brazil—Rio Apa, Porto Martinho, Pan de Azucar, Coimbra, Puga, Porto Esperanca, Albuquerque, Boca de Homiguera, Rabicho, Riacho Paraguay, Mirin, Corumba, The Aj6é district is open grass camp or pampa, with a few Tala woods. It is intersected by great swamps which water the district, and, as might be expected, is rich in water- haunting birds. It is also a very interesting locality, inas- much as it is about the southern limit of many woodland species common at Buenos Aires and to the northward, and is about the northern limit of many Patagonian species that migrate northward in the winter months. On the Rio Parané and Rio Paraguay the country is well wooded for the whole of the course traversed, especially after passing Corrientes, and at many of the ports there are large factories for the cutting of wood. Large lagunas and swamps are scattered over the country adjacent to the rivers. Until the Rio Apa is reached no hills are seen except for a few around Asuncion, but from the Rio Apa to Corumba chains of low hills covered with bush are met with. The passes through them by the Pan de Azucar (a conical hill of some 1600 feet above sea-level) are extremely pretty, and in many parts are covered with palms. Some of the most interesting sights on this trip were the numbers of colonies of breeding Terns, and I never cease to regret that, owing to the loss of my negatives, I was unable to get photographs of them. In working out my collections I have had access to a series of birds and eggs made by Miss I. G. Runnacles at Los Ynglases in the Aj6 district. I have included many of these in this paper, especially where a species is not repre- sented in my series, so as to make the list as complete as possible. J have to thank Miss Runnacles for her kindness in allowing me to do this, and for the use of her notes. In all about two hundred species of birds are represented. In every case I have given references to the ‘ Catalogue of SER. IX.—VOL. V. G 82 Mr.C.H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, Birds in the British Museum’ and to Sclater and Hudson’s ‘Argentine Ornithology,’ while I have also cited several recent publications and papers. The ‘Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum’ is quoted as “Cat. B.” and Sclater and Hudson’s ‘Argentine Orni- thology’ as ‘Arg. Orn.” I have to tender my best thanks to Mr. Ogilvie-Grant for his kindness in facilitating my access te the collection of the British Museum, and to Mr. Charles Chubb of the same Institution for much valuable help. 1. TuRDUS LEUCOMELAS. Turdus leucomelas Seebohm, Cat. B. v. p. 213; Arg. Orn. 1,10; Ls Turdus amaurochalinus Hellmayr, J. f. O. 1902, p. 58. a. gad. Villa Franca, Paraguay. Aug. 10, 1909. b. 2 ad. Porto Esperanga, Brazil. Sept. 25, 1909. Tris hazel; bill yellowish brown; legs and toes brownish horn-coloured. The September specimen is very worn and bedraggled. 2. TURDUS RUFIVENTRIS, Merula rufiventer Seebohm, Cat. B. v. p. 222. Turdus rufiventris Arg. Orn. 1. p. 8. a,b. 8 ad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Sept. 10-14, 1908. c,d,e, fig. d 2 ad. - » Oct. 6-14, 1908. hi,j, 0 Qad.&yg. ,, » Nov. 6-24, 1902. k. 3 young. “ » van. 5; 1909: l, 9 ad. » March 15, 1909. m. 3d young. Feb. 14, 1910. n,o. $ ad. Riacho ncho, N. AtGentine July 30-31, 1909. . dad. Arjerichi, Paraguay. Aug. 9, 1909. js gd ad, Sapatero Cué, Paraguay. Sept. 3, 1909. r. 2 ad. Near Villa Franca, Paraguay. Nov. 6, 1909. s. gd ad. Near Santa Elena, N. Argentine. Nov.15,1909. Ad. Indes hazel ; eyelid lemon-chrome; bill pale olive- green ; legs and toes purplish brown. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 83 Young. Bill paler than in the adult and yellow at the gape ; legs and toes more ashy. The October and November birds are worn, and the March bird has finished its moult. The Red-bellied Thrush was observed everywhere, and has a lively and pretty song. On the Estancias at Ajé it un- fortunately shews a great liking for the fruit, especially grapes, and is therefore somewhat of a nuisance. The nest is composed of grass or moss &c., lined with mud and then with fine grass, and the full elatel: of eggs is four, though three is the most usual number found. 3. Mtmus mopuraror, Mimus modulator Sharpe, Cat. B. vi. p. 347; Arg. Orn, sia oma a,b,c. 8 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Oct. 12-20, 1908. d, fs I- 3 Gad. & yg. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Nov. 6-9, 1908. h,i. 8 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Jan. 7, 1909. 7.2 VOuNe, . » dan. 21, 1909. ks & ad. Be Dec. 29, 1909. l,m. 3% ad. Nr. Santa Fen aaNE Argentine. Nov. 15,1909. Ad. Irides grey; bill black, livid at base of lower mandible; legs and toes almost black. Young. Irides grey; bill, legs, and toes greyish; gape yellow. All the adults, especially the December birds, are shewing signs of wear and fading. The two from Santa Elena are darker above than the southern birds, but are very much worn and the edges to the feathers are almost totally abraded. The young bird differs from the adult in having “ the mantle, rump, and the edges of the secondaries and wing- coverts brown; below buffy white spotted and streaked with blackish; throat as in the adult.” A common resident species in the Ajé district, but by no means often observed on the river expedition. @ 2 ‘84 Mr.C. H.B.Grant:on Birds collected in Argentina, The nest is placed in a bush or low tree, often in a very exposed situation ; it is composed of thorny twigs and lined with rootlets and hair. 4. Mimus TRIURUS. Mimus triurus Sharpe, Cat. B. vi. p. 842; Arg. Orn, 1. p. 8, pl. i. a. g ad. Monte Alto, Paraguay. Aug. 25, 1909. b. Sg ad. Colonia Risso, _,, Sept. 8, 1909. Trides olive-green ; bill blackish horn-coloured, pearly at ‘base of lower mandible; legs and toes dull black. 5. PoLioPprTiLa DUMICOLA. Polioptila dumicola Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p. 444; Arg. Orn. Lop. 12. ao? ad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Sept. 27, 1908. b. fo ad. as Oct. 31, 1908. c. ¢ young. 33 oa Feb. 15, 1909. d,e. 6 ad. &P ys. 5 - Mar. 4-12, 1909. isi eed June 8, 1909. hk. 9 ad. Villa Franca, aac Aug. 10, 1909. i. g ad. Cabo Emma, e Oct. 20, 1909. 3d. Irides hazel ; bill slate-coloured, darker at tip; legs and toes slate-coloured. 2. Irides hazel; bill, legs, and toes blue-slate-coloured. ¢& juv. Soft parts as in adult; gape yellow. The October birds are rather faded compared with those of June and August, and the March adult is much worn and faded, and is starting to moult. The June male is in complete new dress, except for the tail. The young female taken in March has only blackish tips to the ear-coverts and is moulting. The young male is as follows :—“ Similar to adult female except forehead and ear-coverts grey, the latter faintly bordered with blackish ; and the whole of the upper parts more grey than blue.” Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 85- This exceedingly graceful and pretty species is by no means common in the montes in the Ajo district, but is resident, being observed throughout the twelve months. It is seen-singly, in pairs, cr occasionally three or four together, creeping about among the upper branches of the Tala trees after the manner of our Long-tailed Titmouse (Acredula caudata), and its note is very similar to that of the Blue Titmouse (Parus ceruleus). Its flight as it goes from tree to tree is dipping and graceful. There is little doubt that it breeds in this district, though I did not find the nest or even see the birds carrying building material; but towards the close of the summer of 1908-1909 I saw one or two parties of old and young. 6. DonacoBIUs ATRICAPILLUS. Donacobius atricapillus Sharpe, Cat. B. vi. p. 364; Arg. Orn..i. ps 13. a. @? ad. Boca de Homiguera, Brazil. Oct. 9, 1909. Irides rich yellow; bill black, ashy on under side of lower mandible; bare skin on side of neck lemon-chrome ; legs and toes dark ashy. Many individuals were observed frequenting the long grass at the edges of the swamps. 7. TROGLODYTES HORNENSIS. Troglodytes hornensis Sharpe, Cat. B. vi. p. 257. Troglodytes musculus hornensis Oberhols, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xxvii. p. 203. a. & ad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Sept. 16, 1908. b¢5 d.. 3 Dad: % » Oct. 18-26, 1908. e,f. d Qad. & yg. . » dan. 21-25, 1909. g. & ad. $5 » Heb. 3,.1909. h. 9 ad. . » Mar. 10, 1909. i. ? young. or i dans 7 LOTTO: j. % young. > . Beds 2, IOLO, Ad. Irides hazel; bill dark brown, lower mandible livid flesh-coloured ; gape yellow; legs and toes pale brown. The adult specimens vary slightly individually, but there 86 Mr.C.H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, is great similarity in the general tone. When the plumage becomes worn the birds have a much more barred appear- ance on the upper parts. Both the February and March adults are moulting. The young bird differs from the adult as follows: “ Above nearer blackish brown, finely and regularly barred ; below, from chin to vent crossed by narrow wavy lines; more or less distinct individually.” A common species and remarkably tame and confiding ; in call, actions, and habits it resembles the European Wren, but carries the tail horizontally. It usually nests in holes or crevices in the trees, the nest being composed of a few sticks and lined with feathers ; eight eggs appear to be the full clutch. 8. TROGLODYTES MUSCULUS. Troglodytes musculus Sharpe, Cat. B. vi. p. 255; Arg. Orn. 1;p: 13. Troglodytes musculus musculus Oberhols. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xxvii. p. 202. a,b. 8 9 ad. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. July 31, 1909. c. dad. Arjerichi, Paraguay. Aug. 9, 1909. d. g ad. Villa Franca, _,, Aug. 10, 1909. e. g ad. Colonia Risso, ,, Sept. 8, 1909. f. 6 ad. Cabo Emma, ,, Oct. 20, 1909. In habits and actions similar to 7. hornensis. 9. ANTHUS CORRENDERA. Anthus correndera Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p. 610; Arg. Orn. Lens chy’. a. g ad. los Ynglases, Aj6. Sept. 19, 1908. b. 2 ad. ie i Oct. 30, 1908. c,d, e,f,g,h. 8 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Nov. 9-80, 1908. i,j. d 2 young & ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Dec. 11-26, 1908. k. @ ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Jan. 20, 1909. 1, 2 young. = ms Feb. 21, 1909. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 87 m,n. o 3 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. April 28, 1909. 0o,p. & ¢ ad. ys ™ Dec. 13, 1909. g. ¢ ad. Se oe Jan. 6, 1910. Irides hazel; bill dark brown, paler at base of the lower mandible ; legs and toes pale brown. The November adults are shewing signs of wear, and the December young birds are much worn. The April birds have completed the moult and are in full new dress. The young bird taken in February is moulting into the adult dress. The commoner of the two Pipits foundin the Ajé district, where it is exceedingly plentiful, spending most of its time on the ground, but occasionally sitting on the tops of the plants or on the wire fences. The nest is placed on the ground under a tuft of grass, often in the footprint of a horse or cow, and is composed of grass lined with hair. Four eggs form the full clutch, though three is the usual number. 10. ANTHUS FURCATUS. Anthus furcatus Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p.605 ; Arg. Orn. i. p.19. a. 9 ad. Los Yunglases, Aj6. Nov. 24, 1908. b. 2 ad. $5 » Dec. 14, 1908. CG. di1g oad. <3 » April 16, 1909- e. 2 ad. a5 se wec:13,- 1909; The November and December birds are much worn, and the April examples bave completed the moult and are in full new dress, shewing a deeper tinge of buff on the chest. Nearly as plentiful as A. correndera in the Ajo district, and can be always distinguished in life from that species by the lighter and more uniform colour of the back. A. furcatus resembles A. correndera in habits and manner of nesting. Three eggs appear to form the complete clutch. 11. PaRuLa PITIAYUMI. Parula pitiayumi Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p. 259, pl. x1. fig. 1 ; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 20. a. 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Sept. 12, 1908. 88 Mr.C.H.B.Grant on Birds collected in Argentine, b,c,d. 8 2 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. June 1-8, 1909. e,f. dad. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. July 31,1909. g- @?ad. Arjerichi, Paraguay. Aug. 9, 1909. ee Villa Oliva, —,, Aug, IL, 1909. 2. 6 ad. Santa tuosa, | ¥,. Aug. 14, 1909. Irides hazel; bill and upper mandible black, lower pale yellow-brown ; legs and toes brown. This is quite the rarest woodland bird in the Ajo district, where it is apparently only a winter visitor, arriving in the autumn and leaving again in the spring. I shot one on September 12th, soon after my arrival there in 1908, and more were observed afterwards till March or April of 1909. Miss Runnacles noted them in every month throughout that winter. This is a dainty and lively little bird, having much the habits and actions of a Zosterops, while the note is loud and shrill and not unlike the alarm-note of Troglodytes hornensis. It was very plentiful in the woods of the Northern Argentine and Paraguay. 12. GEOTHLYPIS VELATA. Geothlypis velata Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p. 363, pl. ix. fig. 5 ; Arg. Orn. i. p. 20. Geothlypis cucullata Richmond, Auk, xvii. p. 179 (1900). a,b. 9 ad. Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay. Sept. 17, 1909. c. 9 ad. Curuzu Chica, 7 Oct. 29, 1909. oie ao. Bella Vista, N. Argentine. Nov. 12, 1909. 6. Ivides hazel; bill black, lower mandible fleshy ; legs and toes pale brown. ?. Similar to the male, except that the upper mandible is dark brown. 13. BasiLEUTERUS AURICAPILLUS. Basileuterus auricapillus Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p. 893; Arg. Om. 1. p: 21, a. g ad. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. July 31, 1909 Ivides hazel ; bill brown ; legs and toes amber-yellow. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 89 14. BaAsILEUTERUS FLAVEOLUS. Basileuterus flaveolus, Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p. 380. a. g ad. Sapatero Cué, Paraguay. Sept. 3, 1909. Irides hazel; bill dark brown; legs and toes yellow- brown. 15. VIREOSYLVIA CHIVI. Vireo chivi Gadow, Cat. B. viii. p. 295. Vireosylvia chivi Arg. Orn. 1. p. 22. a. & ad. Near Villa Franca, Paraguay. Nov. 6, 1909. b. fo ad. Bella Vista, N. Argentine. Nov. 12, 1909. c,d. gad. Near Goya, : Nov. 13, 1909. e. 2 ad. Near Santa Elena, ,, Nov. 15..1909- Irides hazel ; bill, legs, and toes slate-coloured. This bird has much the appearance and action of our Wood- Warblers. 16. HyLoruitus Pa@ciLotis. Hylophilus pecilotis Gadow, Cat. B. viii. p. 308; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 23. a. 2. Riacho Paraguay, Mirin, Brazil. Oct. 3, 1909. b. 3. Rabicho, Brazil. Oct. 8, 1909. Irides reddish brown; bill, legs, and toes very pale brown. 17. CycLoruIs VIRIDIS. Cyclorhis viridis Gadow, Cat. B. viii. p. 318. Cyclorhis altirostris Arg. Orn. i. p. 24, pl. ii. fig. 2. a. 2 ad. Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay. Sept. 7, 1909. 6b. 9 ad. Pan de Azucar, Brazil. Sept. 20, 1909. Irides yellow; bill and upper mandible pale brown, lower base livid; legs and toes pale slaty grey. 18. PRoGNE FURCATA, Progne furcata Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p. 175; Arg. Orn. i. p. 24. a. g ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Jan. 3, 1909. Inides hazel ; bill black ; legs and toes brown. A rare visitor to the Ajé district, the specimen obtained being the only one observed. This remained for several 90 Mr.C. A. B.Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, weeks with P. domestica, which was breeding in the out- buildings, and, fearing that it would leave, I at last shot it. 19. PRoGNE DOMESTICA. Progne domestica Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p. 177. Progne chalybea Arg. Orn. 1. p. 25. a. 2 young. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Jan. 14, 1909. 6. 2 young. . x Feb. 7, 1909. e. 9 ad, 35 55 March 2, 1909. d. g ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Aug. 13, 1909. The March bird is moulting. A summer visitor to the Ajé district, and breeding in the outbuildings, the nest being placed on a horizontal rafter or support. It is composed of mud and grass and lined with feathers: five or six eggs form the complete clutch. The young differ from the adult, as in P. chalybea. 20. PRoGNE TAPERA. Progne tapera Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p. 180; Arg. Orn. i. p- 26. a. g ad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Oct. 20, 1908. b. 2 ad. " s Jan. 25, 1909. 60,2. 2nd. a Feb. 4-16, 1909. Ag. & ad. Rabicho, Brazil. Oct. 8, 1909. ht. 8 2 ad. Ny. Villa Pilar, Paraguay. Nov. 7, 1909. k. o. Nr. Esquina, N. Argentine. Nov. 14, 1909. Ivides hazel; bill, legs, and toes sooty brown. The February specimens are rather worn, but are not moulting, and all appear to be fully adult. This arrives later than any of the other Swallows in the Ajo district, and does not leave till winter is well in. It occupies the nests of Furnarius rufus after the latter has left them, and its own nest is composed of grass and feathers. On the river expedition a few.were seen between Puerto Pinasco and Puerto Maria on the 7th of September, and a pair Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil, of were observed carrying grass and feathers to an old Oven- bird’s nest on the 8th of October at Boca de Homiguera. 21, PrrROCHELIDON PYRRHONOTA. Petrochelidon pyrrhonota Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p. 201; Arg. Orn. i. p. 30. a, b,c. &. Lmiconia, Aj6. March 2, 1909. Irides dark brown; bill black; legs and toes sooty brown. All the specimens are just completing the moult. Numbers of this Swallow were seen at Luiconia on March 2ud, all migrating northwards ; and again on Feb. 23, 1910, several were observed on the coast going westwards. 22. TACHYCINETA LEUCORRHOA. Tachycineta leucorrhous Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p. 114. Tachycineta leucorrhoa Arg. Orn. 1. p. 80. a. 6 ad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Oct. 20, 1908. G6 0,0, 7.96 2 VE: is x Mar. 3, 1909. g. 2 ad. iy es Dec. 21, 1909. The young differ from the adults in being duller above and having white edges to the inner secondaries. The White-rumped Swallow is a summer visitor to the Aj6 district, appearing about the end of July and leaving again about March. It is generally observed hawking backwards and forwards over the open camp close above the surface of the ground, and is extremely fond of circling round the rider’s horse in order to catch the insects either disturbed by the animal or those that often follow. It breeds both under the roofs of houses and in holes in the trees, and from the latter I have taken most of my nests. The nest is made of grass warmly and thickly lined with feathers, and five eggs apparently make the full clutch. 23. TACHYCINETA MEYENI. Tachycineta meyent Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p. 116. a. gad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. May 9, 1909. 92 Mr. C.H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, 24. ATTICORA CYANOLEUCA. Aiticora cyanoleuca Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p. 186; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 33. a,b. g ad.& young. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Feb. 20, 1910. Trides dark brown; Dill black; legs and toes purplish brown. A few were seen on the date the specimens were shot, but the bird does not, I think, now breed in the Ajo district, or if so very sparingly. 25. ATTICORA FUCATA. Atticora fucata Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p. 188; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 80. a. Ad. Mortero, Paraguay. Aug. 18, 1909. Irides brown ; bill, legs, and toes horn-brown. 26. STELGIDOPTERYX RUFICOLLIS. Stelgidopteryx ruficollis Sharpe, Cat. B. x. p. 208; Arg. Orn. i. p. 36. a. d ad. Rabicho, Brazil. Oct. 8, 1909. b. g ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Nov. 5, 1909. 27. HUPHONTA CHLOROTICA. Euphonia chlorotica Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 64; Arg. Orn. i. Pp. 37. Euphonia serrirostris Chubb, Ibis, 1910, p. 621. a. gad. Curuzu Chica, Paraguay. Oct. 29, 1909. Iris hazel; bill, legs, and toes deep slate-coloured. 28. TANAGRA SAYACA. Tanagra sayaca Sel. Cat. B. xi. p. 158; Arg. Orn. i. p. 39. a. gad. Near Goya, N. Argentina. Nov. 12, 1909. 6. 9 ad. Near Santa Elena, _,, Nov. 15, 1909. c. 9 ad. Monte Alto, Paraguay. Aug. 25, 1909. Iris hazel; bill, feet, and toes pale blue-slate-coloured ; tip of upper mandible dark. d,e. 9 ad. Cabo Emma, Alto Paraguay. Oct. 20, 1909. Fo vad. Puerto Maria, _ Oct. 24, 1909. Paraguay, Bolivia, end Southern Brazil. 93 There is also an adult male in Miss Runnacles’ collection taken at Ajé on the 12th of August, 1909, to which district it is a rare visitant. 29. TANAGRA BONARIENSIS. Tanagra bonariensis Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 164; Arg. Orn. 1, p. 39. a. 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 12, 1908. GoGo. ad. 3 » sept. 15, 1908. d. 2 ad. 3 » sept. 21, 1908. e. 2 ad. 2 » Feb. 1, 1909. iG, & % juv. 3 » Feb. 15,18, 1909. i,k. 3 ad. et imm. » May 5, 1909. l. 2 juv. ss » May 6, 1909. m,n. d 2 Imm. 7 » May 12, 1909. 0,p. 9 ad. ee » van. 7, 1910. q. & ad. ss 5» dan. 9, 1910. r,s. & ad. a » dan. 10, 1910. The young male is similar to the adult female, but not so sandy rufous below. A common bird at Ajo, where it does not a little damage to fruit &c. in the gardens. I have been unable to decide whether it breeds in this district or not; but I think there is little doubt that it does breed here, as not only have I shot young birds which had not long left the nest, but im December 1908 Miss Runnacles secured for me several females that had undoubtedly been sitting, and again in January 1910 I shot females that had been sitting recently. It also appears to be subject to partial migration, as the following note supplied to me by Miss Runnacles shews :— * During August and September, 1909, the ‘Siete Colores’ was extremely numerous, but suddenly disappeared about the first week in October, after which not one was to be seen, and they did not put in an appearance until near the be- ginning of December, when a few females and young birds were observed.”—J. G. R. 94 Mr. C. H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, 30. RAMPHOCGLUS ATROSERICEUS. Rhamphocelus atrosericeus Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 175. a. gad. Pasage de Nigre, Alto Paraguay. Sept. 29, 1909. Tris dark crimson ; bill black, bluish white on lower man- dible ; legs and feet sooty brown. b. gad. Off Rabicho, Alto Paraguay. Oct. 10, 1909. 31. PYRANGA AZAR. Pyranga azare Sci. Cat. B. xi. p. 186; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 40. a. g imm. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Aug. 13, 1909. Iris hazel; bill, upper mandible black, lower mandible pale slate-blue ; legs and toes slate-coloured. b. gad. Santa Elena, Northern Argentine. Nov. 15, 1909: 32. TACHYPHONUS MELALEUCUS. Tachyphonus melaleucus Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 206. Tachyphonus rufus Sharpe, Hand-l. B. v. p. 392 (1909). a. gad. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. Aug. 1, 1909. Tris brown; bill black, slate-coloured at base of lower mandible; legs and toes black. 33. ARREMON POLIONOTUS. Arremon polionotus Sel. Cat. B. xi. p. 278 (1886). a. g ad. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. July 31, 1909. Tris hazel; bill yellow, culmen black ; legs and toes purplish horn-coloured. b. g ad. Villa Franca, Paraguay. Aug. 10, 1909. 34, SALTATOR CERULESCENS. Saltator cerulescens Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 290; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 42. a. 6 ad. Puerto Pinasco, Alto Paraguay. Sept. 7, 1909. 6. ? ad. ie ” a Sept. 29, 1909. ec. g ad. Coimbra. Oct. 15, 1909. d. g ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Nov. 5, 1909. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 95 35. SALTATOR SIMILIs. Saltator similis Scl. Cat. B. x1. p. 287; Arg. Orn.i. p. 41. a. 6 ad. Colonia, N. Argentine. Aug. 12, 1909. Inis hazel; bill blackish brown, gape yellow; legs and toes purplish brown. 6. gad. Pan de Azucar, Brazil. Sept. 19, 1909. 36. SALTATOR AURANTIIROSTRIS. Saltator aurantiirostris Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 292; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 42. a,b. gad. Santa Elena, Northern Argentine. Nov. 15, 1909. Iris brown; bill rich yellow-ochre or gamboge; legs and toes purplish brown. c. 2 juv. Iris greyish brown; bill olive-brown, yellowish at cutting-edges and gape; legs and toes bluish ash- coloured. 37. SPOROPHILA LEUCOPTERA. Sporophila leucoptera Hellm. Verh. z.-b. Ges. Wien, liv. p. 5386; Sharpe, Hand-l. v. p. 208. a. § ad. Boca de Homiguera, Alto Paraguay. Oct. 9, 1909. Iris hazel; bill brown ; legs and toes dark purple. 6. g ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Nov. 5, 1909. 38. SPOROPHILA MELANOCEPHALA. Spermophilus melanocephalus Sharpe, Cat. B. xii. p. 118 ; Arg. Orn. i. p. 45. a. d young. Monte Alto, Paraguay. Aug. 25, 1909. Iris hazel; bill, legs, and toes dark olive-brown. b.g ; c,d. 9? ad. Desaguadero, Paraguay. Aug. 29 1909. Iris hazel; bill dark olive-brown; legs and toes brown. a 39. SpoROPHILA CHRULESCENS. Spermophila cerulescens Sharpe, Cat. B, xu. p. 126; Arg Orn. i. p. 46. 96 Mr.C.H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, a,b,c. g juv. Los Ynglases, Ajé. April 19, 1909. Tris dark brown ; bill horn-coloured, yellowish at gape and base of under mandible; legs and toes black. d,e. § 2 ad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Jan. 1910. Iris hazel; bill greenish pearl ; legs and toes blackish. f. 2 ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Nov. 5, 1909. g. d ad. Near Santa Elena, N. Argentine. Nov. 15, 1909. Iris hazel; bill pearly grey, yellowish on the cutting- edges ; legs and toes purplish brown. During the autumn of 1909 a few of these little Finches frequented the garden at Los Yuglases, but I did not see any old males. Later in 1909 and in the beginning of 1910 they were again seen, this time both old males and females, and two nests were found in the garden. 40, PaRoaRia CUCULLATA. Paroaria cucullata Sharpe, Cat. B. xii. p. 809, pl. xvi. fig. 1; Arg. Orn. i. p. 47. a. gad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Sept. 12, 1908. Iris hazel; bill livid ; legs and toes sooty black. b. ? juv. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Nov. 12, 1908. c. 2 ad.; d,e. g imm. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Jan. 1909. f dad; g,h. 2 ad. etimm. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Feb. 1909. i. 2 juv. Los Ynglases, Ajo. March 5, 1909. jsk. & 2 juv. Bahia Negra, Alto Paraguay. Oct. 19, 1909. This is the only Cardinal found in the Ajo district, where it is quite plentiful; but very few were observed on the river expedition. The only records:that I have of seeing it are at Puerto Maria on Sept. 13th and 16th and at Puerto Olimpo on the 2lst of the same month. Everywhere it is quite tame, and it makes a delightful cage-bird. The nest is a thin open structure of hair and can be seen through from below, while two eggs is the most I have taken, though this cannot be the full clutch. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 97 The eggs seem to vary somewhat, the two in my collection being quite different from the two in Miss Runnacles’ col- lection. 41. PAROARIA CAPITATA. Paroaria capitata Sharpe, Cat. B. xii. p. 812, pl. xvi. fig. 5; Arg. Orn. i. p. 48, a,b. Imm. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. July 30, 1909. Tris hazel; bill deep yellow ; legs and toes pale brown. c. g ad. Puerto Pinasco, Alto Paraguay. Sept. 7, 1909. d,e,f. dad. etimm. Sapatero Cué, Paraguay. Sept.3, 1909, g,h. & 2 ad. Esquina, N. Argentine. Nov. 14, 1909. 1. 93;h,1 Sad. Rosario, N. Argentine. This is the commoner of the two Cardinals, and was observed throughout the river expedition from Corumba to as far south as Rosario in the Argentine. It was mostly seen in small flocks, and frequented the wood and scrub bordering the river or the lagoons. 42. CoRYPHOSPINGUS CRISTATUS. Coryphospingus cristatus Sharpe, Cat. B. xii. p. 803; Arg. Orn. i. p. 48. a. g ad. Colonia Risso, Alto Paraguay. Sept. 8, 1909. Tris hazel; bill, upper mandible sooty brown, lower mandible livid; legs and toes sooty black. b. g ad. Curuzu Chica, Paraguay. Oct. 29, 1909. 43. CoRYPHOSPIZA ALBIFRONS. Coryphospiza albifrons Sharpe, Cat. B. xii. p. 766. Donacospiza albifrons Arg. Orn. i. p. 49. a. gad. Cape San Antonio, Prov. Buenos Aires. Dec. 17, 1908. I only observed this little bird in the rough medano country along the coast, and even there it is distinctly uncommon. In February, 1910, I saw a small! party of four or six, which were probably old and young, but I could not secure them. SER, IX,— VOL, V. i 98 Mr.C.H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, 44, PoOsPIzA PERSONATA. — Poospiza personata Sharpe, Cat. B. xi. p. 640. Poospiza nigrorufa Arg. Orn. i. p. 49. a. 6 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 21, 1908. be 2 ad, 5s 3, - Oct, 5; 1908. c,d,e. 3 ad. . ss Mar. 13, 1909. f. 3 yg. 55 5, Feb. 8, 1910. g.?ad. Bella Vista, N. Argentine. Nov. 12, 1909. Ixides dark brown; bill, legs, and toes sooty black. The September male is somewhat worn and very dark above. The March birds are all moulting and their new dress is more olive above than that of the breeding male; one of them is spotted below and is probably not yet fully adult. There is a male in Miss Runnacles’ collection, taken at Aj6é on September 27th, which is much worn and very pale below and thickly spotted on the under parts except the throat. The young male is moulting into the chestnut plumage, and most of the new feathers have spots ; in its first plumage it was apparently very similar to the adult female. The specimen from Bella Vista is rather pale and more uniform greyish above than the others: it is undoubtedly a male, though it could not be dissected. This species is not very plentiful in the Ajo district, where it is resident; it frequents, as a rule, the under- growth in the woods and gardens. 45. PoosP1zA MELANOLEUCA. Poospiza melanoleuca Sharpe, Cat. B. xi. p. 638; Arg. Orn. i. p. 52 a. 2 ad. ‘Ean de Azucar, Brazil. Sept. 17, 1909. 6. 2 ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine, Nov. 5, 1909. Irides russet-brown ; bill black; legs and toes purplish brown. 46. BRACHYSPIZA PILEATA. Zonotrichia pileata Sharpe, Cat. B. xii. p. 610; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 58. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 99 a,b, c.d. 8 2 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 10-30, 1908. é,f,g,h. d 2 ad.& young. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Oct. 2- 31, 1908. i,j, k,l. 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Nov. 4-13, 1908. m,n,o. 6 @ ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Dec. 9-12, 1908. POr 3d Yad. & young. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Jan. 7- 25, 1909. s. ¢ young. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Feb. 27, 1909. t. 2 ad. Villa Franca, Paraguay. Aug. 10, 1909. u. @ ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Aug. 12 1909. v. 6 ad. Puerto Maria, Paraguay. Oct. 24, 1909. w. d ad. Bella Vista, N. Argentine. Nov. 12, 1909. a. g ad. Near Rosario, 3 Nov. 17, 1909. The November and December birds are getting decidedly worn, and one of the two January adults is starting to moult. The young bird taken in February is moulting into the adult plumage. The ‘Chingolo’ of the Argentine is very common ana resident in the Ajo district. It is very tame. The nest is placed on the ground or in a hole or hollow in a tree, often at a considerable height from the ground. 47, MytosPizA MANIMBE. Ammodromus manimbe Sharpe, Cat. B. xii. p. 691. Myiospiza manimbe Sharpe, Hand-l. B. v. p. 295. Coturniculus peruanus Arg. Orn, i. p. 60. a. 9 ad. Villa Franca, Paraguay. Aug. 10, 1909. Iris brown; bill bluish flesh-coloured, culmen horn-brown ; legs and toes whitish brown. b. g ad. Villa Oliva, Paraguay. Aug. 11, 1909. c,d. g ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Aug. 12, 1909. e. § ad. Monte Alto, Paraguay. Aug. 25, 1909, f. 2 ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Nov. 5, 1909. H 2 100 Mr.C. H. B. Grant ox Birds collected in Argentina, 48. EMBERNAGRA PLATENSIS. Embernagra platensis Sharpe, Cat. B. xi. p. 758; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 62. a. 2 ad. Los Ynglases, Aj. Oct. 27, 1908. b,c. 6 Q ad. - » Nov. 2, 1908. d. gad. Tuyu, Ajo. Nov. 27, 1908. e, f. 6 @ young. Cape San Antonio. Dec. 18-21, 1908. g. 9 ad. Los Yunglases, Ajo. Dec. 29, 1909. h. 9 ad. : Fe Jan. 21, 1909. a. of ad. 55 , Feb. 16, 1909. j. 6 young. ,, » April 23, 1909. k,l. 9 ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Aug. 12, 1909. m,n. 39 ad. Near Villa Pilar, Paraguay. Nov. 7, 1909. o,p,q. 6 ¢ ad. Bella Vista, N. Argentine. Nov. 12,1909. All the adults are shewing signs of wear, the January ones oeing much worn and the February bird moulting. Ad. Irides hazel; bill, upper half of upper mandible dark brown, lower half and lower mandible deep yellow; legs and toes olive. Young. Irides hazel ; bill black and flesh-coloured ; legs and toes pale horn-brown. The young bird taken in April is moulting into the adult dress. This is a common and resident species in the Ajé district, and many were seen on the open grass-lands during the river expedition. The nest is placed in a tuft of grass on the ground, and three or four eggs make the full clutch. 49, EMBERIZOIDES HERBICOLA. Emberizoides sphenurus, subsp. herbicola Sharpe, Cat. B. xli. p. 769. Emberizoides sphenurus Arg. Orn. 1. p. 63. a. 2 ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Aug. 12, 1909. Iris hazel; bill, upper mandible dark horn-coloured, edges Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 10} of the upper and whole of the lower mandible yellow; legs and toes yellowish horn-coloured. 50. CHRYSOMITRIS ICTERICA, Chrysomitris icterica Sharpe, Cat. B. xii. p. 217; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 64. a,b. 8 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 14, 1908. Iris hazel ; bill, feet, and toes black. c,d. 9? ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo, Oct. 1908. e,f,g. ¢ ad. Lwuiconia, Ajo. Nov. 20, 1908. h,i. 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajéo. Jan. 29, 1909. kt. oad. ay » Feb. 1909. m. & ad. “5 » March 12, 1909. n. Simm. . » April 7, 1909. o. o ad. ms » Feb. 14, 1910. The Black-headed Siskin is extremely plentiful in the Ajé district, and usually frequents the Tala and other woods, where its delightful little song can be heard throughout the year. The nest is an extremely neat little cup-shaped structure composed of wool and thistle-down and lined with hair, and four eggs appear to be the complete clutch, though three are often found. It is placed in a bush or in the fork of a tree, and is not always easy to detect. The eggs vary somewhat in shape and colour: some are of a very delicate semitransparent blue, others are more opaque, and some are more or less spotted on the obtuse end. 51. S¥YcALIs PELZELNI. Sycalis pelzelni Sharpe, Cat. B. xii. p. 8380; Arg. Orn. i. p- 66. a. gad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 17, 1908. b. g young. s BY Dec. 27, 1908. c. g young. E i. Jan. 18, 1909. d,e. & ad. 5 s Feb. 18, 1909. ea Gras 5 » Mar. 10, 1909. g,h. @ ad. P » May 24, 1909. ij. 8 Gad. i » Dee. 28, 1909. 102. Mr. C. H. B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, Ad. 8. Irides hazel; bill, upper mandible dark olive, lower pale; legs and toes purplish brown. The December and February adult birds are worn and the March bird is moulting. The two May females are in the new dress and are much browner than those in worn breeding-plumage. The young male is rather paler above than fresh-moulted adult females, and is whiter below with more numerous and narrower streaks. This is a common resident species at Ajé, where it is called the “ Canary ” or ‘‘ Yellow House-Sparrow.” It is very tame and often found round habitations, and has a rather sweet song. It usually breeds in the old nests of Furnarius rufus and occasionally under the roofs of outbuildings. The nest is cup-shaped and composed of wool. Eggs were brought home taken at Ajo. 52. SycaLIs ARVENSIS. Sycalis arvensis Sharpe, Cat. B. xii. p. 382. a,b,c, d,e. 8 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Nov. 10-24, 1908. f. 2 ad. Luiconia, Ajo. Nov. 19, 1908. g.? young. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Jan. 7, 1909. h. 2 ad. u » Feb. 27, 1909. i,j. dQ ad. ‘ , April 3, 1909. km @Qad.,, » Dee. 13-24, 1909. Irides hazel; bill, upper mandible dark brown, lower pale ; legs and toes pale brown. Most of the November and December birds are worn and the February one is moulting. The April pair are in new dress, though the male is still moulting, and both are apparently fully adult. The male is much browner above than the breeding-birds and has a distinct wash of greenish across the chest. The female is much browner, both above and below, than the breeding-bird. The young bird is not quite fully fledged. A very common Finch on all the open grass-lands, often going in flocks in the winter. It is essentially a ground Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 103 bird, though it will often perch on the tops of plants and wire fences. The nest is built on the ground in lowish-lying situations and in the denser vegetation, such as beds of thistles. It is fairly deep and cup-shaped and is a rather frail structure of grass and hair. 53. CASsICUS ALBIROSTRIS. Cassicus albirostris Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 323. a. 6 ad. Arjerichi, Paraguay. Aug. 9, 1909. Iris white; bill slate-coloured ; legs and toes black. b. 9 ad. Villa Oliva, Paraguay. Aug. 4, 1909. e. 9 ad. Villa Franca, _,, Nov. 6, 1909. 54. AMBLYCERCUS SOLITARIUS. Amblycercus solitarius Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 826 ; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 72. a. g ad. Puerto Pinasco, Alto Paraguay. Sept. 7, 1909. Iris reddish brown; bill pale yellow-pearl ; legs and toes sooty brown. 6. ¢ ad. Puerto Pinasco, Alto Paraguay. Sept. 7, 1909. Iris brown; bill yellow-pearl, horn-coloured at base ; legs and toes sooty brown. c. Ad. Villa Pilar, Paraguay. Nov. 7, 1909. 55. MoLotTuRus BONARIENSIS. Molothrus bonariensis Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 385; Arg. Orn. 1. De bes a,b. 8 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajd. Sept. 17, 1908. Iris hazel; bill, legs, and toes black. c,d. ? ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Oct. 29, 1908. e. 9 ad.; f. @juv. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Dec. 1908. g-k. 63 1. 2 ad. ‘ > Jan. 1909. m. 6 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. April 28, 1909. nm: 9 Uv. ss » Dec. 23, 1909. Bull, legs, and toes dark olive-green. o. g ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Jan. 7, 1910. p. 6 ad. Cabo Emma, Alto Paraguay. Oct. 20, 1909. q. 6 juv. Villa Pilar, Paraguay. Nov. 7, 1909. r. 2? ad, Bella Vista, N. Argentine. Nov. 12, 1909. 104 Mr. C. H. B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, This is tobe commonest of the three Cow-birds found in the Ajo district, and during the winter moaths congregates in flocks in company with A. holosericeus, and does con- siderable damage to the maize. It was also observed in several localities in the Argentine and Paraguay during the river expedition. Its parasitical habits have been well described by Hudson and need no further additions. 56. MoLoTHRUS RUFOAXILLARIS. Molotrrus rufoaxillaris Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 888; Arg. Orn. i. p. 86. pl. vi. fig. 2. a. d ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 12, 1908. Tris hazel ; bill, legs, and toes black. b. g ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Nov. 17, 1908. c. & juv. - a March 23, 1909. de. 9 aa. a April 28, 1909. f. d ad. es » dan. 7, 1910. This is the least common of the three Cow-birds found at Ajo, and consorts with the flocks of M. bonariensis. It can be distinguished from the male of that species by its duller appearance and different cry. Eggs presumably ot this species were taken in the nests of Pseudoleistes virescens and M. badius. 57. Mo.orurvs BADIUs. Molothrus badius Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 338; Arg. Orn. 1, p 95. a. 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Oct. 29, 1908. b. 3 juv. . Be Nov. 17, 1908. c. g juv. ye me Dec. 9, 1908. d,e. 8 2 juv. Luiconia, Ajé. Dec. 29, 1908. f. @ juv. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Jan. 25, 1909. Gs? ‘ad. ae % March 10, 1909. h,i, k,l. g ad. etimm. Los Ynglases, Ajo. May, 1909. m. 9 ad. Ruiacho Ancho, N. Argentine. Aug. 1, 1909. n. Q ad.;0. dé imm. Villa Mortero, Paraguay. Aug. 13, 1909. p. ¢ ad. Goya, N. Argentine. Nov. 13, 1909. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 105 This species is nearly as abundant as M. bonariensis in the Aj6 district, and was the commonest Cow-bird observed on the river expedition. The nests taken were found in the old nests of Anumbius acuticaudatus, and contained eggs both of this species and of M. rufoaxillaris, while, judging by the eggs found in the nest of Pseudoleistes virescens, the eggs with large spots and mottlings are those of M. rufoavillaris, and those with the more even markings belong to this species. 58. DoticHonyx ORYZIVORUS. Dolichonyx oryzivorus Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 331. a. 9 ad. Alto Paraguay, Bolivia. Oct. 15, 1909. Tris hazel ; bill, legs, and toes horn-brown. 59. AGELEUS THILIUS. Ageleus thilius Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 343; Arg. Orn. 1. peo/. a,b. g ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 1908. Iris dark brown; bill, legs, and toes black. c. 2 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Dec. 24, 1908. d. 2 ad. is fe Jan. 4, 1909. e. d imm. is as Feb. 16, 1909. fg. 3 ad. etimm.; %. 2? ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. March 1909. i, k, l. 6 ad. et imm.; m. 2? ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. April 1909. This is another common and resident species in the Ajo district, and, as a rule, frequents the vast swamps or canadons ; during the winter months it assembles in flocks of several hundred individuals. The cup-shaped nest is composed of dry grass, and is situated in the thick masses of grass in the swamps only a foot or so above the level of the ground or water. Three eggs appear to form the complete clutch. 60. AGELHUS RUFICAPILLUS. Ageleus ruficapillus Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 847; Arg. Orn. i. p- 99 ; Claude Grant, Bull. B.O.C. xxv. p. 114 (1910). a. 3. Mortero, Paraguay. Aug. 13, 1909. 106 Mr. C. H. B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, Iris hazel ; bill black, livid at the base of lower mandible. Several small flocks of this bird were seen frequenting the edges of the swamps in the locality where the specimen was secured. The female described in the Bull. B. O.C., as above referred to, was shot by Miss Runnacles in the swamps at Ajo, which appears to be a very southern locality for the species. 61. AGELZUS CYANOPUS. Ageleus cyanopus Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 344. a. ad. Bella Vista, N. Argentine. Nov. 12, 1909. Iris brown ; bill blackish brown ; legs and toes dark ashy brown. b,c. 6; d,e. 9 ad. Esquina, N. Argentine. Nov. 14, 1909. Iris brown ; bill, legs, and toes black. Sg, h. 9 ad. Esquina, N. Argentine. Nov. 17, 1909. 62. LeisTESs SUPERCILIARIS. Leistes superciliaris Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 349; Arg. Orn. i. p- 100. a. gad. Alto Paraguay, Bolivia. Sept. 22, 1909. Iris brown ; bill slate-coloured, culmen and tips black ; legs and toes purplish brown. b. gad. Alto Paraguay, Bolivia. Oct. 15, 1909. This bird was only observed in Bolivian territory, where several flocks of two or three hundred individuals frequented the long grass bordering a large lagoon. 63. AMBLYRHAMPHUS HOLOSERICEUS. Amblyrhamphus holosericeus Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 8350; Arg. Orn. i. p. 101. a,b. 6 2 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Dec. 28, 1908. c,d. @ad.; e,f.g. g juv. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Feb. 1909. Iris dark brown ; bill, legs, and toes black. h,i. 9 ad.; kyl. dg imm. Los Ynglases, Ajo. April 1909. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 107 m-g. 6 @ ad. et imm. Los Ynglases, Aj6. May 1909. r. 2 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Feb. 3, 1910. A very common and resident species in the Ajo district. During the winter months it assembles in large flocks and does no inconsiderable damage to the maize crops. These flocks present an exceedingly pretty picture with their red heads contrasting with the black wings and body. The nest is placed, as a rule, in the canadons and is a deep cup-shaped structure of dry swamp-grass built between the stems of strong plants. Three eggs appear to be the full clutch. The call is a sort of whistle. 64, PsEUDOLEISTES VIRESCENS. Pseudoleistes virescens Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 852; Arg. Orn. 1; p. 102. a. ? ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Oct. 30, 1908. 6. 3 ad. - Pa Nov. 24, 1908. Iris hazel; bill, legs, and toes black. c. d ad.; die. 6 3 juv. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Jan. 2, 1909. f,9- 3% juv. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Jan. 7, 1910. One of the commonest of the resident species in the Ajo district, being the ‘‘ Pecho amarillo” of the Spaniards ; it is usually found in flocks throughout the year, especially during the winter months. It is an inquisitive and noisy bird, especially when going to roost. The nest is placed either in the herbage in the cafadons or in low bushes or shrubs in the woods, and sometimes in the Tala trees; it is a large cup-shaped structure. Five or six eggs seem to be the full clutch, though this number is not often found, owing to the Cow-birds Molothrus bonari- ensis and M. rufoaxillaris being parasitic on this species, especially the latter. In some nests I have found only the eggs of the Cow-bird, those of the Yellow-breast having been all destroyed. 108 Mr. C.H. B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, 65. TRUPIALIS MILITARIS. Trupialis militaris Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 856; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 104. a. gad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Nov. 10, 1908. Iris dark brown; bill, upper mandible black and pale slate-coloured, lower pale slate-coloured ; legs and toes horn- brown. b. Simm. Tuyu, Ajo. Dec. 2, 1908. c. é juv. Cape San Antonio. Dec. 21, 1908. Iris hazel ; bill pale brown, gape cream-coloured ; legs and toes very pale ashy. d,e. 6 3 ad. Los Yuglases, Ajo. Feb. 27, 1909. fig, h. & 3% 2 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. May 1909. k. @ ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Dec. 29, 1909. lm. 6 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Jan. 11, 1910. Quite a common resident in the Ajé district, especially in the sand-hills bordering the coast-belt. It also breeds there, the nest being a little dry grass placed on the ground under a tuft of grass or thistles. Three eges appear to form the complete clutch. I have only found the nest by actually riding over it, the hen bird rising under the horse’s feet, wken the white under wings can be easily seen which distinguish this species from 7. defilippit. 66. TRUPIALIS DEFILIPPII. Trupialis defilippit Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 857; Arg. Orn. i. p. 105. . a. 6; b-f. ? ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. April 1909. Iris dark brown; bill pearly slate-coloured ; legs and toes purplish brown. g,h,t. d ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé6. May 1909. This species appeared in large numbers at Ajé after the breeding-season and frequented the open grass-lands, being a pretty and conspicuous object. It cannot be distinguished from 7. militaris on the ground, but on the wing the black under wing-coverts at once distinguish it from that species. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 109 67. IcTERUS PYRRHOPTERUS. Icterus pyrrhopterus Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 368; Arg. Orn. 1. p.i107. a. g ad. Villa Franca, Paraguay. Aug. 10, 1909. Tris hazel ; bill black ; toes very dark ashy. b. 9 ad. Puerto Maria, Alto Paraguay. Oct. 24, 1909. c,d. 2 ad. Santa Elena, Northern Argentine. Nov. 15, 1909. 68. APHOBUS CHOPI. Aphobus chopi Scl. Cat. B. xi. p. 405; Arg. Orn. 1. p: 103: Gnorimopsar chopi Richmond, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xxxv. p- 584 (1908). a,b. 9 ad. Santa Rosa, Paraguay. Aug. 14, 1909. Iris hazel; bill, legs, and toes black. c. g ad. Cabo Emma, Alto Paraguay. Oct. 20, 1909. Several flocks of twenty or thirty individuals were observed during the river expedition frequenting the open grass-land at the edge of the woods. 69, CyaNocoRAX CHRYSOPS. Cyanocorax chrysops Sharpe, Cat. B. iii. p. 120; Arg. Orn. 1, p. 110. a. @ ad. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. July 31, 1909. Iris lemon-yellow ; bill, legs, and toes black. Very common in all the woods throughout Paraguay and Brazil, and found in flocks of from ten to twelve individuals, An extremely noisy and inquisitive bird, coming within a few feet of anyone passing through the woods. 70. CYANOCORAX CHRULEUS. Cyanocorax ceruleus Sharpe, Cat. B. i. p. 126; Arg Orn. i. p. 110. a. ? ad. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. July 381, 1909. Iris brown ; bill, legs, and toes black. 110 Mr.C. H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, b. 2 ad. Curuzu Chica, Paraguay. Aug. 28, 1909. c. 9 ad. Humaita, Paraguay. Nov. 7, 1909. Commonly observed north of Corrientes in small pa es in the woods. Very noisy and somewhat inquisitive. 71. MyrorHeReTEs RUFIVENTRIS. Myiotheretes rufiventris Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p.8; Arg rn. ip. 112. a. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Jan. 16, 1909. Irides dark brown ; bill, legs, and toes black. The only specimen seen, and this was on the ground; it resembles a Thrush. It is in very worn plumage, but is not moulting. 72. 'TANIOPTERA NENGETA, Tenioptera nengeta Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 11; Arg. Orn. i. p. 114. a. gad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Oct. 29, 1908. b. 9 ad. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. Aug. 1, 190y. Trides deep red; eyelid pale yellow; bill, legs, and toes black. Only one specimen was observed at Ajé; but several were seen on the river expedition ; they were usually observed sitting solitary on the top of a stump or low tree or bush. 73, TNIOPTERA DOMINICANA. Tenioptera dominicana Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 18; Arg. Orn. Veg oe Bl a. gd ad. Luiconia, Ajé. April 29, 1909. Trides dark brown; bill, legs, and toes black. This specimen is in full plumage and is just completing the moult on the head. Several of these birds were seen on the 29th of April, but were so wild that I could only secure one. A pair or so are always to be seen at Luiconia on the out- skirts of the rough grass country, but I am by no means sure that it breeds there. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. rin 74, TaNnioprers IRUPERO. Venioptera irtpero Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 13; Arg. Orn. i. p..1 48. a dad. Tayru, Paraguay. Aug. 5, 1909. 5. 9 ad. Villa Franca, Paraguay. Aug. 5, 1909. ce, 9 ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Aug. 12, 1905 . pelrides brown; bill, legs, and toes black. Many of this “ Widow-bird” were seen on the river expedition, always alone and perched on the tops of solitary bushes, whence they fly off to take passing insects. 75. FLUVICOLA ALBIVENTRIS. Fluvicola albiventris Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 86; Arg. Orn. 1. po. 121. a. g ad. Colonia Risso, Paraguay. Sept. 8, 1909. Irides hazel ; bill, legs, and toes black. Quite a number of these birds were seen frequenting the water-weeds and vegetation on the river-banks. When on the ground at first sight they look like Wagtails. 76. ARUNDINICOLA LEUCOCEPHALA. Arundinicola leucocephala Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 37; Arg. Orn. i. p. 122. a, b,c. 6 9 ad. & young. Monte Alto, Paraguay. Aug. 25, 1909. d. § young. Alto Paraguay, Bolivia. Oct. 17, 1909. Iris hazel; bill, legs, and toes black, base of lower mandible pale yellow. The adult male and female are rather worn. The August young male is similar to the adult female, but rather paler, and has some long white feathers on the head. The October young bird is more advanced, having almost assumed the white head, and black feathers are rapidly replacing the cinereous dress of the back and wings and the white of the under parts. This bird was first observed at Monte Alto and occasionally afterwards to the northward, but was by no means common. It frequented the sandy shores of the river and lagoons, and perched on any outstanding piece of driftwood. 112. Mr.C. H.B. Grant on Birds colle:ted in Argentina, 77. SISOPYGIS ICTEROPHRYS. Sisopygis icterophrys Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p, 41; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 125. a,b. 8 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajd. Sept. 16, 1908. c, d,e,f, h,i,j,k. d 9 ad. Los Ynglases, 4j6. . Oct. 10- 31, 1908. l,m. g ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Nov. 8, 1908. n. oad. uM es Dec. 11, 1908. 0,p,9,7, 8 3d @ ad. & young. Los Ynglases. Jan. 5-18, 1909. t. ? ad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Feb. 15, 1909. uw. 2 ad. 7 » Apr. 28, 1909. Irides hazel; bill and legs and toes black. The adult females are not only less bright than the males but have a distinct wash of olive across the chest. One of the November birds and the December one are much worn and faded, but the other November bird is still quite bright and hardly worn. The January and February adults are moulting, the old feathers looking much worn and faded against the new plumage ; but the April bird, except for the head, has com- pleted the moult. Neither of the two young birds is quite fledged ; they differ from the adults as follows :— “ Above, including head, bright olive- green; wings blackish, broad ends of coverts and outer edges of secondaries pale yellow; beneath, throat very pale yellow; breast striped with dull olive-green. A common bird in the Tala woods in the Ajé district, to which it is a summer visitor, arriving in the early part of September and leaving again towards the end of April. Miss Runnacles’ first record of its appearance for the summer of 1909 is Sept. 8th. The nest is open and cup- shaped and composed of twigs lined with feathers. Usually very little attempt is made at concealment, it being placed in the fork of a low shrub or tree, seldom at any great height, and in a more or less open situation. The usual clutch of eggs is three, but occasionally four are found. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. nS 78. LicHENOPS PERSPICILLATA. Lichenops perspicillata Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 48; Arg. Orn. If, pe 129; a,b. § 2? ad. los Ynglases, Aj6. Nov. 5, 10, 1908. c,d. 2 ad. Cape San Antonio. Dec. 16, 21, 1908. e,f. 9 ad. los Ynglases, Ajé6. Jan. 2, 29, 1909. g, h, i,j,k, lm. 8 2 ad. & young. Los Ynglases, Ajé, Feb. 7-16, 1909. nm. 2 ad. Monte Alto, Paraguay. Aug. 25, 1909. o,p. 6 ad. Bella Vista, N. Argentine. Nov. 12, 1909. Ad. &. Irides, bill and wattles pale Naples-yellow ; legs and toes black. Ad. ?. Irides, bill and wattles Naples-yellow, much paler than in the male, tip of bill horny ; legs and toes black. ; Young g. Irides raw sienna, eyelid very pale Naples- yellow ; bill brown-horn-coloured at tip, white-horn-coloured at base, gape slightly yellow; legs and toes black. The December and January birds are shewing signs of wear, and the February females are much worn, but are not yet moulting, though the male for the same month is in full moult. There are four young birds taken in February, three males and one female ; and although the female is slightly paler than the male, there is no real difference between them, and, ‘except for the softer texture of the feathering and the narrower striping of the breast, they are similar to the adult female.” The “Silver-bill” is common and resident in the Ajé district, and a tew were observed on the river expedition. It frequents the great swamps, where also it nests, placing the structure at the bottom of a clump of rushes or long grass, usually in a dry spot. The nest is open and cup-shaped, composed of dry grass and flags, and is very difficult to find, especially as the hen slips off it long before the searcher is anywhere near, and only by carefully watching her can the nest be discovered. The full clutch consists of three eggs, and the young are at first covered with black down. SER. IX.—VOL. V. I 114 Mr.C.H.B. Grant on Birds coltected in Argentina, 79. MaAcHETORNIS RIXOSA. Machetornis rivosa Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 52; Arg. Orn. 1. ip: Lol. a. & ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Sept. 14, 1908. b. fg ad. $3 6 Nov. 5, 1908. c. 9 ad. Luiconia, is Dec. 29, 1909. d,e. 2? gad. & yg. Los Ynglases, Ajé6. Feb. 27—Mar. 1, 1909. F595 hs 4,9. G ad. Wyz. 5 js Mar. 3-30, 1909. hele 2 ade i Pe Apr. 23, 1909. m. 9 ad. 5 $5 May 11, 1909. n. & ad. Villa Franca, Paraguay. Aug. 10, 1909. o. g ad. Monte Alto, 33 Aug. 25, 1909. p. @ ad. Colonia Risso, __,, Sept. 8, 1909. g. 6 ad. Near Goya, N. Argentine. Nov. 13, 1909. The February, March, and April adults are moulting and some have almost assumed the new dress. The November bird from Goya is much worn and is moulting on the chest. Ad. Irides clear hazel; bill, legs, and toes black. A common and resident species in the Ajé district and many individuals were also observed on the river expedition. It is usually seen following the stock about and catching the flies that surround the cattle, horses, and sheep, while it will frequently perch on the backs of the animals. 80. CENTRITES NIGER. Centrites niger Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 61; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 134. a. f ad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Jan. 29, 1909. b,c,d,e, gad. & yg. 5 8 Feb. 5-26, 1909. fg,h. & @ ad. & yg. - Pr Mar. 30, 1909. i. @ young, - April 15, 1909. cae SaCL e Jan, 11, 910. 3) 6. Inides dark brown ; bill, legs, and toes black. ; The January, February, and March adults are moulting, the latter birds having almost completed the change. One of the February young males is in full adult plumage except for the ashy edge to the feathers of the head and under parts. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 115 The April young bird is moulting and the new feathers on the under parts are black, broadly edged and tipped with ashy, which points to an intermediate immature stage before the adult dress is reached. The young appear to differ from the adult as follows :— Young male. “ Similar to adult female, except perhaps cheeks and throat somewhat paler.” Young female, “ Above, including back, brown ; beneath paler ashy than adult.” This species is a winter visitor to the Aj6 district, making its appearance about the 8th of January and leaving again in July, Miss Runnacles’ last record being the 26th of that month. I[t usually frequents open ground where little or no vegetation exists, especially well-worn roads and tracks. In the middle of the winter, when the majority have arrived, as many as thirty or forty may be seen together, continually darting backwards and forwards catching their insect food. When alarmed they will fly for quite considerable dis- tances before alighting, the flight being swift and fairly straight, but always close to the ground. The young are indistinguishable in life from the adult females, and neither are easily seen on the ground they frequent; but the black and chestnut adult males make conspicuous objects. 81. ToprRostRUM CINEREUM. Todirostrum cinereum Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 69. a. g ad, Rabicho, Brazil. Oct. 8, 1909. b, gad. Cabo Emma, Paraguay. Oct, 20, 1909. Irides pale yellow ; bill very dark slate-ccloured; legs and toes blue-slate-coloured. 82. EuscARTHMUS MARGARITACEIVENTRIS. Euscarthmus margaritaceiventer Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 80; Are. Orn; isp. 136: a. 3 ad. Puerto Pinasco, Paraguay. Sept. 7, 1909. b,c. g 9 ad. Pan de Azucar, Brazil. Sept. 17, 1909. d, 3 ad. Cabo Emma, Paraguay. Oct. 20, 1909. 12 116 Mr.C. H. B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, e. @ ad. Puerto Maria, Paraguay. Oct. 24, 1909. f. 9 ad. Near Villa Franca, ,, Nov. 6, 1909. 3. Ivides yellow ; bill, legs, and toes brown. ?. Ivides pale yellow ; bill, legs, and toes horn-brown. The females taken on the 24th of October and 6th of November were sitting. Only observed in the undergrowth and very tame. The call is in several syllables and loud and clear. 83. HapaLoceRcus FLAVIVENTRIS. Hapalocercus flaviventris Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p.94 ; Arg. Orn. i. p, 137. a. 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé6. Oct. 27, 1908. b. 3 ad. as i. Nov. 4, 1908. c. 9 young. ~ - Feb. 9, 1910. Ad. Irides hazel; bill, legs, and toes dark brown. The young bird differs from the adult in being :-— “Above more buffy brown than ‘ mouse-brown,’ edgings of the wing-feathers and coverts buffy brown ; below bright buff; throat buffy slate, centre of breast and belly and under tail-coverts pale creamy yellow.” A fairly common bird throughout the summer in the Ajé district, frequenting rough situations, including the drier parts of the cajiadon. It is retiring in habits, creeping about the tall reeds, thistles, or grass, after the manner of a Sedge-Warbler. I have only once come across the nest; this was a deep cup-shaped structure composed of water-weeds glued to- gether and attached to the stems of some stout reeds, and except for its larger size was similar to the nest of Cyanotis rubrigaster. 84. SERPOPHAGA SUBCRISTATA. Serpophaga subcristata Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 102 ; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 140. 0. eo Los Ynglases, Ajé6. Sept. 10-18, 1908. c,d. S young. or P Jan. 2, Mar. 10, 1909. be oad, a » May 4, 1909. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. Ele f. 6 ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Aug. 12, 1909. g- d ad. Santa Rosa, Paraguay. Aug. 14, 1909. h. & young. Pan de Azucar, Brazil. Sept. 19, 1909. Irides dark brown. The young birds are very similar to the adults, except for the more buffy tips to the wing-coverts, and there is no subcoronal white crest. A summer visitor to the Aj6 district, arriving about September 7th, according to Miss Runnacles, and leaving again about May. It is a very solitary bird, seen singly or in pairs, hopping about in the trees: the only sound that I have heard it utter is a low sharp chirp. I have not taken the eggs, but there are two sets in Miss Runnacles’ collection, and she remarks: ‘ Of the nesting- habits I know very little, having only taken two nests, one of these being placed in a gorse bush and the other in the middle of a clump of yellow broom: in both cases the number of eggs was three, which is apparently the full clutch.” The nest is deep and cup-shaped. 85. SERPOPHAGA NIGRICANS. Serpophaga nigricans Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 112; Arg. Orn. ops 141. a,b. § 2 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé6. Sept. 24, 1908. c, d,e, fig,h. & 9 ad.& yg, Los Ynglases, Ajé. Nov. 5- 12, 1908. i,j,k. @ @ ad. Luiconia, Ajé6. Nov. 19-20, 1908. l. g ad. Los Ynglases, » Dec. 18, 1908. m. & ad. , ea May 30, 1908. n. 9 ad. Villa Oliva, Paraguay. Aug. 11, 1909. Irides hazel; bill, legs, and toes black. The November and December adults are getting rather worn. The two young birds were taken from the nest : they are rather greyer than the adults and have no white subcoronal crest. 118 Mr. C.H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, Quite one of the commonest woodland birds of the Ajé district, where it breeds, placing a cup-shaped nest of lichen and moss lined with feathers in any convenient situation in the fork of a tree or bush, under a bridge, or down the side of a well: three eggs make the complete clutch. 86. CYANOTIS RUBRIGASTER. Cyanotis azare Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p.110; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 142. Cyanotis rubrigaster Sharpe, Hand-l. iii. p. 118. a,b. @ 2 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Oct. 3, 1908. c,d. & young. 3 ss Mar. 13, 1909. e, f. 2 young. e 5 Feb. 16, 1910. In the female the superciliary stripe is more green than in the male. The young differs from the adult as follows :— « Above, head dull black tipped with buff; superciliaries buff in front of eye, white behind ; lores and ear-coverts black, the latter tipped with buffy ; back and rump green tipped with buff; wings as in the adult, except that the edges of the lesser coverts are buff and the white is tinged with buffy ; below, throat and neck buffy white, rest creamy buff with only the faintest indication of the breast-band; tail as in the adult.” Both the March young birds are moulting into the adult stage. A fairly common bird in the Ajé district and frequenting the great swamps and reed beds, where it nests. I have not myself taken the eggs, but there are two clutches in the collection of Miss Runnacles, taken at Ajé, the nest being as described by Hudson. 87. ELAINEA ALBICEPS. Elainea albiceps Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 141; Arg. Orn. i. p- 145 ; Berlepsch, Ornis, xiv. p. 403. a. 2? ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Jan. 18, 1909. Irides hazel; bill dusky brown, base of lower mandible fleshy, gape orange; legs and toes dark sooty brown. In rather worn plumage, the only one observed in the Ajo district. Paraguay, Boliwia, and Southern Brazil. Aue, 88. ELAINEA ALBIVERTEX. Elainea albivertex Berlepsch, Ornis, xiv. p. 400 (1907). a. g ad. Curuzu Chica, Paraguay. Oct. 29, 1909. 89. ORNITHION CINERASCENS. Ornithion cinerascens Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus, ii. p. 231 (1890). Ornithion obsoletum Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 127. a. g ad. Curuzu Chica, Paraguay. Oct. 29, 1909. 90. EMPIDAGRA SUIRIRI. Empidagra swirirt Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 154; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 146. a,b,c. 9 ad. Tayru, Paraguay. Aug. 6, 1909. d. 9 ad. Santa Rosa, a Aug. 14, 1909. Trides hazel ; bill, legs, and toes blackish brown. 91. RuyNcHOCYCLUS SULPHURESCENS. Rhynchocyclus sulphurescens Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 168; Arg. Orn. i. p. 147. a,b. 6 @ ad. Puerto San Juan, Paraguay. Aug. 26, 1909. ce. § ad. Curuzu Chica, Paraguay. Oct. 29, 1909. Irides hazel; bill, upper mandible black, lower mandible slate-coloured ; legs and toes slate-coloured. 92. Pirancus BOLIVIANUS. Pitangus bolivianus Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 177; Arg. Orn. 1 p. 147. a,b. 8 2 ad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Nov. 19, 1908. C,d,6f, 9: 5 Vadsayes, 5, » Dec. 1-9, 1908. h,i,j,k. & 9 ad. & yg. 5 » dan. 5-18, 1909. Lm. o @ young. ss 9) Heb. 183.1909: nO, 0. 6 9 ade &ye: %5 » Mar. 1-5, 1909. g. 3 young. . se WeCs 29 1909: r,s. o ¢ ad. & yg. . re Jan. 4-5, 1910. t,u,v. d ¢ ad. & yg. a Feb. 14-21, 1910. w. 6 ad. Riacho Ancho, N. hoes ntictat July 30, 1909. x. g ad. Mortero, Paraguay. Aug. 13, 1909. y. 6 ad. Riacho Paraguay, Mirin, Brazil. Oct. 8, 1909. 120. =Mr.C. H. B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, Ad. Irides hazel; bill and legs and toes black. Young. Irides pale hazel; bill black, gape pale yellow; legs and toes sooty. One of the December and the January and February adults are moulting. One of the young birds in first plumage shot in December has the bases of the feathers of the crown yellow ; but this is quite exceptional, as all the others have black crowns. Several of the young taken in February and March are moulting into the adult dress, whilst others, no doubt of a later brood, are still in young plumage. This is the commonest of the Tyrannide in the Ajé district, where it is resident. It is both insectivorous and carnivorous, and is frequently seen picking the meat off skins and carcases. When I have broken open the nests of Oven-birds, looking for eggs, and left the young exposed, this bird has more than once eaten them up. The nest is a large untidy structure of wool, grass, and other rubbish placed in any convenient situation in a bush, tree, or on the top of a post, the entrance being at the side. Five eggs appear to be the complete clutch, though a set of six is in Miss Runnacles’ collection. 93. MylopyNASTES SOLITARIUS. Myjiodynastes solitarius Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 185; Arg. Orn. io paloO, a. g ad. Near Villa Pilar, Paraguay. Nov. 7, 1909. ‘‘ Trides brown ; bill black, fleshy at the base of the lower mandible ; legs al toes purplish brown.” 94. Myiosius N&VIUS. Myiobius nevius Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 209; Arg. Orn. i. p. 151. a,b. $ 3? ad. Near Santa Elena, N. Argentine. Nov. 15, 1909. Irides hazel; bill, upper mandible dark, lower light brown ; legs and toes almost black. The crest in the male is lemon-yellow and in the female cinnamon. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 121 95. PyrocEPHALUS RUBINEUS. Pyrocephalus rubineus Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 211; Arg. Orn. Pps Lod. a. & ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 26, 1908. b. @ ad. fe 3 Oct. 31, 1908. Gnd; @) Goo) ag. 5 35 Nov. 9-12, 1908. Jono a0. oe Bf Dec. 24, 1908. Gah; ts J. 6 rad. et yg... ;; Feb. 1-3, 1909. k,l. 8 young. 43 Mar. 12—23,1909. m. g young. ? $5 April 19, 1909: no. d 2? yg. & ad. Be i Dec. 27, 1909. pe gad: Jan. 17, 1910. +9 9 Trides hazel ; bill, legs, and toes black. One of the adult females has several coloured feathers on the head, another has one on the chest: four other females are tinged with colour on the under tail-coverts, and all are rather worn. The males appear to have a double moult, one in February and March (the autumn moult) and another in August. The specimens taken in February, March, and April appear at first sight to be young birds assuming the adult plumage, but I am by no means sure of this; and it strikes me that they are either adults assuming an off-season particoloured dress or are young birds changing from an intermediate to the adult stage. What appears certain is that they are not young in the first dress changing to the full adult plumage, as the ashy feathers of the crown are too dark and without edgings, and the streaked feathers of the under parts are similar to those of the adult female. The adult male taken on the 3rd of February is moulting, and ashy feathers are appearing on the breast, while many of the new feathers on the moulting March and April birds are particoloured, 7.e. partly grey and partly red. But there are some specimens in the British Museum taken in April and May in full red dress that do not bear this out. So that the second conclusion is perhaps the nearer one, that is, that the young do not assume the adult dress in one moult, and have a particoloured stage lasting probably over 122. Mr.C.H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, one season; but I have no skins to prove this absolutely, and the reason for the February adult assuming ashy feathers needs further explanation. The young in first plumage are :— “ Ashy cinereous above, each feather edged with buffy white, as likewise are the wing-coverts, bastard wing, and inner secondaries; the tail is also tipped with buff; below white or buffy white, striated with ashy on the breast und flanks; under tail-coverts creamy with ashy centres; axillaries and under wing-coverts edged with cream-colour, more ashy in some specimens.” This is a common bird throughout the summer in the Ajo district, but was only once observed during the river expedition, when two mules were seen near Pedernal on the 30th of August. The males are striking and pretty objects and have all the habits ofa Flycatcher ; but, unlike most of its congeners, this species has the habit of soaring for short distances with rapid beats of the wings from the top of some tree and returning to the same spot. In the evening it utters a mournful note of “ churinche,” and probably from this note comes the local name of “¢ Churinche.” The nest is composed of lichen lined with a few feathers and isa very flat structure with a slight cup-shaped depression: as a rule, it is placed in the fork of a tree clothed in lichen, often at no great height, and is extremely difficult to pick out. 96. EmprpocHANES FRINGILLARIS. Empidochanes fringillaris Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 216. a. gad. Pan de Azucar, Brazil. Sept. 20, 1909. Irides hazel; bill horn-brown; legs and toes purplish brown. 97. My1arcHUS TYRANNULUS. Mytarchus tyrannulus Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 251; Arg. Orn. ip. 156. a. ? ad. Puerto Asir, Paraguay. Aug. 27, 1909. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 123 b. 9 ad. Pan de Azucar, Brazil. Sept. 20, 1909. c,d. & 2 ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Nov. 5, 1909. The November female was sitting. I was unable to dis- tinguish this species in life from M. ferox. 98. MyiarcHus FEROX. Myiarchus ferox Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 253; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 156. a. gad. Arjerichi, Paraguay. Aug. 9, 1909. b. dad. Puerto San Juan, Paraguay. Aug. 26, 1909. c. 6 ad. Desaguadero, Paraguay. Aug. 29, 1909. d. Gad. Sapatero Cué, Paraguay. Sept. 3, 1909. e. g ad. Riacho Paraguay, Mirin, Brazil. Oct. 2, 1909. f. 6 ad. Rabicho, Brazil. Oct. 8, 1909. g. 3 ad. Boca de Homiguera, Brazil. Oct. 9, 1909. h. 9 ad. Fuerte Olimpo, Paraguay. Oct. 21, 1909. Irides hazel; bill brown; legs and toes very dark slate- coloured. Numbers of this Tyrant were observed throughout the river expedition. They were usually seen perched on the tops of the trees, from which they made short flights to catch passing insects. On the 9th of Octcber at Boca de Homiguera a pair were seen carrying building materials, and were evidently starting to nest. 99. EMPIDONOMUS AURANTIO-ATRO-CRISTATUS. Empidonomus aurantio-atro-cristatus Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p: 266; Are. Orn. 1. ps l57- a. g ad. Boca de Homiguera, Brazil. Oct. 9, 1909. Inides brown; bill, legs, and toes sooty-black. 100. TyRaANNUS MELANCHOLICUS. Tyrannus melancholicus Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 273; Arg. Ornet.-p. 1158: a. g ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Feb. 3, 1909. b. fo ad. Fr EA Mar. 12, 1909. c. 6 ad. % » Dec. 29; 1909: 124 Mr.C.H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, d,e. $ 2 ad. Porto Esperanga, Brazil. Oct. 13, 1909. fig. & 3 ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Nov. 5, 1909. Irides hazel ; bill, legs, and toes black. The November birds are shewing signs of wear and fading ; and the female on dissection was found to be laying. The December bird is starting to moult on the back, and the March bird is in full moult and has almost assumed the new feathering on the body. A rare visitor to the Ajo district, only four being observed there during both my visits. On the river expedition not many were seen altogether, though at Porto Esperanca quite a number were about, which I think had only just arrived there. 101. Mitvu.us Tyrannus. Milvulus tyrannus Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 277; Arg. Orn. i. p. 160. a,b,c. 6 3 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Oct. 21-27, 1908. d. 2 ad. - A Jan. 7, 1909. e. 2 ad. a Jan. 19, 1910. f. 6 ad. Pande Azucar, Brazil. Sept. 19, 1909. Trides hazel ; bill, legs, and toes black. The Scissor-tailed Tyrant is a summer visitor to the Ajé district, making its appearance about October and leaving again towards April. The males appear to arrive first, followed soon after by the females, when breeding operations are commenced, the nest being almost invariably placed on the outside branches either of solitary trees or of those on the edge of the montes, generally in rather conspicuous positions and between from ten to twenty feet from the ground. The fabric is placed on some horizontal branch or in a fork ; it is cup-shaped in form, and composed of thistle-down, grass, and wool, the full clutch of eggs being four, As a rule, this bird is seen perched on wire fences or on the tops of plants in the open camp from which Paraguay, Belivia, and Southern Brazil. 125 it darts out to catch any passing insect; and it is then that the bird is seen to the best advantage, and the pretty action of opening and closing’ of the tail as it twists and turns (from which it gets its name) is observed. The force with which the outer tail-feathers are opened against the air causes them to curve, and hence when the tail is fully opened the tips of the longer feathers almost touch and form a semicircle. Miss Runnacles’ first record of the appearance of this species for 1909 in the Ajo district is October 11th. 102. TiTyRA BRASILIENSIS. Tityra brasiliensis Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 329. a. 6 ad. Coimbra, Brazil. Oct. 15, 1909. Trides brown ; bill deep slate-coloured, base and orbits dull crimson ; legs and toes dark slate-coloured. 103. PLATYPSARIS ATRICAPILLUS. Hadrostomus atricapillus Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 333. a. g ad. Cabo Emma, Paraguay. Oct. 20, 1909. Irides dark brown ; bill slate-coloured, upper mandible very dark ; legs and toes slate-coloured. 104. PacuyRHAMPHUS VIRIDIS. Pachyrhamphus viridis Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 338. a. g ad. Opposite Rabicho, Brazil. Oct. 10, 1909. Irides hazel; bill, legs, and toes slaty. 105. CAsSIORNIS RUBRA. Casiornis rubra Scl. Cat. B. xiv. p. 365; Arg. Orn. i. p- 163. a. g ad. Puerto San Juan, Paraguay. Aug. 26, 1909. Inides hazel; bill flesh-coloured at base, horn-coloured at tip; legs and toes purplish brown. 106. GrosITTA CUNICULARIA. Geositta cunicularia Scl. Cat. B. xv. p.5; Arg. Orn, i. Bp. 165: a,b.$ Gad. Tuyu, Ajo. Nov. 27, 1908. 126 ~Mr.C. H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, ec. o ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Nov. 24, 1908. Use.43 2. ad. a se Jan. 19, 1909. Ag- & @ ad. 2 Pr April 20, 1909. Irides hazel ; bill dark brown, paler at base of lower mandible; legs and toes purple-brown. The November birds are much worn, and the pair taken on the 27th have the wing-feathers and tail almost bleached white. The January birds are moulting. The Common Miner was usually observed on the banks in pairs, and breeds among the sand-hills, making a hole of about two or three feet deep. In acavity at the end the eggs are laid on a bedding of dry rubbish, the full clutch being three. There is a clutch of three in Miss Runnacles’ collection, taken as late as December 23rd, 1909. 107. FURNARIUS RUFUS. Furnarius rufus Sel, Cat. B. xv. p. 113 Arg. Ori, p. 167. a. & ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Sept. 10, 1908. DiCpOytsje 6 ual. 3s i Oct. 2-12, 1908. Ul, ts Capen ade cy A Nov. 6-4, 1908. Dy Kyle GO GAA VEE Dec. 2-7, 1908. m. & ad. ay a Jan. 25, 1909. n. ? young. % Pr Feb. 1, 1909. o. 9 ad. Santa Rosa, Paraguay. Aug. 14, 1909. . p,q 2 ad. Tayru, Paraguay. Aug. 6, 1909. r. 9 ad. Porto Esperanca, Brazil. Oct. 13, 1909. s. 2? ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Nov. 5, 1909. . t. dg ad. Near Santa Elena, N. Argentine. Nov. 15, 1909. From September onwards the birds are shewing signs of wear, and the January bird is moulting, the old feathers being much faded, especially those of the tail. Young birds can be distinguished from the adults by their more rufous dress, and before they wear off by the blackish tips to the throat-feathers. Ad. Irides hazel; bill brown, base of lower mandible flesh-colour ; legs and toes sooty brown. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. T4 Young. Irides hazel; bill, legs, and toes dull brown; gape yellow. A common and resident species. The description of its habits given by Mr. Hudson needs little addition. 108. FurNARIUS ASSIMILIS. Furnarius assimilis Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 14. a. 6 ad. Riacho Paraguay, Mirin, Brazil. Oct. 2, 1909. Irides russet-brown; bill brown, lower mandible paler ; legs and toes pale brown. 109. CINCLODES FuscUS. Cinclodes fuscus Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 23; Arg. Orn. i. p: L722: a, b,c, d,e, f,g,h,t. 8 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. April 14-23, 1909. Irides dark brown; bill dark brown; gape yellow; le and toes dark brown. . gs A winter migrant from the south, arriving in great numbers throughout April, and remaining for the greater part of the winter. Its favourite place is in the roadways, where it sits on the posts or wires of the fencing. 110, PHitmocryPTES MELANOPS. Phlaocryptes melanops Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 33; Arg. Orn. i. p. 174. a,b,c. 8 3 ad. Tagana de Milan, Ajo. Nov. 15, 1908. de, f. 6 ad.& yg. Los Ynglases, Ajé6. Dec. 3-7,1908. g. & young. a Feb. 10, 1909. fis Gad. - bs Mar. 11, 1909. Young g. Indes hazel; bill brown, yellow at gape and base of lower mandible ; legs and toes ashy. All the adults are moulting, except one December bird, and all are much worn, except the March bird, which is almost in full feather. The February young bird has faint blackish tips to the breast-feathers. 128 Mr.C.H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, A swamp-loving bird, where its peculiar cracking call can be heard: in the Ajo district it is known as the “ Hunco cracker.” The nest is a solid structure attached to two or more stems of thick reeds, with entrance at the top side, the hole being protected by an overlapping hood; the nest is lined with feathers, and three eggs appear to be the complete clutch. 111. LeprastTHENURA PLATENSIS. Leptasthenura egithaloides Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 35 (part.) ; Arg. Orn. i. p. 177. Leptasthenura platensis Sharpe, Hand-l. B. ui. p. 53. a. gad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Oct. 29, 1908. b. g ad. 3 _ Jan 18, 1909. ce. 2 ad. s Rs Feb. 3, 1909. d. & ad. ” > Mar. 12, 1909. e. o ad. 55 ;; Apr. 19, 1909. y rehaeer June 9, 1909. Irides hazel ; bill biaciaeh, pearly at base of lower mandible; legs and toes olive-green. The October bird is much worn, and the January, February, and March birds are moulting; the April specimen, except for the tail, being in full feather. Not a common species in the Ajo district, and frequenting the Tala woods ; in habits it much resembles the Tits. 112. SyNALLAXIS FRONTALIS. Synallaxis frontalis Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 39; Chubb, Ibis, 1910, p. 524 (Paraguay). a. dg ad. Villa Oliva, Paraguay. Aug. 11, 1909. &. 2 ad. Puerto Pinasco, ,, Sept. 7, 1909. c.g ad. Pande Azucar, Brazil. Sept. 20, 1909. d,e. § 9 ad. Near Villa Franca, Paraguay. Nov. 6, 1909. Irides amber; bill slate-coloured, upper mandible darker ; legs and toes dark olive-green. All the specimens are shewing signs of wear, especially the November birds. ‘The female taken in November was sitting. Puraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 129 Commonly observed throughout Paraguay and in all the open country, where it frequents the long grass. 113. SyNALLAXIS CINNAMOMEA. Synallaxis cinnamomea Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 50. Synallaxis cinnamomea russeola Chubb, Ibis, 1910, p. 526 (Paraguay). a. g ad. Colonia Risso, Paraguay. Sept. 8, 1909. Irides pale brown; bill, upper mandible dark brown, lower livid; legs and toes brown. 114, SYNALLAXIS VULPINA. Synallaxis vulpina Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 52; Sharpe, Hand-l. Be iil. pso0. a. g ad. Opposite Rabicho, Brazil. Oct. 10, 1909. 115. SyNALLAXIS PHRYGANOPHILA. Synallaxis phryganophila Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 57; Arg. Orn. i. p. 181; Chubb, Ibis, 1910, p. 526. a,b. $6 Gad. Villa Oliva, Paraguay. Aug. 11, 1909, c. gé ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Aug. 12, 1909. d. 2 ad. Cabo Emma, Paraguay. Oct. 20, 1909. e. 2 ad. Puerto Maria, ,, Oct. 24, 1909. Irides red-brown ; bill, legs, and toes slate-coloured. The females have considerably shorter tails than the males, and the October birds are much worn; that taken on the 24th was laying. Also commonly observed throughout the river expedition, frequenting the same kind of country as S. frontalis. 116. SieroRNis sORDIDA. Siptornis sordida Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 68; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 184. a. 2 ad. Villa Oliva, Paraguay. Aug.11, 1909. Irides brown; bill, upper mandible dark, lower light brown; legs and toes purplish brown, SER. IX.—VOL. V. KK 130 Mr.C.H.B.Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, 117. SrprorNis SULPHURIFERA. Siptornis sulphurifera Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 69. Synallaxis sulphurifera Arg. Orn. 1. p. 185. a. 2 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Dec. 27, 1908. b,c. 6? ad. & juv. > ‘is Jan. 4, 1909. d. ? juv. 7 Ss Feb. 7, 1909. e. 2 juv. . a Mar. 13, 1909. ig. & & young. a Feb. 3, 14, 1910. Ad. Irides pale brown ; bill horn-coloured, base of lower mandible flesh-coloured ; legs and toes purplish brown. Young. Irides very pale brown; bill horn-coloured, base of lower mandible and gape yellow; legs and toes darkish purplish brown. Both the adults are much worn, the male having been taken with the nest and eggs. The young birds differ from the adults as follows :—- « Above fawn-brown; forehead and superciliaries dark buff ; ear-coverts, cheeks, and whole under side bright buff, with no sulphur-yellow spot in the middle of the throat.” A fairly common species, which frequents the cafadons, where it also breeds, the nest being a dome-shaped structure of dry grass with the entrance-hole at the side, suspended in the thick grass or rushes; three eggs apparently make the complete clutch. 118. SrproRNiIs HUDSONI. Siptornis hudsoni Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 70; Arg. Orn. i p. 186. a,b,c. @ 3 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Nov. 10-30, 1908. d, e. g young. - os Dec. 1, 1908. f,g. & ad. Cape San Antonio. Dec. 17-21, 1908. h. 2 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Jan. 21, 1909. i,j. d & ad. as » Feb. 4, 1909. k. g young. cs os Mar. 21, 1909. Young. Irides hazel; bill horn-coloured, yellow at gape ; legs and toes ashy flesh-coloured. The December adults are worn and have almost lost the Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 131 ashy edges to the feathers, and the February birds are moulting. The young in December were taken from the nest. The throat-patch varies from pale sulphur-yellow to deep cinnamon; in most specimens each feather has a black centre at the tip, in others this is entirely wanting. The young bird taken in March is fully fledged, and differs from the adults as follows :— “ Margins of back and wing-feathers much broader than in the adult and more buffy; gular patch faint ; throat and neck finely speckled; breast and flanks with broad black centres to each feather.” A common species which frequents the open grass country, where it is skulking in habits and reluctantly takes to flight. The nest is difficult to find, owing to the bird sneaking off and hiding in the grass ; it is placed on the ground in thick grass and is a dome-shaped structure of dead grass, lined with feathers. In both nests that I secured there were eggs of Molothrus bonariensis. 119. SrprorRNIs MALUROIDES. Siptornis maluroides Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 72; Arg. Orn. i. p. 188. a. 2 ad. Cape San Antonio. Dec. 17, 1908. b. 2 young. Luiconia, Ajo. Jan. 8, 1909. c. ? young. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Jan, 6, 1909. d,e. gad. & yg. rn - Feb. 7, 1909. J, 926 ad. & ye. ie a Feb. 10, 1910. Irides very pale yellow; bill, upper mandible dark, lower pale horn-coloured ; legs and toes pale horn-coloured. The adult of February 1909 is moulting. The young birds differ from the adults as follows :— “Forehead and middle of crown fulvous brown, slightly striated with blackish ; beneath pale buff, striations on flanks less distinct than in the adult and the black specklings of the throat and chest more numerous.” K 2 1382 Mr.C. H.B.Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, The young bird taken on February 10 is moulting very slightly and has one chestnut feather in the head. This Spine-tail frequents the rushes and reeds, where it creeps about after the manner of a Sedge-Warbler, and is not, as a rule, easy to shoot. I took three eggs at Ajo: the nest, a mere bedding of dead grass, being placed on the ground in a dry part of the swamp. 120. ANUMBIUS ACUTICAUDATUS. Anumbius acuticaudatus Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 75; Arg. Orn. i. p. 189. a,b. 8 2 ad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Sept. 12-Oct. 28, 1908. c,d,e. 6 9 ad. & young. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Jan. 25- Mar. 23, 1909. Irides hazel; bill pale brown; legs and toes pale yel- lowish livid. Both the September and October birds are worn and faded. The February and March birds are in moult, the latter having almost completed it. The young bird is very similar to the adult, but is paler generally, especially below, and has much less chestnut on the forehead. This is a common resident in the Ajo district, and spends more of its time on the ground than in the trees. It has a clear and trilling note. The nest is a large structure of sticks, generally thorny, placed in a tree or bush, the hole being at the top, whence a zigzag tunnel leads down to the nest ; it is warmly lined, often along the whole length of the tunnel also, with wool. 121. PuacELODOMUS RUFIFRONS. Phacelodomus rufifrons Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 80. Phacellodomus frontalis Arg. Orn. i. p. 192. a,b. 8 G9 ad. Puerto Maria, Paraguay. Oct. 24, 1909, Irides dark grey; bill dark slate-coloured, lower man- dible ashy ; legs and toes slate-coloured. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 133 This pair had a nest of sticks at the top of a palm-tree, and were, I believe, sitting, though I was unable to get up to the nest. 122. PHACELODOMUS STRIATICOLLIS. Phacelodomus striaticollis Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 82; Arg. Orn. i. p. 194. a,b,c. § 9 ad. & young. CapeSan Antonio. Dec. 18-19, 1908. d. § young. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Jan. 5, 1910. Both the adults are much worn, and the female has a tinge of chestnut on the back. “Trides bright yellow; bill, legs, and toes pale slate- coloured, upper mandible darker.” The young are similar, excepting that the December bird has a paler throat, is brighter on the breast and flanks, and has a darker bill. They differ from the adults as follows :— ‘“‘ Above dull russet-brown, crown dull chestnut ; beneath pale creamy white, breast and flanks slightly washed with reddish brown; edges of secondaries russet-brown. “ Trides dark blue-grey; bill dark horn-coloured, greater part of lower mandible and gape pale yellow; legs and toes ashy.” A fairly common species which inhabits rough grass- lands and the cafiadons ; it has a whistling call. The nest is usually placed in a low solitary tree or shrub, and is a longish structure of sticks placed almost horizon- tally, the entrance being at the higher end with a tunnel communicating with the nesting cavity ; it is lned with wool and hair. 123. PHACELODOMUS RUBER. Phacelodomus rufipennis Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 83, pl. v. Phacelodomus ruber Chubb, Ibis, 1910, p. 528 (Paraguay). a,b. @ ? ad. Colonia Mihanoviteh, N. Argentine. Aug. 12, 1909. c,d. & 2 ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Nov. 5, 1909. e. 9 ad. Bella Vista, N. Argentine. Nov. 12, 1909. 134 Mr.C. H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, The November specimens are very much worn and that from Bella Vista has started its moult. Many individuals of this Thorn-bird were observed at Colonia Mihanovitch and several nests were examined, but none contained eggs, though the female shot on the 5th of November was laying. The nest is a fair-sized structure of sticks suspended from the overhanging branches of a tree, the entrance being from below and the nesting-chamber near the top. 124. Homorvs cCRISTATUS. Homorus cristatus Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 86. Pseudosizura cristata Sharpe, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 65 (1901). a. dad. Pasage de Bagre, Brazil. Sept. 29, 1909. Inides pale yellow; bill blue-slate-coloured; legs and toes olive-green. 125. Srrrassomus CHAPADENSIS. Sittasomus chapadensis Ridgw. Pr. U.S. Nat. Mus. xiv. p. 509. a. fad. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. July 30, 1909. b. gad. Pan de Azucar, Brazil. Sept. 20, 1909. Irides brown ; bill, legs, and toes slate-coloured. 126. XIPHOCOLAPTES MAJOR. Xiphocolaptes major Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 145; Arg. Orn. i. p- 201; Chubb, Ibis, 1910, p. 532 (Paraguay). a. dad. Puerto San Juan, Paraguay. Aug. 26, 1909. b. ¢ ad. Near Villa Pilar, Paraguay. Nov. 7, 1909. Irides rich red-brown ; bill pearly slate-coloured ; legs and toes dark olive-green. The female is of a brighter colour on the head than the male, and was laying. 127. PIcOLAPTES ANGUSTIROSTRIS. Picolaptes angustirostris Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 155; Arg. Orn. 1. p. 201; Chubb, Ibis, 1910, p. 534 (Paraguay). a. @ ad, Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. Aug. 1, 1909. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil, 135 b. gad. Tayru, Paraguay. Aug. 6, 1909. c. 9 ad. Desaguadero, Paraguay. Aug. 29, 1909. d. 9 ad. Sapatero Cué, Paraguay. Sept. 3, 1909. e. gd ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Nov. 5, nooo; f. 3 ad. Near Santa Elena, N. Argentine. Nov. 15,1909. Irides hazel ; bill fleshy brown; legs and toes purple. These specimens vary slightly, some being paler and others darker. None shew much signs of wear, and that shot on the 15th of November is in perfect plumage, but is apparently not young. The males have rather shorter bills than the females. Numbers of this bird were seen: they had much the habits and actions of Tree-creepers (Certhia). The call is loud. 128. PIcOLAPTES BIVITTATUS. Picolaptes bivittatus Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 155. a. g ad. Riacho Paraguay, Brazil. Oct. 3, 1909. 129. X1PHORHYNCHUS TROCHILIROSTRIS. Xiphorhynchus trochilirostris Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 159. a. gad. Riacho Paraguay, Brazil. Oct. 3, 1909. b. g ad. Opposite Rabicho, Brazil. Oct. 10, 1909. Irides hazel; bill pale brown; legs and toes olive-green. 130. DENDROCOLAPTES PICUMNUS. Dendrocolaptes picumnus Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 170 ; Chubb, Ibis, 1910, p. 534. a. gad. Mortero, Paraguay. Aug. 13, 1909. Irides hazel, eyelid yellow; bill dark brown, gape yellow; legs and toes greenish ash. 131. THAMNOPHILUS MAJOR. Thamnophilus major Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 186; Arg. Orn. i. p-. 203. a. 6 ad. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. July 30, 1909. b. g ad. Desaguadero, Paraguay, Aug. 29, 1909. 136 On Birds collected in Aryentina, Paraguay, &c. c. gad. 10 miles above Villa Pilar, Paraguay. Aug. 7; 1909. d. 9 ad. 10 miles below Boca de Homiguera, Brazil. Oci.12, 1909... e. gad. Curuzu Chica, Paraguay. Oct. 29, 1909. f. dad. Near Goya, N. Argentine. Nov. 18, 1909. é. Irides red; bill slate-coloured, black at tip ; legs and toes slate-coloured. ?. Irides deep rich orange; bill, legs, and toes slate- coloured. ; Commonly observed, frequenting the low scrub anc undergrowth in the forests and the edges of the swamps. 132. THAMNOPHILUS CHRULESCENS, Thamnophilus cerulescens Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 200; Arg. Orn. i. p. 204. a. 6 ad. Aryjerichi, Paraguay. Aug. 9, 1909. Irides hazel; bill, upper mandible black, lower slaty ; legs and toes slaty. Call a loud and clear “ qua qua.” 133. THAMNOPHILUS RADIATUS. Thamnophilus radiatus Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 210; Chubb, Ibis, 1910, p. 520 (Paraguay). a,b. 8 ad. Boca de Homiguera, Brazil. Oct. 9, 1909. c. gad. Cabo Emma, Paraguay. Oct. 20, 1909. 3 ¢. Indes yellow; bill, legs, and toes blue-slaty, culmen black. 134. FoRMICIVORA RUFA. Formicivora rufatra Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 250. Formicivora rufa Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. ii. p. 253 (1889); Sharpe, Hand-l. B. iii. p. 25. a. 9 ad. Albuquerque, Brazil. Oct. 1, 1909. Irides hazel ; bill, legs, and toes blue-slaty. 135. CERCOMACRA MELANARIA. Cercomacra melanaria Scl. Cat. B. xv. p. 268. a,b. & 2 imm. & ad. Albuquerque, Brazil. Oct. 1, 1909. On the Birds of the Cayman Islands. 137 c. gd imm. Rabicho, Brazil. Oct. 8, 1909. d. gad. Boca de Homiguera, Brazil. Oct. 9, 1909. e,f. 6% ad. 10 miles below Boca de Homiguera, Brazil. Oct. 12, 1909. 3. Irides grey-brown; bill black; legs and toes slate- coloured. @. Bill slate-coloured ; otherwise as male. The young males are moulting from the grey plumage to the black. Very few examples of this bird were seen: it was ob- served frequenting the thick undergrowth along the river- bank and was very tame. [To be continued. | IV.—On the Birds of the Cayman Islands, West Indies. By Percy R. Lows, B.A., M.B.(Cantab.), M.B.O.U. (Text-figure 7.) G1.) Introductory Remarks. In the following paper I have endeavoured to compile a list of the Birds of the Cayman Islands on the lines of the “ Revised List of the Birds of Jamaica,” by Dr. P. L. Sclater, which was published in the ‘ Handbook of Jamaica’ for 1910. The Cayman Islands (see text-fig. 7, p. 138), which form a political dependency of Jamaica, are situated in the western end of the Caribbean Sea, between the meridians of 79° 44! and 81° 26’ W., and the parallels of 19° 49’ and 19° 46’ N. They consist of three islands — Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brace. The island of Grand Cayman is seventeen miles in length and between four and seven miles in width. Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are each about nine miles long by one and a half wide. They lie about six miles apart. The west end of Little Cayman is some sixty miles 138 Mr. P. R. Lowe on the from Grand Cayman, and the whole group is distant about a hundred and eighty miles in a north-westerly direction from Jamaica. Grand Cayman lies one hundred and seventy- five miles to the south of the nearest point of Cuba. Cayman Brac is nearer by some eighty miles. A word on the subject of the geology of the islands may be of interest and is necessary in order to appreciate the main features of their avifauna, for although politically a dependency of Jamaica, geologically speaking the Caymans are quite distinct. Text-fig. 7. Scale af Statmte Miles to 10 oO 20 “0 6o eels l= nee Sketch-map of the Cayman Islands. If a map shewing the contours of the sea-bed in this part of the Caribbean is examined (cf. Agassiz, “ Three Cruises of the ‘ Blake,’ ” Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. Harvard, vol. xiv. (1888) p. 99, fig. 57), it will be seen that a deep submarine Birds of the Cayman Islands. 139 ridge extends from Cape Cruz, the most southerly point of Cuba, right across this western division of the Caribbean Sea into the Bay of Honduras. The major part of this ridge lies at a depth of 1000 fathoms, but here and there along its length portions of it have been upraised so that they are only some 500 fathoms or less beneath the surface. On these last elevations or plateaux appear still more elevated areas or banks, the summits of which have attained to the level of the “ plane of the limiting lie of sedimentation,” or, in other words, to the level at which reef-building coral organisms can flourish. These reef-building organisms have been solely answerable for the formation of the Caymans, which are purely coral islands. In this respect, therefore, the Caymans differ from all the other West Indian Islands except the Bahamas. Immediately to the south of the submarine ridge on which the islands are situated, and between them and Jamaica, there stretches a profoundly deep submarine valley known as “ Bartlett’s Deep.” The average depth of Bartlett’s Deep is 18,000 feet, but a long trough, which represents its deepest part and which is situated, so to speak, at the very foot of the stupendous range of which the Caymans form the summit, has a depth of 22,000 feet. The water between Cayman Brac and Cape Cruz, the nearest point of Cuba, attains to a depth of 3000 feet. To all intents and purposes, then, so far as the avifauna of the Caymans is concerned, we may look upon them as pseudo-oceanic islands. They are obviously of very recent origin, things of yesterday as compared with the other Antillean Islands, and the only way in which they have been “colonized” has been by the agency of wind and marine currents. We should consequently not expect to find any very marked changes of a specific character, still less of generic importance, in the resident land-birds which characterize the avifauna of the Caymans. Nor dowe find such changes. It is, however, remarkable how in many cases these resident 140 Mr. P. R. Lowe on the land-birds have come to shew either greater or smaller differences from their allies of the neighbouring islands. The direction of the trade-winds would seem to favour colonization from Cuba rather than from Jamaica, but we must make allowance for chance storms and hurricanes. Grand Cayman and Little Cayman are exceedingly flat and very little raised above sea-level, being neither more nor less than upraised level reefs of coral limestone. Cayman Brac is somewhat higher. It is wedge-like in appearance. The thick end of the wedge, which is situated at the east end of the island, rises almost perpendicularly to a height of eighty feet or more. The coral limestone of which the islands are composed has naturally been much worn and weathered by wind and rain, and supports a scanty but fertile soil. As regards the flora, there is, at any rate at the present day, no luxuriant forest; the greater part of the islands being covered, where not converted into plantations, with thick scrub consisting of logwood, fustic, ironwood, and a few mahogany trees, while low bushes and creepers are thickly interspersed. Where the soil is more sandy there are large areas of thatch-palm scrub. A feature of the physical condition of the islands is the number of marshy areas and boggy pools. These marshy spots are covered or dotted with rank grass and other marsh- loving vegetation, and are often surrounded by thick belts of mangrove trees in which birds swarm. Along the northern shore of Grand Cayman these mangroves flourish particularly well and grow to a great height. Although there are large areas of uncleared scrub and useless marsh, the islands (Grand Cayman especially) are thickly dotted with small plantations which harbour a noticeably large quantity of birds. We know, indeed, of few islands in the West Indies where birds are more plentiful or where the conditions are more favourable to bird-life. We must acknowledge, however, that the general avian picture is entirely changed in summer after the departure Birds of the Cayman Islands. 141 of the hosts of American migrants which visit the islands for the winter months only. So far as I have been able to ascertain, nothing was known of the birds of the Cayman Islands prior to the year 1886— at any rate, as far as professed ornithologists are concerned. In the summer of that year Mr. W. B. Richardson visited the islands on behalf of Mr. C. B. Cory, the well-known American authority on West-Indian birds. As the result of this expedition Mr. Cory published a description of no less than thirteen new species of birds which had been found on the Grand Cayman alone (‘ Auk,’ iii. pp. 497-502, 1886). Following this he described a new Vireo from the same island in 1887 (‘ Auk,’ iv. p. 7, 1887), and published a list of the birds collected by Mr. C. J. Maynard on the islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac in 1889 (‘ Auk,’ vi. p. 30, 1889). In May 1887, Mr. Charles H. Townsend paid a short visit to Grand Cayman, and Mr. Robert Ridgway described, among other birds contained in his small collec- tion, a new species of Dendreca (Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. vol. x. 1887). From this date until the year 1896, when Mr. Taylor, of Jamaica, went there on behalf of the Tring Museum, no other collector seems to have visited theislands. Mr. Taylor made a magnificent collection of birds which are now in Mr. Walter Rothschild’s Museum, and among them were examples of a new species of Finch from Grand Cayman which Dr. Hartert described as Melopyrrha taylort (Nov. Zool. vol. il. p. 257, 1896). In January 1904, while on board the yacht ‘ Emerald’ chartered by Sir Frederic Johnstone, I had the opportunity, in company with the late Dr. Bowdler Sharpe, of seeing something of the bird-life on all the three Caymans. On two other occasions I have visited the Grand Cayman and Little Cayman with Sir Frederic, and I have written a few remarks on some birds which I collected there (‘ The Ibis,’ 1909, pp. 339-347). In March 1904, Lord Crawford visited the Caymans in 142 Mr. P. R. Lowe on the his yacht the ‘ Valhalla,’ and Mr. M. J. Nicoll, who accom- panied him, made a collection of birds which he described in ‘The Ibis’ of the same year. Among these birds were specimens of two new species, which Mr. Nicoll described as Pitangus caymanensis and Dendroica crawfordi. An examination of the list of birds given below reveals the fact that the avifauna of the Cayman Islands, as at present known to us, comprises some 75 species. This small total is almost certainly due to two reasons—first, that the collectors who have visited the islands since 1886 have naturally confined their work chiefly to the land-birds; secondly, that there appear to have been no local naturalists sufficiently interested to make records of the migratory and casual birds which visit the islands. Of the 75 species already recorded, about 40 would appear to be resident; the remainder being made up of winter visitors, of birds which pass through on migration in the autumn or spring, and of casual stragglers. Of the 40 resident birds, 20 are peculiar to one or other of the Caymaus, or to all three, and do not occur elsewhere. But with regard to this division we are bound to state that in the case of one or two, or even more, we have experienced the greatest difficulty in appreciating the distinctions on which they have been considered to rank as new species or subspecies. The remaining 20 resident birds comprise those which have a more or less wide range outside the islands. Of these Dendreca vitellina is found nowhere else but in Swan Island, while in the case of Amazona leucocephala, Myiarchus sagre, and Hologuiscalus gundlachi, the only other known locality in which they are found is Cuba. The Ground-Dove, again, is only found elsewhere in Jamaica. The following is a list of those species and subspecies which have been considered to be absolutely peculiar to the Cayman Islands :— Birds of the Cayman Islands. 143 . . a Grand | Little | Cayman Species and Subspecies. Cayman. | Cayman.| Brac. FONMAG, SPACICED ...6 . wnejhs vo es ose 05's * * Meptoptila:collaris <0. ..cs. sscncmc es * Amazona CayManensiS .............. * Wolantes pundlachi .... 5.0066 semneees | * Melanerpes caymanensis.............. # Elainea martinica caymanensis........ Elainea martinica complexa ..........! og 1 * Tolmarchus caudifasciatus caymanensis . * a Px Mim Ocichla Tavidi. gasses one vee e o's * Mimocichla rubripes coryi............! aie * Vireosylva caymanensis..............| * # # Vireo crassirostris alleni.............. | * é * Dendrceca petechia auricapilla ........ * + Dendroeca crawfordi ............0... ia * Melopyrmia taylors is.3 2a. so se! aieie wae | * Kuethia olivacea coryi .............. | A ny * PSPIMG AHS SALVINT gigi tse .s'ncgis a aiwie ns 6a * Woereba sharpih 2.0.06. 000 ceew senses * * * MET EWISHORINOR 2c clay cic gata edi pes noses * Holoquiscalus caymanensis .......... * | Norr.—Mr. Cory has considered the Myiarchus found on Grand Cayman to be worthy of specific rank, and has given it the name of deni- gratus. I think that there can be no question that the bird is identical with M. sagre of Cuba. Mr. Ridgway considers the Ground Dove to be peculiar to the island so far as subspecifie rank is concerned. He calls it insularis. From this list it will be noticed that there are no genera peculiar to the islands. The genus Melopyrrha is, however, met with in no other locality except Cuba. Mr. Ridgway (Birds North & Middle Amer. pt. i. p. 562) says: “This genus is an exaggeration of Sporophila, but between the most similar species of the latter and the type of Melopyrrha there is a considerable gap.” Spindalis is a well-marked genus which, with the excep- tion of Cozumel Island off Yucatan (S. benedicti), is restricted elsewhere to the Bahamas and the Greater Antillean Islands (Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Porto Rico). The species peculiar to Grand Cayman is very distinct. Mimocichla is another interesting genus restricted else- where to the Bahamas, Cuba, Hispaniola, Porto Rico, and 144 Mr. P. R. Lowe on the Dominica. If we accept Mr. Ridgway’s new genus Haplo- cichla, its occurrence in Jamaica is ruled out of court. It is interesting to note that Humming-Birds are not found in the Caymans. Practically every other island which is not a mere rock in the Caribbean basin contains some of these birds. The only exception that I am acquainted with is Swan Island. It is all the more curious since the flora seems perfectly suitable. Orchids are met with in profusion in all three islands, and on Grand Cayman Schomburgkia thomsoniana is peculiar and found nowhere else. Finally, we may remark that there appears to be every possibility of very greatly adding to the present number of birds recorded from the Caymans, especially as regards those merely passing through on their way south or north in autumn and spring. The Caymans, Mysteriosa Bank, and Swan Island seem to lie along an old migratory track across the Caribbean Sea, the lines of which are suggested by the sunken sub- marine ridge joining Cuba with Honduras, to which I have previously referred, and also by the sunken land now repre- sented by the Mosquito, Rosalind, Serranilla, and Pedro Banks, which apparently ouce formed a lnk between Jamaica, Honduras, and Nicaragua. During the periods of migration various species of Ducks, besides other birds which we need not mention here, pass regularly over Swan Island and settle there, and during these migratory times the islanders notice a great influx of birds of prey, which apparently come in order to pick off stragglers. Doubtless the same thing occurs in the Caymans, so that it appears to me that these islands would form a most interesting station for observing the passage of migrants north and south. (ii.) List of the Birds of the Cayman Islands. 1. CotumpBa LevcocerHALA, (Bald-pate Pigeon.) Columba leucocephala Cory, Auk, vi. p. 82 (1889: Cayman Brac) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. B. i. p. 70 (1899). Hab. Central and South America; fairly common in the Grand Cayman, and also found in Cayman Brac : resident. Birds of the Cayman Islands. 145 2. ZENAIDA MERIDIONALIS. (Pea-Dove.) Zenaida amabilis Cory, Auk, vi. p. 32 (1889: Cayman Brac). Zenaida meridionalis Sharpe, Hand-l. B. 1. p. 76 (1899). Had. Antillean Islands. Mr, C. J. Maynard found this Dove on Cayman Brac in 1889. 3. ZENAIDA SPADICEA. (Cayman Pea-Dove.) Zenaida spadicea Cory, Auk, ii. p.498 (Grand Cayman) ; Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 587 (Little Cayman); Lowe, Ibis, 1909, p. 341 (Little Cayman); Sharpe, Hand-l. B. 1. p. 76 (Grand Cayman). Zenaida richardsoni Cory, Auk, iv. p. 7 (1887: Little Cayman). Hab. Peculiar to the Cayman Islands ; common on Little Cayman : resident. 4, CHAMMPELIA JAMAICENSIS. (Jamaica Ground-Dove.) Yolumbigallina passerina Cory, Auk, iu. p. 502 (1886: Grand Cayman); id. Auk, vi. p. 82 (1889: Cayman Brac). Columbigallina passerina insularis hidgw. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. vol. x. p. 574 (1887 : Grand Cayman). Chamepelia passerina Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 585 (Grand Cayman). Chamepelia gamaicensis Lowe, Ibis, 1909, p. 341 (Grand and Little Cayman). Chamepelia insularis Sharpe, Hand-l. B. i. p. 82 (1899). Hab. Peculiar to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands: common and resident. 5. Leprorriva coLtaris. (Cayman White-bellied Dove.) Engyptila collaris Cory, Auk, ui. p. 498 (1886: Grand Cayman). Leptoptila collaris (Cory); Sharpe, Hand-l. B. i. p. 87 (1999: Grand Cayman). Hab. Peculiar to Grand Cayman : resident. SER, IX,—VOL. V. L 146 Mr. P. Rt. Lowe on the 6. GAaLLINULA GALEATA. (American Water-hen.) Gallinula galeata (Licht.) ; Cory, Auk, 11. p. 502 (1886: ? Grand Cayman, ? Little Cayman); Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 586 (Grand Cayman); Sharpe, Hand-l. B. 1. p. 107 (1899). Hab. North and South America: resident, fairly common on Grand Cayman. 7. ARENARIA INTERPRES. (Turnstone). Arenaria interpres (Linn.); Cory, Auk, ili. p. 502 (1886 : Grand Cayman) ; id. Auk, vi. p. 82 (1889 : Cayman Brac) ; Ridgw. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. vol. x. p. 575 (1887 : Grand Cayman) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. B. 1. p. 146 (1899). Strepsilas interpres Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 586 (Grand Cayman). Hab. Cosmopolitan : a winter visitor to the Caymans, but “birds of the year’ may be resident for a year or more. 8. ASGIALITIS SEMIPALMATA. (Semipalmated Shore- Plover.) Afgialitis semipalmata Cory, Auk, i. p. 502 (1886: Grand Cayman) ; id. Auk, vi. p. 82 (1889 : Cayman Brac). Aigialeus semipalmatus Sharpe, Hand-l. B. i. p. 154 (1899). Hab. North America : this bird is resident in Jamaica and breeds there. Whether it does so in the Caymaus I am unaware. I have included it among the residents. 9, Toranus etavirrs. (Yellow-legged Sandpiper.) Totanus flavipes Cory, Auk, ii. p. 502 (1886); Sharpe, Hand-i. B.i. p. 160 (1899). Hab. North America: a winter visitor to the Caymans. 10. TRINGOIDES MACULARIUS. (Spotted Sandpiper.) Actitis macularia Cory, Auk, 11. p. 502 (1886: Grand Cayman); id. Auk, vi. p. 31 (1889: Little Cayman, Cayman Brac). Tringoides macularius Sharpe, Hand-l. B. 1. p. 161 (1899). Hab. N. America: winter visitor. This bird sometimes nests in Jamaica; it is possible that it may do so also in the Caymans. Birds of the Cayman Islands: 147 1]. Erruneres pusttius. (Little Stint.) Ereunetes pusillus Cory, Auk, iii. p. 502 (1886); Sharpe, Hand-l. B.i. p. 162 (1899). Hob. North America: winter visitor to the Caymans. 12. LimonirEes MINUTILEA. (Least Stint). Tringa minutilla Cory, Auk, ii. p. 502 (1886). Limonites minutilla Sharpe, Hand-l. B. i. p. 163 (1899). Hab. North America: winter visitor to the Caymans. 13. Hereropyera macunata. (Pectoral Sandpiper.) Tringa maculata Vieill.; Cory, Auk, ii. p. 502 (1886). Heteropygia maculata (V.); Sharpe, Hand-l. B.i. p. 163 (1899). Hab. North America: winter visitor to the Caymans v14. Gaurnaco peticata. (Wilson’s Snipe.) Gallinago delicata Sharpe, Hand-l. B. i. p. 165 (1899). Hab. North America: winter visitor to the West Indies and Central America. I shot one or two examples of this bird in some marshes on the southern side of Grand Cayman. I have found no other records of its occurrence there. 15. HypRANASSA RUFICOLLIS. (Red-necked Egret.) Ardea tricolor ruficollis Cory, Auk, i. p. 502 (1886: Grand Cayman, Little Cayman). Hydranassa rujicollis Sharpe, Hand-l. B. i. p. 197 (1899). Hab. Temperate E. N. America to C. America, West Indies. Whether this bird breeds in the Cayman Islands I am unable to say, but it does so in Cuba and Jamaica. 16. NycranassA viotacea. (Yellow-crowned Night- Heron.) Nycticorax violaceus (Linn.) ; Cory, Auk, ii. p. 502. Nyctanassa violacea (Linn.) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. B. 1. p. 197 (1899). I have a specimen in my collection which I took in Cayman Brac. Hab. Central and South America: fairly common in the Caymans, resident. Li 2 148 Mr. P. R. Lowe on the “47. Buroripes virescens. (Little Green Bittern.) Ardea virescens Linn.; Cory, Auk, ui. p. 502 (1886: Grand Cayman); id. Auk, vi. p. 32 (1889: Cayman Brac). Butorides virescens Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 585 (Grand Cayman) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. B. i. p. 200 (1899). Hab. North and Central America, West Indices : common in the Caymans, resident. 18. BorauRvUs LENTIGINOSUS. (American Bittern.) Botaurus lentiginosus Sharpe, Hand-]. B. i. p. 204 (1899). Onead. 2. 28.i1.04. Grand Cayman (coll. P. R. Lowe). Hab. North and Central America: winter visitor to the West Indies. This was the only individual that I saw in the Caymans. 19. Suta piscatrix. (Red-footed Booby.) Sula cyanops (Sundev.) ; Cory, Auk, vi. p. 31 (Little Cayman, Cayman Brac). Sula coryi Maynard, Contrib. to Science, no. 1, vol. 1. p. 40 (1889 : Little Cayman). Sula piscator Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 588 (Little Cayman). Sula piscatriv Sharpe, Hand-l. B. 1. p. 237 (1899). Hab. Widely distributed in the tropical seas; I have several examples in my collection from Little Cayman, where there is a large ‘“ rookery.” 20. Frecata squita. (Greater Frigate-Bird.) Fregata aquila Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 589 (Little Cayman); Sharpe, Hand-l. B. 1. p. 237 (1899). Hab. Widely distributed in the tropical seas ; I have taken specimens of the young in Little Cayman, where the bird breeds. v 21. Fatco cotumBarius. (American Merlin.) Falco columbarius Sharpe, Hand-!. B. i. p. 275 (1899). One ad. fg. 27.11.05, Little Cayman (coll. P. R. Lowe). One ad. g. 26.1.04. Grand Cayman (coll. P. R. Lowe). Hab. North America and the Antilles; I shot the two above-mentioned examples in the Caymans myself. No other records. Birds of the Cayman Islands. 149 22. Srrix FLAMMEA FuRCATA. (American Barn-Owl.) Strix fammea furcata Cory, Auk, ii. p. 502 (1886: Grand Cayman or (?) Little Cayman). Strix furcata Sharpe, Hand-l. B. 1. p. 300 (1899). Hab. North America Stated by Gosse to be resident in Jamaica; whether it is so in the CaymansI do not know, but it is highly probable. “23. AMAZONA LEUCOCEPHALA. Chrysotis leucocephala Cory, Auk, vi. p. 32 (1889: Cayman Brac). Amazona leucocephala Sharpe, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 22 (1900). Hab. This Parrot is said to be peculiar toCuba. Whether it has established itself on Cayman Brae or the examples taken there were merely stragglers I am unable to say. 24. AMAZONA CAYMANENSIS. (Grand Cayman Amazon.) Chrysotis caymanensis Cory, Auk, ili. p. 497 (1886: Grand Cayman) ; Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 584 (Grand Cayman); Lowe, Ibis, 1909, p. 340 (Grand Cayman). Amazona caymanensis Sharpe, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 22 (1900). Hab. Peculiar to Grand Cayman. 25. CeryLe atcyon. (Belted Kingfisher.) Ceryle alcyon Sharpe, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 50 (1900). Hab. North America: a winter visitor to the Caymans, fairly common along the fringing mangroves. 96. Coccyzus MINOR. (Mangrove Cuckoo.) Coccyzus minor Cory, Auk, iii. p. 502 (1886: Grand Cayman, ? Little Cayman) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 163 (1900). Hab. Resident in the Caymans, West Indies, and Northern and Eastern South America, Southern Florida. 27. CoccyzUs MINOR MAYNARDI. (Maynard’s Cuckoo.) Coccyzus maynardi Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 584 (Grand Cayman). 150 Mr. P. R. Lowe on the Coccyzus minor maynard: Ridgw. Man. N. Amer. Birds, p. 274 (1887: Bahamas and Florida Keys); Sharpe, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 163 (1900). Hab. Bahamas. Mr. Nicoll has taken a specimen of this Bahaman sub- species on Grand Cayman ; probably a visitor. ¥28. Croropuaca ant. (Black Ani.) Crotophaga ani Linn. ; Cory, Auk, in, p. 502 (1886 : Grand Cayman) ; id. Auk, vi. p. 32 (1889: Cayman Brae) ; Ridgw. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. vol. x. p. 574 (1887: Grand Cayman); Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 584 (Grand Cayman) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 175 (1900). Hab. South and Central America, West Indies : common and resident in the Caymans. 29. CoLapTEs GUNDLACHI. (Gundlach’s Woodpecker.) Colaptes gundlachi Cory, Auk, iii. p. 498 (1886: Grand Cayman); Lowe, Ibis, 1909, p. 341 (Grand Cayman) ; Sharpe, Hand-l, B. i. p. 201 (1900). Hab. Peculiar to Grand Cayman, where it is fairly common and very tame. 30. MELANERPES CAYMANENSIS. (Cayman Woodpecker.) Centurus caymanensis Cory, Auk, iii. p. 499 (1886: Grand Cayman); Ridgw. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. vol. x. p. 574 (1887 : Grand Cayman) ; Lowe, Ibis, 1909, p. 341 (Grand Cayman). Melanerpes caymanensis Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 584 (Grand Cayman) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. B. ui. p. 211 (1900). Hab. Peculiar to and resident on Grand Cayman. 31. Spnyropicus varius. (Yellow-bellied Woodpecker.) Sphyropicus varius Sharpe, Hand-l. B, i. p. 212. Ad. 27.11.05. Little Cayman (coll. P. R. Lowe). Hab. North America: a winter visitor to the Greater Antilles. The specimen which I obtained on Little Cayman is the only record from the Caymans. Birds of the Cayman Islands. 1di 32. ELAINEA MARTINICA CAYMANENSIS. (Cayman Elainea.) Elainea martinica Cory, Auk, in. p. 502 (1886: Grand Cayman); Ridgw. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. vol. x. p. 574 (1887 : Grand Cayman); Cory, Auk, vi. p.31 (1889: Little Cayman, Cayman Brac); Sclater, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xiv. 1888, p. 141; Salv. & Godman, Biol. Centr.-Am., Aves, ii. 1888, p. 36; Sharpe, Hand-l. B.in. p. 123 (1901: Grand Cayman) ; Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 582 (Grand Cayman); id. ibid. p. 587 (Little Cayman). Elainea pagana martinica (part.) Allen, Bull. Am. Mus. N. H. u. 1889, p. 200 (Grand Cayman). Elenia martinica caymanensis Berlepsch, Proc. Fourth Internat. Orn. Congr. 1907, p. 394 (Grand Cayman). Elenia martinica riisii Lowe, Ibis, 1909, p. 342. Hab. Peculiar to Grand Cayman, but the claims of this bird to rank as a subspecies peculiar to the island are, in my opinion, very slender. It is also very difficult to distinguish birds from Little Cayman and Cayman Brae from this supposed new subspecies. 33. ELAINEA MARTINICA COMPLEXA. (Cayman Brac Elainea.) Elainea martinica Cory, Auk, vi. 1889, p. 31 (Cayman Brac). Elenia martinica complexa Berlepsch, Proc. Fourth Inter- nat. Orn. Congr. 1907, p. 895 (Cayman Brac). Hab. Peculiar to Cayman Brac. I have not been able to appreciate the differences between Cayman Brac birds and those from the Grand and Little Cayman which I have considered elsewhere to be E. m, rusit. 34. ToLMARCHUS CAUDIFASCIATUS CAYMANENSIS. (Grand Cayman Petchary.) Pitangus caudifasciatus Cory, Auk, i. p. 502 (1886: Grand Cayman) ; id. Auk, vi. p. 31 (1889: Cayman Brac) ; id. Cat. West Ind. Birds, 1892, p. 108 (Grand Cayman) ; Sclater, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xiv. 1888, p. 179 part. (Grand Cayman). 152 Mr. P. R. Lowe on the Pitangus caymanensis Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 582 (Grand Cayman). Tolmarchus caymanensis Ridgw. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. Xviil., Sept. 12,1905, p. 209; id. Birds North & Midd. Amer. pt. iv. p. 682 (1907: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac ?). Tolmarchus caudifasciatus caymanensis Lowe, Ibis, 1909, p. 843 (Grand Cayman). Hab. Peculiar to Grand Cayman and perhaps Cayman Brac. 35. Empronax minimus. (Least Tyrant.) Empidonax minimus Nicoll, Bull. B. O. C. 1904, vol. xiv. p. 95; id. Ibis, 1904, p. 582 (Grand Cayman); Sharpe, Hand-l. B. iii. p. 138 (1901). Hab. Eastern North America: accidental during emigra- tion on Grand Cayman. ’ 36. Mytarcuus sacre®. (La Sagra’s Tyrant.) Myiarchus denigratus Cory, Auk, 1. p. 500 (1886: Grand Cayman); Ridgw. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. vol. x. p. 574 (1887 : Grand Cayman) ; Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 583 (Grand Cayman) ; Ridgw. Birds N. & Midd. Amer. pt. iv. 1907, p. 635. Myiarchus sagre Lowe, Ibis, 1909, p. 343 (Grand Cayman). Hob. Cuba. Probably resident and breeding on Grand Cayman: a common bird there. “ 37. TYRANNUS DOMINICENSIS. (Gray Kingbird.) Lyrannus dominicensis Cory, Auk, ii. p. 502 (1886: Grand Cayman); id, Auk, vi. p. 31 (1887: Little Cayman, Cayman Brac); Sharpe, Hand-l. B. ii. p. 149 (1901). Hab. Greater Antilles, Northern Lesser Antilles, coasts of America, and Bahamas, (88. Hirunbo rryTHRoGASTER, (American Barn-Swallow.) Chelidon erythrogaster (Bodd.) ; Cory, Auk, vi. p. 31 (1889 : Cayman Brac). Hirundo erythrogaster Sharpe, Hand-]. B. iii. p. 198 1903), Birds of the Cayman Islands. 153 Hab. N. America: south to 8. America and West Indies in winter, Probably only a spring and autumn migrant in the Caymaus. 89. PoLioPTILA CERULEA. (Gray Gnatcatcher.) Polioptila cerulea Cory, Auk, iii. p. 501 (1886: Grand Cayman); id. Auk, iv. p. 7 (1887: Little Cayman); Sharpe, Hand-l. B. in. p. 240 (1901) Hab. A winter visitor to the Caymans and Cuba from the Eastern United States. 40. Mimus orpHeus. (Jamaican Mocking-Bird.) Mimus orpheus? Cory, Auk, iti. p. 501 (1886: Grand Cayman). Mimus polyglottos orpheus Cory, Auk, vii. p. 45 (1891: Grand Cayman) ; Ridgw. Birds N. & Midd. Amer. pt. iv. 1907, p. 231 ; Lowe, Ibis, 1909, p. 343 (Grand Cayman). Mimus orpheus Ridgw. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. vol. x. p. 572 (1887: Grand Cayman); Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 579 (Grand Cayman). Hab. This bird is resident in Grand Cayman and probably in Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. 41, GALEOSCOPTES CAROLINENSIS. (Cat-bird.) Galeoscoptes carolinensis (Linn.); Cory, Auk, vi. p. 31 (1889: Cayman Brac); id. Cat. W.I. Birds, 1892, p. 121 (Grand Cayman) ; Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 579; Ridgw. Birds N. &. Midd. Amer. pt. iv. 1907, p. 219; Sharpe, Hand-]. B. iv. p. 106 (1903). I have a specimen in my collection from Grand Cayman. Hab. Temperate North America in general: a winter visitor to the Caymans. 42. Mimocicuia RAvIDA. (Grand Cayman Thrush.) Mimocichla ravida Cory, Auk, ii. p. 499 (1889: Grand Cayman) ; id. Cat. W.I. Birds, 1892, pp. 19, 122, 129, 157; id. Birds West Indies, 1889, p. 285 (Grand Cayman) ; Ridgw. 154 Mr. P. R. Lowe on the Birds N. &. Midd. Amer. pt. iv. 1907, p. 87; Lowe, Ibis, 1909, p. 340. Mimocichla ravida Sharpe, Hand-]. B. iv. p. 116 (1903). Hab. Peculiar to Grand Cayman. 43. MimocicuLa RUBRIPES coryI. (Cayman Brac Thrush.) Mimocichla rubripes Cory, Auk, vi. p. 31 (1889: Cayman Brac). Mimocichla coryi Sharpe, in Seebohm’s Monogr. Turdide, ii. 1902, p. 212 (Cayman Brac) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. B. iv. p. 116 (1903). Mimocichla rubripes coryi Ridgw. Birds N. & Midd. Amer. pt. iv. 1907, p. 86. Hab, Peculiar to Cayman Brac. “44. VIREOSYLVA CALIDRIS BARBATULA. (Black-whiskered Vireo.) Vireo calidris barbatulus (Cab.); Cory, Auk, iv. p. 7 (1887 : Little Cayman). Vireo barbatulus Sharpe, Hand-l. B. iv. p. 247 (1903). Vireosylva calidris barbatulus Ridgw. Birds N. & Midd. Amer. 1904, pt. 11. p. 142. Hab. Bahamas, Cuba, and Southern Florida: only met with in the Caymans as an occasional straggler. 45, ViREOSYLVA CAYMANENSIS. (Cayman Vireo.) Vireo caymanensis Cory, Auk, iv. p. 7 (1887: Grand Cayman); id. Auk, vi. p. 31 (1889: Little Cayman, Cay- man Brac); Ridgw. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. x. p. 573 (1887: Grand Cayman); Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 580 (Grand Cayman) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. B. iv. p. 247 (1908). Vireosylva caymanensis Ridgw. Birds N. & Midd. Amer. pt. im. 1904, p. 136; Lowe, Ibis, 1909, p. 344 (Grand Cayman). Hab. Peculiar to the Cayman Islands. 46. VIREO CRASSIROSTRIS ALLENI. (Allen’s Vireo.) Vireo allent Cory, Auk, iti. p. 500 (1886: Grand Cay- man); id. Auk, vi. p. 31 (1889: Cayman Brac) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. B. iv. p. 251 (1903). Birds of the Cayman Islands. 155 Vireo crassirostris alleni Lowe, Ibis, 1909, p. 344 (Grand Cayman). Hab. Peculiar to the Caymans. 47. AMPELIS CEDRORUM. (American Waxwing.) Ampelis cedrorum Cory, Auk, vi. p. 31 (1889: Little Cayman); Sharpe, Hand-l. B. iv. p. 259 (1903). Hab. North America: an occasional visitor to the Cay- mans in winter. 48. Mwnrotitta varia. (Black-and-white Tree-Warbler. ) Mniotilta varia Cory, Auk, ii. p. 501 (1886: Grand Cayman) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. B. v. p. 96 (1909). I have shot this bird on Little Cayman Island. Hab. Eastern North America: a winter visitor to the Caymans. 49. HeLMINTHOTHERUS VERMIVORUS. (Pennsylvanian Swamp-Warbler.) Helmitherus vermivorus (Gmel.) ; Cory, Auk, vi. p. 31 (1889: Cayman Brac). Helminthotherus vermivorus Sharpe, Hand-l. B. v. p. 97 (1909). Hab. Fastern United States: a rare winter visitor to the Caymans. “50. PARULA AMERICANA. (Northern Warbler.) Compsothlypis americana Cory, Auk, vi. p. 31 (1889: Cayman Brac). Parula americana Sharpe, Hand-]. B. v. p. 100 (1909). I have taken this bird on Grand Cayman. Hab. Eastern United States and British Provinces: a winter visitor to the Caymans and throughout the West Indies. ‘51. DenpR@cA PETECHIA AURICAPILLA. (Cayman Yellow Warbler.) Dendroica petechia gundlacht Cory, Auk, ili. p. 501 (1886 : Grand Cayman). Dendroica auricapilla Ridgw. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. vol. x. p. 572 (1887) ; Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 579 (Grand Cayman). 156 Mr. P. R. Lowe on the Dendroica petechia auricapilla Ridgw. Birds N. & Midd. Amer, pt. 1. 1902, p. 517 (Grand Cayman). Dendroica auricapilla Cory, Auk, vi. p. 31 (1889: Little Cayman). Dendraca petechia (auricapilla? ) Lowe, Ibis, 1909, p. 344 (Grand Cayman). Dendreca auricapilla Sharpe, Hand-l. B. v. p. 103 (1909). I have shot this bird on Little Cayman Island. Hab. Peculiar to Grand Cayman and Little Cayman. 52. DENDR@ca TIGRINS. (Cape May Warbler.) Dendroica tigrina (Gmel.) ; Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 579 (Grand Cayman). Dendreca tigrina Sharpe, Hand-l. B. v. p. 105 (1909). Hab, Eastern North America and Canada: apparently a rare winter visitor to the Caymans. This bird is said to be resident and to breed on the high mountains of Jamaica. 53. DenpRa@CA CARULESCENS. (Black-throated Blue Warbler.) Dendroica caerulescens Cory, Auk, vi. p. 31 (1887: Little Cayman). Dendreca cerulescens Sharpe, Hand-l. B. v. p. 105 (1909). Hab. Eastern North America: a rare winter visitor to the Caymans. 54. Denpraca coronata. (Myrtle Warbler.) Dendroica coronata Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 579 (Grand Cayman). Dendreca coronata Sharpe, Hand-l. B. v. p. 106 (1909). Hab. North America: a common winter visitor to the Caymans. It is possible that some individuals stay all the year and breed. 55. Denpra@ca c&RULEA. (Cerulean Warbler.) Dendroica cerulea Wils.; Cory, Auk, i. p. 501 (1886). Dendreca cerulea Sharpe, Hand-l. B. v. p. 107 (1909). Birds of the Cayman Islands. 157 Dendroica rara (Wilson); Ridgw. Birds N. & Midd. Amer: pt. ti. p. 570 (1902). Hab. Eastern North America: a rare winter visitor to the Caymans. 56. DeNpRa@ca pominica. (Yellow-throated Warbler.) Dendroica dominica (Linn.); Cory, Auk, i. p. 501 (1886: Grand Cayman) ; Cory, Auk, iv. p. 7 (1887: Little Cayman). Dendraca dominica Sharpe, Hand-l. B. v. p. 107 (1909). Hab. Atlantic Coast districts of United States: not a common winter visitor to the Caymans. This bird or a subspecies of it (D. d. albilora) is said to breed occasion- ally in Jamaica. I have a specimen in my collection from Little Cayman. 57. Denpraca piscotor. (Prairie Warbler.) Dendroica discolor (Vieill.) ; Cory, Auk, vi. p. 31 (1889: Little Cayman, Cayman Brac). Dendreca discolor Sharpe, Hand-l. B. v. p. 110 (1909). Hab. Eastern United States. The Prairie Warbler is occasionally met with in the Caymans as a winter visitor alongside of its resident colleague D. vitellina. I have one or two examples from Grand Cayman. 58. DeNDR@cA VITELLINA. (Vitelline Warbler.) Dendroica vitellina Cory, Auk, in. p. 497 (1886: Grand Cayman) ; id. Auk, vi. p. 31 (1889: Little Cayman, Cayman Brac) ; Ridgw. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. vol. x. p. 574 (1887: Grand Cayman) ; id. Birds N. & Midd. Amer. pei. px610 (1902: Grand Cayman) ; Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 580 (Grand Cayman). Dendreca vitellina Lowe, Ibis, 1909, pp. 837 & 845 (Grand Cayman) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. B. v. p. 110 (1909). Hab. Peculiar to Grand Cayman and Swan Island. This resident species is much more common on Swan Island than it is on Grand Cayman. 158 Mr. P. R. Lowe on the 59. Denpra@ca crAwrorpI. (Lord Crawford’s Wood- Warbler.) Dendroica crawfordi Nicoll, Bull. B. O. C. vol. xiv. p. 95 (June 15, 1904) ; id. Ibis, 1904, p. 586 (Little Cayman). Dendreca crawfordi Lowe, Ibis, 1909, p. 387 (Little Cay- man); Sharpe, Hand-l. B. v. p. 110 (1909). Hab. Peculiar to Little Cayman. 60. Denpra@ca paLMARUM. (Palm-Warbler.) Dendroica palmarum (Gmel.) ; Cory, Auk, vi. p. 31 (1889: Little Cayman, Cayman Brac) ; Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 586 (little Cayman). Dendraca palmarum Sharpe, Hand-l. B. v. p. 110 (1909). Hab, Kastern North America: a very abundant winter visitor to the Cayman Islands. I have examples of this species in my collection from Grand Cayman and Little Cayman. 61. Srurus auricapitLus. (Gold-crowned Water-Thrush.) Seiurus auricapillus (Linn.); Cory, Auk, vi. p. 31 (1889: Cayman Brac). Siurus auricapillus Sharpe, Hand-l. B. v. p. 112 (1909). Hab. Eastern North America: a fairly common winter visitor to the Caymans. I have taken this bird on Little Cayman island. 62. Srurus motacizia. (Louisiana Water-Thrush.) Seiurus motacilia (Vieill.) ; Cory, Auk, 11. p. 501 (1886: Grand Cayman). Siurus motacilla Sharpe, Hand-l. B. v. p. 112 (1909). Hab, Eastern United States: an occasional winter visitor to the Caymans. 63. SrurRus NOVEBoRACENSIS. (New York Water-Thrush.) Seiurus noveboracensis Cory, Auk, iv. p. 7 (1887: Grand Cayman, in August); Nicoll, Ibis, 1904, p. 581 (Grand Cayman). Siurus noveboracensis Sharpe, Hand-l. B. v. p. 112 (1909). Birds of the Cayman Islands. 159 Hab. N. America. . UUNIDINES UF INUWMDIEIv A Vili. Se tek tae 4: 57. Schiebel on new Corsican Birds. . . ; 58. W.L. Sclater’s Record of the Ornithological Literature. ‘of 1909." oy te Set 59. The South African Ornithologists’ ‘Journal’ . . Nee 60. Thienemann on the Migration of the Stork. . . 61. Tschusi on the Ornithological Literature of Austria- : Hungary for 2000 er ny a on ware tera stoln seem 868 XIV. Letters, Extracts, and Notes :— 4 Letters from Mr. Douglas Carruthers, Mr. J. C. Kershaw q (text-fig.10), Dr. Claud B. Ticehurst, and Mr. David A. Bannerman ; Birds of the Gentral Sahara; Intr oduction of Paradise-birds into the West Indies; The Expedition of the B.O.U. into Central New x Guinea ; The Annual General Meeting of the B.0.U. 24 5) 3a PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED SINCE THE IssuE oF No. 17, Ninra- SERIES, AND NOT NOTICED IN, THE PRESENT NUMBER. 35. ‘The Animals’ Friend.’ (Vol. xvii. Nos. 6, 7, 1911.) 36. Annals of the Cyprus Nat. Hist. Soc. (No. 11. (Jan.—Dec, 1910) 1911.) 37. ARRIGONI DEGLI Oppr, FE. Nota Ornitologica sopra la recente cattura de Feocichla sibirica (Pall, ) in Italia. —Notizie sopra unindividuo albino d Mestolone 0 Spatula clypeata (Linn.).—Note sul Secondo Congress Internazionale della Caccia a Vienna nel Settembre, 1910—and othe pamphlets. 38. ‘The Auk.’ (Vol. xxviii. No. 1. 1911.) 39. Barrets, Max. Zu Dr. C. Parrot’s ‘ Beitrige zur Ornithologie Sumatras und der Insel Banka.’ (Jour. f. Orn. Juliheft. 1910. ) 40. Barruontomew, J.G., Baan E CLARKE, W., and Grimsuaw, P. H. Atla of Zoogeography. (EKdinburgh, 191L. ) 41. ‘Bird Lore.’ (Vol. xiii. No. 1. 1911.) 42, ‘ British Birds.’ (Vol. iv. Nos. 9-11. 1911.) 43. Cairo Scientific Journal. (iv. No. 51. December, 1910.) 44, Californian University Publications in Zoology. (Vol. vii. Nos. 3-6, 1911.) 45, ‘Cassinia.’” A Bird Annual. (No, xiv. 1910. Philadelphia, 1911.) 46. ‘The Condor.’ (Vol. xiii. No.1. 1911.) 47. Dunors, A. Descriptions d’Oiseaux nouveaux du Congo Belge. (Rey. Fran. d’Orn. No. 22. 1911.) 48, ‘The Emu.’ (Vol. x. Pts. 3, 4. 1910.) 49, Giza Zool. Gardens. Special Report, No. 5. List of Animals (2nd Edn.) by 8. S. Flower. (Cairo, 1910.) 50. Haty, Ropert. The Distribution of Australian Land Birds. (R. Soe. Tasm., 1910.) 51. The Journal of the Hast Africa and Uganda Natural History Society. (Volai.iNo.fi.° 191s) 52. Kirkman, F. B. The British Bird Book. (Sections iii. & iv. 1911.) 53. Ménéaaux, A. Etude des Oiseaux de Pequateur. (Mission de l’Equateur. % Tome ix. 1910.) 54, Messager Ornithologique. (No.1. Moscow, 1911.) 5. Monier, H. J. International Rules for the Specification of Coletti (Archiv f. Pharmaci og Chemi. Ny, 14. Copenhagen, 1910.) 56. New York Zool. Soc. Bulletin. (1911. No. 44.) 7. Ornithologisches Jahrbuch. (xxi. Heft 6. 1911.) 58. SHrupsote, W.H, The Protection of Useful Birds in Hungary andl in Great Britain; ; A Contrast. 59, Sronnam, C. ‘The Birds of the British Islands.’ (Part xvii. 1910.) GO, Swartu, H. 8. Birds and Mammals of the 1909 Alexander Alaska Expedition. (Univty. Calif, Publns. Zool. vol. vii. No. 2. 1911.) mi 61. TuHanner, R. von. Ornithologische Notizen, Fuerteventura betreffend,-— | Ueber Fringilla teydea polatzeli Hart. (Orn. Jahrb, xxi. Heft'6. 1911, ss 62, Tracy, H, ©. Significance of White Markings in Birds of the O Passeriformes, (Univty. Calif. Publns. Zool. vol. ‘Vi. No. 19. 1910) bore ifn 9 20a, pst. i ee eee PRT. Se es t0A11\ — | BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS UNION, _ PRESIDENT. F. Du Cane Gopman, Esq., D.C.L., F.R.S. EDITORS. P. L. Scrater, Ese., D.Sc., F.R.S. A. H. Evans, Esa., M.A., F.Z.S8. SECRETARY. J. Lewis Bonuorte, Esqa., M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S. COMMITTEE. Tue PReEsIDENT. Tue Eprrors or ‘Tue Ists.’ ¢ Le officio. THE SECRETARY. W. R. Oaitvie-Grant, Esq., F.Z.S. (Elected 1908.) Davip Seta-Smitu, Esa., F.Z.S. (Elected 1909.) Epwarp Brpwe tt, Esq. (Elected 1910.) The British OrnirHoLoatsts’ Union was instituted in 1858 for the advancement of the science of Ornithology. 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FRINGILLA MONTIFRINGILLA L. Brambling. Local name: Pinziolo (Giglioh). Winter visitor: recorded by Giglioli on passage in October, and by Parrot twice from the Ajaccio market, as well as in small flocks on the Campo de L’Oro on February 7 and 15. 23. PETRONIA PETRONIA HELLMAYRI Arrigoni. Sardinian Rock-S parrow. Petronia petronia hellmayri Arrigoni, Avicula, vi. p. 104 (1902—Sardinia). A local resident in small numbers. Wharton and Parrot record it from the neighbourhood of Ajaccio in December and March. It must also breed in this district, as Parrot subsequently received a specimen on May 27. Whitehead saw very few on the west coast, but met with one or two small flocks on the east side in winter and also found a few pairs, evidently nesting, in high mountains at the end of May. I saw a few near Solenzara on May 7; and on May 10, while inspecting a nest of the Red Kite, MWilvus milvus, was interested to see a number of Sparrows going in and out of 204 Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain on the it. On climbing the tree I found a single big young Kite in grey down, but could find no Sparrows’ nests among the foundations of the Kite’s nest. It was interesting to note that the Sparrows only vacated the nest on the return of the Kite, and evidently subsisted on the pickings of the Kite’s larder. The mystery of the nest was, however, solved by accident, for on May 29 we happened to be in the same district again. Several pairs of Bee-eaters, Merops apiaster, were breeding in the hard soil, not in steep banks, but in burrows made in almost flat ground. While digging out one of these I was astonished to come across feathers, bits of straw, and all the untidy mess usually associated with a Sparrow’s nest, and presently I was able to extract the nest and six typical maroon-coloured Rock-Sparrow’s eggs! Five minutes’ watching enabled us to identify the anxious parent as she flew from bush to bush, obviously uneasy. Another bird was carrying building material in its bill, and probably several pairs were breeding close at hand *. Subsequently I obtained another nest at the end of May, which was placed in a hole in a cork-oak, and contained the remarkably large number of 8 eggs. These 14 eggs average in size 21:5 x 15°2 mm.; max. 22:'7x* 14:9 and 21x16, min. 20°3 x 158 and 22:2 x 145. The Sardinian Rock-Sparrow is not a well-defined local race, but is distinctly darker than specimens from the European continent. 24. Passer iravim® (Vieill.). Italian Sparrow. Local names: Passera; Cardaino (Gigholi). ] d oO toes fleshy. | 107. EREMOPTERYX VERTICALIS. CC. Klipfontein, June, July (3). [This little Lark was only found in Namaqualand, where it was by no means plentiful ; it was observed in small flocks in sandy country. When disturbed the whole flock rises, most of them uttering a short note, but never going far. It is a sociable and tame little bird, being often seen within a few yards of outbuildings. The soft parts are :—Inrides brown or grey-brown; bill pearly white; legs and toes fleshy white. ] 108. EREMOPTERYX SMITHI. Tv. Pietersburg, Feb., Mch. (11); P- Tete, Aug. (8). [Smith’s Lark was first noted in the North-Eastern Transvaal, where numbers made their appearance (Feb. 23) during the latter half of the rainy season on the open sandy D2 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected country around Pietersburg. It was not again seen till Tete was reached, where numbers were observed in August on the sandy rock-strewn country bordering the Zambesi River near that town. In actions, call, and habits this Lark resembles the other members of the group. The soft parts are :—Irides bright hazel; bill pearly or bluish white ; legs and toes purplish. ] 112. CALENDULA CRASSIROSTRIS. CC. Durban Road, Mch. (3); Klipfontein, Apl., May, June, July (10) ; Port Nolloth, Aug. (3). Mr. Grant thought that he could distinguish a Cape race from that of Namaqualand and even of Deelfontein, but the Cape examples from Durban Road were all taken in March, and had hardly finished their moult, so that the wings and tails appear unusually short. My measurements seem to shew that the culmen of both the Namaqualand and Cape birds averages larger than in those from Deelfontein, but hardly sufficiently so for distin- euishing two races. [This Lark was found at the Cape Peninsula and in Namaqualand. It frequents singly or in pairs more or less open sandy localities or cultivated lands, and spends most of its time on the ground in search of grain and various secds. The soft parts are:—Irides hazel; bill, upper mandible and tip of lower dark blackish horn-coloured, base of lower whitish horn-coloured ; legs and toes pale slate-coloured.] Hereronyx ruppt. (Text-figure 9.) C. Grant, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, xxi. p. 111 (July 11, 1908). Tv. Wakkerstroom, Feb. (1). A single example of this curious Lark was obtained in the South-Eastern ‘Transvaal, and was described as the type of a new genus by Grant. It resembles Mirafra in every respect—in the form of the beak, the exposed nostrils, the shape of the wing, and the length of the outer primary, but can be at once recognised by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 255 by the long hind toe and claw, measuring in the single example 124+ 19 =31 mm.inall. In M. cheniana, a bird of about the same size, the hind toe and claw measure 7+7=14 mm. The following is a further description of this interesting bird :—Above dusky, most of the feathers edged with pale tawny; a narrow band of pale tawny down the centre of the crown, and a good deal of rufous tawny across the neck ; primaries edged with pale rufous, and with a paler rufous edging along the webs on the lower surface ; tail just moulted, but apparently with the light pattern of the outer feather Text-fig. 9. Foot of Heteronyx ruddi, to shew the long hind toe and claw. white ; below tawny whitish, quite white on the throat, and with dusky streaks on the breast; lores and ear-coverts as beneath ; under wing-coverts very pale tawny, almost white. Hind claw quite straight for the first three-quarters of its length, beyond which it is slightly downcurved. [Rudd’s Long-clawed Lark was found in the open grass- country around Wakkerstroom ; the specimen sent, the only one observed, was shot running on the ground. Trides deep brown ; bill, upper mandible pale horn-brown, lower yellow-horn-coloured ; legs and toes fleshy.] 119. Mrrarra AFRICANA. Z. Umfolosi Station, July, Aug., Sept. (5); P. Coguno, Sept. (3). [This remarkable Lark was only found in the low country of Zululand and again in the Inhambane district of the SER, IX.—VOL. V. T 254 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected Portuguese country. It frequents more or less open localities, sparsely bushed, or native clearings, and in the early mornings can be seen perched on the top of some bush or low tree, uttering at intervals a loud and somewhat prolonged whistle ; during the rest of the day it is silent and spends its time on the ground resting or searching for food. It was, apparently, not breeding in either locality at the time of my visits. The soft parts are :—Irides deep brown; bill, upper mandible dark horn-coloured, lower fleshy; legs and toes darkish brown. | MIRAFRA AFRICANA TRANSVAALENSIS. Hartert, Nov. Zool. vii. 1900, p. 45 [type from Rusten- burg]. Tv. Woodbush, Jan., Feb. (3); Pietersburg, Mch. (1) ; Turfloop, Mch. (1). [I can appreciate this race of Hartert’s, which, besides the more rufous coloration, has the bill decidedly smaller, averaging ]1 against 18 mm. in the typical form. This geographical race was only found in the North- Eastern Transvaal, on the thorn-covered hill-sides. In habits, call, &c. it exactly resembles M. africana. ] 121. MrraFrRa CHENIANA. Tv. Pietersburg, Feb., Mch. (5). [This Lark was found only on the flat open grass veld near Witkop Hill, close to Pietersburg. There some numbers were seen, always singly ; and the striking habit of the bird, soaring and singing in the morning and late afternoon, much after the manner of A. arvensis, at ounce drew my attention to it. During the heat of the day it is feund among the longish grass, and can also be seen feeding on open sandy spots. The food, apparently, is principally of grass-seeds. As only males were secured, the bird must have been breeding, but no females could be flushed. The soft parts are :—Irides bright brown; bill, upper mandible horn-brown, cutting-edge of upper and lower by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 255 mandibles pale yellowish horn-coloured ; legs and toes fleshy brown. | MIRAFRA RUFOCINNAMOMEA. Shelley, Bds. Afr. iii, 1902, p. 45. Tv. Klein Letaba, Sept. (1). A Lark taken in the North-East Transvaal seems un- doubtedly referable to this species, which is new to South Africa. It has hitherto been known from Ugogo in German East Africa, and north to Abyssinia, whence came the type described by Salvadori. There is only one example in the British Museum—the type of M. torrida Shelley, obtained by Sir John Kirk in Ugogo. The Transvaal example matches it very well. [ One specimen of this species was taken in the low country of the North-Eastern Transvaal, where it was distinctly uncommon. It was shot running on the ground in an open grassy flat. The soft parts are :—lIrides hazel; bill very dark horn- coloured, lower mandible slaty ; legs and toes slaty. ] MIRAFRA ZOMBE. Ogilvie-Grant, Bull. B.O.C. xii. 1902, p. 27; Claude Grant. Bull’ 6-0. ©. xx1-1908, p. 111. P. Masambeti, Nov. (1). This species, new to South Africa, and before noted from the low country in Nyasaland—Zomba, Lake Shirwa, and Milanji slopes, had been previously confused with M, fischeri, from which it differs in having the upper parts dusky, streaked with darker and without transverse pattern. [A single specimen, the only one seen of this Nyasaland species, was shot on an open grassy flat, bordering some cultivated land, where the Masambeti stream disappears into the veld. The soft parts are:—Irides hazel; bill dark horn-coloured, lower mandible yellowish ; legs and toes livid. | 123. MIRAFRA APIATA. CC. Plettenberg Bay, Feb., Mch. (4) ; Klipfontein, July (1). [ ‘‘ Monad-vogel ”’ of Colonists. 256 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected The male in somewhat worn plumage, shot on the 19th of July in Namaqualand, has considerably more rufous on each side of the crown and on the nape than normal specimens. This Lark was only observed in Namaqualand and the Knysna district, where it frequents open country dotted with scrub or scattered bushes. It is well known from its peculiar habit of springing into the air with a loud clapping of the wings, and giving vent to a prolonged whistling “ whew” as it descends. Also in the early morning, usually from the first streak of dawn to just after sunrise, its call of “ Vroeg in de morrow, vroeg in de morrow, daglicht, daglicht, daglicht ” (Early in the morning, early in the morning, daylight, daylight, daylight) can be heard. This call is sometimes, but not usually, heard at sundown. The soft parts are:—Irides hazel ;_ bill dark horn-coloured, lower mandible much paler ; legs and toes flesh-brown. | 132. Minarra NIvosA. Alemon nivosa Stark & Sclater, Bds. 8. Afr. 1. p. 280. CC. Durban Rd., Mch. (1); Klpfontein, Apl., May, June, July (15); Anemous, Apl. (2); Port Nolloth, Mch., Aug. (3). [The Karroo Lark was only found at the Cape Peninsula, where it was scarce, and in Namaqualand, where it was very plentiful. It frequents open flats and the tops of mountain- ranges, and is usually in pairs. The call is a whistle, and, like Certhilauda capensis, the bird is fond of perching on the tops of low bushes and scrub, especially if disturbed. The soft parts are :—Irides hazel; bill slate-coloured, pinkish at base of lower mandible; legs and toes pinkish slate-coloured. | 125. SpizocoRys CONIROSTRIS. Tv. Pietersburg, Feb., Mch. (4). [This Lark was only found in the open grass-country near Pietersburg, where a few small flocks were observed. It frequents sandy patches where the herbage is shortest, and by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. noe feeds largely on the seeds of grass. When flushed it utters a sharp little call, but seldom flies far. The soft parts are:—Irides hazel ; bill, legs and toes fleshy horn-coloured. | 126. TrpHRoOCORYS CINEREA. Cc. Durban Rd., Mch. (3) ; Klipfontein, Apl., May, June, July, Aug. (15); Port Nolloth, Ang. (4). An examination of the series of Red-capped Larks in the British Museum, together with those contained in the preseut collection, leads me to the conclusion that we must dis- tinguish two geographical races, a western paler and a more rufous and darker eastern and northern race. In the latter the rufous patches on the sides of the chest and crown are more extensive and of a richer shade, and often, though not always, extend to the flanks, while the general coloration is distinctly darker. Additional examples in the British Museum, which may be fairly referred to the typical paler race, are from Deel- fontein (Grant and Seimund), Little Namaqualand, and Cape Town. 128, TerHROcORYS CINEREA ANDERSSONI, Tv. Pietersburg, Mch. (1). Of the darker race referred to above there is only one example in the Grant collection; it matches almost exactly T. anderssoni, a cotype of which from Otjimbinque is in the British Museum. There are other Larks in the collection from Colesberg, Elands Post, and “ British Kaffraria” in C.C., from Kumma in Bechuanaland, from the Orange Free State, Potchefstroom, aud Natal, as well as Angoniland and British East Africa, which, I think, maybe referred to this subspecies. [The Red-headed Lark was observed in Namaqualand, the Cape Peninsula, and the South-Hastern and North-Eastern Transvaal. J have only noticed it in flocks, often of con- siderable numbers ; it usually frequents open and more or less sandy country, where it feeds largely upon secds, frequently visiting native lands for the fallen grain after harvesting. 258 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected It is a dainty and lively little Lark, running with speed and having a strong though seldom long-sustained flight. When feeding the birds continually call to each other, and also when disturbed. The soft parts are:—Irides hazel; bill pale brown, in specimens shot in July and August the bill is more or less slaty; legs and toes slaty. | 130. Herrrocorys BREVIUNGUIS. Tv. Turfloop, Mch. (1). One example of this rare bird was brought back. There are only three examples in the British Museum—two without focality from Sir A. Smith’s collection, and one labelled “ Ort fr. Inkoluba,” taken by Wahlberg, 16/Apl./44. According to Sundevall’s description, the type locality is the region of the Limpopo River (Aprevier), probably the present Aapies River on which Pretoria is situated, and the Inkoluba River, which is probably also one of the head tributaries of the Limpopo. [The Short-clawed Lark was only found in the strip of thorn-covered country along the main ‘Zand River” on the Pietersburg-Woodbush road. There several examples were seen, but were so wild that after much time spent in endeavouring to get within shot only one was taken. It runs with celerity and often perches on the tops of the bushes and stunted trees, uttering a clear whistling call-note. Apart from size and colour, in general habits it much reminded me of C. semitorquata. The soft parts are :—Irides hazel ; bill grey-brown, base of lower mandible slaty ; legs and toes bluish white. | 131. CertTHILAUDA SEMITORQUATA. Tv. Wakkerstroom, Mch., Apl. (5). [This large Lark was only found in the Wakkerstroom district, where it frequents the open and more or less stony country near the town. It is always in pairs, and in habits, cali and flight greatly resembles C. capensis. The soft parts are :—Irides light brown ; bill brownish horn-coloured, bluish at base of lower mandible; legs and toes slaty brown. | by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 259 133. CerTHILAUDA CAPENSIS. CC. Port Nolloth, Mch., July, Aug. (14). The bill of the male averages 30°5 mm., ranging from 28 to 33 in eleven examples ; that of the female is much smaller, 24—25 in three examples. (This Lark was only found in Namaqualand, where it in- habits the “ sand veld,’ which extends inland some ten miles from the coast. 1t is generally observed in pairs, and attracts attention by sitting on the tops of bushes and uttering at intervals a clear whistle-call. It runs with great celerity ; the flight is strong and straight, but is seldom sustamed for more than a few yards. It was not breeding at the time I was in the locality. The soft parts are :—Irides dark hazel; bill dark horn- brown ; legs and toes biuish horn-coloured. | 134, CERTHILAUDA ALBOFASCIATA. Cc. Anuemous, Apl. (3); Klpfontein, Apl., July (4); Tv. Pietersburg, Feb. (2). The Namaqualand specimens are not in any way paler than the normal Cape examples, and have no resemblance to teichenow’s C. albofasciata arenaria from Great Namaqua- land. In fact, their lower sides are of a slightly darker and more chestnut shade of brown than those from the rest of the Colony ; they are further distinguished by an almost com- plete absence of the dusky breast-streaks. ‘These characters, however, seem hardly sufficiently constant to warrant the formation of a new race. (This Lark was found only in Namaqualand, where it was common, and again in the North-Eastern Transvaal, where the single pair taken were observed on the flat open veld near Pietersburg. This bird is found in pairs or sometimes in threes, and frequents sandy localities sparsely covered with vegetation. It runs with celerity and will often, when under cover of a bush or rise in the ground, squat and endeavour to evade pursuit, but if approached will instantly start running away, and, finally, if closely pursued, take to the wing. The flight is slow and somewhat undulating, but seldom long sustained, 260 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected the white tips to the tail-feathers being very conspicuous. The call is a clear whistle, but not so loud as that of C. capensis; and like that species the bird will often call from the top of a low bush or clump of heather. The soft parts are:—Irides greyish hazel; bill, upper mandible dusky horn-coloured, lower more or less livid ; legs and toes whitish brown. | 135. MacronyXx CAPENSIs. CC. Knysna, Apl. (2) ; Plettenberg Bay, Feb., Mch. (5). [ “ Kalkoenje” of Colonists. The Cape Long-Claw was only found in the Knysna; its place was taken in all the Eastern and Northern localities visited by the following species. It inhabits open grassy hill-sides, and is found both singly and in pairs. It is a great runner, and is fond of perching on the tops of ant-heaps and clods of earth. When flushed it rises with rapid beats of the wings and flies fairly straight, seldom, however, going far, and descending abruptly and sharply to the ground. ‘The eall, which is usually uttered when flying, and also when just rising, is a series of loud mewing whistles which might be described as “ Ziu,” “ Ziu.” I have found several nests, which always contained newly hatched young. They are cup-shaped, composed of grass, and placed on the ground under the shelter of an ant-heap or large tuft of grass. When breeding the adults are particularly tame, approach- ing within a few yards of the intruder. The food is principally of insects, varied with grass and other seeds. The soft parts are :—Ivides hazel; bill, upper mandible dark horn-brown, lower dark slate-coloured; legs and toes palish horn-coloured. | Macronyx CAPENSIS COLLETTI. Schou, Ornith. Monatsber. xvi. 1908, p. 119 (Zululand). Z. Sibudeni, Oct., Nov., Dec. (11); Umfolosi Station, July (3); Ev. Wakkerstroom, Mch., Apl. (5); Zuurbron, May (1); Woodbush, Nov. (5); Turfloop, Mch. (2). The Orange-throated Long-Claws of Natal, Zululand, by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 261 and the Transvaal form a well-marked race, and have been recently separated as M. colletti by Schou. In this subspecies the yellow of the lower surface is much more extensive than in the typical form, reaching up to the black necklace ; the yellow supercilium is also better marked and more extensive, and there is a yellowish tinge on the lower ear-coverts and below the eye. In addition to the localities already mentioned, there are examples of tins subspecies in the British Museum from Pinetown, Maritzburg, and Newcastle in Natal, Kroonstad in the Orange River Colony, Potchefstroom in the Transvaal, and the Makalaka country. To the typical race belong examples from Cape Town, Elands Post, and King William’s Town. [“ Nqomti” of Zulus. Collett’s Long-Claw was found both on the high and low veld of Zululand, the highlands of the Wakkerstroom district, the open country around Pietersburg, and the open grassy tops of the Woodbush Hills. This species, like MZ. capensis, usually frequents open country, and, where found, is very plentiful. In call and habits it resembles W/. capensis, and it can only be considered a geographical form of it. It breeds in the summer season (Oct.—Feb.). J have seen nests in Zululand and N.E. Transvaal, unfortunately always containing newly hatched young. The site of the nest is like that of M. capensis. The soft parts are similar in the two forms. In the young all the soft parts are much paler. | 136. Macronyx CROocEUs. Z. Jususie Valley, Dec. (1); Umfolosi Station, June, July, Aug., Sept. (7) ; Ngoye, Sept. (1) ; Tv. Legogot, May (4) P. Coguno, June (1} ; Masambeti, Nov. (2); Beira (8). One nest with three eggs, taken at Masambeti, Noy. 9th. | “ Ngqomfi” of Zulus. The Yellow-throated Long-Claw was noted from Zululand, the Eastern Transvaal, and the Inhambane and Beira districts of Portuguese East Africa. Pd 262 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected As a rule, this species inhabits somewhat lower elevaticns than does M. capensis, and is partial to country that is more or less bushed ; it is often found at the edges of and in thie native lands. In flight and call it resembles M. capensis. It breeds in the summer season, and I have seen nests in Zulu- land, all of which, however, were plundered by Crows before the full clutch of eggs had been laid. A nest taken near Beira on the 9th of November, 1906, was composed of dry grass and lined with fine rootlets ; it was placed in a slight hollow at the foot of a small ant-heap among some rough grass. It contained three eggs, which were the full clutch, and the two old birds were shot. The curious thing about this nest was that the old birds built the nest about the third week in October and then deserted it, disappearing entirely from the locality, so that when I examined the nest about the end of the month it was wet and sodden and no birds were to be seen. On the 9th of November following, happening to be passing over that piece of ground, I, ont of pure curiosity, walked over to look at the place, and to my astonishment the female flew off the nest. Except perhaps for the very wet weather, I am unable to explain why the nest was deserted for so long, and then finally taken possession of. The soft parts are:—Irides hazel; bill, upper mandibie dark horn-brown, lower slaty; legs and toes darkish brown. | 137. Macronyx AMELIA. Z. Umfolosi Station, June, July, Aug. (5). | “* Neongia” of Zulus, ‘This pretty Long-Ciaw was only found in the flats around Umfolosi Station, Zululand, where it was not plentiful and frequented the dry vleis filled with longish grass. It appeared singly, and had to be shot on the wing, as it was impossible to see it in the grass. The flight is low and fairly straight, and the call is like that of the other Long-Claws, but clearer and sharper. The soft parts are :—lIrides hazel; bill, upper mandible horn-brown, lower pale horn-coloured ; legs and toes palish horn-coloured. ] by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 268 138. ANTHUS CHLORIS. Tv. Wakkerstroom, Mch. (4). One specimen, dated March 16, is in full breeding-dress ; of the others, two are young birds with the tails only just sprouting, while the fourth, dated March 2, is probably a freshly moulted bird. [This Pipit was only found im the South-Eastern Trans- vaal, where it was not uncommon on the open grassy hill-sides and flats. It is rather a skulker, running with considerable celerity and, except when hard pressed, not taking to the wing. The flight is very similar to that of the European Meadow- Pipit (A. pratensis). It apparently breeds in the summer season, as young birds, both fully and half fledged, were taken in March. The soft parts are:—Irides hazel; bill, legs and toes horn-brown. In the young the bill, legs and toes are much paler. | 139. ANTHUS LINEIVENTRIS. Tv. Woodbush, May, June (2). A rare species in South Africa. |The two birds sent are the only examples I have ever seen of this Pipit. They were shot among some rocks on a recently burnt hill-side. They were tame, and when disturbed merely ran off from one rock to another, and uttered no call. In appearance and actions this bird greatly resembles A. crenatus. The soft parts are :—Inrides hazel; bill, upper mandible horn-brown, lower pale horn-coloured; legs and toes amber- yellow. | 140. ANTHUS CRENATUS. Tv. Wakkerstroom, Mch. (2). Also a rare species, hitherto supposed to be confined to Cape Colony. It has been recorded from the Cape Division, Deelfontein, Burghersdorp, and Colesberg, but the present examples extend its range considerably further to the north- east. | The pair secured are the only examples I have seen since 264. Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected the Central Cape Colony trip. These were shot on some rocky ground on an open grassy hill-side. They were somewhat tame, and when disturbed merely ran from rock to rock, sometimes half hiding behind the boulders, at other times boldly perching on the tops. The soft parts are:—Irides hazel; bill, upper mandible dark horn-brown, lower rather paler; legs and toes amber- coloured. | 142, ANTHUS BRACHYURUS. Z. Ngoye Hills, Oct. (1). [This little Pipit was only observed in the Ngoye Hills of Zululand and at Illovo, near Durban—a pair being seen in ach locality. It frequents open grassy hill-sides or flats and is skulking in habit, running with some celerity through the grass. It is not easily flushed, but rises well within shot and utters a weak “ pip pip” note, springing almost abruptly upwards, but seldom flying far, then descending precipitately to the ground and instantly running. The soft parts are :—Irides hazel; bill horn-brown, lower mandible rather paler ; legs and toes amber-brown. | ANTHUS CAFFER. Sundevall, (fv. Vet.-Akad, Férh. 1850, p. 100. Tv. Woodbush, May (2). The history of this species will be found at length in the Annals 8. Afr. Mus. in. 1905, p. 375. [Some three or four specimens of tlis species were observed among the grassy hill-sides dotted with trees around the Woodbush Village. Except for its larger size, it resembles A. brachyurus. The soft parts are :—Inrides hazel; bill, upper mandible horny brown, lower paler brown; legs and toes amber- brown. | 143. ANTHUS NICHOLSONI. CC. Klipfontei, April, May, July (8); Z. Jususie Valley, Dec. (1); Umfolosi Station, July (1); Tv. Wakker- stroom, Apl. (1); Zuurbron, May (1); Woodbush, June, Dec. (2). by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 265 The examples from Namaqualand are paler and more rufous; they agree with those from Deelfontein and with the type of the species from Sigonell on the Vaal River. The Eastern examples are rather more olivaceous ashy and have slightly longer bills ; they may be considered as approaching A. sordidus Riipp. of East Africa. [ Nicholson’s Pipit was found in Zululand and the South- Eastern and North-Eastern Transvaal, but cannot be said to be plentiful. Like A. pyrrhonotus it frequents grass country, and it is not easily distinguishable from that species. The soft parts are:—ITrides hazel; bill, upper mandihle horn-brown, lower much paler; legs and toes amber- brown. | 144. ANTHUS PYRRHONOTUS. Cc. Knysna, Apl. (1) ; Plettenberg Bay, Feb., Mch. (4); 4. Sibudeni, Oct., Nov. (5); Tv. Woodbush, Nov. (1). The examples from Zululand and the Transvaal have shorter hind claws and come very near A. p. gouldi. [This Tawny Pipit was found in the Knysna district, Upper Zululand, and the Woodbush Hills of the North- fastern Transvaal. It occurred both singly and in pairs, and frequented the open grassy hill-sides. It can run at a good speed, but readily flies when disturbed, although seldom going far. It is not easily distinguishable in the “ veld” from A. nicholsont or A. rufulus. The soft parts are :—Irides hazel; bill, upper mandible horn-brown, lower yellowish brown; legs and toes pale brown. | 145. ANTHUS RUFULUS. Z. Sibudeni, Oct., Nov. (3); Umfolosi Station, July (2); Tv. Wakkerstroom, Mch., Apl. (6); Pietersburg, Mch. (1); Woodbush, May, Nov. (2). [“ Neelu”’ of Zulus. The Lesser Tawny Pipit was found in Zululand and the South-Eastern and North-Eastern Transvaal. It seems to frequent low and high veld indiscriminately, and is always 266 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected seen where the grass is more or less thick and in the low country where the bush is more open. In general habits it resembles A. pyrrhonotus and A. nicholsoni. The soft parts are:—Irides hazel; bill, upper mandible horn-brown, lower yellowish horn-coloured ; legs and toes palish brown, in some specimens pale amber-coloured. | 147. MoraciLua VIDUA. WN. Illovo, Nov. (1); Tv. Klein Letaba, July, Sept. (3) ; P. Tete, Sept. (2). I quite agree with Mr. Grant’s remarks about the winter plumage of this Wagtail. These birds have the black flanks characteristic of M. vaillanti (= M. nigricotis Shelley). [In the small series of this Wagtail collected there are birds taken in the winter and summer seasons with entirely black heads and backs. This caused me to carefully overhaul the very fine series in the British Museum, and I find that there is no evidence to shew that this species assumes a winter plumage with an ashy-brown back. But there is every evidence to shew that the fully adult birds moult once a year, and that this takes place in the autumn, the black upper parts being therefore retained throughout both the winter and summer seasons. Also that young birds moult from the first plumage into an ashy-brown-back stage ; the adult feathering apparently being assumed in the second year. This Wagtail was only observed on the Tugela River at Bond’s Drift, Natal, the low country of the North-Eastern Transvaal, and in the Tete district of the Portuguese country. It is partial to the land-locked mouths of rivers near the coast and the broad sandy rivers inland, like the Klein Letaba, the Mazoe and the Zambesi. Usually observed in pairs, sometimes in threes, in appearance and habits it greatly resembles the Kuropean Pied Wagtail (M. lugubris). The call is the Wagtail “ Chiswick,” and the flight is low, undulating, and graceful. The soft parts are:—Irides dark brown ; bill, legs and toes black. | by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 267 148. Moraciuia CLARA. Motacilla longicauda Riipp. (nec Gmel.), Stark & Sclater, dso. cAdrs Ie py, 207 4. Ngoye Hills, Oct. (1); P. Tambarara, Apl. (2). [The Grey-backed Wagtail was only noted from the two localities where specimens were secured. In Zululand only a single pair was seen, both individuais being shot, but the female lost. In the Gorongoza district some two or three pairs were observed altogether. This Wagtail frequents rocky streams overhung with bush and large trees, and can be seen perched on some rock in mid-stream, running and taking short darting flights to catch some passing insect, or flitting with low and graceful flight from one rock to another. The call is the usual ‘¢ Chiswick ” of the Wagtails, and in general actions and habits this bird resembles the other species. The soft parts are :—Inides hazel ; bill blackish; legs and toes grey-brown. | 149. MoraciLia CAPENSIS. Cc. Klipfontem, May (5); Port Nolloth, Aug. (1); Durban Road, Sept. (1); Kuysna, Dec. (5); Z. Jususie Valley, Nov. (2); Tv. Wakkerstroom, Mch. (5); Klein Letaba, Aug. (1); Pietersburg, Mch. (1); Turfloop, Mch. (1). Examples from Klipfontein, Zululand, and Pietersburg all match one another perfectly. [“ Quick-stertje ” of Colonists. The Cape Wagtail was commonly observed in all localities from the Cape and Namaqualand to Natal, Zululand, and the North-Eastern Transvaal, but nowhere in the Portu- guese country. It was seen both singly and in pairs, and frequented indiscriminately the banks of rivers and streams, vleis, and dams, both in open and bushed country. Its call and actions are those of M. vidua, but it is easily distinguishable from that species by its colour. The soft parts are :—Irides dark brown; bill, legs and toes dark brown. | 268 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected 155. PRoMEROPS CAFER. Cc. Knysna, Apl. (1). [“ Groot-zuiker vogel” of Colonists. This species was only observed in the Cape Peninsula and the Knysna district, in both of which localities it was not uncommon, but was wild and difficult to shoot. It frequents the more open hill-sides and mountain tops, where Proteas abound, and on the nectar of these plants it principally feeds. Its general habits are well described by Stark and Sclater, and need no further repetition. The soft parts are :—Irides hazel; bill, legs and toes black. | 156. PRoMEROPS GURNEYI. Tv. Zuurbron, May (1). [I have only observed this species among the ‘ Zuiker- bosch ” (Protea) clad mountains which divide the eastern side of the Wakkerstroom district from Swaziland. There it was not uncommon, but like P. cafer was very wild, and I only succeeded in getting within shot of one specimen. In habits it resembles P. cafer. The soft parts are:—lIrides dark brown; bill, legs and toes black. ] 157. NECTARINIA FAMOSA. Cc. Klipfontein, May, June, July (14); Anemous, May (3); Durban Road, Mch., Sept. (2); Plettenberg Bay, Mch. (2); Z- Sibudeni, Sept., Oct. (2); Umfolosi Station, July, Aug. (2) ; Tv. Wakkerstroom, Feb., Mch. (5); Weodbush, Nov., Dec., May, June (5). Mr. Grant, if I rightly understand his argument, believes that there is no true winter plumage to the males of the Malachite Sun-bird. This certainly seems to be borne out by the Namaqualand series ; there are males in full plumage dated May 8, 28, 24, 27, June 4, and July 17, 18, that is all through the winter months. On the other hand, I can find no other adult males in breeding-dress taken in the three winter months either in the present collection or in the British Museum series. All by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 269 the birds taken at this time are in what Mr. Grant calls the semi-adult stage, which I take to be a winter plumage. My recollections of the very large series in the South- African Museum also confirm my belief that there is a double moult, after and before the breeding-season. However, the matter requires further careful investigation by some observer in the field before a final conclusion can be reached, | This series shews that the adult metallic plumage of the male is retained throughout the year, there being only one moult, which takes place after the breeding-season, in the autumn months from March to May. The series of immature males seems to shew that there are two complete plumages before the adult stage is reached. Ist. The first plumage. 2nd. A semi-adult plumage with the tail (the central pair of feathers also developed), wings, and rump as in the adult, but only a few metallic feathers on the mantle and under parts, which are otherwise as in the adult female. This plumage is assumed in the autumnand winter following the nesting-season, that is to say, between the months of March and June, though birds of a late brood may still be found moulting in July and August. The full adult feathering is then attained in the autumn and winter of the second year, a complete moult again taking place, which is completed by the end of August. Therefore some adult males killed in October and November are less worn than others ; these being the immature birds that have assumed the metallic feathermg during the previous autumn and winter—that is to say, March to August. The following examples are in the collection :— 3d, young. 20 March.—This bird is in full moult, and is assuming the metallic wings and tail of the adult, but both dull and metallic feathers are replacing the young plumage on the breast and mantle; the head and throat not yet shewing signs of moult. 3, immature. 17 May.—This bird has almost completed its moult, the wings, rump, and tail being as in the adult; SER, IX.—VOL. V. U 270 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected the new feathering of the head, mantle, and under parts being as in the adult female, interspersed with a few metallic feathers, some of which still shew the shaft-scales. S,immature. 14 March.—This bird is in full moult, and is obviously changing from the second plumage to the full adult, as all the old feathers are very much worn, the long central tail-feathers being worn to a thread; the head, mantle, and under parts have hardly started to change, but what feathers are appearing, are metallic, ¢. 23 June.—This specimen is in full moult and has practically assumed its complete adult feathering, ouly a few worn dull feathers being left on the head and nape, lower flanks, and under tail-coverts. When the series in the Rudd Exploration Collection is laid out along with the fine series of immature males in the Museum Collection, the sequence of plumage appears very complete. This large Sun-bird was commonly noted in Namaqua- land, the Cape Peninsula, the Knysna district, Natal and Zululand, and the South-Eastern, Eastern, and North- Eastern Transvaal, but was not seen anywhere in the Portuguese country. It frequents the more open hill-sides and mountainous districts, seldom occurring in densely wooded localities and never inside the forests. It especially frequents localities where Proteas abound and feeds on the nectar of these and other flowering shrubs when in season, varying its diet with insects. When they are in flower, it can always be found where Aloes of the Alvé arburescens group Exist, 3 The males are rather pugnacious, especially in the breeding- season, and chase each other with swift and twisting flight, the metallic plumage shining in the sun. This species is seen in pairs, but more often singly. The call of both sexes is a loud chirrup, the males often indulging in a loud and not un- melodious song uttered from the top of some twig or shrub. I have not discovered an occupied nest. The soft parts are:—Irides hazel; bill, legs and toes black. ] by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. ra 158. CINNYRIS MARIQUENSIS. Tv. Klein Letaba, Sept. (1). [This Sun-bird was only observed in the low country of the North-Eastern Transvaal, where it was decidediy scarce. The male of a pair was shot on the overhanging bough of an acacia, whence it continually darted out, appa- rently to catch some passing insect, and returned again to the same perch ; between each flight it warbled quietly to itself. On the male being shot the female flew off and was not again seen. The soft parts are:—Irides dark brown ; bill, legs and toes black.] 158 a. CINNYRIS MICRORHYNCHUS. P. Coguno, June, July, Aug. (7, all gs) ; Masambeti, Nov. (1 6). [This species was found only in the Inhambane and Beira districts of the Portuguese country. In the former locality it was plentiful, and came in numbers in company with other Sun-birds to the ‘* caout-chouc ” and other trees that were in full flower around my Coguno camp. It has a quick darting flight, frequently hovering to gather the nectar from the blossoms. In the Beira district only a few were seen fre- quenting the blossoms of the cotton-plants in the plantations. The soft parts are:—Indes dark brown; bill, legs and toes black. | 159. CINNYRIS LEUCOGASTER. Z. Hluhluwe stream, Aug. (1 g, 19); Tv. Klein Letaba, Sept. (4 ¢, 3 2); Turfloop, Mch. (1 ¢); P. Tete, Aug. (1 ¢). [The single male from Tete is slightly smaller than the other specimens. This striking little Sun-bird was noted from 8.E. Zululand, the Eastern and North-Eastern Transvaal, and the Tete district of Portuguese Kast Africa, where, however, only a single specimen was seen. It cannot be said to be plentiful anywhere, although a fair number were observed in the low country of the North-Lastern Transvaal. Apart from colour, UZ ate Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected in actions and flight it much resembles the other small Sun-birds, and is usually found around flowering trees and shrubs, especially the Kigelia and flowering Aloes (A/oé arborescens ). The soft parts are:—Irides dark hazel; bill, legs and toes black. ] 159 a. CINNYRIS VENUSTUS NIASS#. Reichenow, Vog. Afr. iii. p. 474. P. Tambarara, Mch., Apl. (6). This subspecies is distinguished from C. venustus, found in West Africa as far south as Gaboon, by the rich yellow of its under parts and the more orange and less crimson shade of its pectoral tufts. It was noted from Zumbo by Alexander, and Gazaland by A. L. Sclater and Swynnerton. [Only found in the Gorongoza district, where it was not uncommon, and frequented the flowering climbers and shrubs, especially a species of honeysuckle. In flight it resembles the other small Sun-birds, but the call is somewhat sharper. The male often indulges in a sweet warble. The soft parts are:—lIrides dark brown; bill, legs and toes black. | 160. CinnyRIs AFER. CC. Knysna, Jan., Feb. (17); Z. Sibudeni, Oct. (2); Jususie, Dec. (1); Tv. Woodbush, June, Dec. (2); Legogot, Apl., May (8). [‘ Zuiker-hbeccie” or “ Zuiker-vogel’’ of Colonists (as are all Sun-birds). When it is once assumed the males retain their metallic plumage throughout life, the yearly moult taking place in the autumn season—January to March. Young birds moult directly into the adult feathering in the autumn following the nesting-season. In the more northern localities this species appears to breed somewhat late, and two broods are sometimes reared, as birds in the first plumage were taken in May and June. Whether these late birds retain this plumage till the following autumn is not known; but by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 273 it is probable that the adult stage is assumed in the spring following the winter in which they are hatched. The Greater Double-collared Sun-bird was found in the Knysna district, Zululand, the Eastern and North-Eastern Transvaal, and was particularly plentiful in the two former localities. It is found both in the forests and on the open hill-sides, and feeds principally on the nectar of flowering plants and shrubs, especially Proteas and certain Aloes, in common with most of the other Sun-birds, varying its diet with small flies and insects, which also are taken from the flowers. The flight is swift, and it will often hover to extract the nectar from flowers. It is generally seen in pairs, though often solitary ; the call is sharp and short, the males some- times uttering a rather sweet warbling song from a twig or the top of a bush. Except for its size, which is not always striking, it cannot be distinguished from the two following species. The soft parts are:—Irides dark hazel; bill, legs and toes black. ] 162. CINNYRIS CHALYBEUS. CC. Klipfontein, May, June, July (7); Port Nolloth, Aug. (1); slopes of Table Mt., Feb. (1); Durban Road, Mch., Sept. (6). [The sequence of plumage in this species appears to follow closely that of C. afer. The Lesser Double-collared Sun-bird was noted only in Namaqualand and the Cape Peninsula, in both of which localities it 1s very plentiful ; it was less common in the Knysna district. In these localities it feeds principally on the nectar of Proteas where they occur, flowering heather, and climbing plants, and is commonly seen around habitations taking nectar from the cultivated plants growing in the gardens and on the walls and porches; it is so tame and fearless that it has often been known to nest in the latter situations. In appearance and call it resembles C. subalaris. The soft parts are:—Inrides dark hazel; bill, legs and, toes black. | 27k Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected CINNYRIS CHALYBEUS SUBALARIS. Reichenow, Voég. Afr. iii. p. 491 [ Pondoland}. CC. Knysna, Dec., Jan. (7); Plettenberg Bay, Feb. (1); Z. Sibudeni, Oct., Nov., Dec., Jan. (11); Tv. Zuurbron, Apr., May (3); Woodbush, Noy. (8). This form, recently described by Reichenow, cannot be considered anything but a slightly differentiated subspecies. It has a rather longer bill, averaging mm six Zululand males 22°3 against 19°6 mm. in six Klipfontein males of the typical form. The lower breast is slightly washed with yellowish, which is absent in that of the typical form; but I am unable to distinguish the twe subspecies by the under wing-coverts as is done by Reichenow. The examples from Knysna are all juveniles or females and are difficult to determine ; on the whole, I think that they come nearer to C. subalaris. In the British Museum examples from Durban, and from Macamac in the Transvaal, are referable to this subspecies, while those from Deelfontein are undoubtedly C. chalybeus proper. [The sequence of plumage of this species appears to be coincident with that of C. afer. The Intermediate Double- collared Sun-bird was found in the Knysna district, Zululand, the South-Eastern and North-Eastern Transvaal. It was rather scarce in the Knysna district, which is probably its extreme western limit, but was the commoncst of the Sun- birds in Zululand and in the South-Eastern Transvaal. It seems to be more partial to forest than either C. afer or C. chalybeus ; but in general habits, flight, and call it exactly resembles them. The soft parts are:—Indes dark brown ; bill, legs and toes black. ] CINNYRIS NEERGAARDI. (Plate III.) Claude Grant, Bull. B. O. C. xxi. p. 98 (May 1908). (Type, Coguno, Sept. 5.] P. Coguno, July, Aug., Sept. (2 6,1 dyr., 2 ¢). This interesting little Sun-bird comes near C. mediocris and by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa, 275 C. reichenovi from East Africa, from which, however, it is readily distinguishable by the sooty-brown colour of the breast and abdomen. ‘This character also at once distin- guishes it from the other Double-collared Sun-birds of South Africa; it has, moreover, a very short bill, averaging 15 mm. What I take to be a young male, dated Aug. 3, is without the yellow tufts and has the abdomen greyish white. Two females in the series collected 1 can only distinguish from those of C. chalybeus by their short bills. [This pretty little Sun-bird was only found in the type locality, where it could not be considered common; it frequented certain flowering climbers bordering the paths and roads and a large species of flowering tree growing near my camp, in company with the other species of Sun-bird. In flight and call it resembles C. microrhynchus. The soft parts are:—lIrides dark brown; bill, legs and toes black. | 163. CHALCOMITRA GUTTURALIS. 4. Umfolosi Station, July (1); Hluhluwe Stream, Aug. (1); Tv. Klein Letaba, Sept. (6); P. Coguno, June, Aug. (5); Masambeti, Oct. (1); Tambarara, Mch., Apl. (3) ; Tete, Aue (1): [The Scarlet-chested Sun-bird was noted from the coast country of Natal and Zululand, the low veld of the North- Eastern Transvaal, and the Inhambane, Beira, Gorongoza, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa. It seems to be more or less confined to the low ‘‘ bush-veld’’ country, and is commonly found wherever Kigelia exists, from the crimson blossoms of which it extracts nectar, poised on rapidly beating wings. In the Imhambane district it feeds on this and the ‘ caout-chouc” tree. Like most of the other Sun-birds, it varies its diet with insects. The flight is swift and darting, the call being loud and sharp, and the adult males sometimes indulging in a few warbling notes of a song. The soft parts are:—Irides dark brown; bill, legs and toes black. | 276 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected 166. CHALCOMITRA KIRKI. P. Coguno, Sept. (2); Masambeti, Nov. (1); Tambarara, Apia Gh), [This species was observed in the Inhambane, Beira, and Gorongoza districts of the Portuguese country, where it replaces the former species. In habits, call and flight it resembles C. amethystina. The soft parts are:—lIrides dark brown ; bill, legs and toes black. | 164. CHALCOMITRA AMETHYSTINA. CC. Knysna, Jan., Apl. (2); Plettenberg Bay, Mar. (1); 4. Sibudeni, Oct., Dec., Jan. (8); Jususie, Dec. (1); Um- folosi Station, July (2); Ngoye forest and hills, Sept., Oct. (2); Tv. Woodbush, Jan., Feb., June (6); Turfloop, Mch. (1); Legogot, May (2). [‘* Neu-neu” of Zulus. The sequence of plumages of the male of this species seems to follow that of C. gutturalis. The Black Sun-bird was noted from the Knysna district, where it was not plentiful, Natal and Zululand, and the Eastern and North-Easteru Transvaal. Asa rule it frequents higher and more open country than C. gutturalis, feeding principally on the nectar of flowering Proteas and Aloes. In call and flight it resembles C. gutturalis, the females being indistinguishable from the females of that species unless observed at very close range or accompanied by males. The soft parts are :—Irides dark brown; bill, legs and toes black. ] . 167. CHALcoMITRA FUSCA. CC. Klipfontein, June, July (3) ; Anemous, June (1). [Since the Central Cape Colony trip this Sun-bird has only been found in Namaqualand, where it was not un- common, frequenting the bushes on the hill-sides and in the kloofs, and feeding on the nectar of flowering heaths and Aloes (Aloé arborescens and A. dichotuma) ; it was not noticed on the sand veld within ten miles of the coast. The soft parts are :—Irides dark brown ; bill, legs and toes black. | by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 277 168. CHALCOMITRA VERREAUXI. N. Illovo, Nov. (2). [ Verreaux’s Sun-bird was noted from Natal only. The pair obtained were shot at the edge of a patch of coast bush. The soft parts are :—lIrides dark brown; bill, legs and toes black. | CHALCOMITRA VERREAUXI FISCHER. Reichenow, Vog. Afr. i. p. 458. [Type from Mozam- bique. | P. Coguno, Sept. (2). This subspecies can be distinguished by its slightly paler colour below, and by its shorter bill, averaging 20°21 against 2425 mm. in the typical form. It is a barely separable subspecies. 169. CHALCOMITRA OLIVACEA. WN. Illovo, Nov. (7); 4. Sibudeni, Jan., Oct. (5) ; Hluhluwe stream, Aug. (1). Some of the specimens from Illovo possess an admixture of orange-red in the pectoral tufts, the differentiating character of C. olivacea daviesi, recently described by Haagner from Pondoland. I think it is doubtful if that subspecies can be maintained. [Both sexes are found with cinnamon-coloured tips to some of the throat and upper breast-feathers. This may be due to great age, but cannot at present be proved. The Olive Sun-bird was only found in Natal and Zululand, where it was plentiful, frequenting the edges of the coast bush, and in the latter locality occurring both on the open hill-sides among the Proteas and aloes and in the forests. It has an ordinary Sun-bird call and is usually found in pairs. The soft parts are :—Inrides dark brown; bill, legs and toes black. | 70. ANTHOBAPHES VIOLACEA. CC. Table Mt. slopes, Jan., Feb. (2); Plettenberg Bay, Feb., Mch. (18). [ “ Zuiker-bekkie ” or “ Zuiker-vogel ” of Colonists. Found only in the Cape Peninsula and the Knysna, 278 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected where it occurs among the heather-clad slopes of the mountains and hill-sides. It was especially plentiful in the latter locality aud was in pairs. It feeds principally on the nectar of flowering heaths and Proteas. The eall is a sharp “ zwi,” the maie sometimes indulging in a warbling song; the flight is swift and erratic. I did not discover any oecupied nest. The soft parts are:—Irides hazel; bill, legs and toes black. | 171. ANTHOTHREPTES COLLARIS. N. Illovo, Nov. (3); Z. Sibudeni, Jan., Oct. (2); Ngoye Hills, Sept., Oct. (3). (This Collared Sun-bird was found only in Natal and Zululand, where it was very plentiful, generally being observed in pairs ; it frequents low bushes and trees both on the outskirts of and in the woods and forests, and feeds on insects and nectar; I think more largely on the former than do other Sun-birds. It has rather a weak call, and no song that I have heard; it is very tame and confiding, often approaching so close that shooting is impossible. The soft parts are:—Irides brown; bill, legs and toes black. } 172. ANTHOTHREPTES COLLARIS HYPODILUS. P. Coguno, Sept. (2) ; Masambeti, Nov. (1); Beira, Dec., Jan. (2); Tambarara, Mch., Apl. (2). (This form was found in the Inhambane, Beira, and Gorongoza districts of Portuguese Hast Africa, where it was by no means common, and frequented the lower bushes and trees in the woods and forests. In appearance, call, and general habits it resembles A. collaris. The soft parts are :—Irides brown; bill, legs and toes black. | ANTHOTHREPTES REICHENOWI. Gunning, Ann. Transvaal Mus. i. p. 173. P. Beira, Jan. (1). This is a young bird without metallic colour or tufts. It is dark olive above and paler below, becoming pale yellow on by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. Para) the breast and abdomen. The wing measures 54 mm. It closely resembles Anthothreptes seimundi, a species recently described by Ogilvie-Grant from West Africa, which extends to the Semliki Valley in Central Africa. I am inclined to identify it with Anthothreptes reichenowi Gunning, also from Beira, but I have not seen the types, which are in the Pretoria Museum. [The single specimen obtained was solitary, and was shot among the tops of some small bushes in one of the many stretches of woodland which are a common feature of the Beira district. It was silent, and was apparently searching for insects among the branches. The soft parts are :—Irides brown; bill, legs and toes horn-brown. | 173. ZOSTEROPS ANDERSSON], P. Coguno, Aug., Sept. (5) ; Tambarara, Mch, (2). (This dainty little ‘‘ White-eye”? was only found in the Inhambane and Gorongoza districts of the Portuguese country. It was rather scarce in the latter locality, but was by no means uncommon in the former. It was usually observed in pairs or small parties of from four to six, never more; it frequented the tops of the larger trees, espe- cially the “ caout-chouc.”’ Besides insects, which form its principal food, it pecks and eats a certain amount of wild fruit and enjoys the nectar of certain flowering trees. It is avery active bird and is continually uttering a low call-note. The soft parts are :—lIrides very pale brown; bill black, base of lower mandible whitish ; legs and toes pale slate- coloured. | 174. ZosTeROPS VIRENS. 4. Sibudeni, Oct., Nov., Dec., Jan. (10); Ngoye Hills, Oct. (1); Tv. Wakkerstroom, Mch. (1); Zuurbron, May (11) ; Woodbush Hills, Nov. (11) ; Legogot, May (1). [This was quite the commonest of the White-eyes and was noted in large flocks of twenty or more individuals in all the forest areas of Natal and Zululand, the South-Eastern, Eastern, and North-Eastern Transvaal. It was breeding 280 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected in the North-Eastern Transvaal, and I saw several nests, all of which, however, contained newly hatched young. They were deeply cup-shaped and neatly composed of webs and moss, and were suspended by each end from an overhanging branch or creeper ; they harmonized remarkably with their surroundings. In general habits this species resembles the other “* White-eyes.” The soft parts are : Irides pale brown ; bill black, pale slate-coloured at base of lower mandible ; legs and toes pale slate-coloured. | 175. ZosTEROPS PALLIDA. CC. Klipfontein, June, July (2). I see no reason to reject Swainson’s name, which dates from 1838, for this species. His description applies very well and is founded on an example from Dr. Burchel!’s collection, doubtless from the interior parts of Cape Colony. [“‘ Glas-oogie ” and “ Wit-oogie ” of Colonists. The Pale White-eye was only found in Namaqualand, where it was observed on two or three occasions ; it was always in small parties, and frequented the bushes and stunted trees in the kloofs and at the bases of the kopjes and mountains, generally near water. Its habits and call- note resemble those of Z. capensis. The soft parts are :—Irides pale brown ; bill pale slate- coloured ; legs and toes pale bluish-slate-coloured. | 176. ZostTEROPS CAPENSIS. CC. Table Mt. slopes, Jan. (5); Durban Rd., Sept. (1) ; Knysna, Dec., Jan., Feb. (5). Reichenow uses Swainson’s name * ‘‘ annulosa ” for this species ; I have carefully compared Swainson’s description with examples of the Cape and Madagascar White-eyes, and cannot doubt that it refers to the latter species. I prefer therefore to use Sundevall’s later name, founded on Levaillant’s plate and description, in regard to which there ‘an be no doubt at all. * Sylvia annulosa Swainson, Zool. Ml. iii. pl. 164 (1828). by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 281 [ ‘‘ Glas-oogie ” of Cape Colonists. The Cape ‘‘ White-eye ” was found only in the Cape Peninsula and the Knysna, where it was very common, and frequented all wooded and forested localities, often in flocks of twenty to thirty individuals. It is an active and lively little bird, being continually on the move, searching every bush and tree diligently for insects, and uttering all the time a low pretty call-note in order to keep in touch with its companions in the thick vegetation. The soft parts are :-—Irides pale amber-coloured ;_ bill, legs and toes pale bluish-slate-coloured. | 177. Parus aren. CC. Klipfontein, Apl., May, July (7) ; Port Nolloth, Aug. (1). I. think Mr. Grant must have been mistaken in his observation of this species in Zululand. [Since the Central Cape Colony trip the Grey Tit has only been taken in Namaqualand, where it was common ; a single pair were seen at Sibudeni in Zululand. It is usually observed in pairs and frequents gardens and orchards and bushy kloofs. A very active species, it is continually on the move. Its call and alarm-note are similar to those of the European Great Tit (Parus major). The soft parts are:—Irides hazel; bill black ; legs and toes dark slate-coloured. | 177 a. Parus CINERASCENS. Tv. Woodbush, Jan. (2). (The pair obtained in the North-Eastern Transvaal are the only examples that were seen of this species. They were shot in a well-timbered piece of country near the village. In habits, call, and soft parts it resembles P. afer. | 179. Parus NIGER. Tv. Woodbush, May, June (3), Klein Letaba, July, Aug., Sept. (6); P. Coguno, Aug. (2); Masambeti, Oct. (1) ; Beira, Feb. (2); Tete, Sept. (2). [1 have examined the type of P. zanthostomus of Shelley and find that it is a very young example of P. niger. This 282 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected is borne out by two specimens from Beira, both of which are in the plumage of P. vanthostomus and are assuming the darker dress of P. niger. There is also a specimen from Durban, Natal, in the British Museum which shews this even more clearly. The Black Tit was not noted in Natal or Zululand, but was found in the Eastern and North- Jastern Transvaal, and the Inhambane, Beira, Gorongoza, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa. In the In- hambane and Beira districts it was by no means plentiful, but in the North-Eastern Transvaal it was especially so. It was observed in pairs and family-parties, and frequented the larger trees and the edges of the woods; it was active and continually on the move, searching every crevice of the bark and every branch for insects, while uttering at intervals its trilling eall-notes, which reminded me, with its alarm-notes, of the European Great Tit (Parus major). In actions and habits it is Aime Tit. s dark brown ; bill black; legs The soft parts are and toes dark a cae In the young the inside of the gape of the mouth is yellow, which disappears and darkens with age. | 182. ANGITHALUS CAROLI. Z. Umfolosi Station, Aug. (1) ; Tv. Woodbush, May (1) ; P. Coguno, July (1). This Penduline Tit was only noted from Southern Zulu- land, the North-Eastern Transvaal, and the Inhambane district of the Portuguese country. In each of these localities it was only observed on one occasion and each time in small parties, which were diligently searching the bushes for insects and uttering a low call-note. It is an active little bird and in many ways reminded me of the Zosterops. The soft parts are :—Irides hazel; bill, legs and toes slate- coloured. | 183. Uro.Lrsres MELANOLEUCUS Z. Umfolosi Station, July (t) ; Ty. Klein Letaba, July, Aug., Sept. (8). by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 283 [‘“Iyuma” of Zulus. ‘ Chilauli” of Tchangaans. This bird was only seen in the south-eastern side of Zululand and the “bush veld” of the North-Eastern Transvaal. It was not common in the former, but was very plentiful in the latter locality, although somewhat wary. I have observed it only singly or in pairs, and it frequents the tops of trees or thorn-bushes, whence it catches its prey, which consists of insects, such as grasshoppers, usually on the ground. It has a strong, somewhat dipping flight ; and the call, which is constantly repeated, is loud and rather harsh and is best interpreted by the Tchangaan native name. The soft parts are :—Irides hazel; bill, legs and toes black. ] 184, LANiIvUs COLLARIS. Cc. Klipfontein, May, June, July (7) ; Port Nolloth, Aug. (1) ; Table Mt. slopes, Jan., Feb. (2); Durban Rd., Mch., Sept. (4) ; Plettenberg Bay, Feb., Mch. (6). One nest and three eggs taken at Durban Road, Sept. 24th. LANIUS COLLARIS HUMERALIS. Lanius humerelis Reichnw. Vog. Afr. 11. p. 609. Z. Jususie Valley, Dec. (2) ; Umfolosi Station, Sept. (1) ; Tv. Wakkerstroom, Feb., Mch. (8); Woodbush, June (1) ; Legogot, Apl. (1). This series very clearly shews the change from the grey- breasted typical form, which always retains slight traces of mottled marking underneath, to the pure white-breasted ““humeralis” type. [« Canaribyter,” “ Fiscaal,” or “ Goatsman ” of Colonists. « Eqola” of Zulus. The Fiscal Shrike was noted from Namaqualand, the Cape Peninsula, the Knysna district, Zululand, the South- Eastern, Eastern, and North-Eastern Transvaal. In the latter locality it was rare, only some two or three specimens being observed. It is usually seen sitting on the tops of bushes, posts, or other conspicuous positions ; and wherever a pair have taken up their quarters a regular larder is 28-4 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected ~ found, insects of all kinds, from a fly to large grasshoppers, and often young birds, and on one occasion a frog, having been seen impaled on any convenient thorn-tree or some- times on barb-wire fences. The call is harsh and loud, and the flight graceful, low, and undulating. It apparently breeds early, as eggs and fledged young birds were taken in September. I took the nest containing three eggs on the 24th of September, 1908, near Cape Town; it was composed of twigs of a common herbaceous plant interspersed with rag and string, and lined with fine grass and fibre ; it was placed in the fork of an apple-tree some twelve feet from the ground in an orchard. The soft parts are: black. ] 187. Lanrus COLLURIO. Tv. Woodbush, Dec. (1) ; Turfloop, Mch. (3) ; P. Beira, Dec., Jan. (4). [I have not seen the Red-backed Shrike elsewhere than in the two localities where specimens were secured. In the Beira district it was very plentiful. It is usually observed sitting on stumps or posts of fences; it is very Irides hazel; bill, legs and toes silent and by no means wild. | 189. NILAUS BRUBRU. Tv. Klein Letaba, Aug. (3). [This species was only observed in the “ bush-veld”’ of the North-Eastern Transvaal, where it was not common, being only occasionally seen searching for insects among the branches and foliage of the Mopani trees. The soft parts are :—Irides rich brown ;_ bill, upper man- dible blackish slate-coloured, lower paler slate-coloured ; legs and toes slate-coloured. | 191. TELEPHONUS SENEGALUS. 4. Umfolosi Station, Aug. (2); Ngoye Hills, Oct. (1) ; Tv. Klein Letaba, Aug., Sept. (4); Woodbush, Jan., June (3); Turfloop, Mch. (1); Legogot, May (1); P. Coguno, June, Aug. (3); Beira, Dec., Feb. (2) ; Masam- beti, Oct. (1). by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 285 These birds are indistinguishable from West and East African examples. A young example has brown edgings to the black feathers at the top of the head. [ “ Nqupane ” of Zulus. The Black-headed Bush-Shrike was noted from Zululand, the Eastern and North-Eastern Transvaal, and the Imham- bane, Beira, Gorongoza, and Tete districts of Portuguese Hast Africa. It was by no means plentiful in Zululand, but became more so to the northwards. It inhabits well- timbered country and frequents the thickets and patches of thorn and “ Num-num”,; it spends much of its time on the ground searching for insects, which are its principal food. The call is harsh and loud and a few hurried notes of a song are sometimes heard. The flight is quick and darting, usually only from bush to bush, the bird always disappearing straight into the middle of the cover. The soft parts are :—Irides raw sienna; bill blue-black ; legs and toes lightish slate-coloured. In the female and young birds the base of the lower mandible is pale horny. | 192. TELEPHONUS TSCHAGRA. CC. Plettenberg Bay, Mch. (1). [Only one specimen of this Bush-Shrike was observed, and this was shot on the ground at the edge of a thick patch of prickly bush on Seal Point at the eastern end of Plettenberg Bay. It was silent and very tame. The soft parts are :—Irides hazel; bill dark horn-coloured, somewhat lighter on lower mandible; legs and toes slate- coloured. | 193. TELEPHONUS AUSTRALIS. Tv. Klein Letaba, Sept. (1); Turfloop, Mch. (1). [This bird was found only in the North-Eastern Transvaal, where it was decidedly uncommon. It resembles 7’. senegalus in habits and in the localities it frequents, but is, I think, much more silent. The soft parts are :— ?. Irides brown ; bill black or horn-brown ; legs and toes slate-coloured. | SER. IX.—VOL. V. * 286 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected 194, TELEPHONUS AUSTRALIS CONGENER. Telephonus minor Stark & Sclater, Bds. 8S. Afr. 11. p. 23. P.. Cosuno, Sept. (1). This is certainly the most southern record for this sub- species, hitherto only known to range to Tete, where it was obtained by Sir John Kirk. [The one specimen taken of this bird was shot in a dense thicket, and was solitary and silent. It appears to exactly resemble 7. australis in general habits &e. The soft parts are :—Irides brown; bill black; legs and toes dark slate-coloured. | 195. Dryoscopus CUBLA. Cc. Knysna, Dec., Jan. (2); N. Illovo, Nov. (9) ; Z. Sibudeni, Oct., Nov., Dec., Jan. (7) ; Tv. Klein Letaba, July, Sept., Oct. (6) ; Woodbush, Jan. (1); Legogot, May (2); P. Coguno, July, Aug. (8); Masambeti, Oct., Noy. (3); Beira, Dec. (1); Tambarara, Mch. (2); Tete, Sept. (1). [‘Equmusha” of Zulus. ‘‘ Capok-vogel” of Colonists. This is one of the commonest'of the Shrikes in all forested, wooded, or well-timbered country, and was noted from the Knysna, eastwards and northwards through Natal and Zulu- land, the Transvaal, and the Portuguese country to the Zambesi. It is by no means wild, and can always be seen pottering about the shrubs and bushes in pairs. In the breeding-season the male looks remarkably pretty when shewing off, the puff-back being extended like a powder-puff and the wings dropped; it will often also fly across from bush to bush, chasing the female, the wings being half dropped and rapidly quivering, and the feathers of the rump being extended to their fullest extent. All the while it utters its cheery notes, which cannot be easily rendered in English, but a quick pronunciation of the Zulu name gives an excellent idea of it. It feeds principally upon insects, and the nests, of which I have seen several, though I have not succeeded in securing the eggs, are always placed in the fork of some shrub or small tree. by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 287 The soft parts are :— 3d. Indes orange-yellow; bill black; legs and toes slate- coloured. ?. Irides pale yellow; bill, upper mandibie blackish, lower whitish horn-coloured ; legs and toes paler slate- coloured. | 196. Dryoscopus RUFIVENTER. CC. Table Mt. slopes, Jan., Feb. (2); Durban Rd., Mch., Sept. (4); Knysna, Jan., Apl. (2); Plettenberg Bay, Feb. (1); Z. Ngoye Forest, Sept. (2); Tv. Woodbush, Jan., June, Nov. (4); Legogot, May (1); P. Coguno, Aug., Sept. (2). The examples from Coguno are both females and should perhaps be referred to the tropical form D. rufiventer hybridus recognised by Reichenow, if it can really be separated ; but the Coguno females exactly match females from Durban Rd. [“« Zwart-Canaribyter”’ of Colonists. This Shrike was commonly noted from the Cape Peninsula, the Knysna, Zululand, the Eastern and North-Eastern Transvaal, and the Inhambane district of Portuguese Hast Africa. It frequents forests and well-timbered country, and, except when young are about, is found in pairs. It feeds principally on coleopterous insects, and never, I believe, attacks small birds. The whistle-call ‘“‘hoo-hoo” of the male, followed im- mediately by the answering call of “‘ku-ee” of the female, at once betrays its presence. It is skulking in habits, and the flight, when indulged in, is of short duration. The soft parts are :—Inrides hazel; bill black; legs and toes slate-coloured. In the young, the bill is brownish black. ] 2 198. LANIARIUS MAJOR MOSSAMBICUS. P. Beira, Nov., Dec., Jan. (4); Tete, Aug. (3). The characters of the various subspecies of Laniarius major are by no means constant, but on the whole the Beira and Tete Shrikes seem referable to this form. [This species was found only in the Beira, Gorongoza, x2 288 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected and Tete districts of the Portuguese country. In habits and call it exactly resembles L. rufiventer. The soft parts are also the same. | 200. PELICINIUS GUTTURALIS. CC. Klipfontein, Apl., May, June (6); Port Nolloth, Aug. (2); Table Mt. slopes, Feb. (2); Durban R1., Mch, (2); Plettenberg Bay, Feb., Mch. (5); Tv. Wak- kerstroom, Mch. (2). A very young bird hardly out of the nest, marked Port Nolloth, Aug. 11th, is olive-green above and below, slaty grey, almost white, on the throat and centre of the breast. Young birds moult into adult plumage in February at Plettenberg Bay. I think that we may conclude from a study of the above series that the nestling gradually acquires the green colour of the under parts and moults in autumn (February or March) into the adult livery. (“ Bacbakiri”’ of Colonists. The Bacbakiri Shrike was voted from Namaqualand, the Cape Peninsula, the Knysna district, and the South-Eastern Transvaal. It was common in the two former localities, but rare in the latter. It usually frequents the vicinity of farms, where it is found in the orchards and on the lands, and is fond of perching on walls or posts; it feeds prin- cipally upon beetles and other insects. Its general habits and call, so well described by Stark and Sclater, are too well known to need repetition. The soft parts are:—lIrides hazel; bill black; legs and toes dark slate-coloured. In the young the irides are greyish ; the billis horn-brown, the gape yellow; and the legs and toes are pale brown. | 20]. CHLOROPHONEUS QUADRICOLOR. P. Coguno, June, Sept. (3). {I have only heard and taken this pretty Shrike in the Inhambane district, where it was not uncommon. It frequents the thickets, where its cheery call of three syllables readily betrays its presence. It is usually in pairs, by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 289 and I am not sure that the first two notes are not the call of the male and the third that of the female. The alarm- note is a low ‘‘ coop,” and the bird often comes so close as it creeps about the bushes that shooting is impossible. The soft parts are:—Irides hazel; bill black; legs and toes dull slate-coloured. | 202. CHLOROPHONEUS RUBIGINOSUS. Z. Sibudeni, Nov. (1); Ngoye, Sept. (1); Tv. Wood- bush, Nov., Dec. (6) ; Legogot, Apl. (1). The example from Legogot, a female shot on April 23, is exactly similar to C. maraisi, described by me some years ago from Knysna. I have no doubt now that it is nothing but C. rubiginosus in the young plumage, an opinion to which [ was inclined from the first, though I ailowed for Mr. Marais’ repeated assurances that he had shot both males and females in this plumage with the sexual organs fully developed. Mr. Grant’s notes shew that he is of the same opinion as myself, [The C. maraisi of W. Sclater is, I think, nothing but the first complete plumage of C. rubiginosus, but young birds from the nest with authenticated parent birds are required to finally decide the question. The bird was only noticed in Zululand and the North-Eastern Transvaal. It is a forest-haunting species and unless carefully looked for can be easily overlooked. I could not satisfactorily determine the call of this bird, as I never actually saw one in the act of calling. The soft parts are :—Irides russet-brown ; bill black ; legs and toes pale slate-coloured. Of the young bird (1. e. C. marais:) :—Inides dark brown ; bill dark horn-coloured, pale yellowish at gape; legs and toes pale slate-coloured. | 205. CHLOROPHONEUS SULPHUREOPECTUS SIMILIS. Reichenow, Vog. Afr. 11. p. 563. Z. Umfolosi Station, July (1); Tv. Klein Letaba, Sept. (2). This subspecies can be easily distinguished from the 290 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected West-African type-form, C. su/phureopectus, but I confess that I cannot distinguish it from the Orange-breasted Bush- Shrike of East Africa called C. s. chrysogaster by Reichenow. [I have only found this species in the patches of dense thorn-bush scattered along the Umfolosi River in S8.E. Zululand, and in the thickets bordering many parts of the banks of the Klein Letaba in the N.E. Transvaal. It is a skulking and rather wary bird and is seldom seen, but its whistling call can often be heard. The soft parts are :—Irides dark hazel ; bill black ; legs and toes dark slate-coloured. In the ¢ the base of the lower mandible is palest. ] 206. MaLaconorus OLIVACEUS STARKI. P. Coguno, July, Aug. (3) ; Tete, Sept. (1). [1 have noted this Shrike from the Eastern and North- Eastern Transvaal and the Inhambane, Beira, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa. It usually frequents dense bush and thickets and is more often heard than seen, its peculiar note being unmistakable. This cali is a soft sort of cluck followed by a long loud whistle, the bird as it emits the sound throwing back the head and opening the beak. It is probably always in patrs although only single individuals are usually observed. The soft parts are:—Bill black; legs and toes slate- coloured. A male from Tete has the bill pale brown with darker markings, and is probably immature. | 207. NicaTor, GULARIS. P. Coguno, June (1); Tete, Sept. (1). [The two birds secured are the only specimens I have seen of this species, and both were shot in the thickets. It appears to be a solitary and silent bird, and keeps to the lower branches of the trees and bushes in the densest scrub and thickets. It is not, L think, uncommon, but owing to its skulking and silent habits is easily overlooked. The soft parts are:—lIrides hazel; bill greyish brown ; legs and toes slate-coloured. In the female the bill is much paler. | by Mr, Claude Grant in South Africa. 291 210. Stamopus TRICOLOR. ; P. Masambeti, Oct. (2); Beira, Dec. (6); Tambarara, May (8); Tete, Aug., Sept. (3). [I have observed this species only in the Inhambane, Beira, Gorongoza, and Tete districts of the Portuguese country; it cannot, however, be considered plentifal, although it is often seen; it is at all times wary and difficult to secure. It frequents both open and ordinary forest country, keeping more to the tops of the larger trees than does Prionops talacoma, and I have not seen it hunting about in the native clearings. It is never found in such large flocks as that species, being usually seen in parties of six or eight. The call is somewhat different from that of P. talacoma, but when handled it snaps its beak as does that bird, and also when one is only wounded the others will return to see what has happened to their companions ; on one occasion near Beira I secured a whole party of six by carefully keeping concealed. I have not seen this bird nesting or even in pairs, but always in flocks, even when with young. The soft parts are :— Ad. Inides yellow; wattles round eyes dark tomato-red ; bill tomato-red, tip yellow; legs aud toes pale tomato-red, nails horny. Imm. in changing plumage. Colours as in the adult, but the wattles round eye and bill paler. Imm. Colours as in the adult, but wattles paler, and bill paler and more dusky. Juv. Ivides dark brown, eyelid slightly yellow; bill blackish brown, shghtly yellow at gape; legs and toes pale yellow. | SIGMODUS SCOPIFRONS. C. Grant, Bull. B.O.C. xxi. p.66; Reichenow, Vog. Afr. Me Pp. 007. P. Masambeti, Nov. (1). This species, as noted by Grant, is new to the South African fauna. It has been since met with also by Sheppard (Journ, 292 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected S.A. O. Union, v. p. 30) in the neighbourhood of Beira, but it appears to be a rare species there. It was first described by Peters from Mozambique, and this is its most southern limit hitherto; it goes north to Lamu in British East Africa. [I have only once seen this species, when a flock of six individuals were observed in the tops of some trees in a strip of forest near the Masambeti Stream. In cry and habits it resembles S. tricolor, and it was only when I picked up the specimen shot that I discovered it was different. I did not again see the birds, although the locality was passed through on most days. The soft parts are :— Irides bright yellow, with a narrow outer ring of blood- orange; wattles round eye dark glossy slate-coloured, bare skin behind whitish ; bill dark tomato-red, shghtly yellow at tip; legs and toes orange, nails horny. ‘The blood-orange ring on the outer edge of the iris is not noticeable till the lid is turned back. | 211. PRrionops TALACOMA. Z. Ntambana Hills, Aug. (1); Tv. Woodbush, May, June (12); Klein Letaba, Aug. (3); Legogot, Apl. (2) ; P. Coguno, June, Aug., Sept. (6); Beira, Feb. (4); Tete, Aug., Sept. (5). [Ipelufu ” of Zulus. The Helmet-Shrike was first seen in Zululand, where a small party of eight individuals was observed in a grove of “fever” trees at the southern end of the Ntambana Hills; it was not met with south or west of that locality. I have since noted it from the Eastern and North-Eastern Transvaal and the Inhambane, Beira, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa. This species is undoubtedly migratory to a certain extent ; and I at first thought that it was only a winter visitor to South Africa, as all the examples that I have taken or seen have been met with between April and September; but I find that there are five specimens in the British Museum by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 293 from Damaraland, Matabeleland, Mashonaiand, and the Transvaal, taken between November and January, which dispose of this theory. Therefore only local migrations take place, probably dependent on food or rain. It was seen in the Woodbush, North-Eastern Transvaal, in May and June; but on my return from the Klein Letaba in October none were seen, although I was in the Woodbush from that month until February. And, again, although the summer months between October and March were spent in the Beira district, this species did not appear till the 10th of February, and the natives informed me it was usually absent during the Christmas months. This Shrike is usually seen in parties of from six to twenty individuals in open forest country or native clearings, searching for insects of various kinds, which it catches both on the ground and among the foliage and branches; unless alarmed it does not usually frequent the tops of the trees. It is somewhat fearless and easily secured, and if by chance the wing of one is only broken and it is left or caught and made to call, the whole flock will return again and again, and many specimens can be shot. Its usual call is of several notes, somewhat liquid in tone, but not easily described, uttered continually both when sitting and flymg. When handled it makes a sharp snapping with the beak. The soft parts are :— 2, Zululand. Ivrides pale Naples yellow; eyelid lemon- coloured ; bill black; legs and toes yellowish brown. 9, N.E. Transvaal. Irides pale lemon-coloured; eyelid lemon-chrome ; bill black; legs and toes dull tomato-red. | 212. CRATEROPUS JARDINII. Tv. Klein Letaba, July, Aug., Sept (6); Woodbush, May (1); Legogot, Apl., May (3). 213. CRATEROPUS JARDINII KIRKI. P. Coguno, June (2); Masambeti, Nov. (1); Tambarara, June (1); Tete, Aug. (2). Kirk’s Babbler replaces Jardine’s in the low veld and along the Zambesi. It is smaller, the wing of three males averaging 294 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected 98 against 110 mm. in five males from the Transvaal, and the flanks are more distinctly washed with a pale rusty brown. [This Babbling Thrush was not observed till the Transvaal was reached, but it was commonly seen in the Hastern and North-Eastern districts, aud in the Inhambane, Beira, Gorongoza, and Tete districts of Portuguese Kast Africa. This species is gregarious in habits, usually being found in flocks of a dozen or more individuals, and betraying its presence by its continual and loud cackling, which when the whole flock is calling can be heard at a considerable distance. It frequents well-timbered country, where it is partial to the thickets and undergrowth, and feeds principally upon insects. The flight is low and straight, and only from one sheltered position to another, I have not seen it otherwise than in flocks, and have not observed it breeding. The soft parts are :— Trides of two colours, inner ring orange-yellow, outer blood-orange ; bill, legs and toes black. In the young the irides are greyish yellow ; bill, legs and toes blackish horn-coloured. | 217. PycNoNoTUS CAPENSIS. CC. Klipfoutein, Apl., May (3) ; Tokai, near Cape Town, Feb. (2); Durban Rd., Mch., Sept. (6); Plettenberg Bay, Mch. (1). The single bird collected at Plettenberg Bay on March 9 is just finishing its moult, and has the tail-feathers strongly graduated ; the outer pair are the shortest and do not reach beyond the toes, the others are all very regularly graduated to the central four, which are equal and of normal length. [“ Geelgat ”’ of Cape Colonists. In Namaqualand, the Cape Peninsula, and the Knysna district of Cape Colony only, have I observed this species. It is very common in all three localities, and generally frequents cultivated lands and the vicinity of homesteads and villages ; 1t does considerable damage to all kinds of fruit when in season ; at other times it feeds on wild berries and probably to a certain extent on insects. Although I have by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 295 often found the nests, I have not succeeded in obtaining the eggs. The call is a sharp “ pine pine” continuously uttered. The soft parts are :—Irides dark hazel ; eyelid dark plum, powdered with white; bill and legs and toes black. | 219. PycNonorus LAYARDI. 4. Sibudeni, Nov. (1); Jususie Valley, Nov., Dec. (5) ; Umfolosi Station, Aug. (1) ; Hluhluwe Stream, Aug. (1) ; Ngoye Hills, Oct. (2); Tv. Zuurbron, Apl., May (3) ; Woodbush, Dec. (1) ; Klein Letaba, Juiy, Aug., Sept. (4) ; Legogot, May (1); P. Coguno, July, Aug. (2); Masam- beti, Nov. (1); Beira, Nov., Dec., Jan. (3); Tambarara, Mch., July (2) ; Tete, Aug. (1). [ ‘* Poativa ” or “ Isaponya”’ of Zulus. Commonly observed in Natal, Zululand, the South-Eastern, Eastern, and North-Eastern Transvaal, round Pretoria, and in the Inhambane, Beira, Gorongoza, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa. This is a@ very common bird everywhere, and does great damage to fruit. Ido not believe that these Bulbuls are gregarious in the true sense of the word, though congregating at common feeding-grounds. The call is not unlike that of the Cape Bulbul. When alarmed or excited through the intrusion of banoks or snakes, this species is very noisy and will approach the object very close, keeping continually on the move and constantly raismg and lowering the crest and jerking the tail up and down. It usually places its nest in the fork of a tree, but I have seen it sandwiched between the leaves of bananas. The soft parts are:—Irides dark brown, no wattle ; bill, legs and toes black. | 220. PycNONOTUS NIGRICANS. CC. Klipfontein, Apl. (2). [Since the Central Cape Colony trip, this Bulbul has only been found in Namaqualand, where it is not nearly so common as P. capensis. It closely resembles that species in habits and call. The soft parts are:—lIrides red-brown, eyelid orange ; bill and legs black. ] 296 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected 221. ANDROPADUS IMPORTUNUS. CC. Slopes of Table Mt., Jan. (1); Tokai, Feb. (1); Knysna, Dec., Jan. (5); Z. Ngoye Hills, Sept., Oct. (4) ; Sibudeni, Oct., Nov. (4) ; Tv. Woodbush, Nov. (3). The examples from Cape Colony are of a perceptibly darker shade above and more ashy below; those from Zululand and the Transvaal are of a slightly brighter olive- green above and more yellow below, especially on the middle of the abdomen. I am not inclined, however, to give a new name to the Eastern bird. [‘* Bosch-fink ” of Cape Colonists. ‘ Umboni” of Zulus. This is the commonest of the Bulbuls, and has been noted from every wooded locality visited from the Cape Peninsula, through Eastern and East Central South Africa, to the Zambesi. It is essentially a bird cf the woods and forests, and in many localities shy and difficult of approach, although it ‘ran always be seen and heard. Its favourite habit is to sit either on the topmost twig or just within the topmost branches of some tallish tree, and from these to give forth its well-known “song,” which is composed of several repeated whistles, the last being very low and drawn out, and not heard unless at close quarters. It has a call somewhat like that of a Sparrow, but sharper. The soft parts are:—Irides pale yellow or pale greyish yellow; bill, legs and toes blackish brown. | 223. CHLOROCICHLA FLAVIVENTRIS. WN. Illovo, Nov. (1); &. Ngoye Hills, Oct. (1). This species, the type locality of which is Durban, appears to be confined to Natal and Zululand. [Natal and Zululand are the only places where I have seen this Bulbul ; it frequents the woods and forest and usually the thickest and densest parts. It is shy and retiring in habits, and, although its loud harsh alarm-note can often be heard, frequently at a distance of a few yards, it is seldom seen. It is, I believe, generally found in pairs, but, owing to the density of the localities it frequents, little could be learnt regarding its habits. by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 297 The soft parts are :—TIrides reddish brown ; bill brownish ; legs and toes slate-coloured. | 224. CHLOROCICHLA OCCIDENTALIS. P. Coguno, June (1); Beira, Jan. (1); Tambaruara, July (2). I can see no distinction between the type of this species, described by Sharpe from Ovaquenyama in Northern Damaraland, birds from the Upper and Lower Zambesi Valley, Nyasaland, and the examples here catalogued. In this I am in agreement with Reichenow. Shelley separated the Zambesi Valley birds as C. zambesie. [This is the Eastern and Northern representative of C. flaviventris, and differs nowise from that species in call or habits. The soft parts are also similar, ] 226, PHYLLASTREPHUS TERRESTRIS. Phyllastrephus capensis Stark & Sclater, Bds. S. Afr. ii. eae CC. Knysna, Dec., Jan. (2); N. Llovo, Nov. (1); 4. Sibudeni, Nov., Dec., Jan. (6). Owing to the fact that Mr. Richmond has discovered that Swainson’s ‘ Birds of West Africa’ was published three months previously to his ‘ Classification of Birds,’ the name of this species has to be changed from C. capensis to P. terrestris. Both names, proposed by the same author, are founded on “le Jaboteur” of Levaillant. A nesiling hardly free from down is almost exactly similar to the adult in coloration. [I have noted this bird from Knysna, Natal, and Zulu- land. It is essentially a woodland species, and is usually found in small parties ; it frequents the thick undergrowth, spending much of its time on the ground and scraping among the dead leaves, the rustle of which I have often mistaken for that of some large animal moving about. Unless dis- turbed it is silent, but when alarmed it utters a loud harsh note of ‘“churr churr” (the r’s being rolled), constantly repeated by the whole party. The soft parts are :—Inides reddish brown ; bill brown, base of lower mandible slaty ; legs and toes livid. ] 298 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected 227. PHYLLASTREPHUS STREPITANS. P. Coguno, Aug., Sept. (2); Beira, Dec. (2) ; Tambarara, June (3); Tete, Sept. (1). [This species was found in the Portuguese country from the Inhambane district to the Zambesi. In habits, call, and soft parts it resembles P. terrestris. ] 228. BLEDA FLAVOSTRIATA. Z. Ngoye Hills, Oct. (3); Tv. Woodbush, Feb., May, Nov: (7). [I have only found this Bulbul in the Ngoye Forest and Zululand and the forests of the Woodbush in the North- Eastern Transvaal. It is usually found in small parties of about half a dozen in the depth of the forest, running about the limbs of the trees in search of insects, and much resembling a Woodpecker or Creeper; it often hangs head downwards on the upright sides of the trunks. Its flight is slow and undulating, and only from tree to tree, while the call is loud and clear. It is fearless and tame, and can generally be easily secured. I have not found it breeding. The soft parts are:—Inrides hazel; bill, legs and toes ash- coloured. | 229. PARISOMA SUBCERULEUM. Tv. Turfloop, Mch. (1). [This species was not seen in Namaqualand, although a careful look out was kept for it, and it was not till I reached the North-Eastern Transvaal that I came across it. There it is not common, and only some half a dozen individuals were observed ; it is found only in the undulating country that extends round Pietersburg for many miles and there frequents the few bushes that exist, especially the little belts of thorns and dogwood that line the courses of the sand rivers. In habits and call it resembles P. layardi. The soft parts are :—Irides very pale yellow ; bill dark horn-coloured ; legs black. | by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 299 240, PARtsOMA LAYARDI. CC. Klipfontein, Apl., May, June (6). [Since the Central Cape Colony trip, Namaqualand is the only locality where I have seen this Tit-Babbler. It was there quite common and frequented the bushes both on the flats and in the mountains, but was not observed in the sand-belt near the coast. It is especially fond of the numerous kloofs, where the bush is always somewhat thicker. It is found singly cr in pairs and is very active, carefully searching every branch for food; the flight is quick and jerky, and only from bush to bush. It has a sharp call-note, and the males often indulge in a sweet warble, which is uttered from the centre of a bush. It was not. I think, breeding when I visited Namaqua- land. The soft parts are :—Irides pale yellowish white; bill black ; legs and toes dark brown.] 231. PARISOMA PLUMBEUM. Tv. Woodbush, June (1). [The specimen secured is the only one of this species that I have seen; it was shot sitting on the post of some wire fencing near a bush-filled stream. It was solitary and did not call. The soft parts are :—Irides pale yellow ; bill dark brown, paler at base of lower mandible ; legs and toes very dark slate-coloured. | 234. PHYLLOSCOPUS TROCHILUS. Z. Sibudeni, Dec. 16 & 29, Jan. 23 & 24(4) ; Tv. Wood- bush, Jan. 9 & 15 (2). [The Willow-Warbler visits South Africa in the summer season, and I have observed it in Zululand and the North- Eastern Transvaal at that time cf year. In Zululand in January 1904 it was particularly plentiful, and its well-known call-note could be heard in every plantation and garden. In its winter-quarters it does not sing, its call-note alone betraying its presence. 300 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected 'The specimens taken were shot in December and January, and are allin moult. A male shot on the 9th of January is somewhat later than the others. | CALAMOCICHLA ZULUENSIS. Neumann, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, xx. 1908, p. 96, and Nov. Zool. xv. 1908, p. 248. P. Coguno, June (1 3). This species closely resembles C. gracilirostris (described in part as Bradypterus babacula Stark & Sclater, vol. 1. p. 102), but is distinguished by its smaller size, the wing measuring 76 against about 72 mm. Only two examples are as yet known—the present specimen, a male, dated June 29; and the type, a female in the Tring Museum, collected by the Woodward brothers at Eshowe in Zululand. [This bird was not uncommon around Coguno, where it frequented the dense reed-beds along the rivers and on the swamps; but it was seldom seen, although always heard. It has all the habits and actions of an Acrocephalus, and its “ Reed-Warbler ” song could always be heard, especially on warm muggy evenings and throughout the early night. The soft parts are :—Irides pale brown ; bill brown, paler at base of lower mandible ; legs and toes darkish brown. | 241. CRryPTILLAS VICTORINI. CC. Knysna, Jan. (1 92). [I have only once seen this species, when the specimen secured was taken. This was one of a pair that were creeping about some thick underwood in the depths of the Knysna forest. Both were uttering a low call-note. The soft parts are :—lIrides deep brown ; bill, upper man- dible blackish brown, base of lower pale brown; legs and toes brown. ] 243. BrapyPpTERUS BRADYPTERUS. CC. Plettenberg Bay, Mch. (2) ; Z. Umfolosi Station, July (1). [Zululand and the Knysna district are the only localities where I have taken this Reed-Warbler, but I have un- doubtedly overiooked it elsewhere. It frequents long grass by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 501 and reeds in swampy localities, and has much the habits of a true Reed-Warbler, sliding up and down the reeds and seldom flying. The call is loud and harsh, and it is probably this bird that I have heard in most localities visited where swamps or reedy rivers exist. The soft parts are :—Irides hazel; bill, upper mandible dark brown, lower much paler; legs and toes brown. ] 247. SCHGNICOLA APICALIS. Z. Umfolosi Station, Sept. (2). This is a rare, or, at any rate, a very local, species in South Africa. The British Museum has examples only from Pine- town and Durban in Natal; but it was also recorded from Zululand by the Woodwards and from Mashonaland by Marshall and Swynnerton. [The two birds brought home are the only specimens I have seen. Both were flushed in long grass growing in swampy ground bordering a lagoon. The soft parts are :—Irides pale horn-coloured ; bill, upper mandible dark horn-coloured, lower pale horn-coloured ; legs and toes fleshy. ] 249. EREMOMELA POLIOXANTHA. Tv. Klein Letaba, July (1). A rare bird, only known in South Africa from Swaziland (whence came Buckley’s type), Komatipoort (Francis, in S.A. Mus.), and the Umfuli River, Mashonaland (Jameson). [The specimen brought home is the only one I have ever seen ; 1t was solitary, and was creeping about at the top of a large ‘ wait-a-bit”’ thorn-tree on the banks of the Klein Letaba River. Soft parts not recorded. | 252. EREMOMELA SCOTOPS. Tv. Klein Letaba, Aug., Sept. (6); P. Tambarara, Mch. (i). [This Bush-Warbler was noted in the “ bush veld” of the North-Eastern Transvaal, where it was common, and the single specimen was taken from a small flock in the SER. 1X.—-VOL. V. 6 302 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected Gorongcza forests in Portuguese East Africa. It was usually observed in small parties diligently searching for insects in the tops of the larger trees along the river-bauks. It is an active bird, keeping continually on the move and constantly calling; in this respect and in its movements it much resembles the White-eyes. The soft parts are :—lIrides very pale yellow ; bill dusky black ; legs yellowish brown; toes much paler. | 95 253. CAMAROPTERA BRACHYURA. Cameroptera brachyura (Vieill.) ; Reichenow, Vog. Afr, 11 p. 618. Z. Sibudeni, Oct. (1) ; Umfolosi, Aug. (1); Ngoye Hills, Oct. (2) ; P. Coguno, Sept. (1). [‘‘Imbuzana ” (Little Goat-Kid) of Zulus. I have noted this Warbler from Kuysna, Natal and Zulu- land, and the Inhambane district of the Portuguese country. It is a woodland-haunting species, and is usually observed singly, creeping about the thick undergrowth and thickets. Its peculiar kid-like call is remarkably loud for so small a bird and is decidedly ventriloquial, while it is impossible to locate the bird by listening to it, and it is only by careful watching that it can at last be detected. The soft parts are :—Irides yellow ; bill black; legs and toes fleshy.| 255. CAMAROPTERA GRISEOVIRIDIS. Camaroptera brevicaudata Stark & Sclater, Bds. S. Afr. it, p. 114. P. Beira, May (1); Tambarara, May (1). The birds from Beira and 'Tambarara undoubtedly belong to this widely spread tropical species, which seems to replace C. olivacea in the northern portion of Portuguese Kast Africa. [This species was noticed sparingly in the Beira and Gorongoza districts, and frequented the undergrowth and thickets in the woods and forests. Its call, actions, and habits resemble those of C. olivacea. The soft parts are :—Irides raw sienna; eyelid slightly yellow; bill black; legs and toes fleshy. | by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 303 256. SYLVIELLA RUFESCENS. CC. Klipfontein, Apl., May, June, July (7); Durban Rd., Sept. (1); Tv. Klein Letaba, July, Sept. (2). [“ Crombec ” = Wry-beak of Colonists. This species was found in Namaqualand, the Cape Pen- insula, and the North-Eastern Transvaal. It was particularly plentiful in the former locality. Usuaily observed in pairs, sometimes singly, it frequents all bushed country and orchards and gardens, where it does no inconsiderable amount of good in clearing cff insects. In actions, habits, and appearance it greatly resembles the European Wren (Anorthura troglodytes), the call and alarm-note being almost identical. The soft parts are :—Irides raw umber; bill horny brown, paler at base of lower mandible; legs and toes brown. | 257. SYLVIELLA PALLIDA. Pe Tete, Aue, sept. (2). [Observed only in Tete, where it was searce. In habits it resembles S. rufescens, except that the call and alarm-note are similar to those of S. whytit. The soft parts are similar to those of S. rufescens. | SYLVIELLA WHYTII. P. Masambeti, Oct. (3). This species was described by Shelley from examples taken by Whyte (after whom it was named) at Zomba. Swynnerton (‘ Ibis,’ 1907, p. 56, and 1908, p. 73) first re- corded it from South Africa. He obtained it in Gazaland, S. Rhodesia. Since then it has been noticed by Sheppard near Beira (J. S.A. O. U. v. p. 32). Its small size, buffy cheeks and superciliary stripes, and the absence of a black band through the eve separating these, distinguish it at once from the other two South- African species. [ This species was found near Beira, where it was decidedly scarce, only two pairs being observed. In habits and actions it resembles S. rufescens, but the call and alarm-note are sharper and clearer. ae ~ 304. Mr. W. LL. Sclater on Birds collected The soft parts are:—lIrides rich brown; bill pale horny brown, much paler at base of lower mandible ; legs and toes palish amher-brown |] 258. CRYPTOLOPHA RUFICAPILLA. Cc. Knysna, Jan., Feb. (5); @. Sibudeni, Nov., Jan. (2); Tv. Zuurbron, May (3); Woodbush Hills, Nov. (2). [‘‘ Neeti” of Zulus. This little Flycatcher was common inithe forests of the Knysna district, Zululand, and the South-Eastern and North-Eastern Transvaal, but was seen nowhere in the Portuguese country. I have only found it singly and in the depths of the forests, where it potters about from bush to bush searching for insects much like a Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) ; it has a single low call of “ zip,” repeated. constantly The soft parts are :—Irides hazel; bill, upper mandible brownish black, lower pale yellowish; legs and toes dark brown. | 259. APALIS THORACICA. N. Illovo, Nov. (1) ; Tv. Zuurbron, May (2) ; Woodbush, Nov. (4); Turfloop, Mch. (1). [The Bar-breasted Warbler was noted only from Natal and Zululand, and the South-Eastern and North-Eastern Transvaa]. It isa woodland-haunting species, and is usually observed in pairs creeping about in search of insects in the undergrowth and lower branches. It has a loud call for so small a bird, and often indulges in a wild warbling song. It is not an inconspicuous species, and cannot easily be passed over. I have not found the nest or eggs. The soft parts are :—Inrides very pale yellow; bill black ; legs and toes amber-brown. In the young the irides are dirty white; bill dusky, very pale yellow at gape; legs and toes paler than adult. | by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 305 APALIS cLAUDEI. (Plate 1V. fig. 2. Woelater, Bull, 6. Of C.xxvit. Nove 1910; pols. CC. Knysna, Jan, (3); Plettenberg Bay, Mch. (1). Hitherto two quite distinct species have been confused under the name of A. ¢thoracica. The differences between the two are briefly as follows. A. claudei.—Above dark slaty grey throughout, with the faintest perceptible wash of olive ; ear-coverts slightly paler than the back, a black spot in frout of the eye; below, throat white separated from the abdomen by a black transverse band; remaining under parts white in the centre, olive- brown on the flanks aud under tail-coverts. Tail with two or three outer tail-feathers tipped with white, the outermost chiefly white. Length about 130 mm., wing 50, tail 57, tarsus 20, culmen 13. Type from Plettenberg Bay, a male killed March 12, 1905. This species differs from A. thoracica in having the back dark slaty grey instead of olive-green and in the entire absence of any yellow on the lower side; the dimensiois seem very similar. The sexes in both species are alike, and the young birds differ from the adults in the absence of the black chest-band. In addition to those mentioned above, the British Museum contams examples of this new species from Knysna (Andersson, Dec. 2nd, 1865) and Grahamstown; while of A. thoracica there are examples from Port Elizabeth (Rickard), King William’s Town (Treveluan, May), Pinetown (Ayres, Mch., May, July, Oct., Nov., Dec.), the Drakens- berg (Butler, Aug.), Macamac (Barratt), and Rustenburg ( Ayres). Apalis thoracica was founded on “ Le plastron noir” of Levaillant, whose plate and description, as alse those of Shaw and Nodder and Swainson, obviously refer to the yellow-bellied form from the east of Cape Colony and Natal. I have found no name to apply to the white-bellied form, and am therefore naming it after Claude Grant. 306 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected In the ‘Catalogue of Birds’ (vol. vii. p. 138) Sharpe suggests that the white-breasted form is the breeding- plumage, but the long dated series of the true A. thoracica from Pinetown in the British Museum Collection shews that this obviously cannot be the case. Apatis RuppI. (Plate IV. fig. 1.) Claude Grant, Bull. B.O. C. xxi. 1908, p. 98. P. Coguno, Sept. 8 (1). This new species, of which only one example was obtained, comes nearest to A. griseiceps Reich. & Neum., figured in the Journ, f. Orn. (1900, pl. 2. fig. 2), from Kilimanjaro. It differs from it, as also from A. thoracica, in its olive-green tail and in the absence of any white on the outer tail- feathers. It appears to be quite a distinct form. [Only a pair of this Warbler was seen, the male of which was shot. They were creeping about some thick vegetation at the edge of a wood and were particularly tame, although when I fired the female disappeared and I was unable to again find her. They were uttering a low call and were diligently searching for insects; except for the conspicuous breast-band, they could easily be mistaken for Huprinodes neglectus. The soft parts are :—Irides amber-yellow ; bill black ; legs and toes palish brown. ] 260. STENOSTIRA SCITA. CC. Klipfontein, Apl. (2). (This graceful and dainty little bird is decidedly scarce in Namaqualand, which is the only locality where I have observed it since the Central Cape Colony trip. I saw three parties of three or four individuals ; it frequents the bushes both on the flats and the mountain-sides, and is very active in its habits, diligently searching for insects after the manner of a Warbler. It hasa quick jerky flight, usually only from bush to bush, and the call is Flycatcher-like, but sharper. The soft parts are:—Irides hazel; bill, legs and toes black. | Ibis: 1911 Bigg by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 307 262. EUPRINODES FLORISUGA. Apalis florisuya Reichenow, Vog. Afr. ui. p. 610. 4. Umfolosi Station, July, Sept. (2); Tv. Woodbush, Jan. (1); Klein Letaba, Sept. (3); Legogot, Apl. (1); P. Coguno, June, Aug. (4) ; Tambarara, May (1); Tete, Sept. (1). This Bush-Warbler was first distinguished by Reichenow (Journ, f. Orn, 1898, p. 314), whose name it should bear. I cannot separate Alexander’s /. neglecta, of which [ have examined a typical example, from the ordinary South-East African form. [This dainty little Bush-Warbler was noted from Zululand, the Eastern and North-Eastern Transvaal, and the Inham- bane, Beira, Gorongoza, and Tete districts of Portuguese Kast Africa. It frequents both woods and forests and the ordinary ‘ bush veld” country, where U have usually observed it in pairs, but occasionally in small parties. ixcept for a low call-note it is a quiet and inconspicuous species, harmonizing wonderfully with the green foliage of the bushes, about which it actively creeps from branch to branch, diligently searching for insects, on which, I believe, it exclu- sively lives. It has a quick jerky flight as it moves from bush to bush. The soft parts are:—Irides pale amber-yellow; eyelid pale orange; bill blackish brown; legs and toes palish brown. ] 261. DryopRoMAS ICTEROPYGIALIS. CC. Klipfontein, May, June (4). [Since the Central Cape Colony trip this Warbler has only been noted from Namaqualand, where it is by no means plentiful. It frequents the bushes both on the flats and on the mountain-sides, and is usually found in small parties, diligently searching for insects, on which it feeds, and con- tinually calling in a low note. The soft parts are :—Irides bright yellow; bill blackish horn-coloured ; legs and toes darkish brown. | 308 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds coliected 265. CALAMONASTES FASCIOLATUS. Tv. Klein Letaba, Sept. (1); Turfloop, Mch. (1). [On only two occasions have I seen this striking Wren- Warbler—once when a pair were seen hunting in the lower branches of a thorn-tree in the “ bush veld” of the North- astern Transvaal, and again when a single female was seen and shot on a rocky kopje overgrown with a small euphorbia and thickets of “ Num-num.” It has a sharp alarm-note, and in habits and actions is not unlike the Luropean Wren (Anorthura troglodytes). The soft parts are :— 3. Indes pale hazel; bill dark brown; legs and toes fleshy-brown. 9. Similar to g, but greater part of the lower mandible pale brown. | 267. PRINIA HYPOXANTHA. Tv. Woodbush, Nov. (2). [The pair brought home are, curiously enough, the only specimens I have seen of this species. These were frequenting the long thick grass and vegetation bordering a mountain stream, and in appearance and call resembled P. mystacea. They were probably breeding, but I could not discover the nest. The soft parts are:—Irides hazel; bill black; legs and toes pale brown. | 268. PRINIA MACULOSA. Cc. Klipfontein, May, June (4); Port Nolloth, July (1) ; slopes of Table Mt., Jan. (3); Plettenberg Bay, Feb., Mch. (2). [‘* Tentenki ””’ of Colonists, Namaqualand, the Cape Peninsula, and the Knysna district are the only localities in which I have seen the Cape Wren-Warbler. It is plentiful everywhere, and frequents the scrubby bush on the flats and hill-sides. It is an ex- ecedingly lively and active little bird, and is generally found in pairs. It is often seen perched on the tops of the bushes, uttering at intervals a chirpy note and continually jerking the tail up and down; when creeping about among “the by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 309 vegetation the tail is held up, which gives the bird a perky and graceful appearance. The soft parts are:—lIrides light hazel; bill black ; legs and toes palish brown. | 269. PRINIA MYSTACEA. N. Illovo, Nov. (1); Jususie Valley, Dec. (3); Tv. Klein Letaba, Aug., Sept. (2) ; P. Beira, Jan., Nov. (2) ; ete, Sept.(1). [‘* Neeti” of Zulus. ‘ Stini” of Ntebis. This Wren-Warbler was noted commonly from Natal and Zululand, the Eastern and North-Eastern Transvaal, and the Beira, Gorongoza, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa. Observed in pairs or small family-parties, it frequents the long grass and vegetation in vleis and swamps at the edge of woods and in old native clearings. It is an active and graceful little bird as it creeps and flits about in search of insect food, and often feeds on the ground; but when disturbed it always perches on the tops of the vegetation, uttering a sharp call and jerking the tailup and down. In this respect and other actions it closely resembles P. maculosa of the Cape Colony. The soft parts are:—Inides pale brown; bill black ; legs and toes pale brown. 270. PRINIA FLAVICANS. Tv. Pietersburg, Feb., Mch. (8); Turfloop, Mch. (1). (I only observed this bird on the flats around Pietersburg, where it was not uncommon and frequented the long grass in the valleys. Usually found in pairs, it is very active and hvely in habits and much resembles P. mystacea in call and actions. The soft parts are :—Irides raw sienna ; bill black ; legs and toes brownish flesh-coloured. | 271. SPILOPTILA OCULARIA. CC. Klipfontein, Apl., July (3). [‘* Tentenki” and ‘‘ Klop-kloppie ” of Colonists. Namaqualand is the only locality where I have seen this 310 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected species since the Central Cape Colony trip. It is an active little bird, usually found in pairs; it frequents the bushes every where, and spends much of its time searching for insects. It has a jerky flight and is very Wren-like in habits. The soft parts are :—Irides grey-brown ; bill black, base lilac ; legs and toes brownish flesh-coloured. | 272. CIsTICOLA FULVICAPILLA. CC. Plettenberg Bay, Mch. (2); N. Illovo, Nov. (1). This species is apparently confined to the southern part of Cape Colony and the coast lands of Natal. The British Museum contains examples from Swellendam, George, Knysna, King William’s Town (Jan., Oct.), and Pinetown near Durban (Jan., Mch., May, June, July, and Oct.). The specimens with bufty-whitish under parts, mentioned by Sharpe as being this species in winter dress and from the Transvaal, should be referred, in my opinion, to C. cinnamo- meiceps recently described by Haagner. [This little Grass-Warbler was noted from the Knysna district, where it was decidedly scarce, and Natal. It inhabits the long grass and vegetation in the vleis and bordering woods, and is usually observed in pairs. Its call is ‘ weep weep,’ constantly repeated ; in other respects and appearance it much resembles C. subruficapilla. The soft parts are :—Irides pale amber-coloured ;_ bill, upper mandible horn-brown, lower much paler; legs and toes palish brown. ] CisTICOLA CINNAMOMEICEPS. Haagner, Annals Transvaal Mus. i. p. 197 (Jan. 1909). Tv. Klein Letaba, July, Aug., Sept. (3); Legogot, Apl., May (2); P. Coguno, Aug. (2). These little Grass- Warblers closely resemble C. fulvicapilla, with which, indeed, they have been hitherto confounded, The series of specimens of both forms now in the British Museum shew clearly that C. cinnamomeiceps cannot be the winter dress of C. fulvicapilla, as was supposed by Sharpe, but is its representative in the Transvaal and Rhodesia. In the British Museum series there are skins from Potchetstroom (Jan., July), and Rustenburg (Feb., Apl., by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 311 May, June, July, Aug.) in the Transvaal, Kanye (Jan.) in Bechuanaland, Matje Umschlope in Bulawayo (Nov.), and Umfuli River in Rhodesia, and Elephant Vley in Gcrman S.W. Africa. One skin from Pinetown taken in May also seems to be referable to this species, but perhaps this may be due to a confusion of label-tickets, as Ayres collected both in Pinetown and Potchefstroom. 273. CisTICOLA RUFICAPILLA. Cisticola aberrans Stark & Sclater, Bds. 8. Afr. i. p. 143. Z. Sibudeni, Nov. (1); Tv. Zuurbron, May (1); Woodbush, Jan., May (2); Turfloop, Mch. (1). The oldest name for this bird is C. ruficapilla Smith, published in 1842. Fraser applied the same name _ to another species of the genus from West Africa in the follow- ing year. [*‘ Neeti”’ of Zulus. Zululand aud the South-Eastern and North-Eastern Transvaal are the only localities where I have taken this species ; it is probable that it exists in the intermediate country, but it is extremely difficult to name these birds at sight, and, except where long periods are spent in a locality, they are often passed over, owing in many places to the deusity and length of the grass and vegetation at certain seasons. Usually observed singly or in pairs, the bird frequents long grass 1n the valleys or thick vegetation bordering the woods und streams. Like the other Grass-Warblers, it has a weak flight, and when creeping about and just after perching it raises the tail and slightly spreads it. It feeds entirely on insects, and the call is a single weak chirp. The soft parts are :—lIrides raw sienna; bill horn-coloured, lower mandible pale slate-coloured; legs and toes amber- brown. | 276. CisTICOLA RUFA. P. Beira, Jan., Dec. (3). [“ Stini ” of Ntebis. This species was only found near Beira, where it was not uncommon. I have only observed it singly ; it frequents ole Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected the long grass and vegetation in the vleis and the borders of woods and deserted native lands. It is very active in habits, the call being a sharp squeaky note; flight is seldom indulged in, The soft parts are :—lIrides raw sienna; bill brown, paler at base of lower mandible; legs and toes amber-coloured. | 278. CISTICOLA TINNIENS. Tv. Woodbush, Nov. (7). [Curiously enough, I have only seen this rather striking Grass-Warbler in the Woodbush Hills of the North-Eastern Transvaal, where it was quite plentiful and fiequented tie long grass and rough vegetation in the vleis and along the numerous streams. It is a very active bird and has a loud mellow call, and is usually observed in pairs. It was probably breeding in this locality, as it was the summer season, but no nests were discovered. The soft parts are : d . Irides hazel; bill black with, in most specimens, a spot of paler colour on the lower mandible; legs and toes amber- brown. In the female practically the whole of the lower mandible is pale. | 279. CISTICOLA TERRESTRIS. WN. Lllovo, Nov. (1); &. Umfolosi Station, June, Aug. (5); Tv. Wakkerstroom, Mch., Apl. (2); Woodbush, June, Nov., Dec. (5); Pietersburg, Mch. (1) ; P. Masambeti, Oct. aay [The specimen with the long tail, shot on the 24th of October at Beira, is probably a late bird, and has not yet assumed the summer plumage. The female shot on the 20th of June at Woodbush is a remarkably pale specimen, but has all the markings of C. terrestris. This little Grass-bird was noted from Natal and Zululand, and the South-Eastern and North-Eastern Transvaal. It is usually found in pairs, and frequents, more or less, open grass-country, spending most of its time on the ground. When flushed it rises with a jerky flight and utters several sharp notes. | by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 313 281. CisTICOLA SUBRUFICAPILLA. CC. Klipfontein, Apl., June (3). These skins appear to me to represent the true C. subrufi- capilla; I have compared them with the type of the species in the British Museum, and they agree with it very well. The distinguishing characters are: 1. The ashy-grey under parts become nearly white in the centre of the abdomen, but with no fulvous or rufous tinge. 2. The slaty-grey back has narrow and, as a rule, not strongly marked black centres. 3. The head is washed with rufous and gradually fades into the grey of the back, and is never in strong contrast to it; like the back it is streaked, but faintly and not conspicuously. In the British Museum there are skins, in every way con- forming to this type, from Cape Town (Nov.), Deelfontein (March, May, and August), Port Nolloth (July), and Piquet- berg (Aug.). It appears, therefore, to be confined to the western portion of Cape Colony, while its place is taken further east and north by the following. 281 a, CisTICOLA CHINIANA. CC. Plettenberg Bay, Feb. (2) ; Z. Sibudeni, Oct., Nov., Dec., Jan. (4); Umfolosi, June, July, Aug., Sept. (8) ; Tv. Zuurbron, May (4) ; Woodbush, Nov. (2); Klein Letaba, Aug. (1); P. Coguno, June, Aug., Sept. (6). Tluis species varies a good deal in size. Two of the birds from Coguno, both males, and both taken the same month, measure as follows :— (a) Length 1385 mm.; wing 67 ; tail 61; tarsus 22; cul- men 13. (6) Length 118 mm.; wing 53; tail 50; tarsus 21; cul- men l2"5. Two males marked “ Umfolosi,” also both taken in June, are nearly as divergent in measurement. The birds killed in winter have the heads almost plain, while those killed in summer (November to January) have the heads strongly streaked. ole Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected 283. CIsTICOLA NATALENSIS. Summer dress—Z. Sibudeni, Nov. 1 (1); Jususie Valley, Dec. 1 & 6 (2); Ngoye Hills, Oct. 13 (1); P. Beira, Dec. 17, Jan. 27 (6). Winter dress—Z. Umfolosi Station, June 25, Sept. 7 (10); P. Masambeti, Nov. 17 (1). This series shews very well the great difference in appear- ance in this species in winter and summer—in fact, no one would imagine the birds were the same species, so distinct are they. I suspect that the bird alluded to by Haagner (Aun. Transvaal Mus. 1. p. 229) as C. strangei is nothing but the summer dress of C. natalensis ; indeed, 1 very much doubt if the true C. stranget of West Africa can be distin- enished from C. natalensis, except as a subspecies. The series also shews the great difference in size in the two sexes, a very characteristic feature. ‘The wings of eight males average 70 mm., varying from 68 to 73, and of eight females average 58, varying from 55 to 61. [‘* Nqojane” of Zulus. I have only seen this large Grass-Warbler in Zululand and the Beira district of the Portuguese country. It is a conspicuous species, and cannot be easily overlooked. It frequents open marshy valleys and plains, and is par- ticularly plentiful im the low-lying country near Beira. It is usually seen perched on the top of some twig or bush, and utters a loud call, especially in the early morning and late afternoon. On being disturbed it flies round the intruder, uttering a single note, but at other times I have seen it soar to some height, usually from the top of a bush, to which it again returns. It feeds on insects and, to a certain extent, on grass-seeds. I have not taken the nest. The soft parts are :— Winter. Irides pale brown ; bill pale horn-coloured, round nostrils and along culmen darker; legs and toes amber- brown. Summer. Bill practically black, white-horn-coloured on hinder side of lower mandible; legs and toes darker than in winter. | by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa, B15 H[eLioLals KIRBYI. Haagner, Ann. Transvaal Mus. i1., Aug. 1909, p. 233. P. Tambarara, Mch. (1 ¢). To this recently described species from Boror I refer Mr. Grant’s Gorongoza example, identified by him as Ortho- tonus erythropterus (Bull. B.O.C. xxi. 1908, p. 93), and also Mr. Swynnerton’s Kurumadzi example from the frontier of Rhodesia and Mozambique (‘ Ibis,’ 1908, p. 80), identified by him as Helolais erythroptera. This species differs from H. erythroptera, the type of which was taken on the Gold Coast, in the absence of the reddish shade of the upper parts and the much paler colour of the under parts. It is also rather smaller, the wing measuring 50 mm. against 56 in H. erythroptera. [The Beira and Gorongoza districts of the Portuguese country are the only localities where I have seen this bird, It has much the habit and appearance of a Cisticola or Prinia, and haunts the long grass and low bushes like those birds; but the ecall-note is much sharper and louder than that of any of the Grass-birds found in these districts, and the red wings are conspicuous, both in flight and when the bird is sitting. It is not common, and often frequents such thick situations that it cannot be seen. Its call first drew my attention to it. The soft parts are:—Irides pale yellow; bill horn- coloured, yellowish at base and gape; legs and toes amber- brown. | 290. SPHENGACUS AFRICANUS. CC. Table Mt. slopes, Jan., Feb. (5); Durban Rd., Sept. (1); Knysna, Apl. (1); Plettenberg Bay, Feb., Mch. (2). [« Vlei duiker ” of Cape Colonists. I have only found this bird in the Cape Peninsula and the Knysna district, in both of which localities it is common. It frequents the long grass and bush, both on the flats aud the hill-sides, and is found either solitary or in pairs. It seldom flies, and when alarmed dives into the depths of the herbage, and is extremely difficult to flush. The flight, when indulged in, is weak and of short duration. The call 316 Birds collected by Mr. C. Grant in South Africa. is sharp and rather harsh, usually uttered from the top of a erass-stalk or stick. I have not discovered the nest. The soft parts are:—Irides hazel; bill dark horn- ccloured, lower mandible slaty in parts; legs and toes brown. | 292. SPHENGACUS NATALENSIS. Z. Sibudeni, Nov., Jan. (2) ; Tv. Wakkerstroom, Apl. cr): [“ Gange” of Zulus. This species was only observed in Natal and Zululand and the South-Eastern Transvaal. In habits, &c., it exactly resembles S. africanus. The soft parts are also the same. | SPHENG@ACUS TRANSVAALENSIS. C; Grant, Bull. BwO. C: xx. 1908, p. 92. Tv. Woodbush Hills, Nov., Dec. (type a g, Nov. 11, 1905, and 4 others). One nest with two eggs taken in the Woodbush Hills, Dec. 14th. I can hardly regard this species as distinguishable from S. natalensis, which it replaces in the North-East Transvaal. The crown is perhaps a shade darker rufous and the lower parts are more ashy and less fulvous, but it is founded on very fine distinctions. Of the Transvaal examples in the British Museum one from Swaziland is distinctly referable to S. natal- ensis ; two others, one from Rustenburg and one from the Swart Ruggens, also in the Rustenburg District, may perhaps be united to the present race. The eggs closely resemble those of the Cape species. [1 only found this Grass-bird on the huill-sides in the Woodbush Hills, where it frequented the long grass and rough herbage on the edges of the forests. In general habits, call, and flight it resembles other members of the genus. it breeds during the summer season, and I took the nest, con- taining two slightly incubated eggs, on the 14th of December, 1905. The nest, which was composed of fine grass with a few dead leaves interwoven on the outside, was cup-shaped and placed in the fork of a shrub in thick vegetation at the edge of forest; it was within a foot of the ground. Only the hen bird was observed, and she was secured. | [To be continued, On Birds collected in Argentina, Paraguay, &c. 317 IX.— List of Birds collected in Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil, with Field-notes. By Cuaupe H. B. Grant, M.B.O.U.—Part II. Picarr#— ANATIDE *, Fam. TRocHILiD&. 136. HrLioMASTER FURCIFER. Helismaster furcifer Salv. Cat. B. xvi. p. 119. a. gad. Puerto Asir, Paraguay. Aug. 27, 1909. Trides hazel; bill, legs and toes black. 137. PoLyTMUS THAUMANTIAS. Polytmus thaumantias Salv. Cat. B. xvi. p. 174. a. gad. Puerto Asir, Paraguay. Aug. 27, 1909. b,c. 6 2 ad. Opposite Rabicho, Brazil. Oct. 10, 1909. d. 6 ad. Ten miles below Boca de Homiguera, Brazil. Oct. 12, 1909. 3d. Ivides brown; bill dark red, black at base and along cutting-edge ; legs and toes sooty. 2. Indes brown ; bill, legs and toes dark brown. 138. CHRYSURONIA RUFICOLLIS. Chrysuronia ruficollis Arg. Orn. 1. p. 8; Salv. Cat. B. xvi. Dao. a. 6 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 26, 1908. b. fg ad. “ 5 Jan. 5, 1909. Cd. oY ad. 4; = Apr. 17, 1909. eo ad. a % May 5, 1909. Trides dark brown ; basal half of bill flesh-coloured. fig. & 9 ad. Puerto Asir, Paraguay. Aug. 27, 1909. h. 2? ad. Brazil, opposite Puerto Medanos. Oct. 22, 1909. i. 2 young. Curuzu Chica, Paraguay. Oct. 29, 1909. The August birds are much worn and moulting slightly, while the September and October examples are almost in full plumage. * Continued from p. 137. The arrangement and nomenclature are nearly those of Sclater and Hudson’s ‘Argentine Ornithology’ (as in Parti). SHR; 1X.——VOL. V. Z 318 Mr.C.H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, The young bird is slightly duller than the adults, especially on the head, and the inner secondaries are tipped with dark buff. The base of the bill is not flesh-coloured. The Bronze Humming-bird appears to be a _ winter visitor to the Ajé district, as it is absent during October, November, and December, and does not breed there. When I first arrived I was told by residents that the Glittering Humming-bird often remained throughout the year; but there is no doubt than this species had been confounded with it. Miss Runnacles “ observed it in every month throughout the winter of 1909,” and it disappeared soon after I arrived. 139. CHLOROSTILBON SPLENDIDUS. Chiorostilbon splendidus Arg. Orn. il. p. 9; Salv. Cat. B. Xvi. p. 49. a. gad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 27, 1908. b. fg ad. 3 7 Oct. 28, 1908. c,d. 9 ad. ss si Nov. 9-17, 1908. e. 2 young. % ss Dec. 14, 1908. Ie Gotu 2 ad. 2 Jan. 6-28, 1909. 2. § young. 3 - Apr, 17, 1909. j. d ad. Arjerichi, Paraguay. Aug. 9, 1909. k. gad. Villa Franca, Paraguay. Aug. 10, 1909. l. gad. Near Santa Hlena, N. Argentina. Nov. 15, 1909. Irides dark brown; bill tomato-red, tip black ; legs and toes black. In the female the base of the bill is not quite so bright. The young female differs from the adult in being rather duller above, while the feathers have a more “ woolly” ap- pearance; most of the feathers, especially on the rump and nape, are edged with rufous, and they lack the colour at the base of the bill. One of the specimens is green above and the other bronzy green. The Glittermg Humming-bird made its first appearance at Los Ynglases on Sept. 10th. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 319 The nest is always placed in the lower branches of a coronillo tree facing the cast, except when built under a veranda or summer-house near habitations. I have the following note from Miss Runnacles :— “One nest that was suspended from a wire under the eaves of the house was commenced in the early part of November, and when half finished the birds deserted it. After a month the pair returned and nearly completed the nest, when it was again left, and, finally, at the end of December they once more returned, completed the building, laid eggs, and brought off the young. They are very fond of human habitations and are often seen hovering round the windows catching insects, and if flowers are in the room they will come in through the windows and doors.” The nest is sometimes suspended, sometimes attached to the branch; it is deep, cup-shaped, and composed of lichen and cobwebs lined with thistle-down, while two eggs are the full clutch. Eight eggs brought home were taken at Ajo between November 12th and January ]8th. They measure: axis 0°5 to 0°53 inch, diam. 0°33 to 0°35. Fam. CarpRIMULGID. 140. NycripRoMUs DERBIANUS. Nyctidromus albicollis Hartert, Cat. B. xvi. p. 587. Nyctidromus albicollis derbyanus Wellm. Nov. Zool. xi. Dees. a,b. &. Albuquerque, Brazil. Oct. 1, 1909. ce. g. Riacho Paraguay Mirin, Brazil. Oct. 2, 1909. Irides brown; bill pale brown; legs and toes plum- brown. 141. HypropsaLis FURCIFERA. Hydropsalis furcifera Arg. Orn, 1. p. 15, pl. xu.; Hartert, Wate 5. xv. p. 599. a. g ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Aug. 12, 1909. 820 Mr.C.H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, 142, NycripRoGNE LEUCOPYGIA. Nyctiprogne leucopygia Hartert, Cat. B. xvi. p. 619. a,b. 6 2. Porto Esperanca, Brazil. Sept. 25, 1909. Trides dark grey-brown ; bill, legs, and toes brown. The female resembles the male, but is not quite fully adult; it still retains some of the wing-feathers of the young plumage broadly tipped with reddish brown. 143. PopaGER NACUNDA. Podager nacunda Arg. Orn. il. p. 12; Hartert, Cat. B. XV1. p, 619. a,b. g ad. Albuquerque, Brazil. Oct. 1, 1909. Irides brown; bill brown; legs and toes whitish brown. 144, Nycrisius JAMAICENSIS. Nyctibius jamaicensis Hartert, Cat. B. xvi. p. 625, a. gO. Near Puerto Braga, Paraguay. Sept. 23, 1909. Irides orange ; bill dark brown, edges olive; legs and toes olive-green. Fam. Piciv®. 145. CoLaPTes AGRICOLA. Colaptes agricola Hargitt, Cat. B. xvi. p. 25; Chubb, Ibis, 1910, p. 277 (Paraguay). a. gad. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. Aug. 1, 1909. Irides crimson ; bill dark slate-coloured ; legs and toes ash-coloured. A good many of these Woodpeckers were seen in the open grass-country feeding on the ground; when alarmed they flew into the forest and perched on the outside branches of the trees. 146. CHLORONERPES CHRYSOCHLORUS. Chloronerpes chrysochlorus Hargitt, Cat. B. xviii. p. 72. a. Gad ‘Tayru, Paraguay. Aug. 6, 1909. Irides pale blue ; bill dark slate-coloured; legs and toes green. Paraguay, bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 321 147. CHRYSOPTILUS CRISTATUS. Chrysoptilus melanochlorus Hargitt, Cat. B. xvi. p. 110. Chrysoptilus cristatus Chubb, Ibis, 1910, p. 279 (Paraguay). a. g ad. Alto Paraguay, Bolivia. Sept. 28, 1909. This specimen agrees with C. cristatus in not having the black behind the red malar stripe; but is not quite so bright “yellowish olive” as the skin in the Museum collection ; it is, however, much worn and faded. 148. CHRYSOPTILUS MELANOLEMUS. Chrysoptilus cristatus Arg. Orn. ii. p. 21 ; Hargitt, Cat. B. Xvi. p. 112. a,b. 6 @ ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 12, 1908. Gd. o- 9 ads es . Feb. 25, 1909. 604 P Apr. 3, 1909: fig, h. § ad. & young. Los Ynglases, Ajé6. Dec. 11-29, 1909. 2. 9 ad. Goya, N. Argentine. Nov. 13, 1909. 3. Indes dark plum-coloured ; bill black ; legs and toes olive-green. ?. Irides brown; bill blackish; legs and toes ash- coloured. This common species seems slightly variable, some examples being considerably brighter than others, while some hare less and others more markings below. It spends as much time on the ground as in the trees and is often seen in the open camp a considerable distance from any woods. The nesting-hole is sometimes in a post, more often in a tree ; I did not succeed in securing the eggs, but there are eleven in Miss Runnacles’ collection taken at Ajo between October 10th and November 8th, 1909. 149. CHRYSOPTILUS NIGROVIRIDIS, Sp. Noy. a. 9 ad. Mortero, Paraguay. Aug. 13, 1909. Irides brown ; bill blackish horn-coloured; legs and toes ash-coloured. Size rather larger than either C. melanolemus or C. cristatus ; above yellowish olive, not so bright as in C. cris- tatus ; rump as in C. cristatus, but paler; astrong indication 322. Mr.C. H. B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, of black behind the malar stripe, though nothing like to the extent in C. melanolemus, ear-coverts washed with golden buff; below yellowish olive, the chest strongly washed with orange. This appears to be quite a distinct form, differmg from C. melanolemus in having a golden-yellow rump and being greener below ; and from C. cristatus im having an indication of black behind the malar stripe, and by the orange on the chest. The female is similar to the male, except for the malar stripe being black speckled with yellowish white. Type. 6 ad. Rio Pileomayo. Collected by Prof. Graham Kerr on the 14th of April, 1890. 9 ad. Mortero, Paraguay. Collected by G. W. Tucker and C. H. B. Grant on the 13th of August, 1909. 3. Total length 11 inches; wing 6°25; tail 3°95; culmen 1°27; tarsus 1:0. ?. Total length 10°5 inches; wing 6:0; tail 3°9; culmen i= tarsus: 1-0, I have examined three males and a female collected by Prof. Kerr and a female obtained by myself. 150. MeLaNnEeRPES CANDIDUS. Melanerpes candidus Hargitt, Cat. B. xviii. p. 148 ; Chubb, Ibis, 1910, p. 280 (Paraguay). a. dad. Sapetero Cué, Paraguay. Sept. 3, 1909. Irides white; orbits lemon-yellow; bill dark slate-coloured, very dark at tip; legs and toes slate-coloured. In rather worn plumage and moulting. 151. DENDROCOPUS LIGNARIUS. Dendrocopus lignarius Hargitt, Cat. B. xviii. p. 257. a. gad. Near Goya, N. Argentine. Nov. 13, 1909. 6. g ad. Near Santa Elena, N. Argentine. Nov. 15, 1909. Ivides red-brown ; bill slaty horn-coloured ; legs and toes olive-green. Both the specimens are in rather worn plumage; one of them was observed boring a nesting-hole in the limb of - a trec about ten feet from the ground. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 323 152. VENILIORNIS OLIVINUS. Dendrobates olivinus Hargitt, Cat. B. xviii. p. 356. Veniliornis olivinus Chubb, Ibis, 1910, p. 281 (Paraguay). a. g ad. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. July 31, 1909. 6. gad. Arjerichi, Paraguay. Aug. 9, 1909. c. g ad. Albuquerque, Brazil. Oct. 1, 1909. Inides brown ; bill slate-coloured, upper mandible dark ; legs and toes slate-coloured or dark ash-coloured. 153. CELEUS KERRI. Celeus kerri Hargitt, Ibis, 1891, p. 605 (Rio Pilcomayo) ; Chubb, Ibis, 1910, p. 282 (Paraguay). a. dad. Santa Rosa, Paraguay. Aug. 14, 1909. 6. g ad. Curuzu Chica, ,, Aug. 28, 1909. ce. g ad. Pande Azucar, Brazil. Sept. 17, 1909. Trides red or crimson; bill white-horn-coloured ; le and toes slate-coloured. These birds agree well with the specimens in the British Museum, and all are much worn. oe 85 154. PIcUMNUS PILCOMAYENSIS. Picumnus pilcomayensis Hargitt, Ibis, 1891, p. 606; Chubb, Ibis, 1910, p. 284 (Paraguay). a. dad. Near Santa Elena, N. Argentine. Nov. 15, 1909. Irides hazel ; bill slate-coloured, upper mandible darker ; legs and toes slate-coloured. Fam. ALCEDINIDA. 155. CERYLE TORQUATA. Ceryle torquata Arg. Orn. il. p. 26; Sharpe, Cat. B. xvii. pelel. a. 9 ad. Tayru, Paraguay. Aug. 5, 1909. 6b. g ad. Fuerte Olimpo, Paraguay. Oct. 21, 1909. 156. CERYLE AMAZONA. Ceryle amazona Arg. Orn. 11. p. 27; Sharpe, Cat. B. xvii. pele. a. gad. Tayru, Paraguay. Aug. 6, 1909. 324 Mr.C.H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, 157. CERYLE AMERICANA. Ceryle americana Arg. Orn. i. p. 27; Sharpe, Cat. B. xvi. p. 131, a. gad. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. July 31, 1909. b. g ad. Sapatero Cué, Paraguay. Sept. 3, 1909. c. g ad. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. Oct. 3, 1909. Fam. TrRoGonip”. 158. TROGON VARIEGATUS. Trogon variegatus Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. xvii. p. 468 ; Arg. Orn. 11. p. 29. a. ? ad. Curuzu Chica, Paraguay. Aug. 28, 1909. 6. g ad. Concurencia, 0 Sept. 9, 1909. c,d. § ad. Puerto Maria, ,, Sept. 18, 1909. e. gad. Albuquerque, Brazil. Oct. 1, 1909. 3. Irides brown, eyelid orange ; bill pearly slate-coloured ; legs and toes black, powdered with white. ?. Indes hazel; bill, upper mandible brown, lower pearly ; legs and toes brown. 159. Trogon SURUCURA. Trogon surucura Arg. Orn, u. p. 29; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. xvii. p. 471. a. gad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Aug. 13, 1909. Irides hazel, eyelid orange ; bill blue-ash-coloured ; legs and toes sooty. Fam. CucuLips. 160. CroropHaGA ANI. Crotophaga anit Arg. Orn. ii. p, 31; Shelley, Cat. B. xix. p. 429. a. gad. Desaguadero, Paraguay. Aug. 29, 1909. Irides brown ; bill, legs, and toes black. 161. CroTroPHaGa Mason. Crotophaga maor Shelley, Cat. B. xix. p. 428. a. gad. Near Villa Pilar, Paraguay. Nov. 7, 1909. Irides pale Naples-yellow ; bill, legs, and toes black. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 325 Besides the specimen obtained, three or four individuals of this species were observed at Colonia Mihanovitch. 162. GuiRa PIRIRIGUA. Guira piririgua Arg, Orn. il. p. 32. Guira guira Shelley, Cat. B. xix. p. 433. G0, C..6 9vads Los Ynglases, Aj6. Sept. 22, 1908. @.€, fs 9, hk. 6 % ad, Bs ys oApr.b,.1909: t,J,k. 3 2 ad. a » May 13,1909. l. 2 ad. Bella Vista, N. Argentine. Nov. 12,1909. The September and November birds are shewing signs of wear, and the April birds are moulting, the May specimens being in full plumage. Irides orange; lores and orbits pale greenish yellow, bluish near the ear; bill dark orange, greenish yellow at base ; legs and toes dull medium olive. A common species, observed in parties of six or eight individuals, 163. DieLoprerus N&VIUS. Diplopterus nevius Arg. Orn. ii. p. 35; Shelley, Cat. B. XIX. p. 423. a. g ad. Cabo Emma, Paraguay. Oct. 20, 1909. 164, PIaAya MACRURA. Piaya macrura Chubb, Ibis, 1910, p. 272. a. gd ad. Tayru, Paraguay. Aug. 6, 1909. b, 9 ad. Pan de Azucar, Brazil. Sept. 17, 1909. c. 9. Boca de Homiguera, Brazil. Oct. 12, 1909. Irides and orbits crimson ; bill pale green; legs and toes slate-coloured. The October bird is in a very pale phase, with only a wash of black on the tail. Fam. RHAMPHASTIDA. 165. RHAMPHASTOS TOCO, Rhamphastos toco Arg. Orn. 1. p. 40; Sel. Cat. B. xix. p. 125. a. dad. Mortero, Paraguay. Aug. 13, 1909. b. gd ad. Pande Azucar, Brazil. Sept. 19, 1909. ¢;d. 9 ad. Coimbra, Brazil. Oct. 15, 1909, 326 Mr.C.H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Aryentina, Irides dark olive-green, broad ring round eye electric blue. More commonly observed in the palm-country, in parties of from six to ten individuals, and, as a rule, perching on the tops of the trees, where it is not difficult of approach. In flight it bears a strong resemblance to the Hornbills. Fam. Psirracip&. 166. ConuRUS ACUTICAUDATUS. Conurus acuticaudatus Arg. Orn. 1. p. 42; Salvad. Cat. B. Xx. p. 172. a. d ad. Puerto Maria, Paraguay. Sept. 13, 1909. Irides lemon-yellow, orbits flesh-coloured; bill, lower mandible dark, upper pale horn-brown ; legs and toes pale yellow-horn-coloured, 167. ConuRUS NENDAY. Conurus nenday Salvad. Cat. B. xx. p. 179. a,b,c. 6 9 ad. Bahia Negra, Paraguay. Oct. 19, 1909. Irides deep brown; bill and orbits black; legs and toes pale flesh-coloured. This pretty Parrot was only observed at Bahia Negra, these three having been shot from a flock of five. 168. PyRRHURA CHIRIPEPE. Pyrrhura vittata Salvad. Cat. B. xx. p. 214. Pyrrhura chiripepé Salvad. Boll. Mus. Tor. n. 190, pp. 1-3 (1894) ; id. Ibis, 1900, p. 668. a. &. Puerto Maria, Paraguay. Sept. 13, 1909. Irides brown, orbits fleshy; bill dark horn-brown; legs and toes sooty-brown. This specimen was shot from a flock of about eight. It has an unusual amount of red and yellow on the bend of the wing, but many specimens in the Museum collection have a coloured feather or two in this region, and it is probably only due to age. 169. Myropsirracus MONACHUS. Bolborhynchus monachus Arg. Orn, 11. p. 48. Myopsitiacus monachus Salvad. Cat, B, xx. p. 231. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 327 a. o ad. Los Yuglases, Ajé. Sept. 10, 1908. bc 46 9 nestling. ss S Dec. 14, 1908. d,e,f. 6 2? ad.& young. ,, » Mar.1-19,1909. ign Pad, Pe 56 apis lS, L909, h. §. Santa Rosa, Paraguay. Aug. 14, 1909. ae Alto Paraguay, Bolivia. Sept. 28, 1909. j,k. 3 ?. Puga, Brazil. Sept. 30, 1909. Ad. Irides grey-brown ; bill pale horn-coloured; legs and toes sooty. Nestling. Irides hazel; bill, legs and toes very pale fleshy. The March and April birds are moulting. The August and September birds are much worn. The young bird differs from the adult only in having the blue of the wings slightly less bright, the primaries and secondaries being more distinctly tipped, and the grey forehead being washed with greenish. The northern birds appear rather smaller than the southern specimens, and [ at first thonglt them distinct, but there is some individual variation, and in measurements they intergrade. So many excellent notes have been written on the habits of this common Parrot that I can add nothing. Seven eggs are in this collection, taken at Aj6é on the 14th of December, 1908, when both young and eggs were found in the same nest. ‘They measure: axis 1°] to 1:16 in., diam. 0°8 to 0°83. 170, CurysoTis #STIVA. Chrysotis estiva Arg. Orn. 1. p. 47 ; Salvad. Cat. B. xx. p. 285. Amazona estiva Sharpe, Hand-l. i. p. 20. a,b,c. 6%. Pande Azucar, Brazil. Sept. 17, 1909. Irides orange, orbits pale yellow; bill blackish slate- coloured ; legs and toes sooty-black. The female is less bright than the male, and she and one of the males are much more worn than the third bird. All three have both red and yellow on the bend of the wing. 328 Mr.C.H.B.Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, This species was commonly observed throughout the river expedition, usually in parties of six or eight individuals, screaming their loudest as they passed over the trees. 171. PIoNUS MAXIMILIANI. Pionus maximiliant Arg. Orn. 1. p. 217; Salvad. Cat. B. XX. p. G27. a. g ad. Tebicuari, Paraguay. Aug. 8, 1909. 6b. g ad. Santa Rosa, Paraguay. Aug. 14, 1909. c. g ad. Siete Puntas, Paraguay. Aug. 31, 1909. Irides brown, orbit primrose-yellow; bill dark yellow ; cere and culmen sooty ; legs and toes sooty. All the specimens are in winter plumage, the male from Tebicuari having a strong wash of lilac on the throat-feathers and being rather bigger. The other two have only a faint trace of the lilac, and in both the base of the lower mandible is dusky. Very few individuals of this Parrot were observed; in flying it resembles an Amazona, but looks smaller and darker, and has a different call-note. It was also observed in Brazil. Fam. Srricip#. 172. Asio BRACHYOTUS. Asio brachyotus Arg. Orn. 11. p. 49. Asio accipitrinus Sharpe, Cat. B. 1. p. 234. a. d young. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Mar. 20, 1909. b. fad. os s Jan. 23, 1910. The March specimen is apparently young, as it is much richer in colour than the January bird. This Owl was fairly common in all the rougher grass- lands, where it was flushed from the ground, and two that I put up left the remains of a half-eaten “Tuco tuco” (Ctenomys) behind them. It breeds in this district, the nest being a mere flattened place under a tuft of grass. I brought home three eggs, and there is a clutch of two in Miss Runnacles’ collection, taken on the 28th of January Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 829 and the 23rd of December respectively. They measure :— anis=l-5210°1°6) in., diam. 1°29) to: 13. The nest was situated on the ground in a tuft of grass, and composed of a little dry grass. 173. AstIo MEXICANUS. Asio mexicanus Sharpe, Cat. B. i. p. 231. Asio clamator Sharpe, Hand-l. i. p. 280. a. dad. Pasage de Bugre, Brazil. Sept. 29, 1909. Trides brown ; bill and nails dull black. This is a rather paler specimen than the majority in the British Museum ; it is rather worn, and perhaps a good deal faded. 174, SpEOTYTO CUNICULARIA. Speotyto cunicularia Sharpe, Cat. B. u. p. 142; Arg. Orn. li. p. 52. a,b. § 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé6. Sept. 29, 1908. 6, 0,67. 2 ad. m e Oct. 21-22, 1908. g:. 2 ad. ee P Nov. 1, 1908. h. & ad. r, » dan. 8, 1909. 1,4. 9% ad, Y a Feb. 1, 1909. Irides clear pale yellow ; bill pale green. The January and February birds are moulting, the old feathers being much worn. Both the males are whiter below and less marked than the females. This bird was exceedingly plentiful in the Ajé district, and was very tame. The excellent notes on its habits given by Hudson need no further additions. The nesting-hole is usually made in sandy soil and is about three or four feet long: it is sometimes curved, more often straight, and never far below the surface of the ground, the end of the burrow being circular. Five or six eggs constitute the clutch. Most of the females secured were caught on the eggs, and offered no resistance when captured. Thirty-nine eggs were brought home, taken at Ajé between October 22nd and November Ist, 1909, and measuring : axis 1:35 to 1°5 in., diam. 1:05 to 1°15. 330 Mr.C. H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, Fam. Fauconips. 175. Circus CINEREUS. Circus cinereus Sharpe, Cat. B.1. p. 56; Arg. Orn. ii. p. 97. a. dad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 26, 1908. b. 3g ad. a re June 9, 1909. Irides yellow; eyelids yellow; cere greenish yellow ; bill slate-coloured ; legs and toes bright lemon-yellow. Both these examples are in full plumage; the June bird having a few brownish-edged feathers on the nape, but otherwise being lke the September specimen. This species is resident in the Aj6é district, but by no means so plentiful as C. maculosus. 176. Circus MACULOsUS. Circus macropterus Arg. Orn. 11. p. 58; Holland, Ibis, 1397, p. 162. Circus maculosus Sharpe, Cat. B.1. p. 62. a. 3. luicoma, Ajo. Jan. 31, 1909. b,c. 9. los Ynglases, Ajo. Feb. 14, Mar. 16, 1909. d. gad. Luiconia, Ajo. April 29, 1909. e,f. 3 2? ad. Los Ynglases. May 138, 24, 1909. g. 9 ad. Alto Paraguay, Bolivia. Oct. 15, 1909. The January and April birds are moulting. The March bird has the whole under parts suffused with deep buff, with streaks and narrow spots of black on the breast, and brown spots on the belly, thighs, and under tail-coverts. 177. ASTURINA PUCHERANI. Asturina pucherant Sharpe, Cat. B.1. p. 205 ; Arg. Orn. i. p;.08. Rufornis pucherani Sharpe, Hand-l. i. p. 257 (1899). a. ? ad. MRiacho Ancho, N. Argentine. Aug. 1, 1909. b. d imm. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Aug. 11, 1908; c,d. 8 @ ad.& imm. Ten miles above Villa Pilar, Para- guay. Aug. 7, 1909. Ad. 3. Irides yellow, cere and orbits yellow; bill slaty, black at tip; legs and toes lemon-yellow. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 531 Imm. 8. Irides and cere lemon-yellow, orbits greener ; bill slate-coloured, darker at tip; legs and toes lemon- yellow. These birds agree with the remarks made by Mr. Chubb on the plumages of this Hawk, except that the adult female shot on Aug. 7th has five bars to the tail and an indication of a sixth. Commonly observed throughout the river expedition, sitting both on the trees and on the banks. 178. ASTURINA NITIDA. Asturina nitida Sharpe, Cat. B. 1. p. 203. a. gad. Puerto Maria, Paraguay. Oct 24, 1909. Irides brown, orbits fleshy, cere and gape lemon-yellow ; bill black, inclining to slate-coloured at base; legs and toes dull lemon-coloured, nails black. 179. BurEo SWAINSONI. Buteo obsoletus (nec Gm.), Sharpe, Cat. B. i. p. 184. Buteo swainsont Arg. Orn. 11. p. 59; Sharpe, Hand-l. 1. p. 256. a. § young. Luiconia, Ajé. Nov. 14, 1908. b. g young. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Dec. 9, 1909. One of these two males is more thickly marked on the breast than the other. 180. URvuBITINGA ZONURA. Urubitinga zonura Sharpe, Cat. B. i. p. 213. Urubitinga urubitinga Sharpe, Hand-l. 1. p. 258. a. 9. Tayru, Paraguay. Aug. 5, 1909. b. 2. Villa Pilar, Paraguay. Aug. 6, 1909. 18]. BusarELLUS NIGRICOLLIS. Busarellus nigricollis Sharpe, Cat. B. i. p. 211. a. 2. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. Aug. 1, 1909. b. 9. Near Villa Franca, Paraguay. Nov. 6, 1909. Irides brown ;_ bill black; orbits and gape slate-coloured ; legs and toes bluish white. The female from Riacho Anche is obviously younger than the other, as it has the chest-feathers broadly centred with 332 Mr.C.H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, blackish, and the feathers of the belly and thighs, especially the latter, barred with the same colour, as also is the rump. This bird was always observed sitting in the trees over- hanging water, though I never saw it catch anything. 182. GERANOAETUS MELANOLEUCUS. Buteo melanoleucus Sharpe, Cat. B. 1. p. 168. Geranoaétus melanoleucus Arg. Orn. 11. p. 64. a,b. @ @ ad. & imm. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 15, 1908. c. 2. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Feb. 25, 1909. Quite an uncommon visitor to the Ajo district and usually frequenting the tall eucalyptus trees. 183. GERANOSPIZIAS CHRULESCENS. Geranospizias cerulescens Sharpe, Cat. B.1. p. 81; Arg. Orn aici ps, 07. a. 9 ad. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. Aug. 1, 1909. Trides yellow; bill black, slaty at base of both mandibles ; legs and toes orange. 184, FaLco PEREGRINUS. Falco communis Sharpe, Cat. B. 1. p. 384. Falco peregrinus Arg. Orn. 11. p. 67. a. g ad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Dec. 20, 19609. Irides deep brown; orbits, cere, legs, and toes bright lemon-chrome ;_ bill dark slate-coloured at tip, greenish yellow at base. 185. Fatco rusco-c#RULESCENS. Falco fusco-cerulescens Sharpe, Cat. B. 1. p. 400; Arg. Orie. p69. This Hawk is not represented in the collections made by me; but I have an adult female taken on the 27th of June, 1909, at Ajo, from Miss Runnacles’ collection. This specimen is very much worn and new feathers are appearing on the nape and mantle. 186. 'TiINNUNCULUS CINNAMOMINUS. Cerchneis cinnamominus Sharpe, Cat. B. i. p. 439. Tinnunculus cinnamominus Arg, Orn, ii. p. 69. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 300 a. gad. Luiconia, Ajo. April 29, 1909. Irides dark brown, orbits and cere pale lemon-coloured ; bill pale slate-coloured, dark at tip; legs and toes rich lemon-coloured, claws black. This specimen agrees with others in the British Museum, and tallies with the description given by Ridgway, having the tail tipped with rufous and the outer feathers unvariegated. In Miss Runnacles’ collection there is a single male, also taken at Ajo, on the 15th of August, 1909, that agrees with the description by Ridgway of C. australis, having the tail tipped with white and the outer tail-feathers variegated. This little Kestrel is only a winter visitant to the Ajo district ; but the dates of its arrival and departure I do not know, as very few are seen. I only noticed three or four throughout the winter of 1909.. It is usually seen perched on the posts of the wire fencing or the tops of solitary trees, where it is, as a rule, easy of approach. 187. ELanus LEUCURUS. Elanus leucurus Sharpe, Cat. B. i. p. 339; Arg. Orn. ii. jae & a. 3 young. Los Yuglases, Ajo. Feb. 20, 1910. Quite a rare bird in the Ajo district, and I only observed two individuals during my visits. 188. RostRHAMUS SOCIABILIS. Rostrhamus sociabilis Sharpe, Cat. B.1. p.327; Arg. Orn. ils ps 72- This Hawk is not represented in the collections made by me; but I have seen two young females and an adult male taken at Aj6, in the collection of Miss Runnacles. 189. Mitvaco CHIMANGO. Ibycter chimango Sharpe, Cat. B. 1. p. 41. Milvago chimango Arg. Orn. il. p. 74. a. od. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Sept. 14, 1908. bs 5 » Nov. 28, 1908. Cre. z5 » Feb. 14, 1909. Ges es » Mar. 3, 1909. SER. IX.—VOL. V. wal 334 Mr.C.H.B.Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, The nest is placed either in the fork of a large tree or on the ground under a tuft of grass or a thistle, &c.; when in such a situation it is merely lined with a little wool or rubbish, but in trees the nest is composed of sticks and lined with grass or wool. Three eggs appears to be the complete clutch. Ten eggs were brought home, collected between Nov. 4 and Dec. 28; they vary considerably in the arrangement of the markings, some being marked evenly all over and others having the bulk of the markings at the obtuse end. 190. MiLvaco CHIMACHIMA. Ibycter chimachima Sharpe, Cat. B. i. p. 39. a. @ ad. Puerto San Juan, Paraguay. Aug. 26, 1909. 191. PoLyBorus THARUS. Polyborus tharus Sharpe, Cat. B.1. p. 31; Arg. Orn. ii. Dok, a. @ ad. Luiconia, Ajé. Nov. 19, 1908. b, c,d. & 2 nestling. Luiconia. Nov. 19, 1908. e. 2 young. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Feb. 9, 1909. f. @ young. s » Mar. 3, 1909. OG» 2-ad: Pe » Mar. 20, 1909. The adult female taken in November is in full plumage and very much worn; it was the parent of the three nestlings. Irides brown, orbits and cere orange-chrome ; bill pearly slate-coloured ; legs and toes lemon-yellow, nails black. The adult female, shot on March 20, is not really fully adult, inasmuch as the feathers of the breast are barred as in the old bird, but have broad white shaft-streaks ; new feathers are appearing in this region, and these are as in the fully adult, while the hind-neck, ear-coverts, and fore-neck are more strongly tinged with rufous. This appears to point to an immature stage, intermediate between the young and fully adult bird. ; T can add little to the excellent notes given by Mr. Hudson in the ‘ Argentine Ornithology,’ except to say I have never seen one of these birds take living prey, and have always Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 535 found them feasting on the carcases of dead stock in company with Chimangos and Gulls. The nest is a large and often inaccessible structure of sticks, placed in a big tala or other tree, and I have heard of the bird breeding occasionally on the ground. I did not obtain the eggs ; but there is a set of three in Miss Runnacles’ collection, taken at Ajo on Sept. 17, 1909 ; they are very dark with little of the ground-colour shewing, and measure: axis 2°42 to 2’5 in., diam. 1°79. Fam. CATHARTID®. 192. CaTHARTES AURA. Cathartes aura Arg. Orn. ii. p. 89. a. 9 ad. Tayra, Paraguay. Aug. 6, 1909. Irides crimson; bare skin of head and neck bright yellow, rich chrome round eye, and bluish on crown and throat ; bill deep flesh-coloured; legs and toes yellow, powdered with white. Commonly observed in most localities on the river expedition, usually singly. It has a graceful easy flight, and hawks backwards and forwards after the manner of a Kite; it has a peculiar mewing call. Fam. PHALACROCORACIDA. 193. PHALACROCORAX BRASILIENSIS. Phalacrocorax brasilianus Arg. Orn. 11. p. 91. Phalacrocorax vigua Grant, Cat. B. xxvi. p. 378. a 9 ad. Tebicuari, Paraguay. Aug. 8, 1909. 6. 2 imm, Monte Alto, _,, Aug. 25, 1909. The adult bird is moulting, and has a few scattered white feathers on the head and neck. Irides brown, orbits and lores sooty; bill horn-coloured, yellowish at base of lower mandible ; legs and toes black. The immature bird is also moulting, except for the wings, and is everywhere assuming the dark plumage, but the new feathers of the tail are still tipped with ‘“ brownish white.” 8386 Mr.C.H.B.Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, Fam. PuLorip2. 194, PLorus ANHINGA. Plotus anhinga Grant, Cat. B. xxvi. p. 419. a. ? ad. ‘Tebicuari, Paraguay. Aug. 8, 1909. b. 2 juv. Mortero, Pe Aug. 18, 1909. The adult is moulting on the under parts and tail. Ad. Trides brown; orbit, lores, and bill pale yellowish ; upper mandible horn-coloured; legs and toes dirty yellow, webs darker. Young. Irides yellow; orbits and bill greenish yellow ; legs and toes yellowish and sooty. The Darter was commonly observed on the Rio Paraguay, and the further north we went the more plentiful it became ; it was observed also on the Rio Parana to the south of Corrientes ; the last examples, three together on the 15th of November, were seen a few miles below La Paz, Northern Argentine. Fam. ARDEID. 195. ARDEA COCOT. Ardea cocoit Arg. Orn. i. p. 93; Sharpe, Cat. B. xxvi. p. 72. a. @imm. Tuyu, Ajé. Feb. 12,1909. In full moult. Irides pale yellow; orbits and lores green, surrounded with black; bill and upper mandible black, lower pale yellow, greenish at base; legs and toes dull black, whitish on tibia, 196. ARDEA EGRETTA. Ardea egretta Arg. Orn. 11. p. 98. Herodias egretta Sharpe, Cat. B. xxvi. p. 95. This species is not represented in the collections made by me, but I have an adult female in breeding-dress from the collection of Miss Runnacles, shot on November 8th, 1909, at Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sparingly observed on the river expedition, and everywhere very wild. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 337 197. ARDEA SIBILATRIX. Ardea sibilatriz Arg. Orn. 11. p. 100. Syrigma cyanocephalum Sharpe, Cat. B. xxvi. p. 170. a. g ad. Tebicuari, Paraguay. Aug. 17, 1909. Irides pale bluish grey ; orbits and lores electric blue ; bill lilac, tip black ; legs and toes black. This species was commonly observed on the river expedition in most of the swamps, usually in pairs; and, when disturbed, perched on the outermost branches of the trees. It has a low whistling note. 198. BuToRIDES CYANURUS. Butorides cyanurus Arg. Orn. ii. p. 101. Butorides striata Sharpe, Cat. B. xxvi. p.175; Oates, Cat. Birds’ Eggs Brit. Mus. ui. p. 126. a. 9 ad. Rabicho, Brazil. Oct. 8, 1909. Trides rich lemon-coloured, orbits and top of lores greenish yellow, rest of lores and adjoining gape dull sooty black ; bill black, lower basal half of lower mandible greenish yellow; legs and toes ashy-yellow, lemon-yellow at tibio- tarsal joints, behind tarsi, and soles of fect. Commonly observed on the river expedition and fre- quenting the bush along the banks, usually singly. When alarmed this bird has a curious habit of raising the feathers of the head and neck, and on taking wing it utters a harsh grating cry. I did not obtain it in the Ajé district, where it is very rare, though quite a number were observed there by Miss Runnacles during the summer of 1909, and I have an adult male and two adult females collected by her between October 24th and November 14th. It also bred there that year, and eight eggs are in her collection taken between November 9th and 28th. These eggs are pale bluish green and measure: axis 1°50 to #55 in., diam.-1°l to 1°19: Miss Runnacles tells me that the full clutch of eggs consists of four, and that the nest is a small platform of dry durasnillo in a cafiadon. 338 Mr.C.H.B.Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, 199. ARDETTA INVOLUCRIS. Ardetta involucris Arg. Orn. i. p. 101; Sharpe, Cat. B. XXVi. p. 235 ; Oates, Cat. Birds’ Eggs Brit. Mus. ii. p. 182. a. @ ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Dec. 8, 1908. b. 2 young. » san. 11, 1909. Irides pale yellow; bill yellow-ochre, culmen horn- coloured; orbits greenish yellow; legs and toes grass- green ; backs of tarsi and soles of feet yellow. The young bird differs from the adult in having the sides of the head and neck washed with deeper brown; the striping of the back narrower with more golden-bufty edgings; the “chestnut”? of the wing-coverts and bastard wing more vandyke-brown ; the primaries and secondaries distinctly tipped with dusky, the innermost with the chest- nut restricted along the shaft, the rest of the feathers being dusky, with the outer web edged with golden buff. This species is common in the reed-beds in the Ajé dis- trict, but very difficult to shoot, as it seldom takes to flight. When alarmed it runs and climbs among the reeds with extraordinary agility, and its colour lends itself so well to the dry and brown reeds that it is soon lost to sight. It breeds in the Aj6 district, and there are two eggs in Miss Runnacles’ collection from a clutch of three. These are of a clear pea-green, and measure: axis 1°36 and 1°39 in., diam. 2°01 and 2:0. The nest was a small platform of dry sticks in a cafiadon. 200. 'TrGRISOMA MARMORATUM. Tigrisoma marmoratum Arg. Orn. 11. p. 104; Sharpe, Cat. B. xxvi. p. 195. a. gad. Alto Paraguay, Bolivia. Sept. 28, 1909. Irides lemon-yellow; bill, upper mandible dark purple- brown extending to the lores in two streaks, one to the eye and the other below the eye, the rest of the lores and orbits being lemon-yellow, as likewise are the bare cheeks ; lower mandible dark purple-brown, fleshy along lower edge ; bare skin of chin and sides of throat pale greenish lemon- ycllow; legs and toes dark sepia~brown. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 339 201. Nycricorax TAYAZU-GUIRA. Nycticorax obscurus Arg. Orn. i. p. 105. Nycticorax tayazu-guira Sharpe, Cat. B. xxvi. p. 155. This Night-Heron is not represented in the collection made by me; but there is an adult male in the collection of Miss Runnacles taken at Los Ynglases, Ajé, on the 17th October, 1909. I saw very few Night-Herons in the Ajo district, owing principally to the drought ; they frequent the densest reed-beds, and on being disturbed utter a hoarse cry of “‘ gua-gua.” The bird is locally known as the “ Perro de Agua” (water-dog), I presume from its cry. It is very common or the Rio Parana and Rio Paraguay, frequenting the thick bush along the river-banks. 202. CANCROMA COCHLEARIA. Cancroma cochlearia Sharpe, Cat. B. xxvi. p. 163. a,b. gad. Pasage de Bugre, Brazil. Sept. 29, 1909. Irides dark brown, eyelids sooty-black above, greenish yellow below; bill, upper mandible black-horn-coloured, depression of nostril and cutting-edge dull yellow ; lower dull yellow, black at base, skin below dull yellow; lores sooty ; legs and toes dull yellow. Both specimens are moulting slightly, and neither has the nuchal crest very long. Fam. Ciconiipa. 203. KuxENURA MAGUARI. Euxenura maguart Arg. Orn. 11. p. 106 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. RXV. Pp. 297. a. 2 young. Luiconia, Ajé. Jan. 29, 1909. b. @ ad. Tuyu, » Feb. 12, 1909. c,d. gad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Mar. 16, 1909. e. 2 ad. Tebicuari, Paraguay. Aug. 7, 1909. The young bird is moulting and assuming the adult plumage. The adults taken in February and March are moulting slightly. Irides brown; lores sooty; bill black with hghter patches of horn-colour, chin dull orange; legs and toes dull purplish brown. 340 Mr.C.H.B.Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, This species was commonly observed in all the localities visited ; it is resident and breeds in the Ajo district, where it frequents both the swamps and open camp singly or in pairs, and feeds largely upon frogs, toads, lizards, and eels. I did not succeed in obtaining the eggs; but a set of five are in the collection of Miss Runnacles, taken on the 26th of October, 1909, at Ajo. These measure: axis 2°95 to 3°0 in., diam. 2°0 to 2°09. The nest was in a deep cafiadon, about three feet high ; it was made of sticks and dry hunco. 204. TANTALUS LOCULATOR. Tantalus loculator Arg. Orn, 11. p. 108 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. XxVL. p. 321. a. @ ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Mar. 11, 1909. Trides dark brown; bill dark biuish horn-coloured, vertex slightly red; bare skin of head and neck black with white scales; legs blue-slate-coloured ; feet whitish flesh-coloured. Fam. PLATALEID. 205. PLEGADIS GUARAUNA. Plegadis guarauna Sharpe, Cat. B. xxvi. p. 834; Arg, Orn. u. p. 109. a. Yad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 21, 1908. b. 2 ad. ie ‘ Feb. 24, 1909. c,d, e. § young. ,, Jan. 25, 1909. eGruaG. B ‘; April 23, 1909. 7: Goad. os a Jan. 18, 1910. h. gimm. Tebicuari, Paraguay. Aug. 8, 1909. The adult in September is in breeding-dress. Irides rich red ; orbits, lores, and throat crimson ; bill ashy ; legs and toes dark purple, dull crimson at joints. The adults taken in January, February, and April are all assuming the winter-dress, the under parts apparently changing to the colour of the following specimen. Irides crimson, lores and chin crimson ; bill ashy, tip reddish ; legs and toes dark purple. This is the common Ibis of the Aj6 district, and was Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 341 observed everywhere on the Rio Parana and Rio Paraguay. In the Aj6 district it apparently does not breed, and the majority disappear for a short time between September and January, the few that remain being probably immature. I[ was told that it breeds plentifully at Tandil to the southward, but I was unable to authenticate this. The habits have been too well described by Hudson to need further notes. 206. PHIMOSUS INFUSCATUS. Phimosus infuscatus Sharpe, Cat. B. xxvi. p.26; Arg. Orn. i. p. 113. a,b. 6 2 ad. Santa Rosa, Paraguay. Aug. 14, 1909. Trides brown; bare skin on head pink-flesh-coloured ; bill, legs and toes ashy brown. Flocks of this Ibis were observed on the river expedition, and on one occasion I dropped nine with one shot. 207. AJAJA ROSEA. Ajaja ajaja Sharpe, Cat. B. xxvi. p. 52. Ajaja rosea Arg. Orn, il. p. 114. a. gad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Nov. 28, 1908. b,c. 2 ad. - os Dec. 4, 1908. d. g ad. > . Dec. 18, 1909. e. 9 ad. Los Violetas, Monsalvo. Jan. 30, 1910. f. 9 ad. Tebicuari, Paraguay. Aug. 8, 1909. The November bird is in full breeding-dress. Irides red; lores and orbits yellow-ochre; bare part of head from forehead to crown pale Naples-yellow ; occiput and below ear sooty-black ; around orifice of ear pale Naples- yellow ; skin of chin and throat admixture of pale Naples- yellow and yellow-ochre ; bill clear ashy, somewhat sooty between corrugations at base; legs dull crimson-lake, feet sooty-black. The August bird is moulting into the summer plumage, and the January one is moulting into the wmter dress. The soft parts are as above, except that there is no black on the occiput. It has not, I think, been noticed before that the feathering 342 Mr.C.H.B.Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, of the neck in winter is thicker and longer than in summer, being interspersed with longish down, while the lower throat and occiput are covered with short close-set down. The December birds are in a rather curious stage of plumage ; they are in full summer dress, though the upper back and breast are paler than in other specimens. The greater part of the neck is covered with short thick down, the whole lower neck is in moult and the new feathers are appearing in two tracts up each side of the neck, leaving the throat and a tract down the front of the neck, and the occiput and a tract halfway down the back of the neck, covered with the down. The soft parts are as in the August and January birds. The August bird shews traces of having had a somewhat similar state of feathering. These birds are quite adult, as is shewn by the deep cor- rugations on the beak, and amongst the large series in the British Museum I can find no specimens that help to explain why they have donned this state of dress. Fam, PH@NICOPTERID. 208. PHa@NICOPTERUS IGNIPALLIATUS. Pheenicopterus ignipalliatus Avg. Orn. ii. p. 117. a. dad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. June 12, 1909. Irides opaque pinky white ; orbits and bill opaque pinky white, apical half black; legs violet-grey, joints, toes, and webs carmine. Fam. PALAMEDEID®. 209. CHAUNA CRISTATA. Chauna chavaria Arg. Orn. ii. p. 119. Chauna cristata Salvad. Cat. B. xxvii. p. 6. a,b. 8 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Oct. 3-18, 1908. Gd. gt 9 ad. e » Feb. 19, 1909. @. Irides dark brown; orbits and cere pink-flesh- coloured ; bill pale horn-coloured ; legs and toes medium salmon-coloured. d. Irides pale brown. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 343 Twenty eggs of this Screamer were brought home, taken between September 11th and October 13th, 1909, at Ajo ; five, rarely six, being the complete clutch ; they are of a creamy white or pale bluish white, and measure: axis 3°2 to 3°72 in., diam. 2°11 to 2°27. The nest-sites are in swamp and composed of reeds and lunco. Fam. ANATIDA. 210. CHLOEPHAGA POLIOCEPHALA. Chloéphaga poliocephala Salvad. Cat. B. xxvil. p. 137. Bernicla poliocephala Arg. Orn. i. p. 124. This Goose is not represented in the collections made by me, but there is a male as well as a female in the collection of Miss Runnacles, taken on the 29th of June, 1909, at Los Yuglases, Aj6. The female is adult and is moulting, except the wings and tail, the old feathers shewing much signs of wear. The male is a young bird moulting, except for the wings and tail, into the adult dress. The old feathers on the chest and back are all the barred feathers of the young bird ; the wing lacks the glossy speculum, and a few barred feathers remain on the breast. The notes on this species are included in those on C. rubidiceps. 211. CHLOHPHAGA RUBIDICEPS. Chloéphaga rubidiceps Scl. P. Z.S. 1860, p. 415, pl. elxxin. a,b. 6. Laguna de Milan, Aj6. May 16, 1909. Trides dark brown; bill black ; legs and toes dark yellow and black. There are also two males in Miss Runnacles’ collection, taken on the 29th of June in the same year ; one of which is moulting very slightly on the body. Two of these four birds have the cinnamon colour of the abdomen extending to the breast, and the heads are rich and dark in colour; these I take to be fully adult birds. The other two have the cinnamon colour only on the abdomen, and the heads 344 Mr.C.H. B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, are less rich and lighter in colour; these I take to be younger birds, though they have the speculum on the wing as in the adult specimens. This Goose had not been seen in the Aj6 district for many years until the winter of 1909. A good many made their appearance in the middle of May, and several hundreds had arrived before I left in the middle of June. I was afterwards informed by Miss Runnacles ‘that in company with Chloéphaga poliocephala they came in their thousands and literally covered the camp, being most unwelcome visitors, as the drought had caused a scarcity of grass and these flocks of Geese helped to eat what was left ; they began to thin out towards the end of July, and by the middle of August hardly one remained.” This Goose is locally known as the “ Pato de la sierra” (Hill duck). Strange or rare birds in that district are always said to be visitors from the sierras. 212. CYGNUS NIGRICOLLIS. Cygnus nigricollis Arg. Orn. 11. p. 124, Cygnus melancoryphus Salvad. Cat. B, xxvii. p. 39. a. @ ad. os Ynglases, Aj6. Nov. 10, 1908. Irides deep brown; bill dark slate-coloured, cere and lores deep red; legs and toes livid flesh-coloured. This Swan is common in the Ajo district, and is found in small parties throughout the winter months. Owing to the dry seasons experienced, I did not find any nests, and although I examined every lagoon for them no young birds were observed. 213. CoscoRoBA CANDIDA. Coscoroba candida Arg. Orn. 11. p. 126. Coscoroba coscoroba Salvad. Cat. B. xxvil. p. 42. a, 6. 9 ad. Laguna de Milan, Ajé. Nov. 15, 1908. c. 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. April 18, 1909. Irides white; bill, legs and toes pink-flesh-coloured. Both the November birds have dropped all the primaries and new ones are developing. The April bird has almost completed the moult. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. B45 This is a very common species in the Ajo district and frequents all the open waters and the sea-coast. In November 1908, on the Laguna de Milan, many of these birds were seen unable to fly, and on being chased half swam and half flopped over the surface of the water to take refuge in the dense reed-beds. 214. DENDROCYGNA FULVA. Dendrocygna fulva Arg. Orn. 11. p. 126; Salvad. Cat. B. xxvil. p. 149. a. gad. Villa Pilar, Paraguay. Irides brown ; bill slate-coloured, darker at tip; legs and toes slate-coloured. 215. CarrINA MOSCHATA. Cairina moschata Arg. Orn. il. p. 129; Salvad. Cat. B. xxvil. p. 51. a,b. 9 imm.&ad. Pan de Azucar, Brazil. Sept. 18-19, 1909. Commonly observed in Northern Paraguay and Brazil, especially near Puerto Maria, in flocks of upwards of forty individuals. 216. HeTERONETTA ATRICAPILLA. Heteronetta melanocephala Arg. Orn. i. p. 130. Heteronella atricapilla Salvad. Cat. B. xxvii. p. 325. a,b. 8 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Oct. 3, 1908. ce. 2 ad. S - Oct. 27, 1908. This is by no means a common Duck in the Ajo district : it frequents singly or in pairs open sheets of water in the larger reed-beds ; it swims rather low in the water and reluctantly takes to flight. 217. QuERQUEDULA CYANOPTERA. Querquedula cyanopéera Arg. Orn, 11. p. 180; Salvad. Cat. B. xxvii. p. 303. a,b. 6 2. los Ynglases, Ajo. May 9, 1909. 3. Irides pale yellow; bill black; legs and toes pale yellow. 9. Irides brown; bill black faintly mottled with grey, lower mandible mottled with pale flesh-colour; legs and toes pale brown. 346 Mr.C.1.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, 218. QuERQUEDULA FLAVIROSTRIS. Querquedula flavirostris Arg. Orn, ui. p. 181. Nettion flavirostre Sulvad. Cat. B. xxvil. p. 261. a,b. g ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 18-22, 1908. c. & nestling. - » Oct. 7, 1908. d. & ad. na » Mar. 8, 1908. Irides dark brown; bill clear yellow, culmen and tip black; legs and toes brownish white. One of the September birds and the March one are moulting slightly on the body; the latter shews signs of wear, and many of the belly-feathers have faded to brown at the tips. This is the Tree-Teal of the Ajo district, where it is quite plentiful and very tame and confiding, many being seen perched on the eucalyptus trees close to the buildings. There also it breeds, placing the nest on the top of those of Bolbo- rhynchus monachus, and laying five or six eggs. It probably carries the young down after hatching, although I have been unable to detect it in the act, but I have more than once seen the whole brood following the parent, who will often affect lameness or other injury to entice the intruder away. Its habit here of breeding in trees does not appear to have been recorded in other localities, and Hudson, in ‘Arrgentine Ornithology, mentions it as breeding on the ground. The call is a harsh scraping quack, continually repeated when on the wing ; the flight being very swift and twisting when threading its way through trees. The bird seems perfectly at home on the branches of the trees, where, when not on the water, I have always seen it resting. I did not obtain the eggs, owing to the inaccessible positions of most of the Parrots’ nests, but there is a clutch of six in the collection of Miss Runnacles; these are of a pale cream-colour and slightly glossed, and measure :— axis 1°88 to 2°11 in., diam. 1*4 to 1°5. The nest was lined with down, and this one was placed on a Parrot’s nest in a small tala tree. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 347 219. QUERQUEDULA VERSICOLOR. Querquedula versicolor Arg. Orn. il. p. 181; Salvad. Cat. B. xxvii. p. 291. a. 6 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 20, 1908. b. o ad. P > dan. 27,1909: (be ere A ae: Fe » Mar. 8-80, 1909. Trides dark brown ; bill, upper mandible yellow at base, apical half and cutting-edge electric blue, culmen and tip black ; lower mandible electric blue, nail black, soft skin blackish; legs and toes ashy. The March female is much worn and starting to moult ; the male, on the other hand, is in perfect plumage. 220. QuERQUEDULA BRASILIENSIS. Querquedula brasiliensis Arg. Orn. i. p. 133. Nettion brasiliense Salvad. Cat. B. xxvii. p. 266. a,b. 6 9 ad. Medano, Paraguay. Sept. 17, 1909. 3. Irides brown; bill dull dark crimson-red; legs and toes rich tomato-red. 2. Irides brown; bill dark olive-brown ; legs and toes not nearly so bright as in male. This Duck was commonly observed throughout Paraguay and Brazil, usually in pairs; it has a low swift flight with the wings depressed, and looks exceedingly pretty as the sunlight catches the glossy wings. 221. Darita SPINICAUDA. Dajfila spinicauda Arg. Orn. ii, p. 134; Salvad. Cat. B. XXVll. p. 279. a,b. 6 & 2 yg. Cape San Antonio. Dec. 21, 1908. c,d. 8 2 ad. & yg. Los Ynglases, Ajé. April 6, 1909. e. 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. April 13, 1909. In the pair of adults before me I can see no difference in general, including the top of the head, except that the female has the wing-speculum dull bronzy brown mottled with brown. Inides dark brown; bill black and greenish yellow, brightest near gape; legs and toes olive-grey. 348 Mr.C.H.B.Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, The only difference between the pair of young shot in December lies in the male having a considerably darker speculum ; both are moulting on the back. The young female taken in April is moulting all over, except for the wings, and has already assumed the rufescent head, breast, and back feathers of the adult; the speculum is pale brown, blackish where it adjoins the light tips and on the inner webs. This is perhaps the commonest! Duck on the pampas of the Ajo district; at the time that the thistle-seed is ripe (January to April) enormous flocks visit the open camps, resting by day on the lagunas, where excellent shooting can be obtained at the regular morning and evening flights. It breeds in the district, placing the nest under any convenient tuft of grass, thistle, &c., in the opencamp; the structure is lined with down and six to nine eggs are laid. The bird sits closely, and usually only rises when one’s horse almost steps on the nest. Thirteen eggs were brought home, collected on Oct. 22nd, 1909, at Ajo. They measure: axis 2:0 to 3:3 in, diam. 1°41 to 1°55. 222. DAFILA BAHAMENSIS, Dafila bahamensis Arg. Orn. i. p. 135. Pecilonetta bahamensis Salvad. Cat. B. xxvii. p. 282. a. g@ ad. Luiconia, Ajé. Feb. 23, 1909. Inides crimson ; bill black, slaty at tip, basal patch red ; legs and toes ash-coloured. 223. MaReEca SIBILATRIX. Mareca sibilatrie Arg. Orn. ii, p. 185; Salvad. Cat. B. XXV1l..p. 256. a,b. § 2 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 15-23, 1908. c. o ad. 2 Jan. 19, 1910. Irides dark brown ; bill, upper mandible blue slate- coloured, tip next to feathers and lower mandible black ; legs and toes blue-grey. The January bird is shewing considerable signs of wear and is beginning to moult. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil, 349 224. SPATULA PLATALEA. Spatula platalea Arg. Orn. ii. p. 136 ; Salvad. Cat. B. xxvii. p. 316. a. g ad. Laguna de Milan, Ajo. Nov. 15, 1908. 6b. d ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Apr. 6, 1908. ce. 6 ad. Colonia Mihanovitch, N. Argentine. Aug. 13, 1909. Irides white; bill black ; legs and toes ochre-yellow, with black spots on some of the jeiuts. The November bird is in perfect plumage and the August example is shewing signs of considerable wear. The April bird is in almost full plumage, still moulting on the body ; the old feathers shewing no signs of eclipse plumage. 225. MuTOPIANA PEPOSACA. Metopiana peposaca Arg. Orn. il. p. 137; Salvad. Cat. B. XXVil. p. 332. a,b. 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 22, 1908. Cras & lead. eA 55 Dec. 20, 1908. 3d. Irides rich orange ; bill lilac, tip black, knob pale tomato-red shading into the lilac, pomt of gape black; legs and toes palish yellow-ochre. ?. Irides dark brown ; bill blue-slate-coloured, tip black ; legs and toes pale clear brown. This is the most uncertain of all Ducks inthe Ajo district, considerable numbers being often seen where for weeks hardly one can be flushed. It has a strong flight and is always rather wary, and has a loud hoarse “quack.” It breeds here, but I have only taken two sets of eggs, and both of these were in the nests of Fudica and contained the eggs of that bird also ; the natives say this is the usual custom of the bird, and assert that the Coot brings off the young. Sixteen eggs were brought home, and these measure: axis w20 to 2°o mm, diam. 1°72:to 1°75; 226. ERISMATURA VITTATA. Erismatura ferruginea Arg. Orn. 11, p. 138. Erismatura vittata Salvad. Cat. B. xxvu. p. 450. SER, IX.—VOL. V. 2B 350 Mr. Walter Rothschild on a,b. 9 ad. los Ynglases, Aj6. Oct. 8, 1908. Trides dark brown ; bill dark olive-brown, lower mandible marked with yellow; legs and toes dark ash-coloured. Both specimens are moulting on the body and tail. This Duck is not commonly observed in the Aj6 district, where it frequents the open water surrounded by reeds. On being alarmed it dives after the manner of a Grebe, and I have never seen it take to the wing. When swimming, the tail is held upright and the body hes very low in the water, which almost closes over the shoulders. [To be continued. | X.—On recently described Paradiseidie, with Notes on 2] some other new Species. By Waurer Roruscutitp, Ph.D., M.B.O.U. (Plates V. & VI.) Since the appearance in 1898 of my “ Paradiseide” in ‘Das Tierreich,’ there have been described sixteen new species and subspecies of Birds of Paradise; of these one, in my opinion, is a hybrid, which would thus leave fifteen new species and subspecies. This continual stream of new forms of Paradiseide shews that we have very little final knowledge of the avitauna of huge tracts of that wonderful island New Guinea. Before the publication of my “ Paradiseide”’ we kuew the eggs of only sixteen Birds of Paradise, viz., Ptilonorhynchus violaceus (1889), mm.; metatarsus 42°5 mm. Habitat. Dutch New Guinea. IANTHOTHORAX MIRABILIS (Reichen.). Paradisea mirabilis Keichenow, Orn. Monatsb. ix. p. 186 (1901); Journ. f. Orn. 1902, pl. 1. Tanthothorax mirabilis Rothsch. Bull. B. O. C. xiii. p. 31 (1903). 3 ad. Head, occiput, chin, throat, and sides of head and throat covered with a thick mass of close, small, velvety, scale- like feathers, glittering steel-blue ; hind-neck, interscapulium, and upper back blackish steel-blue. Lower two-thirds of back and upper tail-coverts liver-brown intermixed with blackish ; tail sooty black-brown, outer webs saturated and washed with steel-blue, central rectrices narrow and pointed, about one inch longer than the rest, bright steel-blue. Qnills deep brown, rest of wings and upper wing-coverts liver-brown intermixed with brownish black. Breast and upper abdomen deep velvety purplish brown, flanks paier ; lower abdomen yellowish grey, streaked with purple-brown. Elongated flank-plumes yellowish grey, washed with pale clay-brown. Wing 185-195 mm.; tail without central rectrices 130 mm., central rectrices 155 mm.; elongated flank-plumes exceed central rectrices by 211 mm.; culmen 46 mm. ; meta- tarsus 50 mm. Habitat. German and Dutch New Guinea. recently described Paradiseidee. 359 The description is taken from the type, which, together with the only other known skin, is in the Tring Museum. The type has the two central rectrices missing, but these are preseut in the second example—a legless, flat, Arfak skin. The latter only differs from the type in having the five pairs of outer rectrices much paler brown, only glossed with steel- blue. As, however, this gloss is confined to one side of the tail, it shews the bird to be less adult than the type, and so I cannot attribute the paler tail to anything but youth. Prof. Reichenow has described this bird under the generic appellation of Paradisea, and has stated that it is probably a hybrid between Paradisea minor and Seleucides ignotus ! Genus NErOPARADISEA. . Central tail-feathers intermediate between those of Para- disea and Diphyllodes ; outer webs longest and green, curved downwards as in Paradisea, not inwards and crossed as in Diphyllodes. Bill as in Diphyllodes, but nostrils larger and covered by nasal plumes, though less so than in Diphyllodes. Virst primary short and pointed, second twice as long as the first, fourth primary longest, not fifth as in most other Paradiseide. Feathers on head and neck as in Paradisea. Flank-plumes short, not reaching to the end of primaries, but of the same structure as in Paradisea. One species: N, ruysi Van Oort. ~ Note.—The short flank-plumes denote a certain relation- ship to lanthothorax. Mr. Van Oort considers the type of N. ruyst immature, but in view of the singularly immature appearance of per- fectly adult specimens of Lamprothoraxv and Lanthothoraz, it is quite clear to my mind that the bird is fully adult. NeoparabDisea RUysI Van Oort. Neoparadisea ruysi Van Oort, Notes Leyd. Mus. xxviii. p- 129 (1906-07). 3 ad. Chin and throat black with pnrplish-green gloss ; fore-neck and breast blackish brown with a purplish-blue gloss, each feather of the breast fan-shaped at its apex, 360 Mr. Walter Rothschild on brownish with metallic purplish-blue margin; belly and under tail-coverts blackish brown, the feathers of the latter with pale centres. On the flanks are tufts of loose orna- mental plumes, sooty brown with the barbs of the anterior portions whitish brown ; these ornamental flank-plumes do not reach end of wing. Forehead greenish black ; head and neck covered with short, dense, pile-like feathers, brownish yellow margined with greenish black. Hind-neck and back bright orange-brown; rump and upper tail-coverts olive-brown ; tail fuscous brown with a purple gloss. Wings dusky brown glossed with purple; outer web of quills with broad orange-brown margins, inner webs with sandy-yellow edges. Wing 150 mm.; tail without central feathers 90 mm., central tail-feathers 360 mm.; metatarsus 42 mm. Habitat. Warsembo, west coast of Geelvink Bay, Dutch New Guinea. SELEUCIDES IGNOTUS AURIPENNIS. Seleucides ignotus auripennis Schliiter, Falco, 1911, p. 2. 3d ad. Differs from that of S. wgnotus ignotus in having a shorter wing and slenderer shorter bill; the lateral plumes are deeper and more golden yellow, and the green edges to the lateral feathers of the breast-shield are wider. ? ad. and g juv. Differ from those of S. ignotus ignotus in having the under side darker brown, the blackish-brown bars blacker and closer together, wing and bill shorter. Habitat. German New Guinea and North coast of Dutch New Guinea east of the Ambernok River. Genus PsEUDASTRAPIA. Tail as in Falcinellus, but shorter, stiffer, and straighter ; bill almost straight as in Astrapia, not long and sickle- shaped ; feathering of forehead continued along the bill and concealing the nostrils ; a light-coloured (yellow) fleshy lobe or wattle above and below the angle of the gape. Two species: P. lobata Rothsch. and P. ellioli (Ward). Note.—On re-examining the type of P. ed/ioti I found that it had the short, almost straight bill and the wattled gape recently described Paradiseide. 561 of Pseudastrapia as well as the shorter and stiffer tail, and so it must be taken out of the genus Falcinellus and placed in the above-mentioned genus. 1. PsrUDASTRAPIA LOBATA. Pseudastrapia lobata Rothschild, Bull. B. O. C. xxi. p. 25 C1907). 3 immat. General colour dull black ; forehead with bottle- green gloss ; the elongated middle rectrices with a metallic steel-blue gloss as in Falcinellus meyert. and drawn out into long, narrow points, not abruptly cuneate as in Pseudastrapia elliott. Bill and feet black. The wattles at the gape appear to have been pale yellow, not orange as in P. elliot. Wing 187 mm.; middle rectrices 395, lateral rectrices 122 mm.; culmen 42 mm.; metatarsus 46 mm. Habitat. Dutch New Guinea. 2. PsEUDASTRAPIA ELLIoTI (Ward). Epimachus ellioti Ward, P. Z. 8. 1873, p. 742; Elliot, Monogr. Parad. pl. xx. (1873); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. ii. p. 163 (1877); Gould, B. New Guinea, i. pl. viii. (1880) ; Sharpe, Monogr. Parad. pl. xvi. (1896); Meyer, Ibis, ii. (6) p. 418 (1890). Falcinellus elliott Rothsch. Das Tierreich, Aves, Lief. i1. p. 29 (1898). ASTRAPIA ROTHSCHILDI. Astrapia rothschildi Foerster & Rothschild, Two new Birds of Paradise, p. 2 (1906). 3g ad. Similar to A. nigra, but the metallic border to the byeast-shield is more fiery red and only reaches to the upper edge of the shield, Nor, as in A. nigra, to below the eye. The postocular black fan-shaped tufts of A. nigra are absent in the present species. The lunated flank-feathers have a narrow subterminal metallic-coppery band, followed by a terminal green one, Nor a broader entirely green terminal band as in A. nigra. The feathers on the hind-neck and lower nape appear duller in colour, each feather having a subterminal glittering green band followed by a terminal 362 Mr. Walter Rothschild on band of purplish bronze, while in A. niyra these feathers have a broad terminal band of glittering green. Breast- shield, head, and throat glossed with bright greenish steel- blue instead of purple. Wing 182-191 mm.; tail 430-485 mm.; culmen 38- 39 mm.; metatarsus 44-46 mm. ? ad. Similar to A. nigra, but more black in colour, and the breast more extensively barred with vermiculate pale bars. Wing 166 mm. ; tail 250-290 mm.; culmen 388-39 mm. ; metatarsus 43-45 mm. Habitat. Rawlinson Mts., German New Guinea (MW ahnes coll.). Note.—It will strike many that I am inconsistent in not treating Astrapia rothschildi and A. stephanie as subspecies of A. nigra, but the structure of the plumage of the males is different, and though they undoubtedly represent one another geographically, 1 do not feel justified in uniting them as three subspecies. CiciNNURUS LyoGyRus Currie. Cicinnurus lyogyrus Currie, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xxi. p. 497 (L900), Patria ignota. Differs from C. reyius (Linn.) in having the pectoral shield nearly four times as long as in the latter, it being almost as long as broad; frontal plumes shorter, not pro- jecting forward beyond middle of bill and not obscuring the the contour of the skull ; tail emarginate instead of rounded ; outer web at end of central tail-shafts only two-thirds as wide near base, the width uniform for the greater part of its length, instead of narrowing rapidly to the tip, much more loosely coiled; the apical portion of the naked crossed tail-shafts divergent instead of convergent. The crimson of the back is darker; crown and forehead orange-verm:lion, not orange-chrome ; pectoral tufts smaller, darker, and sub- terminal buff line on each plume much narrower, darker, and less conspicuous ; pectoral shield, except a narrow edging on lower border, and tips of central tail-feathers grass-green, not emerald-green, and the tips of the pectoral recently described Paradiseidee. 363 plumes are narrowly tipped with yellowish emerald-green, not broadly tipped with golden green. Primaries of a duller orange-rufous. Measurements given by the author :— Wing 200 mm. (evident misprint for 100 mm.) ; tail without central tail-feathers 48 mm., tail with central feathers unrolled 330 mm.; culmen 42 mm.; metatarsus 50 mm.; middle toe 37 mm. Through the kindness of the authorities of the U.S. National Museum, I have been able to examine the type of this species. The width of the green pectoral shield, the shape of the tail and middle rectrices, and the dark colour of the forehead (which is as dark as in C. regius coccineiformis), are very striking characters, and it is a great pity that the locality whence this bird came is unknown. By some curious mistake most of the measurements in the description are wrong. The wing measures 102, and not 200, the tail with the central feathers unrolled 167, and not 300, the culmen 22, and the metatarsus 30 mim. Habitat. Unknown. CiIcINNURUS GOODFELLOW! Grant. Cicinnurus goodfellowi Grant, Bull. B. O, C. xix. p. 39 (1907). Differs from C. /yogyrus in having the upper parts of a bright orange-crimson, paler than in C. regius; chin and upper parts of the throat orange-red, shading into dull crimson with purple reflexions on the lower throat and fore- neck ; in lacking all trace of the buff tips to the feathers of the fore-neck, which in C. lyogyrus and C. regius form a marked convex line dividing the dull crimson of the fore- neck from the green of the upper breast ; and in having the flank-feathers dark sooty brown glossed with coppery purple. Iris dark brown; bill yellow; feet dark cobalt-blue. Culmen 27°5 mm.; wing 102°5; central tail-feathers 190 mm.; metatarsus 32°5 mm. Habitat. Cyclops Mts., 3000 ft., Humboldt Bay, Dutch New Guinea. Note——In my opinion this bird is nothing more than 364 Mr. Walter Rothschild ox a hybrid between Cicinnurus regius and Diphyliades gulielmi-tertii. It is exactly intermediate as regards tail, breast-shield, and flanks. PARADISEA APODA GRANTI North. Paradisea granti North, Vict. Nat. xxu. p. 147 (1906). dg ad. Intermediate between P. a. intermedia and P. a. auguste@-victorie. Above rich straw-colour; sides of lower back vinous brown ; scapulars and lesser wing-coverts vinous brown, with an ashy shade and washed with straw-colour; median coverts rich straw-colour ; greater coverts and quills chestnut-brown washed with straw-colour ; tail chestnut-brown, the two central feathers elongated, and similar in the terminal portion to P. intermedia; crown of head, neck, and a broad collar on lower throat rich straw-yellow ; base of forehead, lores, cheeks, and throat metallic green; chin velvety black glossed with dull metallic green ; fore-neck and upper breast very dark vinous brown, the plumage like rich velvet pile as in P. auguste-victorie ; remainder of under surface, thighs, and under tail-coverts vinous brown; elongated flank-plumes reddish orange, gradually becoming paler till the elongated tips are orange-white, the shorter side-plumes being mixed with some feathers tipped with blood-red. Bill bluish horn- coloured ; legs and feet (in skin) brown. Wing 175 mm.; tail without central rectrices 150 mm., central rectrices 500 mm. ; flank-plumes 475 mm.; culmen 35 mm.; metatarsus 40 mm. Habitat. South-East German New Guinea ? Manucopta ATRA ALTERA Rothsch. & Hartert. Manucodia ater altera Rothschild & Hartert, Novit. Zool. x. pp. 84, 85 (1903). M. atra altera differs from M. atra atra in having the head less greenish, the bill much stouter and higher and generally longer, and the wing much longer. Wing: M. a. atra, 168-188 mm.; M. a. altera, 193- 206mm. Culmen: M. a. atra, 35-40 mm.; M. a. altera, 40-44 mm. recently described Paradiseide. 365 Halitat. M. atra atra: Dutch and German New Guinea, Waigiou, Batanta, Salwatty, &c. M. atra altera: Aru Islands, British New Guinea, and the Eastern Papuan Islands. ManvucopIa CHALYBATA ORIENTALIS Salvad. Manucodia orientalis Salvad. Ann. Mus. Civ. Geu. (2) xvi. p- 103 (1896). Manucodia chalybata orientalis Rothschild & Hartert, Novit. Zool. x. p. 85 (1903). Differs from M. chalybata chalybata in its much smaller size and smaller beak. FTabitat, German and British New Guinea. Note.—This subspecies was accidentally omitted from my “ Paradiseide.”’ Complete List of the Paradiseidie. ] Ptilonorhynchus violaceus ( Vevll.). 2: /Elureedus viridis (Lath.). 3. re melanotis melanotis (G. 2. Gray). 3a. * ¥ 59 arfakianus A. B. Meyer. 36, ** _ - melanocephalus Rams. 3¢. nf is maculosus Rams. A, * - buccoides buecoides (Temm.). 4 a, #8? P 3 ; geislerorum 4, B. Meyer. 4b, ** * 3 stonei Sharpe. 5. Scenopceetes dentirostris Rams. 6. ***?P Chlamydera cerviniventris J. Gould, 7, **RP af lauterbachi Reichenovw. 8. ‘3 maculata maculata (J. Gould), 8a, 3 guttata J, Gould. 9. 5) nuchalis nuchalis (Jard. § Selby). 9a. 3 _ orientalis J. Gould. 10. * Xanthomelus aureus aureus (Linn.). 10a, **?? 6 , ardens Ald, § Salvad. 11. **PP Amblyornis inornatus (Sch/.). ae = subalaris subalaris Shipe. 12 a. ¥** a 4 eermanus Rothsch, 13. *P flavifrons Rothsch. 14, Sericulus chrysocephalus (Lewin). 15. Prionodura newtoniana de Vis. 16, *! Loboparadisea sericea Rothsch. 17. ** Cnemophilus macgregori de Mis. 18. ¥** Loria lorie Salvad. SER. [X.——-VOL. V. Cis) Qa BO, 36 6. a" 2) 6 an ol a. 37 6. 38. 39. oo a. 40. 4], 4l a. 42. 43. 44, 45. 46. 47. 48, 49, AD a, HO, Mr. Walter Rothschild on * Paradigalla carunculata Less. ** Macgregoria pulehra de Vis. * Parotia sefilata sefilata (Penn.). se 5 5» lawesi Rams. i s » helen de Vs. BER » Wahnesi Rothsch. * » carole carole A. B. Meyer. i 3 » berlepschi Kletnschm. ‘3 r », meeki Rothsch. * » duwivenbodei Rothsch. * Lophorina superba superba (Penn.). lz x » minor Rams. Sa 5, latipennis Rothsch. * Bion wannore alberti 4d. B. Meyer. *! Lamprothorax wilhelmine A. B. Meyer. *? Tanthothorax bensbachi Diittikofer. EERO 3 mirabilis (Reichenow). *o Loborhamphus nobilis Rothsch. ee re ptilorhis Sharpe. *? Neoparadisea ruysi Fan Oort. **2oParyphephorus duivenbodei (4. B. Meyer). Ptilorhis paradisea paradisea Sie. ¥ victories J. Gould. * 7 mantoui (Oust.). EPP » magnifica magnifica ( Viedll.). we a Bs intercedens Sharpe. . 55 alberti Eliot. * Drepanornis albertisi albertisi (Sc/.). ee 5 of cervinicauda Scl. KK 3 * geisleri 4. B. Meyer. * 3 bruijni Oust. #*#P? Seleucides ignotus ignotus (Forst.). is » auripennis Schlit. *? Falcinellus astrapioides Rothsch. . * ‘ striatus striatus (Bodd.). ek . 5» meyer (Lensch). *» Pseudastrapia lobata Rothsch. Oo a ellioti ( Ward). * Astrapia nigra (Gm.)}, ik ee rothschildi Pverster. eS re stephanie (Linsch §& Meyer). %* a splendidissima Ltothsch. * Schlegelia wilsoni (Cass.). *#*?? Cicinnurus regius regius (Linn.). » coecineitrons Rothsch. lyogyrus Currie. ) “OD : ” recently described Paradiseide. 367 51. *2 Cicinnurus goodfellowi Grant (=Cicinnurus regius x Diphyl- lodes gulielmi-tertii). 52. * Diphyllodes magnificus magnificus (Penn.). 52a. *P? 55 - chrysopterus J. Gould. 526, ***PP Fe 5a hunsteini A. B. Meyer. 53. ***??P an gulielmi-tertii A. B. Meyer. 54. Semioptera wallacei wallacei (G. 2. Gray). 54 a. Pp i halmahers Salvad. 5). Paradisea apoda apoda Linn. boa, * » nove guiner Alb. § Salvad. 55 6, *** 55 »» augustee-victoriz Cab. 550, ***! os » granti Nerth. bod, ** % ,, intermedia de Vis. 55e ** . » ragejana Sel. 56. * s minor minor G. Shaw. 56 a, *** ‘) » finschi 4d. B. Meyer. 56 0. 3 4) jobiensis Rothsch. 57. A decora Salvin § Godm. DS. ***o es maria Reichenow (=Paradisea gulielmi x P. apoda augustee-victorie). a, *** gulielmi Cad. 60. ** . rudolphi (Fisch). 61, rubra Daud. 62. ***?? Manucodia atra atra (Less.). 62 a. * 5, altera Rothsch. § Hartert. 63. * F chalybata chalybata (Penn.). 63 a. RPP A “ orientalis Salvad. 63 d. es op jobiensis Salvad. 63e * r 5 rubiensis 4d. B. Mever. 64, 3 comrii Sel, 65. * Phonygammus keraudreni keraudreni (Less. § Garnier). C5 a. . 95 gouldi (@. R. Gray). 655. ** rs jamesi Sharpe. 65, - es hunsteini Sharpe. 66. Lycocorax pyrrhopterus pyrrhopterus (p.). 66 a. 3 ) morotensis Schd, 66d. is se obiensis Bernst. Note.—The species marked with one star come from Dutch, those with rwo stars from British, and those with THREE stars from German New Guinea. Those with no star are from various adjacent islands or Australia. The addition to the stars of a query means known from unique specimen, of © from two specimens, and ! from three specimens. Where a form occurs in several places a double query follows the stars. a Oe 368 Red Grouse on the Continent. XI.—A Note concerning Red Grouse on the Continent. By W. Somervitie, Professor of Rural Economy, Oxford. Ir is no doubt within the knowledge of many that the Red Grouse (Lagopus scoticus) of the British Isles has been successfully introduced on the Continent, but it may not be so well known how remarkably the bird has thriven in its new quarters. In September last I had occasion to visit the Hohe Venn, that elevated region of moorland situated along the Germano-Belgian frontier south of Spa, and as I was aware that it was in this district that the experiment in acclimatization had been made, I naturally kept a look- out for examples of the bird, and ina short walk over a moor I flushed a strong covey. : The experiment has been watched with interest by con- tinental sportsmen, and its progress has been noted in various periodicals, amongst others, ‘Das Waidwerk im Wort und Bild, 1896, pp. 81 & 161, ‘Die Allgemeine Forst und Jagd Zeitung,’ 1901, p. 899, and ‘ Das Centralblatt fiir das gesammte Forstwesen,’ 1901, p. 323. From these we iearn that the first attempt was made in Kreis Malmedy by A. Barry-Herrfeldt, of Schloss Marteau, who in October 1893 liberated some birds, which, however, only survived a fort- night. In the following December another attempt was made, but it also ended in failure. In August 1894 the same experimenter imported fifty pairs, and by the autumn of 1895 they or their progeny had spread all over the Hohe Venn. By 1901 the number of birds in the two “ Kreise”’ of Malmedy and Montjoin was estimated at 1000 head, and this in spite of regular shooting for some seasons. The successful outcome of the experiment has had a marked effect on the sporting value of land in the neigh- bourhood, shooting rents having risen greatly in value. As regards close time, and penalties for killing out of season or by illegal methods, Belgium and Germany have practically bracketed the Grouse with the Partridge—that is to say, it is protected from December 1 to August 31—the penalty for killing a bird out of season being M.6 in Germany, and presumably about the same in Belgium. Obituary. 369 XIL.— Obituary. Captain Suetiey, Dr. A. B. Meyer, Mr. W. E. D. Scorr, and Dr. Cart Parrot. Captain Grorce Ernest SHELLEY. Captain SHELLEY, who died at Bournemouth on the 29th of Noveinber last after a long illness, was the youngest son of the late Mr. John Shelley, of Avington, Hants, the poet’s younger brother. He was born in 1840 and educated privately in England, after which (1852 to 1855) he studied in France at the Lycée de Versailles. In 1862 he attended courses of Lectures on Applied Mechanics by Professor Tyndall and on Geology by Professor Ramsay. In March of that year he was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society. Shelley joined the Grenadier Guards in 1863, but his gifted and scientific mind, and an aptitude for research, seemed to unfit him for the monotonous routine of a soldier’s life, and after a few years’ service in the Guards, he retired with the rank of Captain. A short time afterwards he was attached to a Commission sent out by the Government to South Africa, to initiate a geological survey. Captain Shelley would, in all probability, have made his mark as a geologist, if circumstances had not diverted his attention to Ornithology, which henceforward became the chief and absorbing interest of his fe. In 1872 he published his ‘ Handbook to the Birds of Egypt,’ which was followed, in 1880, by his ‘ Monograph of the Nectarinidz, or Family of Sun-birds.” This was a handsome quarto volume, pre- fusely illustrated by the artist Keulemans. This work was the result of frequent expeditions to the African Continent and many years’ study of bird-life in Australia, Burma, and the Portuguese Settlements in Angola. When Captain Shelley first visited the Ethiopian region little was known about the avifauna of this “ metropolis of birds,” where, as he tells us, “every bush resounds with their melody.” The materials dealt with in that sumptuous volume on the 370 Obituary. Sun-birds were published in Parts, from July 28, 1876, to February 1880. The Family of the Nectariniide, he tells us, inhabits Africa, Madagascar and the neighbouring islands, Palestine, Southern Asia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, the Plilip- pines, Celebes, New Guinea, North Australia, and the >apuan and Moluccan Archipelagos. They are not found in Europe or North Africa, Northern Asia, nor in any portion of the Western Hemisphere. Captain Shelley’s first attraction towards the family of Sun-birds took place in Nubia, where he fell in with “the first truly tropical form of bird that he had ever procured.” “The sense of pleasure ”—as he tells us—‘ with which I preserved my first specimens of this beautiful little bird on the banks of the Nile above the First Cataract, and the engaging habits of the species, impressed me so much that on all my subsequent visits to the African Continent I paid especial attention to the Sun-birds in every country I visited.” In 1870, Captain Shelley heard that the late Marquis of Tweeddale and Mr. Bowdler Sharpe contemplated the production of a Monograph of the Nectariniidee, and it was only on their making no signs in this direction that, after the lapse of some years, he commenced to write his now famous work. To employ his own words: ‘If IT have succeeded in reducing the family to a better state of order than it before exhibited, it is in a great measure due to the kindly assistance which I have received from ornithologists in all parts of the world; while at the same time I feel that I have left no stone unturned, nor spared any pains in my endeavour to make my Monograph as complete as circumstances would allow.’ Captain Shelley was ably assisted by Dr. Bowdler Sharpe, who put him in the right road at the commencement, and lent him every sort of assistance throughout, wherever doubtful points required advice. The late Marquis of Tweeddale generously placed the whole of his valuable collection of Sun-birds at Shelley’s service. This included a large number of examples of the scarce Philippine forms, without which the work would have been imperfect. So great an undertaking required encouragement, especially at Obituary. o7 1 the outset, and Dr. Giinther gave Shelley every assistance at the British Museum, besides the stimulus he needed. Captain Shelley was an excellent shot and was never happier than when in pursuit of specimens of rare birds, which he collected for the information of ornithologists in all parts of the world. In 1896 Shelley published the first volume of his ‘ Birds of Africa,’ a work intended to consist of a series of handy volumes dealing with the Ethiopian Avifauna, each volume being in itself complete. Four volumes followed at intervals, but the first part of the fifth volume, which appeared in 1906, was destined to be the last from Shelley’s own pen, for a sudden illness, a stroke of paralysis, brought his labours to an end. When the first volume of ‘The Birds of Africa’ was published, Captain Shelley had sketched out the classification which he adopted down to the “ Keys of the Species,”’ which he had intended to bring out as the second volume of the Series. But as the number of known Ethiopian forms increased very rapidly he realized how imperfect these “Keys” would be by the time he came to write the histories of the species. He, therefore, decided to work out each family in a monographic form. The classification was compiled partly from Scebohm’s ‘ Classification of Birds,’ and partly from that proposed by Sharpe at the Ornithological Congress held at Buda-Pest in 1896. It is understood that arrangements have been made with Mr. W. L. Sclater, formerly Director of the South African Museum, Cape Town, and author of ‘The Fauna of South Africa,’ to complete Captain Shelley’s work. Captain Shelley was for many years an active member of the British Ornithologists’ Union, and from 1870 to 1894 made numerous contributions, chiefly on African birds, to the pages of ‘The Ibis, as will be seen by our List of his principal publications. He possessed great natural abilities, with something of that genius which has made the family- name famous. Gifted as he was by nature, he might have turned his mind to anything, and would have made his mark 379 Obituary. in almost any direction. He possessed a wonderful memory, an infinite capacity for taking pains, and a facility for literary expression, attributes in which he resembled his celebrated uncle, the Poet. In youth he strongly resembled the Poet jn personal appearance, a fact imparted to the present writer, nearly fifty years ago, by one who remembered to have seen the young poet at Field Place. To the last hour of his life Captain Shelley was distinguished by that inborn gentleness, modesty, and courteous bearing which constitute, ‘in the highest sense, the well-born gentleman. It was the same quality in the persecuted poet which, after Shelley’s death, evoked the verdict of Byron, and the same may be said with equal truth of his nephew: “ Shelley ”’—said Byron—“ was, in every situation in life, always the perfect gentleman.” Captain Shelley was for many years well known as a first- rate pigeon-shot. We once heard him playfully remark, “YT shew my love for dicky-birds by killmg them!” As a pigeon-shot he won many trophies at Hurlingham, at the Gun Club, and at Monte Carlo. In 1889, Captain Shelley married Janet, daughter of the late Mr. KE, Andrewes, who, with two sons and a daughter, survives him. R. Epecumse. APPENDIX. List of the late Captain Shelley’s principal Publications. 1870. THE Isrs. Letter on Elanus ceruieus, p. 149. Description of Two new Birds from Egypt, p. 445. 1871. THE Isis. Contributions to the Ornithology of Egypt, pp. 38, 131, 309. 1872. THE Isis. With T. E. Buckiey. Two montbs’ Bird-collecting on the Gold Coast, p. 281. A Handbook to the Birds of Eevpt. Obituary. ; 373 1873. Tur Isrs. Descriptions of Six new Species of West African Birds, p. 158. 1874. Tue Ibis. Description of a new Timaliine Bird from West Africa, p. 89. Note on Dryotriorchis, a new Genus of Harrier-Eagles from West Africa, p. 90. THE Isrs. Three Months on the Coast of South Africa, p. 59. A few stray Notes on African Birds, p. 379. T3879. Proc. Zoo. Soc. On a Collection of Birds from the Comoro Islands, p. 673. Descriptions of Two new Species of African Birds, p. 679, 1880. THE I[Brs. Descriptions of Four new Species of Hast African Birds, p. 333, A Monograph of the Nectariniide, or Fainily of Sun-birds. 1881, Tue Isrs. On new Species of East Africn Birds, p. 115. Proc. Zoot. Soc. List of Birds recently collected by Dr. Kirk in Eastern Africa, p. 561, 1882. Proc. Zoon, Soc. List of Birds recently collected by Dr. Kirk in Eastern Africa, p. 304. List of the Birds sent home by Mr. Joseph Thomson from the River Xovuma, East Africa, p. 302. On some new Species of Birds from South Africa, p. 336, TuE Inrs, On a Collection of Birds made by Mr. J. 8. Jameson in South- Eastern Africa, with Notes by Mr. T. Ayres, pp. 236, 349. 1883. Tue Isis. 2s On the Columbide of the Ethiopian Region, p. 258. A List of the Birds collected by the late Mr. W. A. Forbes in the Niger Region, p. 538. 374 . Obituary. 188 4. Proc. Zoou. Soc. On Five new or little-known Species of East African Birds, repre- sented in Mr. H. H. Johnston’s First Collection from the Kilima- njaro District, p. 554. THE I[srs. On Two new Species of Birds from Africa, p. 45. 1885. Proc. Zoou. Soc. With H. H. Jounsron, On the Collection of Birds made by Mr. H. UH. Johnston in the Kilima-njaro District ; with Field-notes by Mr. H. H. Johnston, EH R.G3S.,p: 222. Tur Isis. Review of the Species of the Family Coliide, p. 807. On Mr. Lort Phillips’s Collection of Birds from Somaliland, p. 889. 1886 and 1887. Tue Ibis. A Review of the Species of the Family Ploceidée of the Ethiopian Region, 1886, p. 801; 1887, p. 1. Description of a rare Species of Plover from the Cameroons Coast, 1887, p. 417. Proc, Zoou. Soc. With H. H. Jounsron. On a Collection of Birds made by Mr. H. H. Johnston in the Cameroons Mountain, 1887, p. 122. Appendix to Capt. A. Moloney’s ‘Sketch of the Forestry of West Africa,’ containing Ornithology, Coleoptera, and Diurnal Lepidoptera of the Gambia. 1887. 1888. Proc. Zoon. Soc. On a Collection of Birds made by Emin Pasha in Equatorial Africa, jae be Tue Ibis. On the Hornbills of the Ethiopian Region, p. 47. List of Birds collected by Mr. F. J. Jackson in Eastern Africa, p. 287. Bird-portion of F. L. James’s ‘The Unknown Horn of Africa: an }’xploration from Berbera to the Leopard River.’ Obituary. One 1889. Proc. Zoon. Soc. On the Birds collected by Mr, H. C. V. Hunter, I’.Z.8., in Fastern Africa, p. 356. Tue Isis. On some new Genera and Species of the Family Capitonidee, p. 475. 1890. Tun Inis, On a Collection of Birds made by the late Mr. J. 8, Jameson on the Aruwhimi River, Upper Congo, p. 156. 1S Catalogues of the Picariz, Indicatoridwe, Capitonidee, Cuculide, and Musophagidee in the Collection of the British Museum, in vol. xix. of the Catalogue of Birds. 1893 and 1894. Tue I[Iis. List of Birds collected by Mr. Alexander Whyte, I.Z.S:, in Nyasa- land, 1893, p. 1; 1894, pp. 1, 461. 1896. Tue IIs. On a Collection of Birds from Mount Chiradzulu, in the Shiré Highlands, Nyasaland, p. 177. On a Collection of Birds made by Mr. Alfred Sharpe in the Zomba District of Nyasaland, p. 229. ee yi Tue Isis. On the Birds collected by Mr. A. Whyte during his Expedition to the Nyika Plateau in N. Nyasaland, p. 518. 1898. THE Isis. On the Final Collections of Birds made by Mr. A. Whyte in Nyasa- land, p. 376, A List of the Birds collected by Mr. Alfred Sharpe, C.B., in Nyasa- land, p. 551. 1899. Tue Ibis, On a Collection of Birds from the Vicinity of Zomba, British Central Africa, forwarded by Lt.-Col. W. H. Manning, with a Note by P, LeSelater, p.. 281: On a Collection of Birds from the Tanganyika Plateau, in British Central Africa, p. 564. 376 Recently published Ornithological Works. TION Tue Isis. On some Collections of Birds from the Protectorate of British Central Africa, received in 1899 and 1900, With an Introduction by P. L. Sclater, p. 161. : On a Collection of Birds from Nyasaland, p, 586. The Birds of Afriea, comprising all the Species which occur in the Ethiopian Region, Vols. i—v. pt. 1 (1896-1906), With much regret we have also to record the death of our Foreign Member, Dr. A. B. Meyer, and of two other Ornithologists, who, although not members of our Union, have done excellent work for our Science. ‘These are Mr. W. E. D. Scorr, the author of an important memoir on the Birds of Jamaica, published in ‘ The Auk? (1901-2), and other papers, and Dr. Cart Parrot, of Munich, the Founder of the “ Ornithologische Gesellschaft in Bayern,” and the Editor of its Journal. We hope to be able to give further-details on their work in our next number. ; XII.—Notices of recent Ornithological Publications. [Continued from p. 182.] 98. Allen on Brisson’s ‘ Genera of Birds? [Collation of Brisson’s Genera of Birds with those of Linneus. By J. A, Allen. Bull. American Mus. N. H. xxviii. p. 317 (1910).] This is a complete and most useful réswmé of the much- discussed question of the validity of Brisson’s generic names of Birds, which those who are interested in terminology should not fail to study carefully. To those who use the last and most perfect edition of the ‘Systema Nature’ as the commencement of Zoological Nomenclature it is not of such great importance. But, whatever may be the result, we believe that the “ Ultra-prioritarians,” being not agreed amongst themselves, will fail in their attempts to persuade the writers in Zoology to adopt a uniform nomenclature, Recently published Ornithological Works. 377 and that it is obvious in many cases to admit that the numerous changes of even the commonest names now pro- posed will not be generally recognised and that, in fact, they will only lead to more confusion. For example, Mr. Rich- mond wishes to change the name of the Tanagers of the genus “ Huphonia” to “ Tangara,” while Dr. Allen declares that the latter term should take the place of the name of the genus formerly called Calliste and more recently Calospiza. This suggestion, if carried out, would involve the alteration of some 50 or 60 names. There are many other cases of the same sort. With due respect, therefore, to Dr. Allen and fully recognising the good work that he has done, we cannot advise our friends to follow his lead in this matter, 29. ‘Annals of Scottish Natural History,’ [The Annals of Scottish Natural History. A Quarterly Magazine, with which is incorporated the ‘Scottish Naturalist.’ Oct. 1910, Jan. 1911.] In the first of these numbers Misses Baxter and Rintoul conclude their ‘ Report on Scottish Ornithology’ for 1909 with various notes from the ‘ Annals,’ the ‘Glasgow Natura- list, ‘ British Birds’ and elsewhere (cf. [bis, 1910, p. 731). The importance of their work cannot be overrated, as, though the occurrences of rare birds are usually recorded in the same magazine, we have here the whole series arranged in order, with short notes and references. The next article is by the Duchess of Bedford on two visits to the desolate island of North Rona, where the Fulmars and other birds seem to have increased greatly. Her Grace made a number of interesting observations on the avifauna, but was unsuccessful in trapping small mammals. Among the “ Zoological Notes” which conclude the number we find two of more than usual interest by Mr. Eagle Clarke and Mr. Harvie-Brown, with regard to fresh arrivals of Crossbills from abroad in the summer and autumn of 1910. We may also mention Mr. W. Evans’s note on the breeding of the Gadwall and Wigeon in the Forth area. In the January number Misses Baxter and Rintoul give o78 Recently published Ornithological Works. us the full particulars of their work in the Isle of May from September 2nd to October 18th, 1910. HNolbéll’s Redpoll and the Northern Bullfinch were procured after their departure, while the Siberian Chiffchaff, the Wood-Lark, and the Lapland Bunting were also new to the Forth area. Mr. Landsborough Thomson writes on the Heronries of “ Dee”; he suggests a census of the birds, and Mr. Harvie- Brown comments on thearticle. Inthe ‘ Zoological Notes” we have again two items of special interest by Mr. Eagle Clarkc—on the birds observed at Fair Isle in 1910, and on Crossbills, Mealy Redpolls, and Bullfinches in Scotland respectively. The new birds observed during the year at Fair Isle were Acanthis evtlipes, A, lnaria holboelli, Parus major, Cygnus Lewicki, Somateria spectabilis, Phalaropus fulicarius, and Totanus flavipes. The two first and the last are new to Scotland also. 30. ‘Aquila’ (Aquila. Zeitschrift fiir Ornithologie. Redact. Otto Herman. Tom, xvi. 1909; Tom. xvii. 1910. Buda-Pest.] It is, unfortunately, impossible in our limited space to enter fully into all the articles in these two fine volumes of our contemporary ; but we may mention the chief of them, which, as usual, treat mainly, though not entirely, of Bird Preservation and Migration. On the first of these subjects Messrs. T. Csorgey and W. Froggatt write of Hungary and Australia respectively, while on the latter we find a long series of good papers by such experts as Dr. O. Finsch, Messrs. J. Schenk, K. Hegyfoky, F. Victor, and J. Greschik. The Editor, Mr. Otto Herman, gives us a sketch of the work of the Hungarian Central Ornithological Bureau, and of the Vifth International Congress at Berlin, while he also writes an obituarial notice of the late Professor Newton and pub- lishes his correspondence with the Professor on Bird Protection. ‘Then we have articles on the food of Birds by Messrs. E. Csiki, I. Chernel, and J. Greschik; Mr. D. Lintia gives his experiences during a tour in the Dobrud- scha; and Mr. J. Schenk a report on Bird-marking in Recently published Ornithological Works. 379 Hungary for each year separately. Mr. Herman also writes on J. fF, Naumann’s visit to Hungary in the year 1835; and there are many other papers on individual species of birds and so forth, the most important of which seem to be those on the breeding of the Rosy Pastor in Hungary in 1909 and the great incursion of Crossbills in the same year, 31. ‘Avicultural Magazine,’ [Avicultural Magazine. Third Series. Vol. ii, Nos. 1-5 (November 1910-Mareh 1911).] The first four numbers of this volume contain several articles of general interest to Ornithologists besides those specially devoted to aviculture. Of these we may first mention Dr. Giinther’s account of the longevity of certain birds which he has kept (cf. Avicult. Mag. 1910, pp. 259, 299), and Mr. L. Seth-Smith’s notes on some interesting Uganda birds and their nests (Kilimanjaro Sun-bird, Paradise Flycatcher, Shelley’s Coly, Crested Crane, Emin’s Warbler, and so forth). The same writer and Mr. W. L. Sclater respectively write on Ross’s Touraco (col. pl.) and the Bromvogel (Bucorav cafer) in their native lands and in captivity ; while Mr. D. Seth- Smith discusses the case of the Common Quail and _ its destruction for culinary purposes. Lady William Cecil gives us her ornithological experiences in the Egyptian Desert, Dr. Butler a dissertation on the revelation of Ignorance by Knowledge, and Mr. D. Seth-Smith his usual important notes on the Zoological Gardens and their new acquisitions. Of more strictly avicultural papers we have those by Mr. R. Holden on a hybrid between Hyphantornis cucullatus and H. spilonotus, by Mr. G. Rattigan on the latter breeding in captivity, by Mr. Fasey on his Parrakeets, by Mr. Amsler on the nesting of Otccompsa jocosa, by Mr. St. Quintin on the Little Bustard, Australian Thicknee, and Common Scoter at his Scampston aviaries (especially the plumages of the firstenamed), by Mr. R. Phillipps on the breeding of Emblemma pictum, by Mr. A. Silver and Mr. J. L. Bonhote on Crossbills nesting in confinement (col. pl.), and by Mr. Warren-Vernon on captive Rheas. 880 Recently published Ornithological Works. Mrs. Stanley Flower pleads -for better surroundings for cage-birds, Mrs. Gregory writes on Pheasants and the Jay, and G. A. M. furnishes notes of a bird-keeper in Liguria. But perhaps we ought to consider as the chief asset in these numbers the commencement of a series of articles on “ Practical Bird-keeping.” The first, by Dr. Butler, is on the “Culture of Finches”; the second, by Mr. W: Teschemaker, on “ The British Warblers.”’ Such articles by well-known experts in the art will be of great interest and advantage to the avicultural public. 32. Beetham on the Spoonbill, White Stork, Common and Purple Herons. [The Home-Life of the Spoonbill, the Stork, and some Herons, By Bentley Beetham. London: Witherby & Co.,1910. 8vo, pp. 1-47, 32 pls. | This book is uniform with Mr. Macpherson’s ‘ Home Life ofa Golden Eagle’ (‘ Ibis,’ 1910, p. 207) and similarly illus- trated. The species treated in it have been more often watched at their breeding-quarters than the Hagle, and therefore less that is new can be brought forward, but Mr. Beetham has studied the birds with the greatest care, and has furnished us with a valuable summary of their habits, accompanied by excellent photographic reproductions of the nests, young, and parent birds under various circum- stances. The curvature of the mandibles of the Spoonbill, and its method of regurgitating food for the young are points upon which the author lays considerable stress, while he shews that young Storks, on the contrary, are fed with disgorged substances. A small tent was used to conceal the camera, as is generally found necessary in such work. 33. British Museum Collectors’ Instructions. [British Museum (Natural History). Instructions for Collectors. No. 2. Birds. 4th Ed., 1908.] This useful little pamphlet gives instructions for skinning birds, the instruments required, and the method of deter- mining the sex. It would have been still more useful if the collectors had been urged to procure specimens in all stages Recently published Ornithological Works. 381 of plumage, including those in moult, which are perhaps more needed nowadays than further consignments of birds in full dress. 34. Carriker on the Birds of Costa Rica. [An annotated List of the Birds of Costa Rica, ineluding Cocos Island. By M. A. Carriker, Jr. Reprinted from the ‘Annals of the Carnegie Museum,’ vol. vi. no. 4, August 1910. ] Our American fellow-workers in Ornithology, having well- nigh exhausted the Avifauna of North America, have for several years turned their attention to Central America and the northern portion of South America, and have done excellent work in both these countries. Costa Rica, which Mr. Carriker has selected as his special field of study, is, perhaps, the most attractive portion of the central neck which joins these two portions of the Western Hemisphere. Its riches in bird-life are unquestionable. Mr. Carriker’s “Tast’? contains the names of more than 750 species as met with in this little Republic, and it is quite evident, from what he tells us, that by far the greater part of its wilds is abso- lutely unexplored, so that many additions will still be made to the series. But it must be recollected that Mr. Carriker is a thorough believer in “subspecies,” and places them on an equality with species, which, of course, considerably increases the number in his List. Mr. Carriker’s “ Prefatory Note” commences with an interesting physical description of the Republic, which is very mountainous and very densely wooded. It is naturally separated into two slopes by the high central range which divides the waters flowing into the Atlantic from those that fall into the Pacific. He then gives us some account of the collectors who have visited Costa Rica, and a list of the titles of their papers. Nearly all are, as would have been expected, Americans, and amongst these are Mr. Carriker himself and Mr. Ridgway, the author of the great work on the ‘ Birds of North and Middle America.’ Proceeding to the systematic portion of the memoir, we find every one of the 753 species and subspecies enumerated SER. IX.—VOL. V. 2D 382 Recently published Ornithological Works. in the order adopted in the ‘Check-list,’ so far as that is applicable, but not described, except in certain cases where “keys” are given. The localities and collectors are exactly stated, and excellent field-notes are often added. The following species and subspecies are provided with new names :— Crypturus sout panamensis, Columba flavirostris minima, Chamepela passerina neylecta, Selasphorus simoni, Dendro- cincla anabatina saturata, Campylorhynchus pusillus borealis, and Corapipo altera albirostris. A new and, in our opinion, very needless generic name, Dicrorhynchus, is proposed for Tetragonops frantzii, which is a close ally in structure of T. rhamphastinus, though of a different style of coloration. We consider Mr. Carriker’s “ List’? a good and careful piece of work, notwithstanding the numerous trinomials, or, we might say, quadrinomials, as he evidently regards the author’s name as an essential part of a specific appellation. 35. Dresser on Palearctic Birds’ Eggs. [The Fees of the Birds of Europe, including all the Species inhabiting the Western Palearctic Area. By H. E. Dresser. Parts XXIII. & XXIV. London. 4to. November, 1910. | With this double part Mr. Dresser concludes his admirable work on Palearctic Oology, and he is to be congratulated on the successful termination of what he tells us has been a labour of love, as well as on the number of very rare or almost un- known eggs which he has been able to figure. We now have the conclusion of the Laride, the Stercorariide, Procellariide, Alcide, and Colymbide; while in an Appendix the author adds notes on Turdus naumanni, T. ruficollis, T. varius, Sawicola leucopyga, Sylvia nana, S. mystacea, S. momus, S. melanothorax, Melizophilus deserticola, Phylloscopus viridanus, LP. neglectus, P. nitidus, Emberiza citrinella, Melierax polyzonus, Plotus rufus, and Tringa acuminata, and also makes some additions and corrections in the case of other species. The eggs of Yurdus ruficollis, Sylvia momus, 8. melanothorax, Phylloscopus viridanus, Plotus Recently published Ornithological Works. 383 rufus, and Numenius tenutrostris are now figured for the first time ; while those of Turdus naumanni are refigured, as there appears to have been some uncertainty in the case of former specimens. The text requires but little comment, though we may remark that, while Mr. Dresser’s pages were in the press, Dr. Sclater exhibited an egg of the Great Shearwater, hitherto unknown, from Tristan da Cunha (cf. Bull. B.O.C. vol. xxi. p. 22), and that the record of the Sooty Shearwater from the Forth area should be attributed to W. Evans instead of A. H. Evans. The plates are, as usual, excellent, though perhaps the Guillemot’s eggs might have been rather brighter, and we feel quite sorry to bid farewell to such a fine series of illus- trations, accompanied as they are by Mr. Dresser’s careful and accurate information. 36. Ferry on Birds from Costa Rica. [Catalogue of a Collection of Birds from Costa Rica. By J. F. Ferry. Field Museum of Nat. Hist. Ornithological Publ. i. no. 6. Chicago, 1910. ] Mr. J. F. Ferry, Assistant in the Ornithological Depart- ment of the Field Museum of Natural History at Chicago, made an excursion to Costa Rica in the spring of 1908, and collected birds in various localites on the Atlantic slope of that country. In the present memoir, after a preface containing an account of the places where he stopped, the author gives a list of the species represented in the collection which he made, some 120 in number, accompanied by short field-notes. None of these species are new, but some of them are of interest. The difficult forms were referred to the National Museum for exact identification. A nest of the Quezal (Pharomacrus mocinno costaricensis ) was found ina dead stump standing in partially cleared forest, some twelve feet from the ground, but it was unfortunately empty. We think that our American friends, when they use new and little-known terms such as Semnornis, Pselliophorus, &c., 2D2 384 Recently published Ornithological Works. should give us some clue to where these names can be found, There is not a single reference to other writers in Mr. Ferry’s List—only the bare generic and specific names being given. 37. Gyldenstolpe on Algerian Birds. [Bidrag till Kinnedomen om det Higre Djurlifvet i Algeriet, af Nils Gyldenstolpe. Upsala, 1910. 48 pp. | Count Nils Fersen Gyldenstolpe, of Stockholm, has favoured us with a copy of his article on the vertebrates obtained or observed during a recent tour in Algeria. The species of Birds met with were 98 in number, and short field-notes are attached to the names of each of them. The nomenclature used seems to be that of Dr. Hartert in his ‘ Palearctic Birds, to whom and to Prof. Lénnberg the author renders thanks for assistance in the determination of difficult specimens. 88. Hartert’s ‘Miscellanea Ornithologica.’ {Miscellanea Ornithologica. Critical, Nomenclatorial and other Notes, mostly on Palearctic Birds and their Allies. By Ernst Hartert, Ph.D., &e. Nov. Zool. xvii. p. 477.] Dr. Hartert first takes up the very difficult genus Sazicola, and says that it is impossible to separate from it the ‘ so- called”? genus Dromolea, in which we quite agree with him. But, as will be seen by what follows, there are many other serious questions among the Stonechats as yet undecided. The author then discusses the scarce and little-known Wrens of the genera Tesia, Speleornis, Sphenocichla, and their allies, and devotes a plate to their illustration. Finally, Dr. Hartert endeavours to shew that the correct name of the Green Bee-eater (J/erops viridis) is Merops lamark lamark. But it would be very inadvisable to alter the title of such a well-known species. 39. Hartert on the Eqgs of the Paradise-lirds. [On the Eggs of the Paradiseidie. By Ernst Hartert. Nov. Zool. xvii. p. 484.] Dr. Hartert describes the splendid coliection of the eggs Recently published Ornithological Works. 385 of Paradise-birds in the Tring Museum, which, if we include the Bower-birds, contains eggs of 23 different forms. Notes are given as to where and how they were obtained. A full plate (pl. x.) contains figures of these beautiful objects, 40. Hellmayr on the Species of Perenostola. {Uebersicht der Formen der Gattung Perenostola. Von C. E. Hellmayr. Verh. Orn. Gesellsch. Wien, viii. p. 140.] Mr. Hellmayr writes on Percnostola, a Neotropical genus of Formicariide. Of this he admits only two of the older species (P. rufifrons and P. r. minor) as subspecies, and adds a third new subspecies—P. r. subcristata from the Rio Negro. 41. Hellmayr on the South-American Species of Cheetura. (Uebersicht der sudamericanischen Arten der Gattung Chetura (s. str.) Von C. E. Hellmayr. Verh. Orn. Gesellsch. Wien, viii. p. 145.] The author enumerates 12 South-American species and subspecies of this genus of Swifts, and gives full descriptions and synonymy of each of them. But we confess our inability to understand upon what grounds he calls some of them “species”? and others “subspecies.” He seems to place them all on an exact equality. 42. Helliayr on the Birds of the Rio Madeira. (The Birds of the Rio Madeira. By C. E. Hellmayr. Nov. Zool. xvii. no. 3 (Dec. 1910). } This memoir gives us a complete and well-prepared account of the collection of birds made by the late Mr. W. Hoffmanns in various localities on the Upper Rio Madeira, in 1897 and 1898. The specimens, or most of them, are in the Tring Museum. Mr. Hoffmanns had made a previous collection in the same district, of which Mr. Hellmayr wrote an account in the ‘ Novitates Zoologice’ in 1907 (vol. xiv. p- 343). On that occasion also a large selection went to the Tring Museum. ‘Thus, Mr. Hellmayr had a fine series of some 2000 specimens to work upon, and the present article, in 386 Recently published Ornithological Works. which he catalogues 364 species, may be considered as a complete résumé of the present state of our knowlege of the Ornis of the Rio Madeira. After a short introduction, which contains remarks on previous writings on the subject and an exact account of the localities visited by Mr. Hoffmanns, Mr. Hellmayr takes the 364 species in systematic order and adds pertinent remarks on their affinities and relationships. No one knows the birds of Tropical South America better than Mr. Hellmayr, and we consider this a most valuable piece of work, though we cannot, of course, agree to some of his proposed changes of nomenclature. To alter the name of Xipholena pompadora would be a great mistake. it is by no means certain that Pallas was the author of the ‘‘ Adumbrationes ” or that the Alcedo dea of Linnzus was a Jacamar. When it is quite manifest that Swainson made an error in writing ‘ Leptoptila”’ without a “p,’ why should we not use the grammatical spelling? Again, why omit the “” in Platyrhynchus? We use the Latin language in Science and we ought to follow the rules of the Latin grammar. We are quite certain that Sclater never named a bird Granatellus pelzelni pelzelni. Why, then, should it be attributed to him (p. 265) ? Three new names seem to have been first used in this paper— Tachyphonus cristatus madeire, Pipra aureola calane, and Grallaria macularia diluta. 43. Hiesemann on the Protection of Wild Birds. [Ilow to Attract and Protect Wild Birds. By Martin Hiesemann, Translated by Emma 8. Buchheim, with an Introduction by Her Grace the Duchess of Bedford. Second Edition, revised. London: Witherby & Co., 1911.] This little work, which has passed through three German editions, and of which the first large English edition was soon exhausted, contains an account of the various methods so sucessfully adopted by Baron Hans von Berlepsch for the encouragement and protection of birds on his estate of Seebach in Thuringia. For many years the Baron has been making experiments in various ways to encourage the breeding of birds, and he Recently published Ornithological Works. 387 has devoted an area of about 500 acres of park-land, thickets, and forest to this purpose. His methods consist, first of all, in the provision of nesting- boxes for those birds, such as Woodpeckers, Tits, Stock- Doves, Kestrels, and Owls, which naturally breed in holes of trees. Baron von Berlepsch has, after many failures, planned what he believes to be a perfect imitation of a natural Woodpecker’s nest-hole, and he finds that at least 90 per cent. of the boxes placed in his woods at Seebach are occupied the first year. Another method adopted by the Baron is the formation of special plantations of thicket for birds which breed in the open. Very precise directions are given for planting such thickets. The most satisfactory shrub was found to be White-thorn (Crategus oxyacantha) while the Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) was much utilized, with a few Mountain Ashes, Red Cedars, and Firs, interspersed. By careful pruning and cutting out completely impenetrable thickets can be formed in about nine years, and so satisfactory is the result that in one particular instance 85 nests were found in one plantation measuring only 230 yards long and 8 yards wide. Another chapter of the book contains an account of the methods of feeding birds in winter by food-trees and food- bells, and other ingenious contrivances, for the construction of which full directions are given. There can be no doubt that in Germany, owing to the rigid method of forestry, by which all dead and decaying trees and branches are removed, and because of the comparative absence of hedges and coverts, the smaller birds are not nearly so abundant as they are in England, and that Baron von Berlepsch’s instructions are very valuable for the encouragement of birds which are so necessary for successful agriculture. It is to be hoped, therefore, that his example may be followed in other parts of Germany and in other countries, and that the inestimable value of insectivorous birds in all agricultural and horticultural operations may be more generally recognised. 388 Recently published Ornithological Works. We can cordially recommend this book to the attention of those who love birds, and are anxious to encourage them in their gardens and parks. 44, Howard on the Warblers. [The British Warblers. A History with Problems of their Lives. By H. Eliot Howard. Part 5. London, 1910. 8vo. R. H. Porter. } We have now before us another part of Mr. Howard’s monograph on the Warblers, once more tilled with beautiful plates and uncoloured photogravures (cf. ‘ Ibis,’ 1910, p. 363). The letterpress is almost entirely devoted to the Reed- Warbler, of which a full and exact account is given from the time it arrives upon our shores until its departure, with many interesting notes upon its breeding-habits, nesting-places, and the position of the nest. Its migration is also considered, and, as usual, the author enters into a discussion of the reasons for the various habits, and is not content merely to give the facts, so that we have many pages of most interesting matter. The only other species given in this part is Flypolais polyglotta, but the illustrations are of the Great Reed-Warbler and the Aquatic Warbler, as well as of the two species mentioned, and maps are furnished of the geographical distribution of the Reed-, Marsh-, and Great Reed-Warblers. 45. Innes Bey on the Birds of Egypt. ‘Dr. W. Innes Bey: Avifaune de l’Egypte. 1° Partie. I. Turdide, Timeliidz, et Muscicapide. Cairo, 1910.] It is quite true that, as Dr. Innes Bey states, Shelley’s ‘Birds of Egypt’ is out of print, and that it was published nearly 40 years ago, but we are not sure that the ‘ Avifaune de ’ Egypte,’ if completed in the style of the first part, which is now before us, is likely to supply the void thus caused. Dr. Innes Bey is, we believe, a resident in Egypt, and should surely have some knowledge of the habits and localities of its birds from his own personal observation before he begius to write on them. If this is so, he has not treated the readers of his pages with much of it, nor does he even take notice of the information on the subject supplied by others. Under the head of each species we find a long French description, a few synonyms, not always correctly quoted, Recently published Ornithological Works. 389 and a general sketch of the range, but no statement of the exact mode of its occurrence in HKeypt, except of the most general kind. Take, for example, the first species on the List—Sylvia nisoria. All we are told about its occurrence is: “ Hlle traverse quelquefois Egypte au printemps et a VPautomne.” Nearly all the occurrences of the different birds are described in the same meagre and unsatisfactory manner. The Robin is said to be ‘assez commun dans la Basse-Egypte.” We believe that it is a regular winter- visitor at Cairo, but always goes north in summer. 46. Jourdain on European Birds’ Eggs. (The Eggs of European Birds. By Rey. Francis C. R. Jourdain, Part IV. London, 1910. 8vo, pp. 241-320, pls. 28, 27, 30-33, 35-58. ] After treating of the Flycatchers, this partof Mr. Jourdain’s book takes us through a considerable portion of the Warbler group. ‘The distribution and breeding-range are, as usual, carefully worked out, and an excellent account is given of the nesting-habits, the nest itself, and the eggs. So ex- cellent, indeed, are the descriptions that we can only recom- mend our readers to pay great attention to them all ; while, as we entirely agree with the author in nearly every parti- cular, we will conclude by mentioning a few instances where our experience does not coincide with his, or where fresh information has come to hand since his pages were written. The Chiffchaff is said to be a mere straggler in Scotland to the north of the Forth and Clyde, but it certainly nests in small numbers, at least in some years, in the Loch Maree district of Ross-shire. Moreover, the spots on the eggs of the subspecies found in Grand Canary seem to us reddish rather than brown. Brown, however, isa comparative word in the coloration of eggs, for we see it used again by Mr. Jourdain in regard to the Willow-Warbler’s egg, where the markings, to our mind, are red. In the woods of Northumbria the Wood-Warbler is certainly pleutiful and made very conspicuous by its note, but we know of no dis- trict where it actually outnumbers the more inconspicuous Willow-Warbler, though such may be the case locally. Our experience also differs as to the fact of the hen bird being a 390 Recently published Ornithological Works. close sitter. When the eggs are “ hard-set ” such is doubtless the case, but a series of observations made during some twenty years shew that, even when there is a full clutch of fresh eggs, it is seldom possible to approach quietly enough to find the bird on her nest. She usually leaves it “ at long range,” Again, the Grasshopper-Warbler is even now plentiful in many years in the Cambridgeshire Feus, and builds there on the ground among the sedges, more commo: ly than in the grass. ° Beira, Nov: Dee: (3); Tambarara, July (1). I cannot distinguish examples of this species from Rustenburg (near the type locality) from those from Nyasa- land or from the present series. Lam not, therefore, inclined to uphold Neumann’s subspecies 7. libonianus tropicalis, to which, if distinct, Mr. Grant’s birds should be referred, A young bird, labelled Beira, Nov. 25, with the tail full- erown, sl.ews a few fulvous shaft-streaks ou the wing-coverts, while the general tone of colour is more olive and less silvery ; below, the breast is spotted with black ; the bill is black. [L have only seen tlis Thrush in the Portuguese country, where, however, it was not common. It frequents both the forests aud the more patchy country, is essentially thrush-like in habits and call, and spends much of its time on the ground searching for food. In the Tuhambane district I found it feeding on pollen in company with Sunbirds and Bulbuls. pin ie 408 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected The soft parts of the adult are :—Irides brown ; eyelids, bill, legs and toes pale vellow. In the young the bill is blackish brown. | 300. MonvicoLa RUPESTRIS. Cc. Knysna, Apl. (1); Plettenberg Bay, Feb. (1). [This Rock-Thrush was sparingly seen in the Knysna district of the Cape Colony only ; it frequented the open country, sitting about on the rocks and clods of earth, and chasing insects on the ground much like a Wheatear. The soft parts are :—Irides hazel; bill, legs and toes blackish brown. | 301. MonticoLa EXPLORATOR. Tv. Wakkerstroom, Mch., Apl. (5). [This species was only observed in the South-Eastern Transvaal, and was noticed in pairs on the rock-strewn mouutain-sides, usually sittmg on some conspicuous boulder ; it was quite tame. In habits it resembles M. rupestris. The soft parts are:—Irides hazel; bill, legs and toes blackish brown. ] 302. MontTIcoLa BREVIPES. CC. Klipfontein, Apl. (1). A young bird in the spotted stage. [The young specimen sent was caught in a mouse-trap baited with cheese. Although a good look-out was kept, no adults or other young were seen during the Namaqualand trip, a fact which was distinetly curious. The soft parts are:—lrides hazel; bill, legs and toes blackish brown ; gape pale yellow. | 304, MyrMeEcocicHLA FORMICIVORA, Tv. Wakkerstroom, Mch., Apl. (7). [Since the Central Cape Colony trip I have only seen this species on the highlands around Wakkerstroom, S.E. Trans.. vaal. It frequents open grass-country, usually in pairs, and sits on clods or the top of ant-lheaps, whence it makes springs straight up in the air, I presume to catch some by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa, 409 passing insect ; it also feeds largely upon ants, The call is somewhat Chat-like, and the flight is low and laboured, with rapid beats of the wings. The soft parts are:—Inides dark brown; bill, legs and toes black-brown. | 305. MyRMECOCICHLA BIFASCIATA. Tv. Zuurbron, Apl., May (6). [This striking Chat was only observed at Zuurbron, in the South-Hastern Transvaal, between the middle of April and the first week of May. It frequented the larger boulders at the bases of the kopjes and hills, and in actions and habits resembled the true Wheatears,. The soft parts are :—Inides dark brown; bill, legs and toes black. | 306. PRATINCOLA TORQUATA. 1. Western typical race (P. torquata typica) :— Cc. Port Nolloth, July, Aug. (10); Durban Rd., Mch., Sept. (4). 2. Hastern race (P. torquata orientalis, subsp. n.) :— CC. Plettenberg Bay, Feb. (2); @&. Sibudeni, Oct., Nov. (7); Umfolosi Station, June, July, Aug. (15); Tv. Zuurbron, Apl., May (5); Wakkerstroom, Mch. (1); Woodbush, June, Nov. (5); Klein Letaba, Aug. (1). The fine series of this Stonechat collected by Grant enables me to distinguish two quite separable subspecies in South Africa. A Western race, from Namaqualand and the Cape Town neighbourhood, is distinguishable in the male by the re- striction of the rufous patch on the breast, which does not extend to the flanks or more than about half the length of the under parts. The female is even more distinct : it has a white patch on the abdomen distinctly marked out from the surrounding pale fulvous, and the under tail- coverts are pure white ; the chin and throat, too, are white with black bases to the feathers, and form a marked contrast to the rufous breast. In the Eastern race the rufous of the breast in the male 410 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected extends over the flanks, leaving only a small and not very distinct white patch in the middle of the abdomen. In the female the whole of the under parts are tawny rufous, there is no distinct white patch on the abdomen, and the under tail-coverts are more or less tinged with rufous; the throat, which is white in the other subspecies, is in this form tawny, and though slightly paler than the breast in no way forms a marked contrast to it. The Muscicapa torquata of Linnzus was founded solely on Brisson’s “ Gobe-mouche a collier du Cap de Bonne Espérance.”’ . Puoa@nicurus PHe@NticuRus (L.), Redstart. Local name : Nuaggiolo (Giglioli). Occurs only on passage in small numbers : several were seen after April 10 by Wharton. Whitehead saw very few, all between March 24. and April 19; Playne noted a few in April and Parrot obtained a male on April 10. 86. PH@NicURUS OCHRURUS GIBRALTARIENSIS (Gm.). Black Redstart. Not known at present except as a winter visitor. White- head is the only observer who describes it as common at that season: in the Ajaccio district Wharton, Backhouse, and Parrot all regard it as far from common. Parrot’s latest record is dated March 13, but Whitehead observed it as late as March 28. ‘There is no evidence of its breeding. 87. Luscinta MEGARHYNcuA CorsA Parr, Corsican Night- ingale. Luscinia meygarhyncha corsa Parrot, Orn. Monatsber. xviii. . 155 (1910—Corsica). nasal name: Rusignolo. Dr. Parrot distinguishes the Corsican breeding birds on account of their somewhat shorter wings, the darker brown of the upper surface, especially on the head and back, and the colder, more greyish-brown tinge on the throat and edges of the primaries. To the low ground and foothills this bird is a very common summer visitor, but it does not ascend to any height in the mountains. Whitehead notes the dates of first arrivals in 1883 and 1884 as April 19 and April 7. Wharton’s statement in ‘ The [his,’ 1876 6,p. 21, that it was noticed on “ March” 16, is a slip of the pen for 158 On the Ornithology of Corsica. April (cf. Dresser, ‘Birds of Europe,’ ii. p. 365). In the thickets near Ghisonaccia and Aleria this bird is extremely plentiful, and the chorus of melody about 4.30 a.m. towards the end of May is something never to be forgotten. Many of the nests are placed 3 ft. or more from the ground in bramble thickets, and full clutches may be found from May 14 on- wards. Average size of 26 Corsican eggs, 20°82 x 16°02 mm.; max. 22°9 x 17,-min. 19°65 x 15:7 and 20:1 x 15'3. 88. Luscrnia sunCICA CYANECULA (Wolf). White-spotted Bluethroat. Only three records on spring migration : one shot by Jesse on April 12 at Biguglia, another killed by Whitehead on March 28, and an old male obtained by Parrot on March 28 on the Isles Sanguinaires. 89. DanpaLUs RUBECULA SARDUS (Klemschm.). Sardinian Redbreast. Erithacus dandalus sardus Wleinschmidt, Falco, 11. p. 71 (1906—Sardinia). Local name: Peltirosso. Distinguished from the Conti- nental Redbreast by the darker and more olive tone of the upper surface and the deeper red-brown of the throat and upper breast, in this respect approaching our British insular form, D. rubecula melophilus. Parrot noticed considerable variation in winter-killed specimens, among which probably both D. 7. sardus and D, r. rubecula were represented. During the winter Redbreasts are very abundant in the plain, and great numbers are killed for the market. Most of these disappear as spring advances, but even in the plage an occa- sional pair may be found breeding in the densest macchia. They are, however, decidedly rare, but in the mountain forests at 2000-3000 ft. and upwards they are quite common, especially among the pine-woods. [ l'o be continued. | On Birds collected in Argentina, Paraguay, &c. 459 XVIL.—List of Birds collected in Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Suuthern Brazil, with Field-notes. By Cuiaupe H. B. Grant, M.B.O.U.—Part III. CoLumsBips£ —Rurip#.* Fam. CoLuMBID2. 227. CoLUMBA PICAZURO. Columba picazuro Arg. Orn. 11. p. 189; Salvad. Cat. B. MXP os dls a. @ ad. los Ynglases, Aj6. Oct. 6, 1908. 6. & ad. 5 , Apr. 23, 1909. é.-9 ad; 55 - June 10, 1909. d= oad. - 5 Dec. 28, 1909. e. d imm. - Jan. 18, 1910. i, 9g. gd ad. Tebicuari, Paraguay. Aug. 8, 1909. h. § ad. Puerto Esperanga, Brazil. Sept. 25, 1909. 2. 9 ad. Near Villa Franca, Paraguay. Nov. 6, 1909. Little need be said about the habits of this Pigeon, which have been often described, except that on several days about the 27th of September we saw vast flocks settling on the sand-banks in the Alto Paraguay, but they were very wary and it was impossible to approach within shot. 228. CoLUMBA SYLVESTRIS. Columba sylvestris Chubb, Ibis, 1910, p. 59. a. 2 ad. Curuzu Chica, Paraguay. Oct. 29, 1909. This was the only specimen of this species that was observed; it was shot on the ground in the forest by the roadside. 229. ZENAIDA AURICULATA. Zenaida auriculata Salvad. Cat. B. xxi. p. 384. Zenaida maculata Arg. Orn. 1. p. 141. a. 6 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 11, 1908. bu gi-ad: be se Oct. 12, 1908. Cos gieads . i Oct. 18, 1908. des yan: Oct. 20, 1908. * Concluded from above, p. 850. The arrangement and nomenclature are nearly the same as those of Sclater and Hudson’s ‘Argentine Ornithology.’ 460 Myr.C.H.B.Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, e. d ad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Dec. 3, 1908. f. g ad. 3 2 Jan. 7, 1909. g. d juy. ss - Mar. 15, 1909. h. & imm. ” ¥9 May 13, 1909. 7. 9 Imm. _ 55 Feb. 2, 1909. This is a very common species in the Ajé district, where it inhabits the tala woods, which resound with its melodious coo. It appears to breed in every month of the year, the nest being a platform of sticks placed in any convenient situation in a bush or tree. Two eggs are the normal clutch, though on one occasion I took two nests containing three eggs in each ; but as these were very close together, I conclude that a third bird had placed one of its two eggs in each nest. 230. CoLUMBULA PICUI. Columbula picui Arg. Orn. i. p. 143; Salvad. Cat. B. xxi. p. 470. a. % imm. Los Yuglases, Ajo. Nov. 18, 1908. b,c. & ¢ ad. ¥ is Dec. 10, 1908. d,e. 3% imm. re » Mar. 29, 30, 1909. Jf. d 1mm. ‘a re Apr, 25, 1909, G, tn 1,9. 2 WOM. », 55 Apr. 19-28, 1909. k. 2 ad. Boca de Homoguera, Brazil. Oct. 12, 1909. 231. CHAM@PELIA TALPACOTI, Chamepelia talpacoti Arg. Oru, i. p. 144; Salvad. Cat. B. xxi. p. 485. uw. gd ad. Rabicho, Alto Paraguay, Brazil. Oct. 8, 1909. Observed not uncommonly in the woods in North Para- guay and Brazil, often in company with C. picui on the cultivated lands, 232. LeprorrTiLA CHLOROAUCHENIA. Lingyplila chalcauchenia Arg, Orn. 11. p. 144, Leptoplila chloroauchenia Salyad. Cat. B. xxi. p. 554; Chubb, Ibis, 1910, p. 63. a. 9 ad. Near Porto Martinho, Brazil, Sept. 10, 1909. b, c,d. 3d ad. Near Goya, N. Argentine. Noy. 13, 1909. [ have an adult female from Ajé collected by Miss Run- nacles in Sept. 1909 ; this isthe only example recorded from that locality. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil, 461 Fam. CracipD&. 233. PipILE CUMANENSIS. Pipile cumanensis Arg. Orn. il, p. 416 ; Grant, Cat. Bexxu. p. 516; a. 6 ad. Concurencia, Alto Paraguay. Sept. 9, 1909. b, c. 6 @. Pan de Azucar, Alto Paraguay, Brazil. Sept. 18, 1909. These three specimens agree with others in the British Museum. They are in somewhat worn plumage aud all are beginning to moult. This Guan seems to prefer the wooded slopes of the conical hills, and was usually observed in parties of about half adozen. When alarmed they perched on the tops of the tallest trees, but could generally be approached within gunshot. The call is lord, but quite different from that of the Ortalis, and the flight is fairly swift and ghding. Only noticed from the Concurencia northwards, 234. OrRrALIS CANICOLLIS. Ortalis canicollis Arg. Orn. i. p. 147; Grant, Cat. B. xxii. p. 508. a,b. 6 2 ad. Monte Alto, Paraguay. Aug. 26, 1909. c. ¢ ad. Puerto San Juan, if Aug. 27, 1909. These specimens are identical with examples in the British Museum from Northern Argentina. I can add nothing to the excellent description of the habits and call of this Guan given by Prof. Graham Kerr in ‘The Ibis’ for 1892 (p. 148). On two occasions I saw the nest, which was placed in the topmost branches of a tallish tree and was a fair structure of sticks ; according to the natives the eggs are of about the size and colour of the egg of the domestic fowl. I first observed the bird at Colonia Mihanoviteh, N. Argen- tine, but it was heard or observed commonly right up to Corumba. The only native name I heard for it was fe Yacu 462 Mr. C. HW. B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, 235. RaLLUs RHYTIRHYNCHUS. Rallus rhytirhynchus Arg. Orn. 11, p. 149. Limnopardalis rhytirhynchus Sharpe, Cat. B. xxii. p. 29. a. 9 imm. Cape San Antonio. Dec. 21, 1908. b. d imm. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Dec. 28, 1908. C: 2 Jum: Fe ca Jan. 27, 1909. dé, 6 9 AMMs& « 55 Feb. 10-14, 1909. f. & ad. re 7” May 30, 1909. This is the common Rail of the Ajo district, and frequents the dense reed-beds which abound in that locality; it is some- what shy, but by waiting specimens can be easily procured. 236. ARAMIDES CHIRICOTE, Aramides chiricote Sharpe, Cat. B. xxiii. p. 58. a. @ ad. Colonia Risso, Paraguay. Sept. 8, 1909. b,c. d ad. Pan de Azucar, Brazil. Sept. 18, 1909. This Kail was observed in several localities in Paraguay and Brazil. It was usually seen in pairs feeding along the banks of the numerous creeks and riachos, wherever there was thick undergrowth or overhanging bush. 237. FuLica ARMILLATA. Fulica armillata Arg. Orn. ii. p. 157; Sharpe, Cat. B. Xxill. p. 218. a. ? ad. los Ynglases, Ajo. Oct. 27, 1908. b. fd ad. a ¥ Mar. 8, 1909. All three species of Coot (F. armillata, F. rufifrons, and FI. kucopyga) are found in the Ajo district, though no specimens of the last species were obtained. On all the swamps Coots simply swarm, and if the observer goes quietly up to any open sheet of water they can be seen dotting the whole surface in company with numbers of Ducks and Swans. 238. FuLicA LEUCOPYGA. Fulica leucopyga Arg. Orn. il. p. 157 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. xxi. p. 220. a. § ad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Jan. 11, 1909. Db, © AS" ad, By » Mar. 17, 1909: d. dad. a ,, April 6, 1909. This is, perhaps, the commonest of the three Coots in the Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 4.63 Ajo district. I have never been able to distinguish its cry from that of the others; it is a weird series of noises, the commonest being very similar to derisive laughter softened down. Fam. ARAMID&. 239. ARAMUS SCOLOPACEUS. Aramus scolopaceus Arg. Orn. il. p. 159; Sharpe, Cat. B. YX. Pp: 207. a. g ad. Pan de Azucar, Brazil. Sept. 18, 1909. Irides brown, eyelid dusky ; bill ashy at tip, dull yellow- ochre at base, culmen dusky ; legs and toes ashy. Owing to the dry seasons experienced in the Ajo district, this bird was absent during my yisit, but a few arrived in the summer of 1909. It was quite commonly observed on the river-expedition in all swampy localities. The ery is loud and the flight slow and awkward, the wings being held well above the back and the head rather low. When alarmed this bird generally perches on the tops of trees or bushes, after the manner of a Heron. The five eggs obtained agree very well with those in the British Museum, but are slightly darker in the ground- colour, Fam. Parrip@. 240. PARRA JACANA. Parra jacana Arg. Orn. u. p. 168. Jacana jacana Sharpe, Cat. B. xxiv. p. 82. a,b,c. 6 9? ad. Tayru, Paraguay. Aug. 5, 1909. d,e,f. S$ 2 ad. and young. Ten miles above Villa Pilar, Paraguay. Aug. 7, 1909. g. 6 ad. Curuzu Chica, Paraguay. Aug. 28, 1909. Observed commonly throughout the river expedition on all the swamps and lagoons. It is very tame and more or less gregarious. Its cry is a sharp short ‘ whit.” It has the habit of the Plovers of raising the wings above the back before flight, and many individuals doing this together pre- sent a pretty sight. 454 Mr.C.H.B.Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, Fam. CHARADRIID®. 241. VANELLUS CAYENNENSIS. Vanellus cayennensis Arg. Orn. 11. p. 165. a. 9 ad. los Ynglases, Ajo. Sept. 11, 1908. b. @ ad. ie re Sept. 23, 1908. 6.2 ad: = Py Sept. 24, 1908. d. g ad. 55 3 Sept. 25, 1908. é. ad: of 5 Sept. 30, 1908. fig. & nestling. ,, a Nov. 1, 1908. h. 2 nestling. ” Pa Nov. 1, 1908. i. ¢ young. - a Jan. 11, 1909. 7. 2 ad. Pe 2 Jan. 11, 1909. k. 3 young. i 7 Jan. 12, 1909. l. 3 young. Pe yy Jan. 13, 1909. m. @ nestling. - rv Jan. 20, 1909. n. 2 1mm. ss AG Feb. 15, 1909. o. 3 young. . sy Jan. 19, 1910. A very common resident in the Ajo district. The nest is a slight hollow in the ground, sometimes lined with a few bits of sticks or rebbish, and four eggs form the complete clutch. Thirty-six eggs were brought home; the ground-colour varies from bright buff to clear olive, and they measure : axis 1°7 to 2:0in., diam. 1°27 to 1:37. 242, CHARADRIUS DOMINICUS, Charadrius dominicus Arg. Orn. 11. p. 170; Sharpe, Cat. Bexxive p. 195: a,o. 9 ad. Tuyu, Ajo. Dec. 2,.1908. c. g ad. Cape San Antonio. Dec. 17, 1908. d. 3 ad. los Ynglases, Aj6. Jan. 11, 1909. All these specimens are in winter plumage, and are still mouiting. The American Golden Plover is very plentiful throughout the summer months, and frequents, often in large flocks, both the open grass-land and the edges of the lagoons. I have not observed it during the winter. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 4.65 243. ZONIBYX MODESTUS. Kudromias modesta Arg. Orn, i. p. 171. Zonibyx modesta Sharpe, Cat. B. xxiv. p. 238. a. 6 imm. Luiconia, Ajo. Apr. 29, 1909. A common bird throughout the winter months in the Ajo district, frequenting the open grass-lands, usually singly. 244, ANGIALITIS FALKLANDICA. Aigialitis falklandica Arg. Orn. il. p. 172; Sharpe, Cat. Be Xx1V4 pen29o. a. gad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Nov. 10, 1908. b. 2? ad. Cape San Antonio. Dec. 17, 1908. Ce Or VOMIT. 35) p55 a Dec. 19, 1908. d. § young. Tuyu, Ajo. Apr. 11, 1909. e. 2 young. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Apr. 16, 1909. gage oad. ss a Dec. 15; 1909. h. 2 ad. _ ss Dee. 15, 1909. i. 9 young. ,, » dan, 28, 1910. A very common species in the Ajo district, frequenting both the coast and inland waters, and being especially plentiful on the former. Flocks of several hundreds ean be observed throughout the winter months. It also breeds there, as mentioned by Mr. Ernest Gibson, probably more plentifully in the sand-hills along the coast. In habits it much resembles the European Ringed Plover, . hiaticola. 245, ANGIALITIS COLLARIS. Afgialitis collaris Arg. Orn. 11. p. 173; Sharpe, Cat. B. XXlv. p. 288. Gong ae Monte Alto, Paraguay. Aug. 25, 1909. be Yad. Desaguadero, a Aug. 29, 1909. c,d. g 2? ad. Colonia Risso, _,, Sept. 9, 1909. e. gd ad. Near Puerto Braga, Paraguay. Sept. 24, 1909. A fairly common species on the Parana and Paraguay Rivers, especially on the latter, and many pairs were observed. On the 10th and 24th of September breeding pairs were seen, but I could not find their nests, though the birds ran about in a very excited manner within a few feet 466 Myr.C. H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, of us. On Sept. 9th, at Colonia Risso, a clutch of three eggs was taken, the nest being a mere hollow in the open sand and in close proximity to the nests of Phaéthusa magnirostris and Rhynchops melanura. The eggs agree with a specimen in the British Museum from Brazil, but are perhaps very slightly paler in the ground-colour. 246. ORrOPHILUS RUFICOLLIS. Oreophilus rujicollis Arg. Orn. i. p. 174; Sharpe, Cat. B. XXiv.op, 123; a,b. § @ ad. Luiconia, Ajo. Apr. 29, 1909. c,d. § ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. May 24, 1909. A common species during the winter months in this district, where it frequents the open grass-lands in flocks. 247. HaMATOPUS PALLIATUS. Hematopus paliiatus Arg. Orn. ii. p. 176; Sharpe, Cat. B. xxiv. p. 114. a. dad. Tuyu, Ajo. Nov. 10, 1908. b. g ad. Cape San Antonio. Dec. 18, 1908. €.¢ ad. Tuym, Ajo, Jan. 1, 51909. d. 9 ad. $s 2: 2 Sap. OOo: These specimens agree exactly with those in the British Museum from more northern localities. This Oyster-catcher is common and resident on the sea-coast, where it breeds on the sand-dunes. It has a clear loud call and is by no means wild, especially when nesting. The nest is a mere hollow scraped in the sand in sheltered spots on the sand-dunes, and I have never taken more than two eggs as a clutch. Fam. THinocorip&. 248. THINOCORYS RUMICIVORUS. Thinocorus rumicivorus Arg. Orn. 11. p. 176; Sharpe, Cat. B, xxiv. sp. ¢ 19. a,b. 9 ad. Luiconia, Ajo. Apr. 29, 1909. Inides dark horn-coloured ; bill ashy, nostrils and tip dark horn-coloured ; legs and toes dull greenish yellow. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 467 Fam. ScoLoPaciIDe. 249. HiMANTOPUS BRASILIENSIS. Himantopus brasiliensis Arg. Orn. il. p. 179. Himantopus melanurus Sharpe, Cat. B. xxiv. p. 316. Gan ac. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Oct. 3, 1908. Dyce. ee) nestling. ve * Nov. 1, 1908. d. $ ad. M3 Jan. 11, 1909. e. 6 young. 53 fe Jan. 27, 1909. A 2 nae + na Mar. 6, 1909. g. 5 ad. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. Aug. 1, 1909. This Stilt is resident and common in the Ajo district, frequenting all the mland waters, and many were seen on the expedition up the Paraguay River. During the winter season they associate in flocks, Their usual ery is sharp and penetrating, a sort of short “ wheet.”’ 250. STEGANOPUS WILSONI. Steganopus tricolor Sharpe, Cat. B. xxiv. p. 705. Phalaropus wilsont Arg. Orn. 11. p. 180. a. 9 ad. Bolivia, Alto Paraguay. Oct. 15, 1909. Irides hazel ; bill black; legs and toes dull yellow-ochre. 251. GALLINAGO PARAGUAY. Gallinago paraguaye Arg. Orn. 11. p. 181; Sharpe, Cat. B. xxiv. p. 650. a. ¢ ad. Lous Ynglases, Aj6. May 16, 1909. Iridcs dark brown; bill medium olive at base, dark horn- coloured at tip; legs and toes olive. 252. RHYNCH#ZA SEMICOLLARIS. Rhynchea semicollaris Arg. Orn. 1. p. 182. Rostratula semicollaris Sharpe, Cat. B. xxiv. p. 690. This species is not represented in the collections made by me, but there is an adult female (shot at Los Ynglases, Ajo, on Sept. 21, 1909) in the collection of Miss Runnacles, and ten eggs collected by her between Oct. 18 and Nov. 14, 1909. 468 Mr.C.H.B.Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, 253. TRINGA MACULATA. Tringa maculata Arg. Orn, ii. p. 188. Heteropygia maculata Sharpe, Cat. B. xxiv. p. 562. a-h. g ad. and young. Los -Ynglases, Aj6é. Sept. 11- Mar. 19, 1908-9. i. d ad. Los Yuglases, Ajé6. Jan. 6, 1910. j. & ad. Medano, Paraguay. Sept. 16, 1909. k,l. 9 ad. Porto Esperanea, Brazil. Sept. 25, 1909. 254, TRINGA BAIRDI. Tringa bairdi Arg. Orn. ii. p. 184. Heteropygia bairdi Sharpe, Cat. B. xxiv. p. 570. a. G ad. Tuyu, Ajo. Nov. 22, 1908. b. 2 ad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Dec. 19, 1909. Not nearly so common as the following species, with which it usually consorts. 255. TRINGA CANUTUS. Tringa canutus Sharpe, Cat. B. xxiv. p. 593. a,b,c. 6 &. Cape San Antonio. Dec. 19, 1908. These specimens are in moult and have almost assumed the adult winter dress, but have not yet lost the wing-coverts of the young plumage. Two or three parties of Knots, comprising eight or ten individuals, were observed on the sea-shore at Cape San Antonio. This appears to be a new record for Argentina, but is not unexpected, perhaps, as the bird has been traced as far south as Brazil. 256. TRINGA FUSCICOLLIS. Tringa fuscicollis Arg. Orn. 11. p. 185. Heteropygia fuscicollis Sharpe, Cat. B. xxiv. p. 574. a. ? young. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Oct. 27, 1908. 6. 9 ad. Cape San Antonio. Dec. 17, 1908. c. dg ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Mar. 15, 1909. d, e.? young. o x Jan. 23, 1910. f. & young. Near Esquina, N. Argentine. Nov. 14, 1909. Quite one of the commonest Waders, and observed in all parts visited during the summer months ; it frequents both the coast and inland waters in enormous flocks. Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 4.69 257. CALIDRIS ARENARIA. Calidris arenaria Arg. Orn. ii. p. 186; Sharpe, Cat. B. XXiv. p. 526. a. 6 ad. Cape San Antonio. Dec. 19, 19038. G6, d,.é. 6 9 ad. ~Tuyu, Ajo; - Jan= 12; 1910) Commonly observed during the summer months along the coast in the Ajo district in flocks of from six to twelve individuals. 258. ToTANUS MELANOLEUCUS. Totanus melanoleucus Arg. Orn. i. p. 186; Sharpe, Cat. B. xxiv. p. 426. a,b. dad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Mar. 8-17, 1909. ex f oad. Luiconia, Ajo: Apr. 29; 1909. An oceasional individual is seen in the winter months, aud is, I presume, an immature non-breeding bird. 259. Toranus FLAVIPES. Totanus flavipes Arg. Orn. il. p. 187; Sharpe, Cat. B. Xxiv. p. 431. a,b. g ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Sept. 11-29, 1908. ec. 6 ad. RS ¢ Nov. 5, 1908. d,e,f.d @young. ,, 3 Feb. 7-9, 1909. J. 2 ad. ” 3 Dec. rae 1909. h,i. 8 2? ad. Santa Rosa, Paraguay. Aug. 14, 1909. j. &- Porto Esperanea, Branl. Sept. 25, 1909. k. g. Near Esquina, N. Argentine. Nov. 14, 1909. Commonly observed throughout the summer: many remain through the winter mouths; these being apparently young birds of the previous year. 260. RHYACOPHILUS SOLITARIUS. Rhyacophilus solitarius Arg, Orn, 11. p. 188. Helodromas soligarius Sharpe, Cat. B. xxiv. p. 444. a. ¢ ad. Monte Alto, Paraguay. Aug. 25, 1909. b. ¢ ad. Porto Esperanca, Brazil. Sept. 25, 1909. c, d,e.g ? ad., young. Riacho Paraguay, Mirin, Brazil. Oct. 2-3, 1909. SER. IX.—VOL. V, 2K 470 Mr.C.H.B.Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, The adults are in very worn summer dress, and the October bird is commencing to change. Commonly observed throughout the river-expedition in wet places and on the edges of the lagoons. 261. MickopaALAMA HIMANTOPUS. Micropalama himantopus Sharpe, Cat. B. xxiv. p. 401. a,b. 6 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Feb. 24, 1909. ce. 9 ad. Near Esquina, N. Argentine. Nov. 14, 1909. This little Wader has much the same actions as the Curlew- Sandpiper (Tringa subarquata), for which species I at first mistook it. Like that bird it wades deep into the water—in fact, until the water flows over the back of its neck. 262. Limosa HUDSONICA. Limosa hudsonica Sharpe, Cat. B, xxiv. p. 388. Limosa hemastica Arg. Orn. 11. p. 191. a,b,c. & 2 young. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Nov. 1, 1908. d. 2? ad. Cape San Antonio. Dec. 20, 1908. 263. RuyNcHoPs MELANURA. Rhynchops melanura Arg. Orn. il. p. 193; Saunders, Cat. B. xxv. p. 156. a,b. 8 Qad. Cape San Antonio. Dec. 20, 1908. ce. gad. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. Aug. 1, 1909. d. Gad. Colonia Risso, Paraguay. Sept. 9, 1909. e. Snestling. ,, - a Pept.-0;.1909: fg 3d Yyoung. Near Puerto Braga, Paraguay. Sept. 24, 1909. h,i. young. Colonia Risso, Paraguay. Oct. 26, 1909. This species was observed in nearly every locality visited, but is apparently only a winter visitor in the Ajo district, as I have not heard of it breeding there. At that season it congregates in flocks of several hundred individuals, and frequents both the coast and inland waters, where it is usually seen hawking over the water with slow regular flight, presenting to my mind a rather ungainly appearance. Parayguey, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 471 It was found breeding on the Rio Paraguay, as I have described under Phaéthusa magnirostris. The nest was a mere hollow scraped in the sand, but deeper and larger than that of its neighbour. The full clutch is apparently four, though severa] nests were taken with three eggs. Twenty-five eggs brought home were taken on the 9th of September at Colonia Risso. 264. PHARTHUSA MAGNIROSTRIS. Phaéthusa magnirostris Arg. Orn. il. p. 194 ; Saunders, Cat. By.xxvip: 20: a. 9 imm. Tayru, Paraguay. Ang. 5, 1909. b. 9 ad. Colonia Risso, Paraguay. Sept. 8, 1909. c,d. § @ nestling. Colonia Risso, Paraguay. Sept. 9, 19069. e. 6 ad. Near Puerto Braga, Paraguay. Sept. 24, 1909. Nie lt 2 ad. .. = - Sept. 24, 1909. oo LY. - A a5 Sept. 24, 1909. 7, k,l. & ad. Colonia Risso, Oct. 26, 1909. This Tern was very plentiful on both the Paranda and Paraguay Rivers, and was observed as far south as Parana, but not below. It was especially common on the Rio Paraguay as far north as we went; and breeding colonies were observed or visited on the 9th, 10th, 24th, and 29th of September, and on the return southwards these were notcd or visited again on the 14th and 26th of October. The first colony was visited on the 9th of September, when this species was found breeding in company with Rhynchops melanura and Sterna superciliaris. The Skimmers and Great-bills were nesting together at one end of a long sand-bank and the Terns (Sterna superciliaris) were in a small colony of their own at the other end, where there was a little rough grass growing. When we went ashore the Terns flew right away, the Skim- mers flew round and round the bank out over the water in pairs, uttering their single mournful cry ; but they were most aggressive, a flock of many hundreds keeping us company, 2KA 472 Mr.C.H.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, dashing continually past us within a few feet, while their combined cries were so deafening that we could hardly hear each other speak. The nest is a mere hollow in the open sand, and three eggs scem to be the complete clutch, but many birds lay only two, and quite a number of eggs were scattered about the bank, rotten and often half covered with sand. There were also a few nestlings of all three species, and on Oct. 26th, when we visited the same bank on the return sonth, breeding was practically finished, and numbers of young were just on the wing. At one bank visited on Sept. 24th, fair numbers of both the Terns and the Skimmers were breeding, but only one par of Sterna superciliaris, having two young just flown. A great number of the nesting hollows were empty, and we shortly discovered the reason why, for under a large piece of dry wood we saw and shot a large snake, which, on being cut open, contained one adult and two young of P. magnirostris. Fifty eggs were brought home, taken at Colonia Risso, Sept. 9th, near Puerto Braga, Sept. 24th, and Colonia Risso, Oct. 26th. The majority of these agree with the description given by Mr. Oates in the Catalogue of Eggs, but some have the ground stone-colour, and one set are of a yellowish olive. They also vary greatly in the markings, some are evenly marked all over as described in the Catalogue, others have the greater number of the markings at the larger end, often forming a zone; some are finely spotted and blotched, and these have the markings broad and often of a deeper brown than that described in the Catalogue, 7. e. of a yellowish brown and pale purple. They measure: axis 1°85 to 2:lin., diam. 1:4 to 1°5. 265. STERNA MAXIMA. Sterna maxima Arg. Orn. il. p. 195 ; Saunders, Cat. B. xxv. p. 80. a. dg ad. Tuyu, Ajé. Mar. 1, 1910. This specimen is in full winter plumage. During the week Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 473 including the Ist of March several of these Terns were seen, sometimes singly and sometimes in pairs, passing along the Atlantic coast, but generally very far out at sea. I had not met with this species in the Ajo district before. It bas a very clear shrill cry, which cannot be mistaken. 266, STERNA TRUDEAUIL. Sterna trudeaui Arg. Orn. il. p. 195; Saunders, Cat. B. EXvep. Lod. a,b. & 2? ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé6. Oct. 27, 1908. Cas adi. sa ‘ Nov. 1, 1908 d. 2? imm. Luiconia, Ajo. Feb. 2, 1909. e. ¢ imm. Tuyu, * Feb. 21, 1909. eg. 2) mm. - ed Mariels TOTO; T'rudeau’s Tern is, I think, the only resident Tern in the Ajo district, where it is quite plentiful, especially on the coast, and flocks of many hundreds can be seen any day. The flight is low and graceful, and the cry a sort of “ whew.” It is also met with on every lagoon and open sheet of water inland, 267. STERNA SUPERCILIARIS. Sterna superciliaris Saunders, Cat. B. xxv. p. 124, a. 6 ad. Riacho Ancho, N. Argentine. Aug. 1, 1909. b. g ad. Desaguadero, Paraguay. Aug. 29, 1909. c. g ad. Colonia Risso, __,, Sept. 9, 1909. d. $ nestling. Colonia Risso, Paraguay. Sept. 9, 1909. e. ¢ young. -Near Puerto Braga, ,, Sept. 24, 1909. f. & young. Colonia Risso, e Oct. 26, 1909. The adults are in breeding-plumage; that shot on the 29th of August has still a few white feathers on the head, and new black feathers are replacing them. This little Tern was fairly plentiful throughout the river trip, and was found breeding, as described under Phaéthusa magnirostris. As I stated there, it leaves the colony on being disturbed, and I only secured one specimen on Sept. 9th, when we were some time ashore. One or two returned, but flew very high and almost out of shot. 474 Mr.C.H.B.Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, The flight and call reminded me very much of the European Little Tern (S. minuta). The nest was a mere hollow scraped in the sand, generally under the cover of a tuft or of a few blades of grass, and three eggs seems to be the full clutch. Twenty-five eggs were brought home, taken at Colonia Risso, Paraguay, Sept. 9, and Rio Apa, Sept. 10; many of these agree with the description given in the ‘ Catalogue of Fees in the British Museum,’ others have the ground stone- colour, some being slightly deeper in tone than others. 268. GELOCHELIDON ANGLICA. Gelochelidon anglica Saunders, Cat. B. xxv. p. 25. a,b. 8 9 ad. Luiconia, Aj6. April 29, 1909. Both specimens are in full winter plumage. In the Ajo district I have only noticed this Tern near the tidal waters, and on the date on which I obtained the two birds I saw many hawking over the creek or sitting on the grassy flats in company with numberless Gulls. I, however, believe that it is only a winter visitor to this district. Both on the wing and sitting it can be distinguished from every other Tern by the black bill, which is very striking. The 29th of April was the first day that I saw it, and afterwards I noted it only near Bella Vista, on the Rio Parana, when four were observed flying about the river on November 12, 1969 (these had black crowns); while on my second visit to the Ajé district I saw a few in March 1910 in winter dress. 269. Larus DOMINICANUS. Larus dominicanus Arg. Orn, 11. p. 197 ; Saunders, Cat. B. XXv. p. 245. a. g ad. Cape San Antonio. Dec. 21, 1908. Ove AMM ws a Dec. 21, 1908. c. d young. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Mar. 8, 1909. d. & ad. ~ a May 24, 1909. e. 9? young. Tuyu, Ajo. Feb. 28, 1910. ft. 9 imm: Ef - Mar. 15 1910; This is quite a common Gull in the Ajo district and is ~ Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 475 resident, breeding, I was told, near Cape San Antonio. In its habits it resembles ZL. marinus. 270. Larus MACULIPENNIS. Larus maculipennis Arg. Orn, 11. p. 198 ; Saunders, Cat. Bz p. 200: a. ? ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Sept. 11, 1908. 6. Sd imm. s se Depts, Ls 90S; c. Simm, PP a) Oct. IAeelOOS: d. & ad. . 7 Jan. 14, 1909. én gad. . 0 Jan. 27, 1909. f. ? ad. Luiconia, % Feb. 2, 1909. g- d young. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Feb. 9, 1909. h. 2 1mm, 4 i pre 3, 1909: tee fas me » Apr. 14-20, 1909. k. 3 ad. 53 » June 1], 1909. l,m. & ad. 5 » Dec. 22-23, 1909. n. & ad. » van, 18-1910. This is the commonest Gull in the Ajo district, and is resident ; but, owing to the dry seasons, it did not breed in the camp, and I believe repaired to Cape San Antonio for that purpose. It was also observed some way up the Parana, and I have recorded that several were seen near La Paz, N. Argentine, with completely brown heads, on July 17. 271. Larus CIRRHOCEPHALUS. Larus cirrhocephalus Arg. Orn. ii. p. 201 ; Saunders, Cat. ‘By xxv..p: 198: a. gad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Mar. 29, 1909. b. 2 imm. 5 ”, Mar. 29, 1909. Ce oP ad: 3 » Mar. 30, 1909. d. g ad. .; » Mar. 31, 1909. Onto Sead. » Mar. 31, 1909. g. 2 1mm. = ee oN ply ee LOUD, h. & ad. - pe: LO; 1909. The Grey-headed Gull makes its appearance in the Ajo district after the breeding-season and remains throughout the 476 Mr.C.U.B. Grant on Birds collected in Argentina, winter, consorting with Z. macul/pennis in flocks of thousands and feeding largely on the carcases of dead stock. It can be picked out from LZ. maculipennis by its larger size and darker colouring, and the call is also louder and harsher. 272. STERCORARIUS CREPIDATUS. Stercorarius crepidatus Saunders, Cat. B. xxv. p, 827 a. Simm. Tuyu, Aj6. Feb. 21, 1909. This specimen is moulting all over, except the wings. Its oecurrence apparently constitutes a new record for Argentina, this species not having, I thiuk, been recorded before south of Rio de Janeiro, It was met with chasing some Gulls on the sea-coast. On Feb, 23, 1910, I saw a very dark-plumaged Skua chasing a Gull on the coast close to where the specimen was shot in the previous year, and on the following day a browner specimen was observed; I have no doubt that both these birds were of this species, but unfortunately I was unable to get a shot at them, Fam. Popicipepipe. 273. ASCHMOPHORUS MAJOR. Aichmophorus major Arg. Orn. 11. p. 202; Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. xxvi. p. 549. a,b. 8 @. los Ynglases, Ajo. Oct. 13, 1908. Both these specimens are in fuil breeding-dress. This Grebe is not uncommon in the Ajo district, but is a rather wary bird and therefore difficult to shoot. In habits and appearance it resembles the larger European species. It breeds in the district, though I did not succeed in finding a nest, 274. PopiciPpES AMERICANUS. Podiceps americanus Grant, Cat. B. xxvi. p. 524. Podiceps rollandi Arg. Orn. ii. p. 204. a. dad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Oct. 13, 1908. b. g ad. a May 9, 1909. This is quite the commonest Grebe in the Ajo district. It is usually seen singly or in pairs on all the waters ; Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil. 4.77 it breeds freely in the locality, but I did not succeed in taking eggs, 275. PopILYMBUS PODICEPS. Podilymbus podicipes Grant, Cat. B. xxvi. p. 558; Arg. Onn. 11. p. 206. a. 9 ad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. Jan. 22, 1909. This bird is in full winter dress. It is the only specimen of this Grebe that I saw. It was shot on a large open sheet of water. Fam. TinamMip@. 276. CRYPTURUS UNDULATUS. Crypturus undulatus Salvad. Cat. B. xxvii. p. 527. a. 6. Mortero, Paraguay. Aug. 13, 1909. This example, apparently an adult, does not altogether agree with the specimens in the British Museum obtained by Prof. Graham Kerr on the Rio Pilcomayo, and by Mr. Foster at Sapucay, respectively. It is nearer to the Rio Pilecomayo specimen, except that the top of the head and the primaries are much paler, 277. CRYPTURUS TATAUPA. Crypturus tataupa Arg. Orn. 1. p. 208; Salvad. Cat. B. XXV1l. p. 525. a. @ ad. Riacho Ancho, Chaco, N. Argentine. July 30, 1909: This specimen is identical with Mr. Foster’s and other specimens from Paraguay. It still retains in the left wing one inner secondary of the immature plumage, but is otherwise quite adult. 278. RHYNCHOTIS RUFESCENS. Rhynchotis rufescens Arg. Orn. ii. p. 209; Salvad. Cat. B. XXVll. p. 548. aud Simms, CapeSanvAntomio.. Dec:.17,; 18, 1908: em 9 ad. Tuyu, Ajo. May 13, 1909. d. g ad. Colonia Mihanovitch. Nov. 5, 1909. 478 On Birds collected in Aryentina, Paraguay, &c. In the district of Aj6, this Tinamou is not common, and is now almost entirely confined to the coast-belt. In the north, where it is more abundant, its clear whistling note is often heard. 279. NoTHURA MACULOSA. Nothura maculosa Arg. Orn. 11. p. 211; Salvad. Cat. B. XXvl1. p. 559. a. ¢ juv. Cape San Antonio. Dec. 20, 1908. b,c. d imm.; 2? ad. Los Ynglases, Aj6. Sept. 14, 1908. d,e. gad.; 2? imm. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Jan. 11-19, 1909. f. 2? ad. Los Ynglases, Ajé. Feb. 17, 1909. g. & ad. . 5 Mar. 23, 1909. B29 IN a Apr. 21-28, 1909. k. 9 ad. Monte Alto, Paraguay. Aug. 25, 1909. This is a very common bird in the pampas, but not so abundant in the north. Fam. RuEip&. 280. RHEA AMERICANA. Rhea americana Salvad. Cat. B. xxvii. p. 578; Arg. Orn. li. p. 216. a. d nestling. Luiconia, Ajo. Nov. 19, 1908. b. gad. Los Ynglases, Ajo. May 27, 1909. c. 6 imm. Los Yuglases, Ajé. May 29, 1909. d,e. & @ imm. (heads only). Los Ynglases, Ajo. May 29, 1909. The Rhea is almost gone from the Ajo district, but may still be found in the rough country along the coast, where J have seen as many as nineteen together. A few are more or less preserved in many of the estancias. The nest is usually placed in a thick patch of long grass, and the incubating male usually sits closely, rising with a rush and outspread wings from under the horse’s nose. One nest that I visited contained nineteen newly-hatched chicks and two unfertile eggs, and it was from these that I obtained the nestling specimen. On the Birds of Southern Cameroon. 479 XVIII.—Further Notes on the Birds of Southern Cameroon.— Part I. By G. L. Bates, M.B.O.U. With Descriptions of the Eggs by W. R. Oattvie-Grant, M.B.O.U. (Plates VIT.-IX. and Text-figs. 13 & 14.) Tue collection on which these notes are based was made from August 1908 to December 1910, mostly at my place of residence at Bitye, near the western bend of the River Ja (see map, ‘ Ibis,’ 1908, p.558). But a number of specimens were obtained on two trips further east. One trip—to mention the shorter one first—was made in January 1910 to a place perhaps seventy-five miles down the Ja from Bitye, called Esamesa. Though only a few days were spent on this expe- dition, two birds that I had not collected elsewhere were obtained, one being Apalis jacksoni, hitherto known only in the Lakes-district of Africa. The longer trip occupied part of November and all of December 1908 and part of January 1909. The part of this time not spent on the road was passed at a camp near Assobam, in the Njiem or Zima Country, a place a little to the north of Bizam which is marked on the map referred to. My camp was in a bit of the forest between the village and the small River Bumba, the principal tributary of the Ja. The number of species of which specimens were collected at Assobam was about a hundred and twenty, and a few more were shot or were plainly seen so as to be known. These include some forms of wide range in Africa, and many West Coast species that had already been found by Emin and others in Central Africa, or later by the Ruwenzori Expe- dition or by Mr. Douglas Carruthers on the Upper Congo. But they include also forty-one species hitherto known, so far as I can learn, only from the West Coast, the range of which is thus extended 150 miles further into the terior of Africa than before, for Assobam is about that distance east 430 Mr. G. L. Bates on the of Bitye. These strictly West Coast species obtained at Assobam are as follows :— Haplopelia plumbescens. Calopelia puella. Guttera plumifera. Francolinus squamatus. s lathami. Astur toussenellii. Lophostrix letti. Turacus persa. Indicator conirostris. Verreauxia africana. Dendromus nivosus. Lophoceros hartlaubi. Ortholophus albocristatus. TFraseria ocreata., 5 cinerascens. Diaphorophyia chalybea. Erythrocereus maccallii. Trochocercus nitens. Tchitrea rufo-cinerea. Chaunonotus sabinei. Malimbus rubricollis. Ploceus preussi. » cucullatus. Estrilda atricapilla. Criniger chloronotus. Bleda notata. Phyllostrophus simplex, Andropadus serinus. Pycnonotus gabonensis. Anthreptes fraseri. Parmoptila woodhousei. Kuprinodes rufogularis. Macrosphenus concolor. Camaroptera chloronota. - superciliaris. Neocossyphus poensis. Turdus saturatus. Alethe castanea. »» poliocephala. Callene cyornithopsis. Malaconotus gabonensis. The new species discovered on this trip were Lodotus oriolinus and Pedilorhynchus brevirostris. The birds mentioned in the following notes consist (1) of species not hitherto reported in the papers by Dr. Sharpe on my collections or in my own notes; these number forty- one (in Parts I. and I]. together), and six of them were new ; they may be known by the absence of references to ‘ The Ibis’: (2) of species already reporied, about which there seemed to be further facts worth noting. The character of the notes here given is very varied, and the term “ Field- notes ” is not applicable to all of them. Whether the obser- vations in the field will be found disappointing or not I cannot say. All my work has been done with constant help from the natives; but I have used the greatest caution in trusting to Birds of Southern Cameroon. 431 the statements of the natives. All my birds were sexed by myself alone. In speaking of objects and conditions peculiar to the African forest country, it has often been difficult to find suitable English words, and it has been convenient to borrow a few words here from Bulu, my language when in Africa; they have mostly been used in ‘The Ibis’ before. (Pronounce the vowels asin French.) jak means a company of birds in the forest (see ‘ Ibis,’ 1905, p. 462); ékdték, plural bikdték, means old cultivated or cleared land, now abandoned and overgrown thickly with almost impenetrable bushes, vines, tall sedges and grass, and small trees; éngas means the swampy border of a stream, overgrown with sedges and weeds; njak is the name of an ants’ nest hanging in a tree, nd also of a suspended termites’ (white ants’) nest. Names of trees and plants used are :—aseng,” Musanga smithii ; “abode,” Alcorneacordata; ‘“atondok,” Harongasp.; “okéng,” Triumfetta sp. ; ‘ésdng,” Panicum maximum. Much more is due to Mr. Ogilvie-Grant in this paper than his brief descriptions of the eggs, and I am under great obligations to him. I must also thank the officers and attendants of the “ Bird-room” in the Museum for much courteous help. The arrangement followed is mostly that of Prof. Reich- enow’s “‘ Vogel Afrikas.” Piorus Rurus. [ Ntotdko.] Anhinga rufa Reichenow, V. A. 1. p. 95. No. 4322. ¢ (testes large). Bitye, July 1910. This specimen is the only one that I have seen, and it was new to the boy who shot it and to the people of the village. But a man from another village nearer the Ja knew the bird and gave me the Bulu name for it; so probably it is not very rare on the Ja itself. The boy who shot my specimen said that he saw it on a log over the small river near Bitye, with its wings spread out, sunning itself. When shot and wounded it dived into the river out of sight and emerged far away. 482 Mr. G. L. Bates on the PreroNetta HARTLAUBI. [ Alot. | Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 6. Male specimens (Nos. 3661 & 4143) from Cameroon have a small white spot on the forehead at the base of the bill, but have not nearly so much white as the birds which Neumann has called P. h. albifrons (Bull. B. O. C. xxi. p. 42). All my female examples (Nos. 29, 33, 4142, and 4459) have either no white or a very faint “ticking” of white on the forehead. This white spot is a sexual marking of the male, which is beginning to be acquired by fully adult or old females ; it is more developed in birds from the Upper Congo region than in those from the West Coast. The young, which are marked with four light spots on the back, are caught on or near streams rather frequently. Last November (wet season) a man found a female with nine ducklings on land near his line of dead-fall traps, which were connected by a fence and placed near a stream for catching small animals. He drove the birds along the fence till the mother entered one of the traps and was caught; he also caught five of the young ones and brought them tome. The mother is the skin marked No. 4459. I kept the ducklings alive for several weeks in a little pen of wire netting. They ate cassava and maize meal put in water, and also greedily picked up termites placed on the floor of their pen. The most remarkable thing in their actions was the power of climbing they shewed on the first day. When put into an old keg they soon climbed out, clinging by means of their sharp claws to the rough wood. When I put them into a wire pen they did the same, and it had to be covered over. The first jump from the ground landed the duckling several inches up the wire netting, where it clung with its claws ; then another jumping effort, with one foot clinging fast, brought its other foot far above the first station ; and so it worked its way to the top. The disposition, and perhaps the power, to climb ceased after a day or two; it seemed to be a special endowment enabling these young ducklings, when hatched in a hollow tree, to reach the opening and escape. [See the account of the young of the Summer-Duck (4x sponsa), J. f. O. 1910, p. 101.] Birds of Southern Cameroon. 483 GLAREOLA MELANOPTERA. Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 9. No. 3919. 3. No. 4413. g. In immature plumage, which is worn and old. These birds were killed at Bitye in September 1909 and 1910; the specimens already recorded (‘ Ibis,’ Z. ec.) were also killed in September, and other birds of this species were seen in that month, in different years. Toranus ocurorus. [Amalaka.] No. 3186. ?@. Assobam, Dec. 1908. An example of Totanus hypoleucus was also killed, at the same place and time; the latter was moulting. Himanrornis H#MAtorus. [Nkulengu. | Sharpe, Ibis, 1907, p. 421. No. 4401 was killed in a dead-fall trap placed in the forest, near a stream, for catching small animals. The wings of this bird were examined when it was freshly killed, and found to be eutfavic. Mr. Pycraft has kindly examined another specimen, a dried skin, and found the wing eutaxic. In his article on “The so-called ‘ Aquin- cubitalism’ in the Bird’s Wing” (J. Linn. Soe. xxvii.) the “Ralli” are placed in the lst of “large groups every individual member of which, so far as is known, has diasta- taxic wings” (p. 247). GALLINULA ANGULATA. Reichenow, V.A.1. p. 295. No. 3747. 2? imm. Bitye, R. Ja, June 1909. Iris yellowish brown ; bill dull yellow, blackish on culmen. This specimen resembles a somewhat younger bird in the British Museum collection, which has the black down still attached to the tips of some of its feathers. Neither of these examples resembles the type of Sclater’s Gallinula pumila and a number of specimens like it; these seem to be adult females, and not young birds, as Reichenow states G. pumila to have been. All have the under side light grey, and the long feathers about the vent, lying among the white under tail-coverts, black, as in the adult male. The young birds 484, Mr. G. Ll. Bates on the have no black vent-feathers, and the underparts are white. No. 3747 was brought in alive, having been caught in a clearing near a stream. Popica JACOBI. Reichenow, J. f. O. 1906, p. 325; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 8. No. 4179. 9 (small ova in ovary). Bitye, April 1910. This specimen has the wing 150 mm. long, the tail 120 mm., the bill 38 mm. Thus it agrees in size with the description of P. jacobi. The specimens sent in previous years (cf. ‘ Ibis,’ 7. ¢.), even the females, were much larger, though still muck smaller thau examples of P. senegalensis. As I can see no other difference except that of size between the present specimens and those previously sent, I conclude that they are all referable to P. jacobi, and that the species has a wide range of variation in size. It may be that these birds continue to grow after they reach maturity, a con- jecture supported by the fact that the two largest female birds have black heads. As in P. senegalensis, this character is the mark of the fully adult bird; but in the Senegal form it is accompanied by the characteristic grey throat and white line on each side; in P. jacobi the whole throat is always white, even in the old black-headed birds. All female specimens, even the oldest, have the white plumage of the breast mottled with dark brown. The present example (No. 4179) was brought to me alive by a woman who had found it caught in a basket-trap placed in a stream to catch fish. When held in the hand it trembled and uttered a low guttural growl ending in a faint squawk. 'THERISTICUS RARUS, Xeichenow, V. A. ii. p. 804; Sharpe, Ibis, 1907, p. 423. No. 8108. ? ad. Length of bill to hinder angle of nostril 112 mm. No. 4271. 2juv. Length of bill to hinder angle of nostril 68 mm. Both were shot at Bitye, R. Ja. There is no doubt about the distinctness of this species Birds of Southern Cameroon. 485 from T. olivaceus, an example of which I procured at Efulen some years ago (cf. ‘ Ibis,’ 1904, p. 96). The immature specimen (No. 4271) shews no marked difference in plumage from the adult; the difference in the length of the bill is, however, remarkable, and so is the difference in the colouring of the naked skin of the head; in the young bird this is uniform dark purplish blue, while in the adult it is black with some light blue spots. I was informed that the young bird (No. 4271) was one of two individuals which were seen standing on the bank of a stream, and thrusting their bills into the water. No. 1177 (‘ Ibis,’ 1907, p. 423) was likewise said to have been one of a pair seen to fly up into a tree from the bank of the same stream. The stomachs of all contained some worm-like creatures, or bits of shell and perhaps insects, along with a quantity of mud and decaying leaves; and even the intestine of one seemed to be full of mud. ABDIMIA ABDIMII. Reichenow, V. A. 1. p. 343. No. 4170. 9. Bitye, R. Ja, April 18, 1910. This is the only specimen I have ever met with in Cameroon, and the natives with whom I talked had never seen one. It appeared at the end of the longer dry season, the rains of April were late in beginning last year. ‘That is the period of greatest drought all over Africa north of the equatorial forest-belt, and the Stork had evidently been driven by lack of food to wander so far. Its stomach was full of grasshoppers. It settled in a large clearing that had recently been burned off; and when disturbed did not fly to the surrounding forest, but remained on the cleared land, Nycricorax LEUCONOTUS. Reichenow, V. A. i. p. 3638. No. 2977. 3 adult. Stomach full of small crustaceans. No. 4042. 3 imm. Both specimens were obtained at Bitye, the first having been shot, the second caught by the leg in a noose that had SER, IX.——VOL. V. 21 186 Mr. G. L. Bates on the been set for ducks, over or in the water. According to the account it must have come into the snare not at might, but about 8 or 9 o’clock in the morning. When alive, and for an hour or two after death, there was a bluish tint or “bloom” on the plumage of the head, which disappeared later. The same peculiarity has been noted in the plumage of other Herons and in a species of Dove. Vinaco caLva. [Obeng. | Sharpe, Ibis, 1907, p. 419. Nos. 3867, 4390, and 4487 were young birds just able to fly, that were caaght and brought in to me, as were also some other individuals like them. They have the head “ sap- green” and the feathers of the other upper parts grey with “ sap-green ” edges. No. 4389, 2 adult, had sixteen rectrices; a number of others examined, of both sexes, had fourteen. The wing in this species is diastataxic. I have records of eight Obeng’s nests taken or seen, in every case with one egg only. Three eggs that were pre- served measure 82 x 25, 29 x 23, and 28 x 22 mm. In connection with one of the nests there was a curious circumstance worth recording. ‘This nest was placed in a small aténdék tree at the edge of my clearing. In the morning I saw an Obeng fly off, leaving its one egg lying as if lodged on a few chance dry sticks—the only nest this Pigeon makes. About two bours later I approached the place again, and heard the whistling noise made by the bird’s wings in flying off. 'The little nest was there, but no ege. I searched carefully on the ground and among the bushes under the nest, but, as I found no traces of the egg, ean only suppose it was carried off by the bird on being disturbed a second time in one morning. As to the way in which the egg had been transported, I may add that the bird hardly had time to take the egg in its mouth before it flew. When the Obeng sits, the egg is kept between the feathered feet. It would be possible, I should think, for the bird to carry the egg thus between its feet, Birds of Southern Cameroon. 4837 without any change of position, when it flew away. It might then easily alight elsewhere on any chance platform of two or three dead twigs sufficient to support the egg, and by a few minutes’ work make as good a nest as the one had left. CotumsBa unicineta, [Afep.] Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 94; 1907, p. 419. No. 3309. ¢ (testes large). Assobam, Bumba R., Dec. 1908. Inis and skin around eye red ; feet pale bluish-grey ; bill pale Jeaden-blue. Shot ona high limb of a tree over my camp. There were two sitting side by side, almost touching one another, and a sound was heard to come from one of them resembling the distant “booming” of the Prairie-cock. This sound has often been heard in the forest when the bird could not be found, being effectually hidden in the top branches of the trees. These large Pigeons are difficult to kill, and many a shot has been wasted on them. TurtTUR semitorquatus. [ Zum. ] Bates, [bis, 1909, p. 9. Streptopelia semitorquata Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 596; 1907, p. 419. Two specimens examined had the rectrices twelve in number and the wings diastataxic. Two more nests, each with two eggs and a third with two nestlings, have been found—the single egg mentioned in my previous paper (‘ Ibis,’ 7. c.) must have been an exceptional case. The eggs vary from 29 to 32 mm. in length and from 23 to 24°5 mm. in width. TURTURGNA IRIDITORQUES. Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 94. No. 4334. gad. Nos. 3792, 4292, 4828. 9? ad. Bitye, R. Ja. The females differ in plumage considerably from the male, in the manner indicated in Reichenow’s descriptions. My male specimen has one marked peculiarity, in that it has the two central rectrices broadly tipped with yellowish- 212 ~ Law 488 Mr. G. L. Bates on the white, like the others, while a specimen from Sierra Leone, agreeing with Reichenow’s description and also with Cassin’s original description, has these rectrices uniform slaty-grey. The three females, though all adult, differ in the amount of grey on the forehead; this looks as though there is a tendency to attain the colouring of the male with advancing age. All my specimens are breeding birds. One was from a pair that had a nest in a small atdéndok tree in the ékéték, which was, however, as yet without eggs. The call-notes of this Dove are entirely unlike those of any other species that I have heard in Africa. They strongly reminded me of the notes of the ‘‘ Mourning Dove” of my boyhood in Illinois, which I suppose was Zenaidura carolinensis. They are a series of mournful notes, which begin with some energy and die away, HApLoPpELIA PLUMBESCENS. Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 95 (January) ; Grant, Trans. Zool. Soc. xix. p. 448 (1910). Haplopelia seimundi Sharpe, Bull. B. O. C. xiv. p. 98 (June, 1904). ? Aplopelia tessmanni Reichenow, Orn. Monatsb. 1909, p. 87: No. 8366. ¢ imm. Assobam, R. Bumba, Jan. 1909. Nos. 2774 and 4359. g ad. Bitye, R. Ja. No. 4446. 2 breeding. Bitye, R. Ja, Oct. 1910. Iris grey; feet and margin of eyelids red; bill and cere black. Rectrices twelve in number; wing diastataxic. The adult males are exactly like the type of H. seimundi, and agree also with the description of H. tessmanni, from a locality near where mine were collected. The immature male, a browner bird with light feather edges, is like the type of H. plumbescens, which I got at Efulen. The adult female is quite different from any of the males, being olive- brown on the back and rusty nmber-brown on the breast. This Dove seems always to be found neara stream of Birds of Southern Cameroon. 489 water. No, 4446 was caught in a dead-fall trap set near a stream in the forest, as described under Pteronetta hartlaubi. No. 4359, a breeding male, was shot by Nkolo “on its nest,” about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, in a bit of forest near a stream between two villages. The nest, which was brought to me with a single egg, was more of a structure than Doves usually make. The base was composed of sticks, some as large as a pencil, and on top were tendrils. The egg is cream-coloured, glossy, and measures 27 x 22 mm. CaLoPELia PUELLA. [Odu.] Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 94. Calopelia brehmeri Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, pp. 95, 596 ; 1907, p. 420. I cannot account for the difference in colour between the metallic wing-spots of different individuals. It does not seem due to age or sex, neither does it seem to indicate that the birds belong to two different species. This species has twelve rectrices, and the wing is eutaxic. Though many specimens of this Dove have been killed— mostly caught in snares in the forest—and I have sometimes seen it alive, generally on the ground, it is only lately that I have witnessed it uttering its call-notes, so as to know certainly what sound it makes. The notes I saw and heard it uttering were not distinguishable from those of a Tympan- istria, and differed from those of Chalcopelia afra (see below) only in being stronger and fuller in tone. ‘These three Doves have the same name in Bulu, doubtless because their call-notes are so nearly alike. The name ‘‘ Odu” is not imitative, but rather derived from the word “du,” which means “ crying” or “ mourning.” The only nest that I have seen was brought to me along with the female (No. 4499) and two nestlings. This nest consisted of a bed of decaying stems and leaves, with some rootlets on the top, and was not so scanty as the nests of most other Doves. It was found on the horizontal limb of a tree, near the ground, in the forest. 4.50 Mr. G. L. Bates on the TYMPANISTRIA TYMPANISTRIA. [Odu. | Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 94; 1905, p. 464; 1907, p. 420. In this species the rectrices number twelve, and the wing is eutaxic, This Odu has a call very like that of Chalcopelia afra, but uttered in a stronger and more resonant tone. Though the bird is not so often seen as the other species, nests of Tympanistria have occasionally been found, while those of C. afra have not yet been discovered. One nest I found myself, with the bird on, in some thick tangled bushes at the border of a clearing, just at the height of my head from the ground. It contained one egg, already slightly cracked by the young bird within. After visiting the nest several times, one day I found the nestling with its plumage half- grown, and intended to secure it as a specimen; but when I approached it flew away! A comparison of dates shewed that this squab was able to fly when twelve or thirteen days old. Nos. 3114 and 3115 are a pair of nestlings taken by a boy from a nest. The outermost primaries already shew the narrowed tips. The feathers of the upper parts of the body, with down still adhering to their tips, are chocolate-brown with light reddish-brown bars; the feathers of the under parts are white or whitish, those of the breast with dark bars. On two other nests the sitting birds were shot by my boy, who, by aiming at the head, succeeded in killing the birds without breaking the eggs. These nests were very slight, composed of small sticks or rootlets and tendrils. One of the birds (No. 4386) was a female, killed about five o’clock in the afternoon. She had two eggs, measuring 23 X 17 mm. (both the same). The other (No. 4513) was a male, shot on the nest in the forenoon: one egg was broken, the other measured 24x18 mm. All three eggs are perfect ovals with but little gloss, and of a deep cream-colour. CHALCOPELIA ArRA. [Odu.] Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 94; 1907, p. 420. No, 4131 is a specimen of a young Dove, looking almost Birds of Southern Cameroon. 491 exactly like the young of Tympanistria tympanistria (Nos. 3114 and 3115) mentioned above, but the outermost primary is not narrowed ; it is of a lighter brown above, and has less white beneath, so I think it belongs to this species. This is the commonest Odu and one of the most fearless of birds, coming boldly about villages and on paths to pick up its food, its dull coloration making it often unnoticed as it walks on the ground or perches on a decaying log or stick. Its call consists of a succession of notes uttered in a very low and feeble tone, begun in a slow and halting manne: and afterwards more rapid, as if the poor bird was at first choked with grief, but became more cheerful as it went on. This sound seems to come from far away, though the bird may be sitting, unnoticed, on a twig or log only a few yards off. While in the act of uttering its notes, it keeps its bil! pointed downwards and held near its crop. In this species the rectrices are twelve in number and tlic wing is eutaxic. GuTTERA PLUMIFERA. [Mvem. | Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 94; 1907, p. 418. Nos. 4462, 4465-6, & 4479, chicks. Bitye, R. Ja, Nov 1910; These chicks have two parallel white stripes running down the sides of the back ; between the stripes the down is black ; on the sides of the body outside the stripes it is brown. The head has a complicated but symmetrical pattern of light yellowish-brown and black stripes. These stripes on the head shew very plainly on the inside of the skin when it is turned back; and especially the black stripe running back from the forehead, where the crest of the adult would be, is seen to be composed of dense down-feathers different from the rest. Small yellow lappets of skin hang from the gape on either side. These chicks were kept alive along with some ducklings (see above) for a few days, but died one by one. Their most interesting characteristic was the way in which the feeding instinct was excited by imitation. The ducklings paid no 4.92 Mr. G. L. Bates on the attention to each other when feeding; but whenever one Guinea-chick pecked at anything the others would run to join it. If one had anything large in its bill, another would seize it and try to pull it away. They would peck at small objects when moving, though indifferent to them when lying still. One would often seize with its bill the wing-tip or toe of a duckling. Their natural food probably consisted of worms or millipedes and such like. Last August my hunter, Nkolo, shot a Guinea-hen, which on dissection shewed that she had recently laid several eggs. She was sitting on nine eggs, on dry leaves on the ground in the forest ; five of the eggs were broken by the shot, but he brought the other four. The eggs are white, but much stained, and the numerous pits in the shell are dark as if from dirt. They are pointed at one end and very blunt at the other. They vary in length from 47:5 to 49 mm., and in width from 37 to 38°5 mm. POLYBOROIDES TYPICUS. Ibis, 1904, pp. 98, 596. This peculiar Bird of Prey lacks the adroitness of move- ment of the more typical Falconide ; it mainly seeks food that is not difficult to secure. It continually visits the palm- trees about villages, and seems to have two objects in view : one is to eat palm-nuts, the other to look for nestling Weaver-birds. One individual used to visit the palm-trees near my house on Sunday afternoons, when there were no people about. In a tree that was full of the nests of Ploceus cucullatus and P. nigerrimus, the Hawk was seen to go from nest to nest, tearing them open with its bill; but it did not find any young birds while I watched it. It was in plain sight, and seemed perfectly aware of its exposed position, for it never made a motion without afterwards raising its head and looking all around, with its crest erected, which gives it a peculiarly fierce appearance. Once, while its head was so raised, it was struck about the eyes by a Weaver-bird ; but except when it disturbed a nest, the small birds paid no more attention to it than they would have done toa Hornbill. Birds of Southern Cameroon. 493 When exploring a palm-tree, a Polyboroides walks along the branches a great deal, flying only where the frond becomes too slender to support its weight. ASTUR CASTANILIUS. Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, pp. 99, 597; 1907, p. 425. No. 2060. gad. Bitye, R. Ja, Nov. 1906. Length of wing 155 mm. No. 4435. g ad. Bitye, R. Ja, Oct. 1910. Iris dark red ; feet and cere yellow; bill and claws black (one claw white). Length of wing 155 mm. ; tail 140 mm. These specimens are just like the type in the British Museum (Verreaux Coll.), except that the back of No. 4435 is of a lighter grey colour (that of the type is blackish) and the under tail-coverts are entirely white. In size they agree exactly with the type and with other male specimens I have procured. In the females the length of the wing is 180 to 185 mm. ‘This has already been pointed out by Dr. Sharpe (‘ Ibis,’ 1904, p. 100), but it seems worth while to mention it again, because the range of measure- ments given by Reichenow appears to be incorrect. No. 2060 was caught in a snare in the following manner :— A small bird that bad been snared on an atdéndék-tree had been partly eaten by the Hawk when found by the boys who were snaring birds. The boys left the small bird hanging and fixed a noose to catch the Hawk when it returned to complete its meal. ASTUR TOUSSENELII. Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, pp. 100, 597; 1907, p. 425. No. 4299, 9 ad. Bitye, R. Ja, July 1910. Iris orange; feet yellow; cere and skin about eye yellow to orange; bill black, grey at base. Length of wing 225 mm. No. 3268, ¢ imm. Assobam, Bumba R., Dec. 1908. Tris light yellow; bill black, bluish at base; cere, skin around the eye, and feet pale yellow ; claws black. Length of wing 193 mw. The Jength of wing in the type specimen (Verreaux Coll.) is 198 mm. 494: Mr. G. L. Bates on the My adult specimen is a lighter-coloured bird than any in the British Museum, both above and beneath, and has only a very few faint bars on some of the breast-feathers: doubt- less it is an old bird. The difference between this species and A. castanilius, both in size and in colouring, is very marked. d. tousseneli is a lighter grey bird, when adult, than the other, besides differing conspicuously in the colouring of the under parts, No. 4299 was said by Nkolo, who shot it, to have been watching the little birds which had gathered to feed about an army of driver-ants. As its crop contained a recently eaten frog, it is probable that its object was not so much to catch little birds as to secure the frogs that the drivers routed out of their hiding-places. No. 3268 had an old palm-stalk arrow, or part of one, sticking in its forehead near the left eye, so that when the boy who shot it saw it on the perch it looked as if it had a horn. The eye, which had been pierced by the arrow, had shrivelled up, and the wound had healed. The bird was somewhat fat, even though it had long been wounded and carried an arrow in its head. Baza CUCULOIDES. Reichenow, V. A.1. p. 618. No. 2235. g¢ ad. Bitye, R. Ja, Feb. 1907. Stomach full of grasshoppers, beetles, white grubs, &c. Shot in the forest. No. 3624. 9 imm. Bitye, R. Ja, April 1909. Stomach contained sixteen undigested grasshoppers. Iris, feet, and cere yellow; bill and claws black. F ALCO SUBBUTEQ. Reichenow, V. A. i. p. 628. No. 3134. ? imm. Bitye, R. Ja, Oct. 19, 1908. This example, the only one that I have seen, had the plumage much worn, with the exception of two wing-quills on one side and one on the other, which looked new. It was brought in alive and unhurt by a man who said that he [ois.1911; PL Vil Birds of Southern Cameroon. 495 caught it with his hands, as it was trying to fly off with a fowl that was too heavy for it. LoprostRix Lert. Reichenow, V. A. i. p. 663. Scops letti Sharpe, [bis, 1904, pp. 104, 604; 1907, p. 427. No. 8291. gad. Assobam, Dec. 1908. No. 8292. 2? young. ,, These two examples were killed at one shot; there were 3) three sitting on a limb together. The old bird had in its stomach the hard parts of brightly-coloured beetles. Not only is the colour of the plumage of the young one very different from that of the adult, being of a pale rust- colour with white edges to the feathers, and about the face entirely white; but the colour of the iris is bright yellow, while in the adult it is brownish-yellow. The white face and yellow eyes would help to make the young Owl visible in the darkness of a hollow tree. The plumage of this young Owl is remarkable on account of its structure as well as its colour. It is a “ mesoptyle” plumage, the feathers being somewhat downy, yet having shafts, aud bearing on their tips many of the first down- feathers, as in the illustration of “ mesoptyle feather of Tawny Owl” in Pycraft’s ‘History of Birds, p. 270. Mr. Pycraft has pointed out to me a further peculiarity, in that the rectrices, which belong to the “ teleoptyle,” or final plumage, bear, each on its tip, a mesoptyle tail-feather. GuavucipiuM PycrarTi. (Plate VII.) Glaucidium pycrafti Bates, Bull. B. O. C. vol. xxvii. p. 85. No. 4153. g. Bitye, R. Ja, March 26, 1910. Adult male. Head dark greyish-brown; back and upper surface of the wings dark umber-brown ; feathers of the nape and sides of the neck each with a broad white subterminal bar, together forming a white-spotted collar; lores and a short superciliary stripe white. Quills blackish, with umber-brown bars extending across both webs and becoming whitish-buff towards the margins of the inner webs; the outer- most primary shorter than any of the others. Tail-feathers 4.96 Mr. G. L. Bates on the dark brownish-black, the middle pair with three and the outer pairs with five large, rounded, white spots cn the inner web only. Throat, middle of the chest, and under tail- coverts white ; sides of the chest and flanks brown mixed with whitish-buff ; middle of the chest, breast, and belly whitish-buff, each feather with a large, terminal, round or oval spot of dark brown ; under wing-coverts pale buff. Tris bright yellow; bill dull yellow ; feet yellow, claws yellow with black tips. Culmen ca. 12 mm. ; wing 105; tail 70; tarsus about 20. This type-specimen is the only one that I have seen. It was shot by Nkolo, who discovered it through the noise made by other small birds mobbing it as it sat hidden in a thicket. AGAPORNIS PULLARIA, [ K6-nkaé.] Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 605; 1907, p. 428; Bates, Ibis, fI0 3,8 pooo. One of the prettiest sights I ever recollect was five or six K6-nkaé flying up from a little stream where they had been bathing, the blue of the rump-feathers shewing very con- spicuously. No. 4318, 2, was shot by my boy as it came out of a hole in an ants’ nest (mjak) high up in an aseng tree, near the village. I went to see the place, and the boy climbed up and begun to chop the njak, which was hard and earthy and firmly attached to the large tree-stem—a different kind of njak from the one in which a Woodpecker’s nest was found (cf. ‘Ibis, 1909, p. 20). The big ants inhabiting the njak bit him so cruelly that he had to come down. The tree was then chopped down; but the hole in the njak was found empty. I suppose the hole had been excavated by these birds ; the mate of the one killed was seen in the tree-tops near by. How do they endure the ants? They must work so gently that the ants are not disturbed. These fierce ants would be an excellent defence for the birds against robbers of their nest. The ovaand oviduct were not yet enlarged in this example. These most loving birds must keep house together long before they rear their brood. Birds of Southern Cameroon. 497 AGAPORNIS ZENKERI. [ Emolé. | Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 605 ; Bates, Ibis, 1905, p. 89. Nos. 4282, 4285-6, 4289, 4290; all males with testes much enlarged. ‘The stomachs contained the little fig-like fruits of the éfdp tree. Inides yellow; feet greenish-grey ; bills slaty-black. The five specimens enumerated above were shot with bows and arrows on three successive days, together with some others that were damaged, in a certain é¢dp tree, a small kind of fig, the bark of which formerly furnished the bark-cloth of the people. The little Parrots had gathered to feed there, along with the common species, 4. pullaria, It is curious that there were no females among the birds that were killed, as this was not the case with A. pullaria. Agapornis zenkeri seems to be found only where the two species collect to feed in such wild fruit trees as that mentioned. The name Ko-nkaé, meaning “ Grass-Parrot,” is not given to this species and would not be appropriate. CorytH0LaA cristata. [ Kunduk. | Bates, Ibis, 1905, p. 91. Nos. 4098, 4387. Both g. Bitye, R. Ja. No. 4395. ?. Bitye, R. Ja; two empty sheaths of ova in ovary and no third found. On the 19th of last August a man brought me an egg that he said was that of a Kunduk—he saw the pair of birds fly out of a low akak tree (Grewia) along a forest path. By getting up on a stump he could bend down the twigs and reach the nest. I kept the egg, and a few days later had an opportunity of verifying the man’s statement; for a female bird, No. 4395 (see above), was brought in with bits of egg- shell sticking to the feathers of its breast, where there were shot-wounds, the bird having been killed by my hunter Nkolo on its nest. These bits of shell were exactly like the egg the man had brought, and both were so peculiar that they must have belonged to the same species. Nkolo shot this bird on its nest high up in a tree, and from the accounts given by others the Kunduk seems usually to build high. 498 Mr. G. L. Bates on the The egg mentioned above is a short and perfectly oval in shape and measures 50x43°5 mm. It is pale green or greenish-white, and has, lke the bits of broken shell mentioned above, a very peculiar surface, being glossy and smooth, with the exception of scattered minute bosses, or pimple-lke projections, all over the surface. TuRACUS MERIANI. [Mba.] Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 613; 1907, p. 435. No. 4067. gad. Bitye, R. Ja, Dec. 1909. The occurrence of this specimen at Bitye shews that there is not such a sharply defined boundary as I had supposed between this coast species and 7. persa, the common one at Bitye (cf. ‘ Ibis,’ 1909, p. 13). Turacus persa. [ Mba. ] Turacus persa persa Neumann, Nov. Zool. xv. p. 37 (1908). Turacus zenkeri Sharpe, Ibis, 1907, p. 435 ; 1909, p. 13. The distinguishing character of Reichenow’s species T. zenkeri, viz., the width of the white line under the eye, is said by Neumann to be of no value. I have watched half-a-dozen ‘‘ Bemba” of this species, on the edge of the forest near Bitye, chasing one another, and playing and “cawing” in the tree-tops. Two of them alighted on a limb and performed some curious antics. Sometimes they would touch bills, as if kissing ; sometimes one would touch the plumage of the other with its bill. Then one of the pair would run away from its mate, along the limb, then turn and run back; and when they met, they would again touch bills. While they were going through this performance their crests were flattened back, not erected as they usually are. Additional eggs have been brought, in two cases with the sitting birds shot on the nest; in another instance with the statement by the bringer that he saw the Mba fly off. All these eggs resemble the two described (‘ Ibis,’ 1909, p. 13) except in shape. The egg that was brought in without the bird measures 35°5 X 345 mm.; a single fresh egg (another would doubtless have been laid) brought with the bird Birds of Southern Cameroon. 4.99 measures 345X832 mm.; two eggs brought with another bird measure 37 x 34 and 86x384mm. Thus all these eggs were nearly spherical. One sitting Mba brought with eggs proved to be a male, and was shot at midday; the other, a female, was shot at evening. Another male Mba, shot on the nest about noon, was brought in along with a broken egg. CoccYsTES JACOBINUS. Reichenow, V. A. il. p. 78. No. 4537. ¢ (testes small). Bitye, Dec. 16, 1910. This is the first specimen that I have obtained. It was shot on a papaw near my house, where it perched without fear. It had the appearance of a sick or starved bird ; its stomach was full of a very common kind of grasshopper, which, from their disagreeable smell (and taste, too, I presume), no bird of the country will touch. CoccysTEes GLANDARIUS. Reichenow, V. A. ii. p. 81. No. 4559. $ (testes very small). Bitye, Jan. 2, 1911. Curiously enough, an example of a second species of Coccystes, a straggler in the country, was shot a couple of weeks after the specimen of C. jacobinus mentioned above, and in the same way. It was seen boldly sitting on a palm- frond not far from my louse. Its stomach was full of the same disagreeable kind of grasshoppers as the other, though No. 4559 had not been reduced to such food by starvation, for it was fat. Perhaps these stranger birds are unable to compete with the regular inhabitants of the chase as regards tempting food. PacHYCOCCYX VALIDUS. Sharpe, Ibis, 1907, p. 435. No. 4220. g imm. Bitye, R. Ja, June 18, 1910. Iris dark brown ; bill black above, light beneath; eyelids and feet yellow. This is the second specimen of this rare species that has been brought to me; like the first, it had been killed in the forest by a native. In both cases I have recorded the contents of the stomach ; these consisted of insects of many 500 Mr. G. L. Bates on the different kinds, but there were no caterpillars, or caterpillar- hairs sticking to the lining of the stomach. The last bird, while having white spots in the plumage, was not very young, and must have caught these insects itself. CucuLUS CANORUS. teichenow, V. A. 11. p. 89. No. 8623. 2 somewhatimm. Bitye, Apr. 22, 1909. No. 4458. 9 young. Bitye, Oct. 29, 1910. CUCULUS SOLITARIUS. Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 613 ; 1907, p. 435. No. 4330. g ad. No. 3816. 9 ad. Bitye, R. Ja. Nos. 3921, 4024, young; 4216, young, with the plumage not grown. These three young birds, with one like them, No. 1189, identified by Sharpe as C. gabonensis (‘ Ibis, 1907, p. 436), 1 believe to be the young of C. solitarius, mainly because they are not at all like the young of C. gabonensis described below. Moreover, younger birds of C. solitarius collected by the Ruwenzori Expedition (cf. Grant, Trans. Zool. Soc. xix. p. 424) seem to have resembled them, and so does a specimen in the British Museum from Fantee. They have white edges on all the black feathers and a white spot on the back of the head; thus agreeing exactly with Reiche- now’s description of the young of C. gabonensis, which, as will appear below, they cannot be. I can only suppose that, like Sharpe, Reichenow has mistaken for that species the young of C. solitarius, especially as he seems to suppose that the latter species is not found in Cameroon. Nos. 3921, 4024, and 4216 have the feet yellow; No. 4216, a very young bird, had the inside of the mouth and the tongue uniform deep orange. CucuLus GABONENSIS. (Text-fig. 13.) Sharpe, Ibis, 1907, p. 436. Cuculus clamosus Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 614. Cuculus aurivillit Sjéstedt, K. Sv. Vet.-Akad. Handl. Xxvil. p. 47 (1895). I have a series of eight specimens, all collected at Bitye Birds of Southern Cameroon. 501 except one, which was shot at a place further down the Ja. These shew all gradations from (1) a perfectly black first plumage (Nos. 3898 and 38904); through (2) a moulting transitional state, in which some of the chestnut feathers of the throat and chest and some of the barred feathers of the under parts are appearing among the black ones (Nos, 3044 and 8141) ; and (3) a nearly adult plumage with some dark Text-fig. 15, Ends of the middle pair of rectrices of Cuculus gabonensis. bars on the throat (Nos.4411,4091, and 3616); to (4) the fully adult plumage (No. 4291). The specimen that Sharpe called Cuculus clamosus (‘Ibis,’ J. c. supra) is just like No. 3141. None of these birds have white-edged feathers. The feet are whitish, becoming yellowish only in older examples. The first two mentioned above, in which the plumage is not grown, have the upper surface of the tail perfectly black SER. IX.—VOL. V. 2M 502 Mr. G. L. Bates on the and the under surface with faint whitish feather-tips, which tend to disappear in somewhat older birds. A nearly adult bird of this species with perfectly black tail was evidently the bird described by Sjiéstedt as C. aurivillii. No. 4091 was moulting the tail, having five old and worn rectrices and five new ones, some not grown. The new ones have white tips, and spots or bars, as in the adult, the old ones have no white. In connection with the tail of specimen No. 4091 may be noted also the curious fact that the old feathers are much longer and more pointed than the new. The figure (text- fig. 13, p. 501) represents the middle pair of rectrices, one new, the other old, drawn to exact size. The shorter new feather seems to me fully grown ; but even if it were not, the difference in shape is remarkable, I have noticed in other Cuckoos and in many other widely different birds the fact that the rectrices are both longer and more pointed in the young than in the adult plumage. One more thing remains to be told about the youngest of these specimens of Cuculus gabonensis, No. 8898. It was brought in by a man who called it a young akétoo (Laniarius leucorhynchus) ; he had shot it with his bow and arrow in company with its “ parents.” I told him I wanted the parents, and soon a Laniarius leucorhynchus was brought ; he said he had found it still crying for its child. The way in which this was told seemed to make it improbable that there was any deception. Moreover, the same kind of focd was found in the stomach of the “ parent” Bush-Shrike as in that of the young Cuckoo. CHRYSOCOCCYX FLAVIGULARIS. Sharpe, Ibis, 1907, p. 487. No. 8263. ¢ (ova, oviduct eularged). Assobam, Dec. 1908. This is the second specimen, and the first female example, I have obtained of this rare Golden Cuckoo. When the first, a male, was shot by my boy at Bitye five years ago, I was close by on a forest path, and heard the bird’s loud clear call, resembling that of its congeners. Birds of Southern Cameroon. 503 INDICATOR MACULATUS. Sharpe, [bis, 1907, p. 440. No, 4204. ¢. Bitye, June 1910. Iris dark brown; bill blackish; feet dull yellow and grey. Nostrils of a long-oval shape, with a raised rim. In this specimen the small feathers of the forehead, and especially those of the sides of the head, are margined with yellowish white, making those parts appear streaked. The specimen previously reported also had this character, but in a less degree; while neither the type-specimen nor Gray’s plate shew it at all. Reichenow mentions it only as regards the forehead. Probably these whitish streaks are a mark of the fully adult bird, like the streaks on the throat of Trachy- lemus purpuratus. INDICATOR STICTOTHORAX. Sharpe, Ibis, 1907, p. 440 ; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 15. No. 4272. $ (not breeding). Bitye, July 1910. My previous specimens were obtained in the forest near the coast. This is a very different bird from J. maculatus. INDICATOR CONIROSTRIS. Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 616; 1907, p. 440; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 16, Another nestling Indicator, probably I. conirostris, has been found in the hole of a Barbet, this time Barbatula leucolema. The old Barbet was caught in the hole with it, but there was no other nestling. The hole had the entrance just the size of an average finger-ring, and much too small to admit a grown Honey-Guide of this species. The egg may, of course, have been carried and dropped into the hole by the bird with its bill. It is a harder problem to explain how the young Honey-Guide could ever have got out of the hole if it had remained till it grew larger. This nestling Indicator had the openings of the eyes very small. It had sharp-pointed tubercles on the heels; the skin of the nestling No. 2416, aiready mentioned (‘ Ibis,’ 1909, p. 16) also shews these tubercles. Two adult female specimens that were found to be just 2M2 504 Mr. G. L. Bates on the ready to lay were shot in the neighbourhood of dead trees containing the holes of Barbets (Gymnoducco), and seemed to be led to the spot by the instinct which makes them seek such a place to deposit their eggs. One had in the oviduct a crushed egg with complete shell; the bits of egg-shell were pure white, without gloss, and were not very thin. MELIGNOMON ZENKERI. Reichenow, V. A. ii. p. 113; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 17. No. 3705. ¢. Bitye, R. Ja, June 1, 1909. No. 4078. ? breeding. Esamesa, R. Ja, Jan. 1910. Both had the iris brown; bill dark horny, yellowish at the base beneath and at the gape; feet dull yellow. Nostrils with a long-elliptical raised rim. ProporTiscUS INSIGNIS. Reichenow, V. A. 1i. p. 115. Heterodes insignis Cassin, Proc. Ac. Se. Philad. 1856, p- 157; 1859, p. 142, figure. Indicator emint Shelley, P. Z.S. 1888, p. 43. No. 4098. 9 ad. Bitye, R. Ja, Feb. 11, 1910. Iris dark brown; bill black ; feet slate-coloured. No. 4076. 2 yg. Esamesa, R. Ja, Jan. 29, 1910. Iris brown; bill above dark at base, whitish at tip, beneath yellowish ; feet grey. My specimens are exactly like the type of Shelley’s Indicator emini, which, as pointed out in a MS. note with that specimen, written by Neumann, differs in some slight particulars from Cassin’s description of specimens from the Gaboon region. If there are two subspecies or geographical races, my specimens belong to that found by Emin on the eastern border of the Congo Basin, and not to that found near Gaboon. The young bird (No. 4076) is nearly like the adult, but has a darker and less yellowish plumage. The skins of these birds were not especially tough, like the skins of Indicator. The food of the young one had been smal] Orthoptera, probably given it by a foster-parent. Birds of Southern Cameroon. 505 MELICHNEUSTES ROBUSTUS. Melignomon robustus Bates, Bull. B. O. C. xxv. p. 26 (1909). The type specimen is the only example I have seen of this new Honey-Guide. But another species has been described by Reichenow (Orn. Monatsb. 1910, p. 160), which seems to resemble mine except in colour, and has been made the type of a new genus, Melichneustes, distinguished by the form of the tail, which I pointed out (Bull. B.O.C. 2. c.). This last species, M. sommerfeldi, was found in the region of the Dume River, not very far distant, to the north-east, from where I have collected. It is remarkable how many new forms of Indicatoride, rare and retiring forest-birds, West Africa has yielded. My specimen of M. robustus was shot with bow and arrow. It had in the stomach small flakes of wax, and, like other Honey-Guides, had a very tough skin. Lysivus Bipentatus. [Ekuku.] Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 616; 1905, p. 466. Nos. 4381 and 4382 (¢ & 2 ) were a pair caught, with four young, in their hole in the tall dead stump of an aseng tree with dry corky wood. The hole was at about a man’s height above the ground. The entrance had been about two inches in diameter (it had been chopped larger when I saw it, to admit the man’s hand in removing the birds); and the excavation ran down a foot and a half. At the bottom there were a number of decomposing portions of insects which had passed through the bodies of the birds and had an ex- tremely offensive smell. The birds had been stopped up in their hole by a man who saw them both enter, about 8 or 9 o’clock in the morning. ‘The food found in the stomachs of the nestlings consisted of insects, part of a large Cetonid beetle being among them. The adults of this species feed mainly on fruits. The eyes of the nestlings were very small. Both these nestlings, and some nearly full-grown young birds obtained at another time, had a heel-pad of sharp- pointed tubercles. 506 Mr. G. L. Bates on the Another pair of old birds of this species, caught together in a hole in exactly the same way, had neither young nor eggs, and dissection shewed that the female had not yet begun to lay. Gymnosucco PeLi. [Ovdl.] Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 616; 1907, p. 441; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 17. Nos. 3876-8 were two nearly fully feathered nestlings and one old bird, which were caught in holes in dead trees that had been stopped up with the birds in, together with a number of other nestlings. The nestlings have the nasal tufts well developed; the head is not bare as in adults, but covered with short feathers, and the bill is of a yellowish horn-colour. They have sharp tubercles on the heels. BaRBATULA FLAVISQUAMATA. [Omvek. | Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 618; 1907, p. 442. All my numerous specimens have dark mottlings on the breast, a character which serves as one of the distinguishing marks of this species from the nearly allied B. stellata and B. scolopacea, The colour of the iris is creamy or greyish- white. Two breeding-holes of this species have now been found, the birds, in each case, having been caught in them. It is unnecessary to describe these holes, as those of all species of Barbatula are alike, and the description given (‘ Ibis,’ 1909, p. 18) will serve for all. In one of the two holes of B. flavo- squamata four adult birds were caught, two males and two females. Judging from the condition of the females, the eggs found must all have belonged to one pair of birds, and the other pair were intruders. Four eggs were reported to have been found in the hole, but only one was received intact ; it measured 17X13°5 mm. Two eggs brought in at another time, in a section of a dead stump, along with the bird, measured 18°5 x 14°5 and 18°5 x 14 mm. Birds of Southern Cameroon. 507 BarBATULA ERYTHRONOTA. [Omvek.] Reich. V. A. ii. p. 146. No. 3451. ¢ breeding. Bitye, R. Ja, Feb. 1909. No. 4360. ¢ e - as Aug. 1910. This is the most beautiful of the small Barbets and is not common, for the two specimens mentioned above are the only ones that I have procured. The first was brought alive, imprisoned in its nesting-hole in a section of a small soft- wood stump. This hole was exactly lke those of other small Barbets, and contained, besides the female bird, two nestlings. BaRBATULA LEUCOLZMA. [Omvek.] Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 617; 1907, p. 442; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 18. I have recently procured a number of these Barbets caught in their breeding-holes, which were like those already deseribed (‘ Ibis,’ 1909, p. 18) and are common in the tall stumps left in clearings. Such birds are not always actually breeding, though many of the holes contained eggs or nestlings. These are to be found during most months of the year, thus hardly confirming my first conclusion that the small Barbets prefer the dry seasons for breeding, The nestlings were generally two in number, but once three were found in one hole. They all had sharp-pointed tubercles on the back of the tarsal joint, When eggs were found, they generally numbered two ; in one instance three. These eggs vary in length from 15 to 18 mm., and in width from 12 to 13 mm, ; otherwise they are as already described, BarRBATULA SUBSULPHUREA. [Omvek.] Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 617; 1907, p. 441; Bates, Ibis, 1909; p. 18. A few nesting-holes of this species have been found, and are exactly like those of B. leucolema, being placed in similar situations. One contained two broken eggs when it reached me, and two young birds were found in each of the others, These had heel-pads, similar to those described above. 508 Mr. G. L. Bates on the One nesting-hole containing young was clean inside, and I think this was true of all the holes of Barbatula, which are thus very different from those of Lybius bidentatus (vide supra, p. 505). Two nearly fledged young of B. subsulphurea that had been taken from a hole, when liberated remained near the house, making a continual tinkling noise, much lke the eall of the adult birds. These nestlings were expressing distress or hunger by the same sound that is used by the species as a mating call. TracHyLemus purPuRatus. [| Ekuku.] Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 618; 1907, p. 442; Bates, Ibis, 1905, 40.03, No. 4404, together with a single nestling, was taken from aholeinatree. The young bird had the eyes very small and apparently functionless ; it was furnished with heel- pads. In the ovary of No. 4396 three or four empty ovum- sheaths were found. It was caught in its nesting-hole, which contained four eggs, one fresh and the others nearly so. These eggs, which are pure white and somewhat glossy, measure respectively 29°5 x 19°5, 29 x 20°5, 28°5 x 19°5, and 29x18 mm. DENDROMUS CAROLI. Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 619 ; 1907, p. 413. No. 3352 was shot, at Assobam, as it was coming out of its nesting-hole ; it was a male with large breeding-organs. Two eggs brought in were said to have been taken from the same hole. They have the “ Woodpecker”-gloss and whiteness, but are stained. They measure 26 x 19 mm. No. 8357, also shot at Assobam, was a female with an egg in her oviduct. The condition of her ovary afforded evidence that two other eggs had already been laid, and there were large ova, one or more of which would perhaps have become mature eggs ; making a total of, at least, four eggs. No, 4087, a half-fledged young bird, was one of a pair Birds of Southern Cameroon. 509 caught ina hole ina tree. The plumage differs from that of adults in that the light spots of the under parts are white. Both the breeding birds mentioned above were killed in January, and the young one in February. These are the driest months of the year. DENDROMUS NIVOSUs. Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 619; 1907, p. 443. Dendromus efulensis Chubb, Bull. B.O.C. xxi. p. 92 ; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 20. Amorg a considerable number of these birds some have the backs as golden in tint as specimens from the Gold Coast. Three more nests, or rather breeding-holes, of this species have now been brought to me, in every case accompanied by the bird that had been caught in the hole; only one of these birds was a female, two were males. These holes were all cavities in the globular pendant nests of termites, which are huge balls, earthy and heavy, of the size and shape of a football, constructed around the slender stems of certain shrubs and vines. The situation of these breed- ing-holes thus resembled that of the hole of the same species formerly described (‘ Ibis,’ 1909, p. 20); but that was ina light and papery ants’ (not termites’) nest. The structure in which the hole of Agapornis pullaria was found (see notes on that bird, p. 496) was yet another kind of ants’ nest. In each of the three more recent holes of this Wood- pecker were two eggs, pure white, with thin glossy shells, measuring—(1) 25x16 and 22516 mm.; (2) 21x16°5 and 21x 17°5 mm.> (3) 20 x loand 22 x 165. mm. The months in which these eggs were found were April, June, and December; those mentioned in the former paper were found in January. These months belong to the dry season, and to the less rainy of the two rainy seasons. DENDROMUS PERMISTUS. Sharpe, [bis, 1904, p. 619 ; 1907, p. 443. No. 4071, a young bird with the feathers not quite grown, differs markedly from adults in the plumage of the head. 510 Mr. G. L. Bates on the This is black above, but, instead of the small round yellow spots or dots on the crown of the adult female, there are very small whitish shaft-streaks to the black feathers of the erown. The throat is white with narrow black bars. CoLiUSs NIGRICOLLIS. Reich. V. A. i. p. 203. Colius nigriscapalis Sharpe, Ibis, 1907, p. 434; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 21. Many nests, containing nestlings or eggs, have now been found. These have been confined, so far, to the months of March and April and from August to November. In several cases the sitting bird killed or caught on the nest proved to be a male. The nestling has the inside of the mouth slaty-black and the tongue yellow, so that when the mouth is open the tongue is very conspicuous. The number of cubital remiges in several nestlings was at least nine (it was uncertain whether another one was a quill or a covert). The number in Colius affinis was found by Mr. Pycraft (‘ Ibis,’ 1907, p. 233) to be eight. Evrystomus Necuiectus. [Kamang.] Eurystomus gularis neglectus Neumann, Orn. Monatsb. 1908, p. 28. Eurystomus gularis Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 606. Nos. 2240, 2946. Both ¢. Bitye, R. Ja. Nos. 8262, 9, & 3226, sex? Assobam, Bumba R. Neumann describes several well-marked characters in which this species differs from typical £. gularis, and these are all to be seen in my birds except as regards the blue colour on the basal part of the middle tail-feathers ; this is well-marked in only one of them, No. 3226, which may have been a male; in the others those feathers shew ynly a bluish tinge when held in a certain position. This is a forest species, while /. afer is a bird of open country; the latter has been found at Bitye (‘ Ibis,’ 1907, p- 428) in a district where there is much cultivated or old Birds of Southern Cameroon. a) el cleared Jand, but not at Efulen or at Assobam, both situated in country that is almost all forest. “‘Kamangs” are fearless and perch in conspicuous places. At Bitye a pair of them, that probably had a nest in some high dead limb near by, used to be heard continually and seen Chasing the Kites over the village farms. BycanisTEs susquaprRatus. [Miam.] Cabanis, Jour. f. Orn. 1880, p. 8350; Grant, Trans. Zool. Soc. xix. p. 481. Nos. 4119, 4152, 4421. All $, adult. Bitye, R. Ja. Length of wings 320-350 mm. Nos. 4211, 4408 & 4422. All 9, adult. Bitye, R. Ja. Length of wings 300-315 mm. Tris reddish-brown ; bill black, with a dirty white spot in the middle on the casque ; feet black, but the soles grey. The measurements of these specimens shew a bird hardly as large as B. albotibials ; but otherwise they agree perfectly with the original figure and description of B. subquadratus. This Miam seems to be as plentiful at Bitye as the other (B. albotibialis), or more so. The pair, Nos. 4421 & 4422, were brought down at one shot by my boy; there were four or five of them early one morning in a small tree in the ékotok, not far from my house. The tree was not a fruit- tree and the birds were not feeding, but calling and chasing each other. : This species makes quite a different cali from B. albo- tibialis. ByYcANISTES ALBO-TIBIALIS. [ Miam. | Bates, Ibis, 1905, p. 90; Sharpe, Ibis, 1907, p. 430. The only specimen I need mention is No, 4557, a young male: irides whitish-grey; bill of a uniform pale horn- colour; feet brown and grey. The bill has no casque, though the base of the upper mandible is greatly elevated above the forehead; the bil is short (culmen 110 mm.) and smooth. A few of the feathers above the eye are grey or have grey margins. The plumage is otherwise like that of the adults. The young Miam above described was kept alive, at Bitye, 512 Mr. G. L. Bates on the for a month. It had been caught by a native woman who was working in her clearing, and seemed to be weakly and unable to fly, though apparently unhurt. In the choice of its food this bird acted as if guided by a sense of smell ; for it at once took pieces of banana when held near its bill, without first tasting of them, while it would not at first touch guavas or papaws (Papaya). All these things must have been equally strange to it by sight. It may be re- marked, by the way, that no wild bird ever has an opportu- nity of eating bananas or plantains in this part of Africa, at least, as they never ripen on the stalk or “tree.” The name “‘ Plantain-eater”’ is a ridiculous misnomer, as applied to any bird in West Africa. HAaLcyon FORBESI. Halcyon torquatus forbesi Reichenow, V. A. ii. p. 280. No. 4034. Imm. (culmen 40 mm.). Bitye. No. 4340. Not quite mature (culmen 45 mm.). Bitye. These specimens shew their immaturity, in different degrees, by a mixing of the black and red colours of the bill, which in adults are clearly separated, the red above and the black below; and by a wash of yellowish-brown on the plumage of the under parts. No example of this species had previously been obtained by me, but last year I got specimens of it and the similar, but much bluer, H. malimbicus in the same locality. One of the specimens of H. malimbicus was likewise immature (culmen 38 mm.) and shewed the same mixing of colours in the bill, but none of the colour on the under parts mentioned above; even this immature bird is much bluer than the specimens of H. forbesi. HZ. senegalensis and H. cyanoleucus form another example of a pair of species very similar to each other, found in the same locality. One of my specimens of H. malimbicus was shot on the border of an army of driver-ants. I lave more than once seen a /alcyon of some species among the birds that always gather about an army of drivers, to feed on the insects and other small creatures that are routed out of their hiding-places and compelled to flee for their lives by the terrible ants (see Birds of Southern Cameroon. 513 under Astur toussenelli’ above, p. 493). In the stomachs of birds shot while so engaged, I have more than once found driver-ants that had been swallowed incidentally, attached to the bodies of their insect prey, for a driver-ant never lets go its hold. ‘This, I believe, furnishes an explanation of the statement made in Mr. Pycraft’s ‘ History of Birds’ (p. 406)— authority not given—that Halcyon cyanoleucus subsists on ants. The food of all species of Halcyon, so far as I have observed, is beetles, grasshoppers, cockroaches, small frogs, &c. ;in the stomach of one I found a whip-scorpion. These are captured in a manner similar to that in which the more typical Kingfishers catch fishes ; that is, by a swift arrow-like plunge, the heavy bill serving as the arrow-head and trans- fixing or striking the prey. Once, when sitting in a native house, I heard something repeatedly strike the roof of palm-leaf thatch with force, as if a small stone had hit it. I found that the noise was caused by a Halcyon (I do not know of which species) that was darting from a tree near by upon the cockroaches that crawled out on the roof. HALcyon BADIUvs. Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 608; 1907, p. 429; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 23. Of all the species of Halcyon, this is more strictly a bird of the forest than any other, and is naturally the one most often met with in our forest region. Jt was found also at Assobam. It has a loud note, quite different from the cries made by the other species. Nos. 4497 and 4498 were a pair of nestlings said to have been taken from a hole in an earthen ants’ nest made in a tree by the big black species that bite, the same kind in which the hole of the Ké-nkaé was found (see notes on Agapornis pullaria above, p. 496). The bills are black with red tips, a white egg-tooth still persisting. The culmen measures only 21 mm., though the birds are large enough to have the wing-quills three-fourths grown. The wings in these birds were scen to be eutaxic. Another clutch of two eggs of this species was found and brought to me along with the bird, No. 3941, a male, 514 Mr. G. L. Bates on the which was shot “ just after it had left its nesting-hole.” The hole was not in a tree-stem, but in a large hanging njak, which was brought with the eggs init. This njak seems to have been of the kind made by termites, though at the time I thought it to be an ants’ nest (see notes on Dendromus nivosus above, p. 509). It was nearly spherical, measuring 9 by 7 inches in greatest and least diameters, and was solid and heavy. None of the insects were in it when it was brought, and I think the hole may have been originally made by Woodpeckers. I have never seen anything to indicate that Halcyon badius eats ants or termites. All the stomachs examined have contained remains of Orthoptera and Coleoptera. Mytroceyx LECONTEI. Ispidina lecontci Cassin, Proc. Ac. Se. Philad, 1856, p. 158. Myioceyx ruficeps Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 607; 1907, p. 429. A series of these little Kingfishers of different ages shews conclusively, what Reichenow already suspected, that M. ruficeps is merely the adult of the species already described by Cassin from a young specimen. No. 3328 in my series of specimens agrees exactly in every particular witi Cassin’s description. Other specimens are very similar to it, and others shew the gradual change to the adult plumage, the black of the crown being replaced by rufous, and likewise a gradual change in the colour of the bill. I have also specimens of a still younger stage than that seen in No. 3328. In this the bill is much shorter, and the feathers of the breast have narrow dark edges; but the most interesting point about these very young birds is that the bill is not so flat, and is pointed, instead of truncated, at the tip, as in older birds. The bill in the young bird does not shew the peculiarity which has caused this species to be made into a separate genus. It is worth recording that one specimen, No. 3828, had fourteen rectrices, all alike in respect to newness or wear ; and that another example, which was not preserved, had thirteen rectices, while all others examined had the normal number of twelve. Birds of Southern Cameroon. 515 ALCEDO GUENTHERI. Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 607; 1907, p. 429. Five young birds of this species, with most of the plumage still in the sheaths, giving them the appearance of being covered with porcupine quills, were brought to me alive in December. The boy who brought them said he had dug them out of a hole in the side of a pit on the bank of a small river near Bitye. While they remained alive for a few hours in a box, one of them continually made a most curious noise, something between a rattle and a fizzle, rhythmically varied in loudness by the opening and closing of the bill. Only one bird did this, and always the same one, while the rest remained silent. When that one was removed, another after some minutes took up the role of ‘‘ soda-water bottle ” ; and when that one was removed, another commenced. There was always one “ fizzler ” only. The large number, five, of nestlings is noteworthy as being unusual in this country. The wings of these young birds were found to be eutaxic. This species was also found at Assobam. Caprimuteus BATEs!I. [ Mvomvot.] (Plate IX. fig. 10, egg.) Sharpe, Ibis, 1907, p. 432; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 25. All the birds obtained in breeding condition and the eggs found, both before and since my former note on this species, were taken in one or the other of the two dry seasons, and most were in March, at the end of the driest time of the year. A young bird not completely feathered was brought to me in April. The abdomen was covered with long buff down, and there was some similar down on the legs. The pectination of the middle claw was not well developed, there being only a wide margin, with a few shallow notches, on part of the length of the claw. The egg figured here is the one that was brought in with No. 2937, the specimen from which the figure of the bird was drawn (cf. ‘ Ibis,’ 1909, p. 25, pl. i.). 516 Mr. G. L. Bates on the CapPRIMULGUS BINOTATUS. Sharpe, Lhis, 1904, p. 612. No. 4107. g. Bitye, R. Ja, February 1910. Length of wing 140 mm. This is the second example of this rare and peculiar Nightjar that I have obtained, the other having been killed at Efulen eight years before at the same time of year. No. 4107 is smaller than the measurements given by Reichenow’s description, and there is a distinct diagonal buff band on the scapulary feathers: both these characters may be marks of the male sex, supposing the original description to have been made from a female. ScoTORNIS CLIMACURUS. Reichenow, V. A. 1. p. 368. No. 8425. 9. Bitye, R. Ja, February 1909. Two other specimens were shot, one at Assobam in January, and a second at the edge of a clearing at Bitye on Christmas Day, but both were badly damaged by shot. Thus all were obtained in the principal dry season; and none were in breeding condition. Like the Pennant-winged Nightjars (see ‘ Lbis,’ 1909, p. 26) these birds seem to wander into the forest in the dry season only. The one shot last Christmas rose in front of me as I was walking along the border of a field of ground-nuts, and settled on asmall log not far off. There it went to sleep again, and remained till I returned with my little collecting-gun. No. 3425 was shot on the bare ground at dusk; it had been making short flights, as if catching beetles in the air and returning to the ground again. MAcRODIPTERYX MACRODIPTERUS. Reich. V. A. u. p. 370. No. 8422. 9. Bitye, R. Ja, February 1909. Length of wing 152 mm. This specimen is somewhat small, aud lacks the rusty neck- band, but seems to belong to the present species. It was apparently astraggler, and was shot in the driest time of the year, as were the specimens of the larger pennant-winged Birds of Southern Cameroon. 517 Nightjar (see ‘ Ibis, 1909, p. 26), of which another example was shot in March, also in the dry season. A male with long wing-plumes, belonging to oue of these species, has also been seen at Bitye at the same season. ‘The birds are aiways seen on the open grounds of clearings, and not in the forest. I almost walked on one when crossing a newly made clearing; it was on the ground, amongst the brown and yellowish dry leaves and grass, which it so closely resembled in colour that if it had not flown I might almost have stepped on it without seeing it. CHa#TURA saBINIT. [Mvaé. ] Reich. V. A. 11. p. 388; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 27. Four more specimens have been obtained, adult males and females. The length of the wing varies from 12] to 125 mm. Were it not that these Swifts have a propensity to fly into houses, doubtless taking then for caves or large hollow trees, I should have seen less of them than I have. Two of my specimens were caught in native habitations. I have a number of times seen Mvaé dart past my house, and some- times enter it,even clinging for a moment to the wall. One specimen was knocked down by a man with a stick as it came out of an old pit in the forest. I used to see a pair of Mvaé every day, coursing about in the vicinity of a large hollow tree, where they doubtless had a nest. Two nests with eggs, taken from hollow trees, were brought to me, in each case witha bird. One, a male, was shot by my boy as it clung to the inside of a hellow tree, which was open above, giving light enough to shoot. There were three other birds, making two pairs, in the hollow. The other specimen brought with a nest was also a male. It had been caught with a butterfly-net by a boy who saw it enter a hollow under the half-rotten roots of an old tree, and secured it as it flew out, afterwards taking the nest. These nests were made of small bits of twigs stuck together, and were shaped like half-cups, glued to the wall of the hollow tree. In one were three pure white eggs, measuring, SER. IX.—VOL. V. 2N 518 Mr. G. L. Bates on the respectively, 18x 12°5, 17°5 X12°5, and 17x12mm. Inthe other were two similar eggs; one was broken, the other measures 17 X 12 mm. TACHORNIS PARVUS. Tachornis parvus brachypterus Reichenow, V. A. i. p. 386. No. 4449. g¢ (testes small). Bitye, Oct. 1910. T had seen these Palm-Swifts about the cocoa-nut trees at the coast, but had never noticed them in the interior till last year. During this time they were not infrequently seen sailing to and fro about some palm-trees for a few minutes at a time, and then disappearing ; none were ever shot or even seen to alight. The specimen I at last obtained was picked up one morning after a storm on a path bordered on either side by tail wet grass. Pirra REICHENOWw!. [ K0’-afan. | Sharpe, Ibis, 19014, p. 621 ; 1905, p. 467. No. 4196. 2, breeding. Bitye, May 1910. Inside of mouth and tongue orange (as in young birds, though this individual was adult). It was snared with a noose fixed on the ground in the forest, where it had been scratching. No. 4417. 3 (testes large). Inside of mouth and tongue red ; iris dark reddish-brown ; bill black, with a red spot on the culmen anda small one on the gonys ; feet greyish-white. A brood-spot on the abdomen. This last bird was brought, along with a nest and two eggs, from the big forest by a man who saw the nest on the branch of a fallen tree, higher than lis head. He climbed to it and fixed a large Phrynium leaf over it and another under, in such a manner that by drawing a noose he could enclose the bird when it came back to the nest. Late in the evening he drew the string, and the next morning went and took his prisoner out, still alive. The nest was too much disarranged to be described ; it was large, and composed mainly of dried forest leaves, with some petioles and rootlets. K Birds of Southern Cameroon. 519 The eggs (Nos. 586, 587) measure 30 x 21 and 29 x 21 mm. One was nearly covered with adhesive dirt, looking like that left by termites, though it was a fresh egg. [Eggs Nos. 586 and 587 are of a reguiar oval form, slightly glossy; the ground-colour is creamy-white with small spots and rounded blotches of dark vandyke-brown and various shades of grey, mostly confined to the larger end.—O.-G. ] HiRUNDO SENEGALENSIS. Reich, V. A. 11. p. 415. No. 4300. ¢ (testes rather large). Bitye, July 1910. This, the only specimen obtained, was shot with bow and arrow while it was getting clay on the path. The claws were remarkably sharp. PsALIDOPROCNE PETITI. [Nguleyebe. | Sharpe, Ibis, 1901, p. 621; 1907, p. 444. An immature bird. No. 4294 has the under side brown, quite light and greyish on the abdomen. No. 3508 has some greyish-brown feathers among the new black ones. No. 3954, a sitting female with two empty ovum-sheaths in the ovary, was brought to me with a nest, consisting of a pile of moss-like Usnea, and two white eggs. All were said to have been dug out of a hole in the side of a pit made to catch animals. ‘The eggs have little gloss, and are very long, measuring 21 x 13 and 20X13 mm. respectively. When I was having clay dug from a pit for making bricks, three pairs of these little black Swallows were seen during several days, sailing close over the pit whenever the work- boys were away. ‘They had probably begun excavating to a slight extent ; if so, they never alighted to work, but took a mouthful of earth in passing—I could not be certain whether they did this or not. They always passed in pairs, and were often heard to utter a low “ weeping” note. Usually these birds are perfectly silent. 2N2 520 Mr. G. L. Bates on the FRASERIA OCREATA. (Plate IX. fig. 12, egg.) Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 8328 ; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 29. A bird of the forest, this species has been seen in every locality where I have been in 8. Cameroon, but was especially abundant near my camp at Assobam. Sometimes there were small parties of four or five, chasing one another with a buzzing or scolding noise. I occasionally heard some pleasing song-notes from one at Assobam, and two pairs were found breeding there. One pair seemed to be begining to build in a knot-hole near the top of a small dead tree. One sitting female was brought with a nest set between two stout twigs of a branch. This nest was composed of a large mass of fine fibres, with a good-sized cup-shaped cavity. ‘The inside fibres appeared to be rootlets, and were very rough; the feathers of the bird’s breast were extremely worn, so as to be mere stumps, and had lost the white ends, making the bird’s breast appear dark grey . e A single nest- ling in this nest had the upper parts of its plumage covered with small light brown spots or speckles, thickest on the head, and the inside of the mouth orange. Another sitting bird, shot with a little arrow in the head, was brought in at Bitye, along with a nest and two eggs. The nest was made of dry leaf-skeletons and stems, with no soft lining. It was said to have been taken from a smal! shallow knot-hole in a tree. The bird sat in this hole with only its head visible. One egg was broken; the other measured 21 X17 mm. [One egg is of a wide oval shape and distinctly glossy. The ground-colour is light olive-green, longitudinally marked with smeared blotches and spots of bright umber-brown aud dark grey, which conceal the greater part of the ground- colour.—O.-G. ] MuSscICAPA GRISOLA. Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 623; 1907, p. 446. Dates of recent specimens, and state of plumage : No. 3546, March 80. Plumage new-looking. No. 3934, September 27. _,, worn, No. 3986, October 28. +) ” Birds of Southern Cameroon. 521 (One not preserved) October 13. Plumage worn. No. 4046. Imm., November 30. Plumage not worn ; light tips on some wing-coverts. The specimens with worn plumage shewed the effect of exposure to the sun and weather on the uncovered tips of the remiges. The tip of each of the longer quills was thin and transparent up to a point whereit was overlapped by the next. This fading and thinning of the feather-tips must have taken place while the wing was folded, and is evidence of long days spent by the bird perched in the open, watching for insects. ALSEONAX EPULATUS. Butalis epulatus Cassin, Proc. Ac. Sc. Philad. 1855, p. 326. Alseonax fantisiensis Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 622; 1907, p. 445; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 30. Alseonax epulatus fantisiensis Reichenow, V. A. 11. p. 456, There is no doubt that there are among my birds two species of very small Flycatchers, alike in size, but differing in the colour of the plumage and very strikingly in the colour of the feet and bill. This last character is very noticeable in live birds, the one with the bright yellow bill and feet, contrasting with the slaty-blue plumage, being distinguishable from the other even when seen perched at a distance. ) f Coal-Titmouse, the bird with which we are at present chiefly concerned. Jt was important to obtain a repre- sentative series of this bird from the various parts of its range, so as to ascertain to what extent, if any, it varied infer se, and whether examples of the British Coal-Titmouse occurred in other parts of Ireland besides Co. Down, where I had previously obtained specimens. From Co. Donegal I have recently received several examples of P. hibernicus. On laying out the series of Irish Titmice in geographical order, one is at once struck with their general similarity and distinctive colouring, which enables one, even in their present more or less faded condition, to distinguish them at a glance from an equally large series of Coal-Titmice ranging over Scotland and England, as well as from those mentioned above as having been obtained in Co. Down. It is unfortunate that in P. hibernicus the yellow wash on the sides of the head, nuchal spot, and breast, as well as the cinnamon-colour of the sides and flanks, fades considerably soon after the birds have been skinned, though some specimens retain their colour better than others. No one who has not seen these birds in the flesh can form any idea of how distinct they really are and how bright their coloration 1s. The most typical examples of P. Aibernicus were obtained in Roscommon, Cavan, and Fermanagh. Among the birds procured by Mr. Bishop there are a few which approach typical examples of P. britannicus. One of these was obtained near Dublin, three in Kerry, and Mr. Ussher has recently sent me one from Waterford. It seems probable that the British Coal-Titmouse visits Ireland in winter, and some may possibly remain there to breed, pairmg with Irish birds. This would account for the fact that among the large series collected there are some examples which are not quite typical examples of P. hibernicus. The fact that the British Coal-Titmouse also occurs in Treland and is possibly resident in Co. Down led me at first the Irish Coal-Titimouse. 551 to accord full specific rank to P. hibernicus, but the ex- amination of the large series before me seems to indicate that the two forms to some extent intergrade, and, for this reason, it may now be best to regard the Irish bird as a subspecies only, but a very distinct one. It is well known that the young of Parus britannicus and its near allies differ from the adult birds in having the sides of the head, as well as the breast and belly, washed with yellow. The persistency of this juvenile character in the adult of P. hibernicus seems to indicate that it is of very ancient origin, much more so than its British representative : it seems to represent a pre-Glacial type which has survived in the western and southern parts of Ireland. Parus ledouctt Malh., a species of Coal-Titmouse peculiar to Algeria, is, in many respects, the form most closely allied to the Irish bird. It has the sides of the head and nuchal spot, as well as the breast and belly, strongly washed with mustard- yellow; but the sides of the body and flanks are greyish instead of cinnamon, as in the young of the British Coal-Titmouse and allied forms in first plumage. The Algerian bird thus seems to represent the most primitive type of plumage still to be found in the younger stages of the allied species, whiie the Irish bird has gone a step further and has added the cinnamon sides and flanks. The Lusitanian element which is so strongly represented in the west and south-west of Ireland is less noticeable in the Fauna, but is especially remarkable in the Flora. In the Fauna, an instance of this is to be found in the Kerry Slug (Geomalacus maculosus). It was first discovered in Kerry, afterwards met with in Cork, and has since been found in Portugal, where other members of this peculiar genus also occur. It has not been met with in any other part of the British Islands. In the Flora there are many Lusitanian species such as Erica mediterranea and Sazifraga geum, the distribution of which within the British Isles is confined to the west of Ireland. The most interesting ‘of all, however, as bearing on the question of the Irish and Algerian Titmice, is theso-called “Strawberry-Tree” (Arbutus aPie 552 On the Irish Coal-Titmouse. unedo), which has a wide range in the Mediterranean region and is found in the neighbourhood of Killarney as well as in Algeria. PARUS HIBERNICUS. Parus hibernicus Ogilvie-Grant, Bull. B. O. C. xxvii. p. 86 (1910) ; id. Country Life, xxix. no. 773, p. 99, figs., 21st Jan., 1911; Witherby, in Witherby’s Brit. Birds, iv. p. 283 (1911). The following comparison shews clearly the principal differences in plumage between typical examples of the British and Irish Coal-Titmice :— Parus britannicus (Pi akemc. 3). Head and neck glossy blue-black, the light patches of feathers on the sides of the head and neck and the nuchal spot wite. Back olive-grey. Rump and upper tail-coverts washed with brownish fawn-colour, not forming a marked contrast with the back. Breast and belly dull whitish or greyish-white. Sides of the body and flanks fawn-colour. Parus hibernicus (Bll dee tie Se Head and neck glossy blue-black, the light patches of feathers on the sides of the head and neck and the nuchal spot pale mustard-yellow,. Back olive-grey, washed with yellowish cinnamon-colour. Rump and upper tail-coverts cinnamon-colour, in marked contrast with the back. Breast and belly whitish, washed | with pale mustard-yellow. Sides of the body and flanks cinnamon-colour. The Plate (Pl. X.), which has been drawn by Mr. F. W. Frohawk, shews the differences between freshly killed examples of the British and Irish Coal-Titmice very clearly, but it should be noted that in the most typical Irish birds the flanks are often of a brighter cinnamon in freshly killed examples, lak. 1911 Ibis 1a wh chro } ee a C7 Annual General Meeting of the B.O.U. 553 XXI.—Proceedings at the Annual General Meeting of the British Ornithologists’ Union, 1911. Tue Annual General Meeting of the British Ornithologists’ Union for 1911 was held at the Offices of the Zoological Society of London in the Outer Circle, Regent’s Park (by permission), on May 10th. The Chair was taken, in the unavoidable ‘absence of the President on account of ill- health, by P. L. Sclater, D.Sc., F.R.S. The Minutes of the last Annual General Meeting were read and confirmed. The Report of the Committee, which was then read, announced the continued prosperity of the Union during the past year. The Annual Volume of ‘ The Ibis’ for 1910 (the fifty-second of the whole and the fourth of the Ninth Series) had been edited by P. L. Sclater, D.Sc., F.R.S., and Mr. A. H. Evans, M.A. It contained 795 pages and was illustrated with 1 photogravure and 9 coloured plates, 2 maps, and 8 text-figures. _ With much regret the Committee reported the deaths of the following Ordinary Members since the last Annual Meeting:—Henry Scherren, Capt. G. E. Shelley, Dr. Thomas Wright, and Dr. A. B. Meyer (Foreign Member). The following gentlemen had resigned :—Lt.-Col. H. F. Barclay, W. Ruskin Butterfield, E, H. Chapman, lrederick Gillett, Dr. A. Gunther, A. EH. Learoyd, H. B. Leigh, Lord Lovat, Hon. E. S. Montagu, Heatley Noble, and J. J. Baldwin Young; and the names of three members had been removed under Rules 6 and 7. At the date of the Meeting the Union consisted of 419 Ordinary Members, 3 Extra-Ordinary, 9 Honorary, 4 Hono- rary Lady Members, 10 Colonial, and 19 Foreign Members. The Statement of Accounts for the year ending December 31st, 1910, was then submitted and approved, and a vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Henry Munt, the Auditor. The Meeting then proceeded to elect the Officers for the rp 554 Annual General Meeting of the B.O.U. ensuing vear, and it was announced that Dr. F. DuCane Godman, F.R.S., had been re-elected President, aud Mr. J. Lewis Bonhote, M.A., F.L.S., Secretary ; also that Dr. N. F. Ticehurst had been elected a Member of the Committee in the place of Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, who had retired by rotation. The following twelve gentlemen were then balloted for and elected Ordinary Members of the Union :—Christopher J. Alexander, 3 Mayfield Road, Tunbridge Wells; Horace G. Alexander, 3 Mayfield Road, Tunbridge Wells; Anthony K. Collett, 5 Stone Buildings, Lincoln’s Inn, W.C. ; Pelham T. L. Dodsworth, F.Z.S., Carlton Grove, Simla, British India; Edward Hudson, 15 Queen Anne’s Gate, S.W. ; Reginald Hudson, 16 Warwick Road, Stratford-on-Avon ; Edward M. Morray, Woodside, Coupar-Angus, Perthshire; Wilham Hi. Patterson, 25 Queen’s Gate Gardens, §.W.; Charles G. Talbot-Ponsonby, 5 Crown Office Row, Temple, E.C.; Reginald A. Tatton, Cuerden Hall, Preston, Lanes. ; A. Landsborough Thomson, Castleton House, Old Aber- deen, Aberdeen ; and Hugh G. Tyrwhitt-Drake, F.Z.S., Cobtree, Sandling, Maidstone. The follewing two ladies were elected Honorary Mem- bers :—Miss Leonora J. Rintoul, Lahill, Largo, Fifeshire ; and Miss Evelyn V. Baxter, Roselea, Kirkton of Largo, Fifeshire ; and Victor, Ritter von Tschusi zu Schmidhoffen, Villa Tannenhof, bei Hallein, Salzburg, Austria, was elected a Foreign Member. On the recommendation of the Committee Rule 4 was altered to read as follows, the additions being in italics :— Rote 4. No person shall be balioted for whose name shall not have been proposed on a form provided for the purpose by the Secretary and signed by the Proposer, on his personal know- ledge, and by two other Members. Candidates for Honorary, Foreign, and Colonial Membership shall be proposed by the Committee only. Ordinary Members wishing to recommend Candidates for these honours should communicate with the “ Annual General Meeting of the B.O.U. 555 Secretary, who will bring the names of their Candidates before the Committee. The list of Candidates, with their Pro- posers and Seconders, shall be circulated among the Members at least fourteen days before the ballot along with the summonses for the General Meeting. Mr. Ogilvie-Grant announced that the B.O.U. Expedition to New Guinea was now on its way home, and that it had reached a height of 5000 feet in the Charles Louis Mountains and had made large collections and important discoveries. The following two motions, brought forward by the Committee, were put to the meeting and carried :— “That the Committee consider it desirable that a new edition of the Union’s List of British Birds be prepared, and that a small Special Committee be appointed with a view to preparing the same.” “That the following members of the B.O.U. be requested to act on the Committee :—The President, the Editors, and the Secretary; Mr. W. R. Ogilvie- Grant, Mr. H. E. Dresser, Mr. W. Eagle-Clarke, and Dr, N. EF. Licehurst.”’ On the motion of Mr. Ogilvie-Grant the following resolu- tion was carried unanimously and ordered to be communicated to the Trustees of the British Museum :— “That in the opinion of the British Ornithologists’ Union it is essential that the whole of the land sur- rounding the Natural History Museum should be reserved for the extension and expansion of that institu- tion, for which the land was definitely given to the Trustees in 1899, and that it should on no account be appropriated or used for any other purpose. They trust that the proposal recently brought forward by the Office of Works to use this land for other purposes may be reconsidered.” Mr. E. G. B. Meade-Waldo proposed, and Mr. H. M. Wallis seconded, that the Secretary should send a letter to 556 Obituary. the War Office asking that, if possible, the Territorial Manceuvres proposed to be held in the New Forest during May and June should be postponed until a later date, owing to the disturbance that would be caused to the fauna at that season of the year. This was agreed to. A vote of thanks to the Zoological Society of London for the use of their Office during the past year was unanimously passed, and the Meeting was adjourned. After the Meeting the Annual Dinner was held, in con- junction with the monthly Dinner of the British Ornitholo- gist’s Club, at Pagani’s Restaurant, Great Portland Street. XXIL.— Obituary. Dr. A. B. Meyer, Dr. Cart Parror, and Mr. W. E. D. Scort. Dr. Avotr Bernnarp Meyer. Apotr Bernuarp Meyer, whose death at Berlin took place on February 5th last, was born in Hamburg in 1840. He studied Medicine and Natural Science in the University of Berlin, and commenced his remarkable career as a scientific traveller and naturalist early in life, devoting himself specially to the Islands of the Eastern Archipelago, where he made many brilliant discoveries. In 1870 he commenced his explorations in Celebes and passed on thence to the Philippine Islands and New Guinea, where he ascended the Arfak Mountains and made a large col- lection of Birds. Returning to Germany in 1874, Meyer was appointed Director of the Royal Museum of Zoology, Anthropology, and Ethnography at Dresden. In this position he remained for the next thirty years, and made his Museum famous throughout the scientific world for its excellent organization and valuable contents. During Obituary. 557 this period he published a long series of communications, chiefly relating to Birds, in the ‘Journal fiir Ornithologie,’ the ‘ Proceedings of the Zoological Society,’ and ‘ The Ibis.’ As will be seen by reference to our Indexes, the papers which he wrote in this Journal were numerous. Meyer had many English friends and spoke our language excellently. The principal separate works that he published were ‘On the Birds of Celebes and the Neighbouring Islands’ (in con- junction with his English Assistant, Mr. L. W. Wigles- worth), and his ‘ Abbildungen der Vogelskeleten.? Next to Ornithology, Anthropology was his favourite pursuit, and he wrote many Ethnological papers. In 1893, Meyer gave up his position at Dresden and retired to Berlin, where he is said to have been busily engaged in linguistic studies and in various antiquarian explorations. One of Meyer’s most useful and most successful pieces of work was his invention of the “ Dresden Case.” Tor over twenty years he worked at the construction of an ideal museum-case which should keep out insects and dust, and yet allow the spectator a clear sight of its contents. This was a very difficult problem, but Meyer solved it more nearly than anyone else had done, and “ Dresden Cases ” of glass and iron are now well known all over the civilized world. Besides being a member of most of the learned Societies on the Continent, Meyer was a Corresponding Member of the Zoological Society of London (since 1878) and a Foreign Member of our Union (1881), and was always ready to favour his English friends with information. Dr. Carxu Parrot. Cart Purp Avucust Parrot, the President of the Bavarian Ornithological Society, died at Munich on the 28th of January, 1911, after a short illness. The son of Dr. Jean Parrot, he was born at Castell (Lower Franconia) on the Ist February, 1867, and thus, at the time of his death, 558 Obituary. wanted only three days of completing his 44th year. After studying Medical Sciences at the Universities of Berlin, Vienna, and Munich, Parrot obtained the degree of M.D.in 1894, and settled as a medical doctor in the latter city. From his earhest youth he professed a strong taste for Natural History, especially Ornithology, and all of his spare time was given to his favourite science. In 1897, Carl Parrot founded the ‘ Ornithologische Verein Miinchen,” which, a few years afterwards, was transformed into the Ornithological Society of Bavaria, and he remained its President up to the time of his decease. The main object of this organization was the study of the distribution and migration of birds in the Bavarian kingdom, although general ornithological questions were by no means neglected, as may be seen by referring to the various volumes of the ‘ Jahres- bericht’ (later ‘ Verhandlungen’) of that Society. It is due to the untiring energy and never-ceasing interest of Dr. Parrot that Bavaria is now provided with a staff of nearly one thousand observers, by whom notices about the appearance and movements of migratory birds are regularly sent in. In later years Parrot took considerable interest in systematic Ornithology, devoting his studies principally to the Palearctic region. Besides, he published an important memoir upon the birds of the Island of Banka and the Deli district of Sumatra in the Transactions of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences in 1907. The winter of 1909-10 he spent in the Island of Corsica, whence he brought back a considerable collection of birds. The report on the results of his exertions is being published in von Tschusi’s ‘ Orni- thologisches Jahrbuch.’ Carl Parrot not only was a most painstaking and accurate writer, but also a thoroughly trained field-ornithologist, who knew how to find and how to watch the birds in their haunts. His loss is mourned by a widow and two infant children, as well as by many friends, both at home and abroad. In the Ornithological Society of Bavaria the premature death of Dr. Parrot creates a blank which it will be impossible to fill—C. E. H. Obituary. 559 Mr. W. E. D. Scorr. In the person of Witztram Earte Dopae Scort, Birds have lost one of their most devoted students. Mr. Scott was born in Brooklin, N.Y., in April 1852, the son of Moses Warren and Juliet Ann Scott, and, after attending lectures at Cornell University for a year, entered the Lawrence Scientific School at Harvard as a special student of Natural History. During Scott’s career at Harvard all his spare time was devoted to collecting and observing birds. After graduating (in 1873) he was appointed (in 1875) Curator of the newly founded Museum of Biology at Princeton College. His work at Princeton lasted nearly thirty years, but despite his poor health and somewhat feeble physique he managed to make some interesting and useful excursions during that period, The winter of 1891-2 was passed in Jamaica. Scott’s “Observations on the Birds of Jamaica,” which were pub- lished in ‘The Auk’ of 1891, 1892, and 1893, in a series of eight papers, contain a mass of information on this subject, which sheuld be carefully studied by those who are interested in the Ornithology of the Antilles. It gives a complete list of all the Birds of Jamaica known to him (212 in number) aud excellent field-notes on their habits. Other excursions, shorter or longer, were made to Florida, Arizona, and Vir- ginia, so that there were few parts of the United States with which Scott did not make himself well acquainted. Details on these excursions and a general account of his adventures in life will be found in his ‘ Story of a Bird-lover,’ one of the most interesting books to Ornithologists that the writer of this Notice has ever read *. In the spring of 1900 Scott came to England and passed several weeks of study in the Bird-room of the Natural History Museum at South Kensington. Here his English correspondents had the opportunity of making his personal acquaintance, and a more kind, genial, and well-informed * See ‘ Ibis,’ 1903, p. 624. 560 Obituary. individual (as all agreed) was hardly to be met with. Scott’s primary object in this visit was to examine the Patagonian specimens in our National Collection. He had undertaken to work out and describe the birds collected during an expedition sent out by the Princeton University to Patagonia to investigate the Geology and Zoology of that country, and for that purpose it was necessary to see what was to be found in the European Museums. Scott’s uncertain state of health sadly interfered with the preparation of his report on this subject, and two parts of it only * have, as yet, been issued, About 1906 Scott and his wife moved their headquarters to Saranac Lake, N.Y., supposed to be the ‘‘ Davos” of North America. The following extracts from a letter re- ceived from Mrs. Scott will give some idea of his life at this charming place :— Of the years, four in number, that Mr. Scott spent in Saranac Lake, none were wasted, they were full of interest to the last. lis first winter out of doors gave him wonderful familiarity with the resident birds; the Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Blue Jays were his daily visitors, the two former feeding from his hand and awakening him in the early morning by alighting on his head. The red squirrels, too, were per- sistent in their attentions, and later the chipmunks came regvlarly for their ration of pea-nuts. The Ruffed Grouse crowded the birch trees close to the door. So there were compensations. Then, as Mr. Scott grew stronger, he made himself familiar with the flora and fauna of the country, and he had particular pleasure in studying the pond-life which is teeming during our short summer, Ue wrote a series of sketches for the ‘Journal of Out-Door-Life,’ a publication particularly designed to help the invalids who must live in the open. These charming sketches I hope to have republished in book form. As you know, Mr. Scott was also busy with his Patagonian record, and that gave him constant satisfaction. He had further projected an elaborate review of all his field-work which it would have taken two or more years to complete. It was also his keen desire to visit Patagonia, where there remains so much to be discovered regarding the bird-life, for he felt that the material at hand only in a small measure revealed the condition of the avifauna, and that practically nothing is known of the life-history of many of the species. Mr. Scott has set forth many of the problems remaining to be studied, and I shall try to have this * See ‘Ibis, 1905, p. 180, and 1910, p. 568. Recently published Ornithological Works. 561 appear in one of the forthcoming volumes. I think you know that the manuscript was left in a nearly complete form, and that the publication will now go on rapidly. It was a matter of keen regret to My. Scott that there should have been this lone delay, but it was due to no fault of his, but to the fact, I think, that it was not possible to hasten a work involving so many different subjects. Mr. Scott died, rather suddenly, at his home at Saranac Lake, on the 21st of August, 1910, leaving a widow (Marion Johonot Scott) who, it is stated, is nearly as great a Bird- lover as her late talented husband, and who constantly assisted him in bis work. XXIII.—Notices of recent Ornithological Publications. [Continued from p. 398. ] 62. ‘ Annals’ of the Natural History Society of Cyprus. [Cyprus Natural History Society, Annals, No. ii. Jan. to Dec. 1910, Nicosia, Cyprus, 1911.] We are glad to find that the Naturalists ‘of Cyprus are continuing their good work, and have issued a second number of their Annals. It records a ‘very successful year” in 1910, and the reading of several papers on birds before the Society. The past year has been remarkable, we are told, for a very large number of observations and records, and the names of more than thirty species have been added to the Cyprian List. We will not specify them, as Mr. Bucknill has promised us a special paper on the subject, which we hope to be able to print in our next number, In this number of the ‘ Annals’ there are also notices on the Mammals, Reptiles, Mollusks, and Lepidcptera of Cyprus. 63. ‘ Archivum Zoologicum.’ [Archivum Zoologicum, redactionis curam gerentibus Cs. de Pete, Dr, J. de Madarasz et E. Csiki. A laboratorio Zoologico Hungarico editum. Budapest, 1909-10. } We have already noticed one of Dr. J. v. Madardsz’s 562 Recently published Ornithological Works. papers in this new Journal (see above, p. 175). We have now received vol. i. no. 2, which contains another paper by the same author. It describes a new Cidicnemus from German East Africa, proposed to be called CUdicnemus csongor. 64. Arrigoni’s Ornithological Note. [Nota ornitclogica sopra la recente cattura della G'eocichla sibirica in Italia. Conte Arrigoni degli Oddi. Atti R. Ist. Veneto, xx. p. 2 (1910).] In October 1908 Count Arrigoni obtained in the market at Padua a Thrush which he believes to be a young female of Turdus sibiricus, and has had it preserved for his own collection at Ca’ Oddo. After an exact description of the specimen, he adds a list of the examples of this Siberian species hitherto recorded in Germany (13), Bohemia (2), Holland (2), Great Britain (2), and France, Belgium, and Norway each once. It is, in fact, an occasional wanderer to Western Europe. Go, 7 he Aur [The Auk. A Quarterly Journal of Ornithology. Vol. xxvii. No. 4, Oct. 1910; Vol. xxviii. Nos. 1, 2, Jan.-April, 1911.] The most valuable information contained in these three numbers is undoubtedly that given in April on the discovery of the nest and eggs of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Huryno- rhynchus pygmaeus) by Mr. J. KE. Thayer. Mr. Koren was sent by him to Wrangel Island, but was driven back by storms, and it was left to Capt. F. Kleinschmidt to find the first specimens at Cape Serdze, on the eastern coast of Siberia. Four eggs were obtained, along with the parent bird, as well as eight chicks in down, and our American kinsfolk are heartily to be congratulated on their success. Heads of both adult and young are figured in colour, and all four eggs. Second in interest to this great discovery are various articles on the Passenger Pigeon by Messrs. A. H. Wright, C. F. Hodge, and F. H. Allen. The first furnishes early Recently published Ornithological Works. 563 records from the writings of the Jesuit Fathers and others referring to many of the United States and to Canada; the second records the failure of the attempts to discover living examples of the bird by the offer of prizes ; the third repeats Thoreau’s information from his ‘Notes on New England Birds” A translation by 8. M. Gronberger of a paper from the Swedish by Pehr Kalm, on the ‘ Wild Pigeons which visit the Southern English Colonies in North America,” may be taken in connexion with the others; for this we are in- debted to Dr. T. Gill, who unearthed the Swedish original. These articles lead to several notes in the April number (pp. 259-262). Mr. W. Brewster has a most interesting account in the January number of the manner in which the nuptial plumes of certain Bitterns are displayed; while in that of October Dr. J. A. Allen reviews the Third Edition of the A.O.U. Check-list, and in that of January Mr. F. M. Chapman describes and figures in colour a new species of American Hang-nest (Icterus fuertesi) from the Tamesi River in Mexico. Of distributional papers there is no lack, that of Mr. J. H. Bowles being of the most general interest, as it deals with the extension of range of certain species on the whole Pacific slope. Others are by Mr. A. H. Howell on the birds of the ‘ sunken lands” of S.E. Missouri; by Mr. 8. 8. Visher on those of Harding County, 8S. Dakota; by Mr. A. A. Saunders on those of Gallatin County, Montana; by Mr. H. Lacey on those of Kirsville, Texas; by Mr. A. W. Honywill on those of the Lake Region of Minnesota; and by Mr. J.C. Phillips on those of the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico. The last-named describes as new Strix virgata tamaulipensis, Heleodytes narinosus, and Dendraca estiva inedita. Several papers are contributed by ladies: Mrs. C.J. Stan- wood writing on nests of Dendraca magnolia, Mrs. F. M. Bailey on the wild life of an alkaline lake and the Mogollon Mountains in New Mexico, and Mrs. A. R. Sherman on the breeding of Brewster’s Warbler in Massachusetts. Finally, Mr. W. E. C. Todd discusses fully the Bahaman 56 1 Recently published Ornithological Works. species of Geoth/ypis; Mr. H. W. Wright the Ducks at Boston; Mr. J. C. Phillips the migration of the Anatide at Wenham Lake, Massachusetts; Mr. S. P. Fay the Canvas- back in the same State; Mr. N. McClintock the habits of the Hermit-Thrush; Mr. A. H. Norton the occurrences in America of Larus minutus; Mr. F. Smith the breeding in Illinois of Phalacrocorary auritus; Mr. J. C. Wood the Warblers of Wayne County, Michigan; Mr. A. R. Sherman the nesting-habits of the Screech Owl; Mr. C. H. Kennedy the Sage Thrasher; Messrs. Barbour and Phillips what they term “ concealing coloration”; while Mr. J. H. Sage reports on the 28th Meeting of the A. O. U. 66. 6 The Avicultural Magazine,’ [Avicultural Magazine. Third Series, Vol. ii. Nos. 5, 6,7 (March—-May, 1911).] In a most interesting article, contained in the March number, Sir William Ingram gives an account of his attempt to acclimatize the Greater Bird-of-Paradise in the West Indies. He has bought the island of Tittle Tobago and turned out forty-eight birds, some of which he hoped might be females, while two others were to be sent later. The report of the Swiss sailor Herold, who acts as caretaker of the 400 acres of forest jungle, of which the island consists, tells us that the birds have spread over the whole area, but never leave it; they eat fruit, insects, and even young birds and eggs of other species. Four only have died, but none have mated. Mr. R. Cosgrave furnishes notes on the Cranes at Lilford Hall, including the breeding of Grus leucauchen (pl.), G. leucogeranus, and hybrids of G. canadensis with G. viridirostris ; Dr. Butler writes further on the duration of birds’ lives in captivity ; and Mr. G. M. Mathews on the nests and eggs of some Australian species (Mirafra milligani, Pachycephala melanura, P. lanioides, Rhipidura alisteri, Corvus mariane, Psephotus dulciet, and Platycercus cecilia), with afew other notes. We have also the regular Bird- notes from the Zoological Gardens, by the Curator, and a report on the Crystal Palace Bird-show by Messrs. A. Silver Recently published Ornithological Works. 565 and D, Seth-Smith; while the following articles deal with separate species of birds: Mr. F. E. Blaauw on Bernicla melanoptera (pl.), Miss Dorien Smith on Tudorna variegata, Mr. T. H. Newman on Columba leuconota (col. p).), Mr. 1. Willford on Turacus corythaix and Oriolus trailli (pl.), Mr. P. Galloway on Dendrocopus minor, Mr. C. Maxwell on Cinnyris asiaticus, Miss K. Currey on Lovia curvirostra, Miss A. Hutchinson on Bucorax cafer. Articles on practical Bird-keeping treat of Doves (Miss Alderson) and Parrakeets (Mr. Seth-Smith). 67. Dubois on new Birds from Congoland. [Decriptions d’oiseaux nouveaux du Congo Belge, par le Dr. Alph. Dubois. Rev. Frang. d’Ornithologie. No. 22. Février, 1911.] Dr. Dubois describes three new birds from the Belgian Congo under the names Dendromus kasaicus, Cinnyris chloro- pygius var. pauwelsi, and Zosterops virens var. reichenowit. He does not state where the specimens upon which these names are based are to be found, but we presume that tly are in the Congo Museum at Tervueren. 68. Eckhardt on the Migration of Birds. [Die geographischen Grundlagen des Vogelzug Problems, Von Dr. Wilh. Eckhardt, Aachen. Petermann’s Mitteilungen, 56. Band, 1910, p. 241.] Ornithology, like other branches of Biology, is closely connected with Geography. We are therefore pleased to find an ornithological article in one of the leading Geographical Journals. Dr. Eckhardt, who has previously written on Bird-migration, gives us here a general sketch of this important subject, but does not appear to have pushed its elucidation much farther, nor to be very well acquainted with some of the recent practical work in connection with it. We cannot believe that the rise and fall of the barometer has so much to do with migration, as some writers have supposed, SER, IX.—VOL. V. 2 Q 566 Recently published Ornithological Works. 69. ‘ The Emu.’ (The Emu. 1911.) 95. ‘ Avicultural Magazine” (8rd Series, Vol. ii, No. 1h. OATS) 96. ‘Bird Notes.’ Journal of the Foreign Bird Club. (Vol. ii, Nos. 7-9. 1911.) 97. ‘ British Birds.” (Vol. v. Nos. 8-5. 1911.) 98. Bureau, Louis. L’Age des Perdrix. (Nantes, 1911.) 99. ‘The Condor.’ (Vol. xii. Nos. 4,6. 1911.) 100. ‘The Emu.’ (Vol. xi. pt. 1. 1911.) 101. Giza Zoological Gardens: Report for the Year 1910. (Cairo, 1911.) 102. GrirritH, A. F. Catalogue of Cases of Birdsin the Dyke Read Museum, Brighton. Fourth edition, with further Notes by A. F. Grirriru. 108. Grinnect, J. Description of a new Spotted Towhee from the Great Basin. Univ. Calif. Publns. Zool. (Vol. vii. No. 8. 1911.) 104, ‘Journal of the § African Ornithologists’ Union.’ (Vol. vii. No. 1, Pretoria, 1911.) 105. Kornia, A. Avifauna Spitzbergensis. (Bonn, 1911.) 106. Lauri, D. F. The Single Testing System of Breeding for Eeg-production. Dept. of Agric. (Adelaide, 1911. yt eae 107. Lracu, J. A. An Australian Bird Book. (Melbourne, 1911.) 108. Netsox, E. W. Description of a new Genus and Species of Hummirg- bird from Panama. (Smiths. Misc. Coll. vol. 55. No. 21.) 109. New York Zool. Soc. Bulletin. (1911. Nos. 46, 47.) 110. Norru, A. J. Nests and Eees of Birds found oe in Australia and Tasmania. (Vol.i. Pt. ii. Sydney, 1911.) ; 111. ‘Ornithologisches Jahrbuch.’ (xxii. Heft. 3, 4. 1911.) 112. Roosnvett, T. Revealing and Concealing Coloration in Birds and Mammals. (Bull. Am. Mus. N. H. vol. xxx. 1911.) 113. Rupow, C. Tho Life of the Commoa Gull told in Photograplg Minton: T9113) 114. Sronuam, C. The Birds of the British Islands. (Parts xix. & wd 1911.) + 115, Tuomson, A. Lanpsporovuea. The Possibilities of Bird Marking. (Pr R. Phys. Soc. Edin. vol. xviii. No. 3.) 4 116, TscHust zu ScuMmpHoFFEN, V. R. von. Ornithologische Kollektanesi aus Osterreich-Ungarn. (Zool. Beob. lii. 1911.) ‘i 117. Van SomEren, R. A. L. and V. G. Li Studies of Bird-life in Usandl (orden tou a 118. Wesreut, W. P. The Young Ornithologist. (London, 1911.) 119. Waste and Tompson, Last of British Birds. 2U pp. (Appendi to ‘The Young Ornithologist.’) 120. ‘Zoologischer Anzeiger,’ (Bd. xxxviii. Nos. 1-15. 1911.) 4 BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS UNION. PRESIDENT. F. Du Cant Gonman, Esa., D.C.L., F.R.S. EDITORS. Eciy Schatur, Eso. SCsek Ress A. H. Evans, Esq., M.A., F.Z.S. SECRETARY. J. Lewis Bonuore, Esq., M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S. COMMITTEE. Tat PResIDENT. Tue Eprrors or ‘Tue Ists.’ ¢ Lx officio. THe SECRETARY. Davip Seru-Smitu, Esq., F.Z.S. 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PORTER, 7 PRINCES STREET, BULLETIN OF THE BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS’ CLUB. Vol. 1. "(Session, 1892-95). WlGOS Sars ers Dp; OL. Young birds of this species differ greatly in plumage Text-fig. 16. A. Mouth of young Spermospiza guttata (from a sketch by the author), see p. 587. B. Mouth of nestling Spermestes poensis, see p. 590. from adults, being brownish-black above, smoky-brown beneath, and lighter brownish-buff in the middle of the breast and abdomen. Some specimens have some of the Birds of Southern Cameroon. 591 glossy black and spotted feathers of the adult plumage appearing among the brown ones, proving them to belong to this species and not to S. cucullata. Three young nestlings that were brought to me with their nest, in November, had peculiar mouth-markings. These consisted of a white ridge on the palate, shaped like an inverted letter U, bordered on either side by a black line; some similar marks under the tongue; a black band across the base of the tongue; and a white swollen gape- margin. ‘The accompanying figure (16 B) was drawn from one of these young nestlings, which was preserved in spirit. In order to shew the inside of the mouth, both above and below, the artist had to represent the mouth as opened to an extent impossibie in reality ; the mouths of these thick- billed Weaver-birds cannot be opened wide. IIyparcos scHLEceLi. (Text-fig. 17, A, p. 594.) Rerchenow,- Va... dts p.. 159; Pytelia schlegeli Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 346. Young birds of both sexes have the under parts uniform grey washed with olive, and gradually acquire the spotted adult plumage, different specimens shewing various propor- tions of uniform and spotted feathers, just as in the case of Spermospiza guttata mentioned above. Adult females have spotted under parts just like the males, though the colouring of the heads is different in the two sexes, An immature specimen (No. 4057) had the mouth- markings of the nestling still very distinct. These are shewn in text-figure 17 A, which was drawn from my sketch and description, made when the specimen was freshly killed, NIGRITA BRUNNESCENS. Reich. V. A. 11. p. 167. Nigrita bicolor Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 345. Female specimens are of a lighter colour than males. Immature birds are still lighter than adult females; one specimen, No. 3738, dg imm., has a pale plumage in which some new feathers of the deep, rich colour of the adult are 592 Mr. G. L. Bates on the appearing. Young birds of this species have the inside of the mouth marked in a manner very similar to those of the various species of Hstrilda (cf. text-fig. 17, p. 594). Most of my specimens of this bird were snared on ripe bunches of palm-nuts, the oily husks of which are a favourite food of this and many other birds. The stomachs of specimens shot contained small caterpillars. An incubating female (No. 3119) was brought to me alive, with a nest and five eggs. The nest was much like that of an Hstrilda, but larger, and was composed of a loose mass of dried leaves, lined with a more compact structure of grass-tops; it was placed in a forked twig of a small tree. The eggs are perfectly white, with little or no gloss, and measure 16>11°5 mm, NiGRITA LUTEIFRONS. Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 346. In this species the iris is greyish-white or greyish cream- coloured, A young specimen, No, 4431, has the plumage even more nearly uniformly grey than the adult female, since it lacks the black around the eye and the whitish colours on the forehead. This young bird had the margin of the gape black, with four white warts or wattles, one just at the angle of the gape and two above and one below this; there were spots on the palate and tongue like those of Lstrilda (ef. text-fig. 17, B & C, p. 594). In the paper by Sharpe in ‘The Ibis’ (/. c. supra) specimens of this species are mentioned from Efulen, but none from the Ja. Specimens have now been obtained at Bitye and at Assobam. These were not secured, as were most specimens of the other species of Nigrita, by means of snares placed on or under palm-trees, but were shot ; their food was found, i every case recorded, to have consisted of scale-insects or Cocct, NIGRITA FUSCONOTA. Reichenow, V. A. iii. p. 168. Nigrita pinaronota Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 345. In this species the iris is dark brown. Young birds have Birds of Southern Cameroon. 593 the plumage of the upper surface of the head merely of a darker brown than that of the back, without any lustre. They have mouth-markings like those of Estrilda (cf. text- fe. 1'7, B, C, p. 594). A female (No. 3827; oviduct enlarged) was brought to me with a nest. The bird had been struck with the head of a spear as it emerged from the nest, which was placed in the axil of a palm-frond, too high for the boy to reach it with his hand. The nest was composed of the fine fibres of dry plantain leaf-stalks, and, though much disarranged, seemed to have been shaped like those of Hstrilda and of Nigrita brunnescens mentioned above. Thus the statement of natives, given in a note under this species (‘ Ibis, J. c. supra), that the remarkable felt nests sometimes found, resembling those of the Penduline Tit, are nests of this species or N. brunnescens, is proved to be a mistake. The nest above described had contained three eggs, but two were broken; the third, which is pure white and without gloss, measures 14°5 x 10°5 mm. EstRiLDA OCCIDENTALIS. Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 8343 ; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 52. A young bird of this species was noted with mouth- markings similar to those of the species of Estrilda (ef. text-fig. 17, p. 594). A sitting female (No. 3986) was caught in the nest, which was of the usual water-bottle shape characteristic of the small Spermestinz ; the five eggs were also exactly like those of Estrilda atricapilla already described (‘ Ibis,’ /. c. supra). These eggs vary only from 13 to 13-5 mm. in length, and all are 10 mm. in width. EstrILpA NONNULA. (Text-fig. 17, B, p. 594.) Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 344. This is the commonest species of Estrilda at the Ja, but was not found at Efulen. Six nests with eggs or nestlings were brought to me: five in the month of September and one in November. All but one were accompanied by a sitting female bird, caught br 5O4 Mr. G. L. Bates on the in the nest; one nest was brought with a male bird with large breeding-organs, which had been imprisoned by the drawing tight of a noose put loosely over the neck of the nest while the bird was away. Along with one of the nests two hen birds were brought, said to have been caught together in the nest: one shewed the usual evidences of sitting, the other did not. These nests were like those of Estrilda atricapilla already described (‘ Ibis,’ 1909, p. 52). Text-fig. 17. A. Mouth of young Hypargos schlegeli (from a sketch by the author), see p. 591. B. Mouth of nestling Lstrida nonnula, see p. 593. C. Mouth of young Estrilda melpoda (from a sketch by the author), see p. 595, None came to me with such an additional nest joined to it as that there described ; but in one case I was told that there had been such an additional nest which was not brought. In this case the eggs were in the main nest, and the addition was empty: the boy called it the place where ‘‘ the cock bird sleeps.” Another of these nests of Estrilda nonnula shown to me had a sort of rudimentary or unfinished addition at its base. One of the nests above referred to contained, besides the mother bird, five young and naked nestlings. The mouth of one of these, that was preserved in spirit, is here figured. Note in the figure (17 B) also the “ egg-tooth” on the tip of the bill. The number of eggs brought in a nest varied from three to six. Nineteen eggs that were measured vary in length Birds of Southern Cameroon. 599 from 13 to 15 mm. and in width from 10 to 11 mm., the average size being nearer the smaller than the larger limit. EstRILDA ATRICAPILLA. Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 343 ; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 52. The mouth-markings of several young birds of this species, that were noted, resembled those of the other species of Estrilda (cf. text-fig. 17). Esrrinpa MELPpopA. (Text-fig. 17, C, p. 594.) Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 344; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 52. A young bird, with plumage not yet grown (No. 4452), had very distinct mouth-markings. These are shown in the figure, which was drawn from my sketch and notes made before skinning the bird. Serinus punctieuta. [ Odibetaa. | Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 341. Serinus icterus Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 3842. My birds are undoubtedly the same as those collected by Zenker, not very far away, which Reichenow described as Serinus punctigula. But they do not all shew the characters by which he distinguished the species, viz., the white chin and the blackish dots on the throat. Three out of sixteen specimens have pure yellow chins and throats ; these are all adult males. The remainder include birds of both sexes, some immature and some apparently adult. It may be that the dots are lost and the chin becomes yellow with age, and perhaps in males only. All my specimens have the backs of a much brighter green colour than most specimens of S. icterus from S. Africa; they have also less white on the tips of the rectrices. This Yellow-fronted Canary has a pretty little song. A young bird (No. 4482) has downy tips still adhering to some of the feathers. It was one of two in a nest in a bunch of plantains, and both flew out when I put up my hand to take them. This young bird had the inside of the mouth dark, contrasting with the yellow inside of the bill and 596 Mr. G. L. Bates on the yellow margin of the gape, which together formed a con- spicuous yellow circle when the mouth was opened wide. It is a curious fact that this nestling’s stomach contained sand : as the young one had probably never been out of the nest before, the old bird must have procured it. The nest above referred to, and another nest brought with a sitting bird of this species and fragments of a broken egg, were little cups somewhat rudely built of fine fibres of dry bark of weeds or plantain leaf-stalks. EMBERIZA CABANISI. (Plate XI. fig. 11, egg.) Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 342; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 54. The food of this Bunting consists of small grasshoppers. A young bird with the plumage half-grown (No. 4314) shews some interesting differences in coloration from the adult. The adult has a white throat, white wing-bars, white superciliary stripes, and white ends to the outer tail-feathers. The last character—that of the white in the tail—is common to all species of Emberiza, while the other white markings belong to this species alone, or to it and one or two others. These peculiar white markings of the species are replaced by brown in the young bird, while the outer tail-feathers are white as in the adult. A pair of these birds had a nest and reared their young in a bunch of plantains in full view of my house, though they were so shy that they were seldom seen. Two other nests were found and brought to me with the birds. These nests were shallow and loosely built of dried leaves and small stems, with a few finer fibres inside. One that came in situ on the branch was set in thick foliage. In one of the nests was the nestling above described ; in the other were two eggs (Nos. 452, 453) measuring 22 x15°5 and 2115°5 mm, [These eggs are of a rather wide regular oval shape, and very slightly glossy. They are dull white, with long irregular fine scrawled lines and blotches of pale umber-brown and pale grey, most of the grey shell-markings being very indistinct.—W. R. O.-G.] Birds of Southern Cameroon. 597 CrINIGER cALURUS. (Plate XI. fig. 3, egg.) Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 632; 1907, p. 458; Bates, Ibis, 1905; p. 96. This is one of the few strictly forest-birds of which the nest has been found. A sitting female (No. 8916) was brought alive, having been caught “on the nest”? (birds of this species are never caught in snares). The nest was brought along with the branch of a forest-shrub on which it had been placed, among the long close-growing leaf-petioles. It was composed of small dry twigs, with a quantity of damp moss laid on them and a cup of fine blackish fibres inside. The interior of the nest was almost black, and there was an evident correspondence in colour between it and the dark eggs. The eggs (Nos. 343, 344) measure 23 X 16 and 22°5 x 16 mm. [They are pyriform in shape and distinctly glossy. They ground-colour appears to be pinkish, but is almost entirely obscured by the dense chocolate-brown markings forming a nearly uniform surface.—W. R. O.-G. | Buiepa notata. [Olo-éjak. | Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 635 ; 1907, p. 461; Bates, Ibis, 1905, p. 97. The colour of the iris varies in different specimens, corre- sponding only partially to difference of sex. All females seem to have the iris brown, but some males have it brown and some yellow, and those with brown irides include adult birds, with large breeding-organs, though perhaps they are rather young. In all specimens the bill is black above and light bluish-grey beneath, and the feet are light bluish- grey. Buiepa synpactyLa. [| Nti-éjak.] Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 633; 1907, p. 459, Iris brown ; bill black above, pale grey beneath; bare skin about the eye pale bluish-grey; feet pale grey. A young bird (No. 3728), with the plumage nearly grown, had the under part of the bill, the skin about the eye, and SER, IX.—VOL. V. 28 598 Mr. G. L. Bates on the oO the feet pale yellow. In the plumage the most notable peculiarity is that of ill-defined light tips to the larger wing- coverts, not distinct enough to form spots. The Nti-éjak is another forest-bird of which I have obtained one nest only. A sitting female (No. 4456) was shot by Nkolo on its nest, which was “on some brush in the forest”? and was a shallow, slight structure, com- posed of dark-coloured decaying leaves and sticks, with a few black rootlets and tendrils for lining. It was found in the wet season, on the lst of November. The colour of the two eggs exactly matched that of the nest. One egg was broken, but the chick within was alive ; the other measured 265x18 mm.; the young bird was extracted without completely spoiling the specimen (No. 600). [The egg is somewhat glossy. The ground-colour is pale buff, almost obscured by dense blotches and markings of rich vandyke-brown and pale brown.—W. R. O.-G. | PHYLLOSTROPHUS FALKENSTEINI. (Plate XI. fig. 15, egg.) Reich. V. A. iii. p. 391. Pycnonotus viridescentior Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 638 ; 1907, p. 464. Phyllostrophus viridescentior Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 56. My specimens appear to me to be of the same species as the bird from Landana. It is only lately that I have heard and seen this bird uttering its notes, for it is an unobtrusive and generally quiet species. Its notes sounded like those of P. simplex, but not so loud, and had the same peculiar tone as those of P. leucopleura, P. simplex, P. flavigula, and P. orientalis, which all sound lke excited human talk. The type species of Phyilostrophus, which Levaillant called “ Le Jaboteur,” must have similar notes. This fact seems to shew that the genus is a natural one. Three more nests, on which the sitting birds were caught at evening, have been shown to me, and resembled the one already described. They were set in forks of ékéng or eassava plants, and did not contain more than two eggs. Birds of Southern Cameroon. 599 Four eggs (Nos. 188 a, 1894, 241, and 316) vary in length from 22 to 24 mm. and in width from 16 to 17 mm. [They differ somewhat from the green-grounded eggs already described (‘ Ibis,’ 1909, p. 56) in having the ground of a pale stone-colour, but the markings are much the same.—W. R. 0.-G.] PHYLLOSTROPHUS SIMPLEX. [Nkes.] (Plate XI. figs. 12- 14, eggs.) Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 57. Bleda simplex Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 632; 1907, p. 459 ; Bates, Ibis, 1905, p. 96. At least a score of nests of this Nkes have now been found, and identified by the birds canght or killed in them. They are always placed on low bushes near the ground, in bikdtok or gardens, a favourite breeding-site being the triple or quadruple fork of a cassava plant, or the similar fork of the big weed Triumfetta. They are shallow cups, rather rudely built, and very similar to other nests of Pycnonotide ; but they have one invariable mark of dis- tinction, for among the materials of the base or outside part a few dry tendrils of some wild or cultivated vine of the Gourd or Vine families are always to be found, The number of eggs in a clutch is invariably two. Most of the nests were found in the months of March, August, and September. Nestlings have the inside of the mouth flesh-red, and the swollen margin of the gape pale yellow. Seventeen eggs have been measured : two from two nests measure 26X18 mm.; these were the largest, though two others, from different nests, were wider—25 x 18°5 mm. ; the smallest one, afterwards broken, measured 22x 16mm. ; the two smallest that were saved, both from one nest, measure 22 5x17 mm. [A large number of eggs vary considerably in shape from a regular oval to a rather long oval. They are distinctly glossy. The ground-colour varies from white to pale stone- colour, and the Bunting-like markings consist of long 282 GOO Mr. G. L. Bates on the twisted well-defined lines, scrolls, blotches, and spots of rich vandyke-brown and faint lilac-grey. In one egg with a white ground the markings are all concentrated in a wreath of twisted lines round the larger end.—W. R. O.-G. ] PHYLLosTROPHUS FLAVIGULA. [ Nkes.] (Plate? eer fig. 10, egg.) Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 57. Bleda flavigula Sharpe, Ibis, 1907, p. 458. I have now learnt to distinguish the notes of this Nkes from those of P. stmpleex. A few nests of this species have been brought, with the sitting bird caught or killed. Some of these nests were taken from higher situations than those of P. simplez, in small trees on cleared ground around villages. No tendrils were used in their construction. Other nests agree very well with the one already described (/. c.). The clutch consists of two eggs. Nestlings have the inside of the mouth orange, and the swollen margin of the gape yellowish-white. I have had unusual bad luck with the eggs of this species, and only two (Nos. 348 and 349) are perfect : both measure 24 x 16°5 mm. [They are much more heavily marked than the broken one already described (‘ Ibis, 1909, p.57). The ground- colour is pale buff, almost obscured by dense blotches and markings of rich vandyke-brown and paler brown.— W. R. O.-G.] PHYLLOSTROPHUS ORIENTALIS. Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 58. Nos. 8144 ¢, 3178 8, 8220 ¢, and 3300 2. Assobam, Dec. 1908. These birds are not P. scandens, and I think, by com- paring them with the original description by Hartlaub and the figure (Zool. Jahrb. 1887, pl. xi.), that they belong to the species described from Emin’s collection on the Upper Welle River as P. orientalis. The bird has been both seen and heard by me, and is one of those whose Birds of Southern Cameroon. 601 cries cannot be mistaken. It was met with at several places near the River Ja, and at my camp at Assobam near the River Bumba, always among the Raphia palms or other vegetation on the banks of streams. The fact that it was first met with on the eastern margin, and then at the extreme western edge of the Congo river-basin, makes it probable that the bird’s range follows all the streams of that system. A female (No. 3220), with a very marked brovud-spot, was shot on the nest, which was found by my boys in a tree over a small tributary of the Bumba. This nest was hung, rather than set, between the forks of a twig, attached by means of woolly-looking cobweb and black hair-like fibres, forming a net around the outside, which was of dry leaves and palm-leaf strips. The two eggs were received broken, and could not be measured ; but they looked small for the size of the bird. [They appear to have been of a slightly pointed oval shape, and somewhat glossy. The ground-colour is dull creamy-white or pale stone-colour, with suffused clouded markings of greyish, especially towards the larger end, and with overlying small spots and short twisted markings and lines of umber-brown, most of the markings being more or less fused and indistinct.—W. R. O.-G. ] Anpropapus 1npicaTor. [ Mali. ] Grant, Trans. Zool. Soc. xix. p. 384. Bleda batesi Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 634 ; 1907, p. 461. Bleda indicator Sharpe, Ibis, 1907, p. 460. Additional specimens clearly shew that, as Mr. Ogilvie- Grant has observed, the birds with the outer tail-feathers pure white, that were named JB, batesi, represent the immature plumage of B. indicator. Two obviously immature birds were shot, in which the white rectrices have no dark tips. These two birds have another interesting peculiarity in that their rectrices are longer and more pointed than those of adults—a characteristic I have observed in the immature of many kinds of birds (see ‘ Ibis,’ 1911, p. 502 & fig. 13). 602 Mr. G. L. Bates on the Males of this species have the iris greyish or creamy- white, while females have the iris brown or brownish- erey. This fact was first noted by Mr. Jackson (‘ Ibis,’ 1906, p. 539). A comparison of the recorded colour of the iris in my female specimens seems to shew the further interesting fact that in the younger birds it is browner, in the older greyer (or more nearly approaching the colour of the male.) In the allied Andropadus elamans both sexes have the iris brown, but it seems to be of a lighter colour in the male. ANDROPADUS LATIROSTRIs. [Otok.] (Plate XI. figs. 17- 19, eggs.) Grant, Trans. Zool. Soc. xix. p. 886, Andropadus efulensis Sharpe, Ibis, 1907, p. 461; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 59. Eurillas efulensis Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 636 ; Bates, Ibis, 1905, p. 97. In this species the inside of the mouth, in both young and adult birds, is yellow, passing far back into orange. Several nests, all identified by obtaining the sitting bird, were found in the tangled undergrowth on the borders of the forest. They were loosely built, largely of dry leaves, and had a lining of the fine black hair-like fibres I have so often seen in forest-nests: I do not know their origin. One nest con- tained a single infertile egg, on which the hen bird scemed, from her condition, to have been sitting for along time. This egg was remarkably small, measuring 195 x14 mm. One of two larger eggs, of which the other was broken, measures 25x 165 mm.; the other pair measure 20°5 x 21'5 mm. in length by 15 mm.in width. These eggs do not vary materially in their colour and markings from those already described. ANDROPADUS VIRENS. [Otok.] (Plate XI. figs. 6, 7, & 9, eggs.) Bates, bis, 1969. po538: Eurillas virens Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 635 ; 1907, p. 462. Eurillas camerunensis Sharpe, Ibis, 1902, p. 94; 1904, p. 636; 1907, p. 462. Birds of Southern Cameroon. 603 An adult male specimen exhibits a peculiarity in plumage which I take to be a remarkable individual variation, as [ have never seen another like it. The feathers of the back are very finely cross-barred with a lighter shade of colour. Otherwise it is a perfectly typical example of Andropadus virens, Nests of this Otok, which have been shown to me along with the sitting birds caught on them, were always composed largely of dry leaves, so that they fell to pieces readily when handled, They were found in the thickest places in bikdtés, always near the ground. One had in it three nestlings, and the old bird (the male) had been shot with bow and arrow while feeding its young. These nestlings, as well as other young birds seen, had the tongue and inside of the mouth bright orange ; but in this species much of this colour is to be seen also in the mouths of adults. The number of eggs in six clutches, brought in the nest along with the sitting birds, was always two. They vary from 20 to 22 mm.in length, and from 14°5 to 15°5 mm. in width. The description already given of the first two eggs found (‘ Ibis,’ 1909, p. 59) applies to all these eggs. Ixonotus cuttatus. [Ntyetyal.] Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 6388; 1907, p. 463; Bates, Ibis, 1905; p. 97. It has already been noted that the Ntyctyal feeds in small flocks. A specimen shot recently, with a marked brood-spot and other indications of sitting, was one of such a flock. The birds do not seem to wander far, but frequent one place, at least, where there are trees with the fruit on which they feed. There is a marked difference in the colour of the iris in the two sexes; in the male it is brown, in the female greyish-white. Note that in this species it is the femaie, in Andropadus indicator the male, that has a white iris. Two nests have been found, both in small trees: one contained a single nestling; the other two eggs, which were broken by the shot that killed the bird. The nests GOA Mr. G. L. Bates on the were exactly alike in every particular: they were rathor rude, slight, shailow cups, composed of dry leaf-petioles, bits of leaves and bark, with a shght lining of the roctlcts of an epiphytic orchid, such as hang on trees. Both had the rims smeared over with the dried fruits upon which these birds feed, which had doubtless passed through the sitling bird’s body. The bits of egg-shell found in the later nest, and sticking to the bird’s breast-feathers, were thickly speckled and spotted with dark brown, the light yellowish ground-colour shewing but little. Pycnonotus GABONENSIS. [Nkwe’ele or Kwalawata. | (Plate XI. figs. 1, 2, 4, & 5, eggs.) Sharpe, Ibis, 1904, p. 638; 1907, p. 463; Bates, Ibis, 1905, p. 98; 1909, p.. 60; This bird may be called homely, using the word both in its good and in its uuncomplimentary sense. ‘Though not a pretty bird, it is a most attractive one on account of its ways, and excepting the Common Weavers and the Sparrows, which thrust themselves on the notice of mankind, it is the most familiar bird of the country. A pair repeatedly raised a brood, or sometimes only one chick, near my house, building in the thick centre of the foliage of a palm-tree, from which I had exterminated the Weavers. I have yet another illustration of the theme already spoken on, that the Nkwe’ele is a versatile bird. Though neither it nor its kindred are formed for running or hopping on the ground, and I have never seen another Bulbul on the ground, yet on two or three days I observed a pair of Nkwe’ele hopping along in front of my house like Sparrows, but awkwardly and with evident effort. There is more than mere fancy in the statement that these birds try to do everything they see other birds doing. They certainly have more than ordinary avian intelligence. Nests of Pycnonotus gabonensis are a little deeper than those of the species of Phyllostrophus described, and rather better constructed; they are usually made of tomentose leaf petioles or weed-stems with finer fibres inside. They are found on all sorts of wild and cultivated plants and bushes Birds of Southern Cameroon. 605 about villages. I have recorded and saved the eggs of those nests only with which the sitting bird was brought. The bird was usually caught on the nest by boys in the evening ; with one nest the boy brought both birds alive (a breeding male and a female with brood-spot), and stated that when he captured the latter on the nest, after dark, her mate came to defend her and was taken by hand. Young birds have the swollen margins of the gape white and the inside of the mouth deep red. Adult birds have much orange-colour on the inside of the mouth. Twenty-two eggs have been measured. The largest were two from different nests, each 24x17 mm.; the shortest were Nos. 515 and 515 a, from one nest, 20x 16:5 mm. and 20x16 mm., but some eggs that were not so short were narrower than these, the narrowest measuring 21°5 x 14°5mm., [The recent collections include at least three types of eggs, which are very distinct from the ordinary fine-spotted form already described (‘ Ibis,’ 1909, p. 60). Nos. 501, 502. One pair has the markings larger and of an unusually brilliant maroon, very densely crowded towards the larger end. Nos. 229, 230. In a second type the ground is pale pinkish-white, sparingly marked with small separate spots, blotches, and short irregular lines of light red and chocolate, with underlying rounded spots of pale lilac-grey. Nos. 515, 515 a. In yet a third type the eggs are shorter and the ground-colour is pink and with markings much as in the last (second) type, but the surface-markings are more numerous and nearly all light red.— W. R. O.-G. | ZOSTEROPS STENOCRICOTA. Reich. V. A. ii. p. 432. Zosterops senegalensis Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 337. No. 246. 2. Efulen, 19 Nov., 1903. Length of wing 50 mm. No. 4011. ¢. Bitye, 12 Nov., 1909. Wing 52 mm. No. 4025. ¢. Bitye, 17 Nov., 1909. Wing 54 mm. A specimen skinned by a native, Bitye, Nov. 1909. Wing 53 mm, 606 Mr. G. L. Bates on the These are certainly not Z. senegalensis, from which they differ in several particulars. They agree in all points, including measurements, with the description of Reichenow’s Z. stenocricota ; they agree also with several specimens in Seimund’s collection from Fernando Po in every particular except size. The birds from Fernando Po are larger, the length of the wing ranging from 55 to 59 mm., and the bill is much longer than in my specimens. From the fact that these little White-eyes appear only occasionally, and that all obtained, both at Efulen and at Bitye, were killed in November, I suspect that they may be more or less migratory. ANTHREPTES AURANTIUS. Reich. V. A. iii. p. 445. No. 4084. g ad. Esamesa, R. Ja, January 1909. Bill black, grey at base beneath; feet slate-coloured. CINNYRIS SEIMUNDI. Grant, Bull. B. O. C. xxiii. p. 19. Nos. 3006, 3620, 3955, 4106, 4184. All 9. Bitye. Nos. 3610, 3644, 4518. ¢ adult. Bitye. CinnyRis BATEsI, (Plate XI. fig. 22, egg.) Grant, Bull. B. O. C. xxii. p. 19, No. 8201. 9. Assobam. Nos. 3682, 3641, 3651, 4075, 4158, 4212. All ?. Bitye. Nos. 3540, 8650, 8652, 3655, 3736. All g, mostly with testes. Bitye. Nos. 4335, 4336. Young. Plumage half-grown. In addition to the characters well given in the original description, it may be noted that the rectrices are black with broad olive-green margins. A sitting bird (No. 4158) was brought in the nest in which it was caught about 7 o’clock in the evening. This nest, though a hanging pocket-like those of all Sunbirds, differed from most in having no long fibres used in its construction, and no loose ends hanging down, and was composed of moss with a lining of fine down. The nest Birds of Southern Cameroon. 607 was not very small, but the entrance was only the size of the finger (20 mm. in diameter). The nestlings (Nos. 4835 and 4336) were brought in another such nest. These had the inside of the mouth and tongue uniform orange, without markings. In the nest first mentioned there were two eggs, but one was broken. The other (No. 476) measures 15 x 11 mm. (It is of a rather short and somewhat pointed oval shape and devoid of gloss. The ground is pale pink mottled all over with darker greyish-pink ; scattered all over the surface of the shell are a number of small spots and irregular marks of deep brown, with others smeared at the edges of paler yellowish-brown.—W. R. O.-G.] Cinnyxis opscurus. (Plate XI. figs. 20, 21, & 27, eggs.) Cyanomitra obscura Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 331; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 61. Five more nests are now recorded, in which sitting birds of this species were caught or shot. These nests agree in every particular with the description already given; but one point may be added, by which nests of this and other Sunbirds may always be distinguished from those of Smithornis which they much resemble. In the latter long fibres or streamers hang down from the bottom of the nest ; in Sunbirds’ nests there are also long hanging streamers, but they come from about the mouth or entrance of the nest, like a beard, and not from the bottom. The eggs in these nests always numbered two. All eges measured have a width of 12 or 12°5 mm., but vary in length from 16 to 18 mm. [They are of an ordinary oval shape, somewhat pointed towards the smaller end, and devoid of gloss. The eggs exhibit three very distinct types. In the first the ground is pale greenish-stone-colour mottled with yellowish- brown, and with somewhat rounded spots and blotches of dark brown with the edges blending into the ground-colour, In the second, the ground is greyish-white clouded with pale lilac-grey and with small spots and short dashes of 608 Mr. G. L. Bates on the dark brown thinly scattered over the outer shell. In the third type the ground is greenish-white, finely and densely clouded, especially towards the larger end, with yellowish- brown and dull grey blotches, the latter being mostly arranged in a zone round the larger end.—W. R. O.-G.] CinnyRis VERTICALIS. (Plate XI. fig. 16, egg.) Cinnyris verticalis Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 339. Sunbirds of this and other species used often to visit my Papaw (Carica papaya) plants, that are always full of blossoms. One would perch and rapidly insert its bill into each of the flowers within reach, then move to a new part of the cluster. What they get in these flowers I believe to be nectar and not insects, for I often looked over a cluster of Papaw flowers and have found no insects in them. Butter- flies used to visit the same flowers in the same way. All Sun- birds eat small spiders, but they do not find these in flowers ; and I have seldom seen true insects in their stomachs. A nest, in which a sitting female of this species was caught in the evening, was like that of C. obscura, but even larger and more bulky, though those are also large for the size of the bird. The nest of C. verticalis had streamers a foot long hanging from the lower lip of the entrance, The two eggs in this nest (Nos. 462, 463) measure 18°5 x 13°5 and 18x 18°5 mm. respectively. | They are of a regular oval shape, slightly pointed towards the smaller end, and devoid of gloss. The ground- colour is pale pink, sparingly marked with small dots, spots, and short dashes of deep chocolate-brown and underlying clouded markings of lilac-grey. In one specimen these markings are scattered over the greater part of the shell ; in the second most of them form an ill-defined zone round the larger end.—W. R. O.-G. ] CINNYRIS CYANOLEMUS. Cyanomitra cyanolema Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 339. No. 4259, 9, with a marked brood-spot, was brought with a nest and two eggs. This remarkable nest may be described as an exaggerated form of the Sunbird’s hanging Birds of Southern Cameroon. 609 nest, and might be likened to a rope three feet long with an enlargement two-thirds of the way down for the nest proper; but the materials are not twisted like a rope, and consist of small pieces of light twigs, weed-stems, and dry leaves, all held together by a tangle of the black hair-like vegetable fibres so often seen in nests. These fibres grow out of the bits of twigs, &c., and the bird had chosen such bits as had the fibres attached. The inside of the nest is lined with fine soft bark-fibres. The whole was hung on a thorny shrub. Both the eggs (Nos. 498, 494) measure 18x13 mm. [They are of a rather long oval shape and devoid of gloss. The pale buff-coloured ground is almost obscured by dense mottlings of various shades of dark brown, which cover almost the entire shell—W. R. O.-G. ] CiNNYRIS JOHANNE. Reich. V. A. iii. p. 485. Nos. 2918, 4214. Both g ad. Bitye. The liquid contents of the stomach of one of these birds was tasted and found to be sweet. I believe that the principal food of the adults of all species of Cinnyris is the nectar of flowers, not imsects. Remains of spiders, however, were found in the same stomach. Cinnyris cHLoropycius. (Plate XI. figs. 24-26, eggs.) Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 64. Cinnyris preussi Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 338. I have seen this very common little Sunbird hovering before flowers in the manner of Humming-birds, but not for long at a time. Females of this species (Nos. 4027, 4185, 4210) and two others not preserved, all shewing evidence of sitting or of recent laying, were brought with their nests. These were found in all seasons, the months being March, May, June, November, and December. The nests were made of the same materials as those of C. obscurus, with the addition of a decoration of white lichens on the outside and a lining of down hike thistle-down. 610 Mr. G. L. Bates on the The eggs are always two in number. They do not, as a rule, vary more than half a millimetre in either dimension from 15x11 mm., but one long, slender egg (No. 454, the fellow of which had been broken) measures 18 x 10 mm. [Nos. 413, 414 have a somewhat different ground-colour to the rest, viz. pure creamy white, instead of bluish- white.-—W. R. O.-G. | CINNYRIS MINULLUS. (Plate XI. fig. 23, egg.) Reich. V. A. 111. p. 487. Nos. 3579, 3602, 3631, 3637, 3660, 3663, 3669, 3762. All g ad. Bitye. Nos. 3544, 8632, 3642, 4166, 4194. All 2? ad. or immature. Bitye. Males. Wing 46-50 mm.; culmen 15-16 mm. Females. Wing 43-45 mm. ; culmen 14-15 mm. Several years ago I noted that some of the specimens, as I supposed, of Cinnyris chloropygius were very small; and in April 1909, at a time when the Tya'a (Leea sp.) was abundantly in flower and the little Bulu boys were catching many Sunbirds with snares fixed on the flowers, I skinned a large number of these very small Sunbirds, and satisfied myself that there was a second but smaller species resembling C. chloropygius. In a large number of the latter measured the length of wing in the males varied’ from 49 to 53 mm., and the culmen from 17°5 to 19 mm. ; in the females, wing 47 to 49 mm., culmen 17 to 18 mm. There is thus a marked difference in size, and especially in length of bill. It was noticed, too, that in the small males the red feathers of the breast had dark blue metallic tips, while in the larger ones they had not. Subsequently, I discovered in the ‘ Vogel Afrikas’ Reichenow’s very brief description of Cinnyris minullus from a single specimen collected by Zenker, in which he gives only one dis- tinguishing character, viz., white under wing-coverts, and I found that this held in my smaller species (in males of C. chloropygius they are grey). Thus there are three good characters for distinguishing the males of C. minudlus (which Birds of Southern Cameroon. 611 my small birds seem to be): (1) the smaller size; (2) the blue tips to the red breast-feathers ; (3) white under-wing coverts. Females I could distinguish from females of C. chloropygius by their smaller size only, and especially by their much shorter bills. Nos. 4166 and 4194 were caught in their nests. These nests resembled those of C. chloropygius in construction, but were made of different materials, being composed of fine black rootlets and moss, stuck over with cobwebs, which hold many decorations of bits of whitish lichen, bark, dry leaves, and other scraps of dry vegetable matter. One nest contained one naked nestling, with the inside of the mouth orange, the tongue unmarked, and the swollen margin of gape whitish. The other nest, said to have been found hanging from two fern-fronds growing on the stem of a palm-tree (among the decorations on this nest were bits of dry male flowers of the palm), contained two eggs (Nos. 486, 487) measuring 15°5 x 10 and 14°5 x 10 mm. [These eggs are of a rather long oval form and devoid of gloss. The ground is white with a greenish tinge spotted with dark ash-brown and blotched with dark lilac-grey, the markings being mostly arranged in an irregular ring round the larger end.—W. R. O.-G. | ANABATHMIS REICHENBACHI, Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 340 ; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 63. Nos. 3390, 3466, 3983. All g ad. Bitye. Nos. 3392, 3398, 3447, 8465, 3469, 8471, 3490. All ? ad. Bitye. Nos. 38456, 3480. 9 young. Bitye. The adult females are smaller than the males, but exactly like them in every part of the plumage, even to the yellow pectoral tufts. The young birds represent two stages of immature plumage. No. 3480 is full-grown, with the bill as long as that of the adult; it is olive-green above, and the feathers of the crown have narrow metallic-blue edges ; beneath it is yellow, but some new feathers appearing on the throat are metallic-blue, and some on the breast are 612 Mr. G. L. Bates on the greyish-white, like the plumage of the adult. No. 3456, a younger bird with a short bill, has the head, throat, and neck dark olive-brown, but some yellow feathers appearing on the throat and sides of the head belong to the plumage corresponding to No. 3480. Birds in this intermediate plumage have evidently been mistaken for adult females (cf. Shelley, Monogr. Nect. plate 96). Ail the specimens mentioned above were caught in February and the beginning of March by means of snares fixed on flowering shrubs. At most times this species seems to be rare. Cisticota EryTHRors. [Tinkwat.] (Plate XII. figs. 14, and 18-238, eggs.) (Text-fig. 18, p. 613.) Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 317; Bates, Ibis, 1907, p. 67. Nos. 8116, 3890, and 4442 were immature birds, and No. 4527 was young with the plumage half-grown ; these were all without the rusty brown colouring of the plumage about the head, and had the lores and sides of the head ereyish-white. The inside of the mouth and tongue were orange-coloured, and the tongue had a pair of lanceolate black spots near the base at the edges. The tongue-spots do not entirely disappear when birds of this species become adult. In text-fig. 18, fig. A (p. 613) represents the tongue of a large nestling and B that of an adult bird. These figures and all those of birds’ tongues were drawn from specimens preserved in spirit. A large number of nests of the Tinkwat have been brought to me by boys, who find them in easily accessible bushes at the edges of the gardens, and so catch the sitting hen-birds in their nests after dark in the evening. I have already described these ingenious nests, but will here add that: the felt-like lining of brown pappus varies in thickness, and is found to be thin and scanty when the eggs are fresh, and thick when they are nearly ready to hatch or when the nest contains nestlings. It is evident that the bird continues to line the nest after sitting has begun. The number of eggs is sometimes three, but more often two. About forty egys Birds of Southern Cameroon. 613 have been measured. They vary in length from 16°5 to 18°5 mm., and in width only from 12°5 to 13°5 mm. Those of one clutch are nearly always of the same width, though they vary in length. As these eggs vary greatly in colouring, it may be worth while to say that they are all identified as those of Cisticola erythrops, the sitting bird having been carefully compared in every case with my specimens. I was Text-fig. 18. Tongues of Cisticola erythrops, see p. 612. A, of nestling. B, of adult bird. the more particular to do this because, as I thought, there was more than one species of Cisticola ; there were two at Efulen, but only one has been found at Bitye. [In addition to the eggs which have already been deseribed (‘ Ibis,’ 1909, p. 68) we find examples with the ground pale greenish-white very finely mottled, and others with the ground creamy-white blotched and spotted with light red and lilac.—W. R. O.-G. | CALAMOCICHLA RUFESCENS. [Oto'o-biséng.] (Plate XII. fiz. 16, egg.) (Text-fig. 19, A, p. 614.) Neumann, Novit. Zool. xv. 1908, p. 244, ff. Calamocichla poensis Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 318; Bates, Ibis; 1909; p= 69. Three nests of Oto'o-bisong have been found and brought SER. IX.-—VOL. V. 27 614 Mr. G. L. Bates on the to me, one identified by the two large nestlings (Nos. 3713, 3714) and the others by female birds all shewing signs of sitting. These nests were deep cups made entirely of strips of the leaf-sheaths of the cane-like grass ésdéng (plural bisény), amongst which the birds spend all their lives and from which they get their Bulu name. These birds do not spare material in building their nests, and one which was in a Text-fig. 19. A. Tongue of young Calamocichla rufescens, see p. 615. B. Tongue of nestling Burnesia bairdi, see p. 615. C, Tongue of half-tledged young Prinia mystacea. D. Tongue of nestling Sylviella denti, see p. 621. very acute-angled triple fork of éséng had a base more than eight inches deep, all the angle being filled up to a height where it was large enough for the cavity of the nest. The nestlings had the swollen margin of the gape whitish, the inside of the mouth orange-yellow, and a pair of large black tongue-spots. Of the other nests one contained a single egg (No. 301) measuring 19x 14 mm. ; the other contained two (Nos. 592, 593) measuring 20 X15 and 19°5 x 14 mm. [Three eggs are of a rather wide oval form and almost devoid of gloss. They are white or pale greenish-white rather sparingly marked all over the shell with small spots and blotches of yellowish-brown, dark grey, and light grey, the markings being more numerous towards the larger end.—W. R. 0.-G. ] Birds of Southern Cameroon. 615 Burnesia BArIRDI. (Plate XII. figs. 11 & 12, eggs.) @lext-fie. 19, B.) Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 326. Prinia bairdi Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 69. Half a dozen nests of this species have been brought to me, each time with the sitting bird or with nestlings, since the two described already. They were placed in tangles of grass or bushes in the dzkdtdk, and one amongst some of the big sedge called “‘ akwaé” on the bank of the river. The description already given applies to all, except that the materials vary. This bird does not sew leaves together for the exterior. In one nest three nestlings were brought alive ; when they opened their mouths the bright orange-colour and the black basal tongue-spots were very conspicuous. I fed these little birds. with insects ; each time, after swallowing, the little creature would turn around and void excrement on the side of the nest towards me, and upwards, but not over the edge of the nest; the parent bird would have removed it. The nest was clean when it was brought. The tongue of one of these nestlings is that figured. Three is the usual number of eggs of a clutch in this species. A large number of eggs measure 16X12°5 mm. ; none vary more than half a millimetre from this in width, but a few are longer, the limit in length being 18 mm, [The eggs of this species have been already described, and additional clutches resemble those already examined. They are of two very distinct types, either with clouded markings or with finely freckled markings of some shade of chestnut ; the ground-colour varies from pale bluish-green in the former type to bright blue-green in the latter.—W. R. O.-G.] Burnesta LEUcopocon. [Ose-minjombok.] (Plate XII. figs. 9 & 10, eggs). (Text-fig. 19, B.) Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 327. A dozen nests of this species have been found and identified in the usual way, in all seasons except the very dry one. These have an even closer resemblance to each other than nests of the same species of bird Ove? iw r w 616 Mr. G. L. Bates on the usually nave. The bird seems to know no other building- site than a pair of the hanging long-elliptical leaves of the tall endogen, Amomum sp., which is abundant in old clearings. These leaves are sewn together into a deep sack, which is filled with strips of large grass-blades and fine fibres as a lining. The sewing is done with tough cobwebs, which are passed through holes punctured in the edges of the leaves, forming true stitches; at one side the edges of the leaves are joined, at the other left a little apart and connected by the cobweb-threads passing around the side of the nest. Nests of Burnesia leucopogon differ from those of Cisticola erythrops in shape, being deep and narrow, the bird always using. only two rather narrow leaves; they further differ from the nests of the Cisticola in having no downy lining. A pair of nestlings found in one nest had the inside of the mouth orange and two large oval black spots at the base of the tongue. In only one instance were the eggs more than two in number; in the clutch of three, one egg differed some- what both in shape and the proportion of the brown and the grey colouring from the others, and only two empty sheaths were discovered in the bird’s ovary. The eighteen eges measured, some of which only could be saved, did not usually vary more than half a millimetre in either dimension from 17X12 mm.; but a large one is 18x13 mm., and two very long ones from the same nest measure 18°5 x 12 mm. and 19 x 12°5 mm. respectively. [Eggs of this species vary from a regular oval to a long oval shape and are devoid of gloss. The ground varies from pale greenish-blue to white, and is somewhat sparingly marked with rather large and distinct spots and blotches of reddish-chocolate or reddish-brown and various shades of lilae-grey.—W. R. O.-G. | EUPRINODES RUFOGULARIS. (Text-fig. 20, A & B.) Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 320. Euprinodes schistaceus Sharpe, Ibis, J. ¢. Nos. 4136, 8009, 3272, 3313, 4064, 3996. All except the Birds of Southern Cameroon. | 617 first were adult males with large testes. Bitye and Assobam. Plumage of FE. schistaceus. The above numbers are arranged so as to begin with a specimen that is ringed with green above and with yellow below, and end with one that is clear slaty-grey above and white below; the intermediate numbers represent all gradations between the two; but the difference in the whole series is slight. Nos. 8245 9, 4198 ¢, 3913 2, 4488 9, 3604 sex ?, 38301 $, 4021 3, 38628 sex? All immature. Bitye and Assobam. Plumage of E. olivaceus. In the first the under side is pale browuish-yellow and the upper side olivaceous ; Text-fig. 20. A. Tongue of young Euprinodes rufogularis, see p. 616. B. Tongue of nearly adult Euprinodes rufogularis, see p. 616, C. Tongue of young Apalis binotata, see p. 618. and in the last three the under side is nearly white and the upper side nearly grey. All intermediate gradations are represented in the numbers between. No. 3343. 9 adult. Assobam. (Similar ? specimens ~ were previously collected at Bitye.) Plumage of typical rufogularis, Immature birds similar to those mentioned above have been identified by Dr. Sharpe as E. olivaceus, and that species has been united by him with E. rufogularis. I have now to unite with it also L. schistaceus, which represents the male in adult plumage. This is done not only 618 Mr. G. L Bates on the because in a large series specimens with the plumage of E. schistaceus are all adult males, and those with the plumage of H. rufogularis females ({ had sent others before), and because birds in all the different plumages have been shot in company with one another; but because further confirmation is found in two specimens in the Museum (Nos. 2057 and 2141) previously collected by me at Bitve. These were immature males, and the plumage is similar to that of the last three (Nos. 3301, 4021, & 3628) in the series given above, but a few new slate-coloured feathers are appearing on the throat, indicating the change to the plumage of L/. schistaceus. It is to be noted that immature males change, becoming greyer above and whiter below, before the final change into adult plumage. This species seems to me to have a different aspect, on account of its extreme slenderness, from either of the species of Apalis which I know ; and its habits are different, for it is a bird of the forest, and feeds in companies or dijak, while Apalis binotata and A. jucksoni have been seen in small trees of open country, seeking their insects singly. The separation into a separate genus, Luprinodes, therefore, seems to be a natural one. In text-fig. 20, p. 617, A represents the tongue of a young specimen that was not skinned, and B that of specimen No. 4198. Apatis BinoTaTa. (Plate XII. fig. 15, egg.) (Text- fic, 20,'C, p. 617.) Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 320 ; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 70. A good many more specimens have been shot, for at Bitye it is not a very rare bird. The black on the crop of the males is more extended than in the females ; in the latter there is only a black band running down the middle. The colour of the iris in all is brownish-yellow. Young birds (Nos. 8793-3889) have the heads above green like the back, and the feathers of the throat and chest slate-grey with white tips; the inside of the mouth and tongue orange, the latter with two small dark spots at the base near the edges. Birds of Southern Cameroon. 619 A female (No. 4326), evidently sitting, was caught in the nest at about 8 o’clock in the evening. The nest was a hanging pocket composed almost entirely of the moss-like Usnea with a few cobwebs running through it to give it consistency, and a very few fine bits of grass-tops inside (just like that already described). Two eggs were in it, which measure 16 x 1] mm. [The eggs of this rare species are of a long narrow oval form, blunted at the smaller end, and very slightly glossy. The ground is dull greenish-blue washed with rufous towards the larger end and marked with very small dots of light red with smeared edges.—W. R. O.-G.] APALIS JACKSONI. Reich, V. A. iii. p. 608. Nos. 4079, 4081. g ad.; 4082,4086. 9? ad. Inrides of all dark greyish-brown. Esamesa, R. Ja, Jan. 1910. All the examples were shot in the same place, and three of them in the same tree, a small Acacia-like tree near the village, where they were busily looking for insects in the foliage. The finding of this species forms another interesting link between the bird fauna of the district of the Ja and that of the Central African Lakes. CAMAROPTERA GRISEOVIRIDIS. (Plate XII. fig. 13, egg.) Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 321; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 70. My specimens vary greatly in the amount of white on the belly. A pair of these little birds built a nest in the thickest part of the foliage of a guava bush near my house, so that I saw and heard them every day. Besides the loud sharp- toned notes already described, they had a lower call ina sort of whining tone of voice that was very pew. A young bird (No. 4403), with the plumage not yet grown, had the swollen margins of the gape yellowish-white, the inside of the mouth orange, and a pair of large black spots at the base of the tongue. This bird unites the green leaves of a spray, using any kind of tree or bush, to form the outside frame for its nest, 620 Mr. G. L. Bates on the with one or more leaves for a roof, in the manner already described. Its building materials are so light, consisting largely of fine white down, that they scarcely bend down the leaves to which the nest is attached. Seven clutches of eggs, brought in the nests with the sitting birds, consisted of two each, excepting one of three. They vary in length from 16 to 18 mm., and in width from 11 to 12 mm. [Eleven eggs vary in shape from an ordinary oval to a rather long narrow oval form, and are somewhat glossy. The ground-colour is pale bright greenish-blue, either plain or sparingly marked all over the shell with small spots and dots of pale reddish-brown and lilac. Two eggs are pure white. Most of these eggs differ considerably from one taken by Mr. F. J. Jackson in British East Africa, and figured in the Transactions of the Zoological Society, xix. pl. xix. fig. 10 (1910), the ground of which is white with larger markings of yellowish-brown and pale grey.—W. R. O.-G. | CAMAROPTERA CHLORONOTA. Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 322. Nos. 8230. g¢ ad. Assobam. 3410, 3933, 4090. All 3 ad. Bitye. These specimens have the throat greyish- white, aud varying amounts of greenish colour on the chest and of white on the abdomen. Wing 53 to 58 mm.; tail 28 to 35 mm. Nos. 3845, 4346. Both 9 ad. Bitye. Throat greyish- white ; chest tinged with greenish. Wing 50 and 58, tail 27 and 25 mm. No. 4478. Sex? Bitye. Wing 52, tail 20 mm. (Pro- bably ?.) No. 38323. g immature. Assobam. ‘Throat and chest pale brownish-yellow. Wing 55, tail 34 mm. Nos. 3324. Assobam; 3668. Bitye. Both ?imm. Throat brownish-white. Wing50 mm. in both ; tail 27 and 20 mm. Difference of age explains the variations of colour in the throat and chest; difference of sex may explain the shorter or longer wings and tails, except in two or three of Birds of Southern Cameroon. 621 the females, which have remarkably short tails, though certainly fully grown. A sitting female (No. 4346) was caught in the nest, which was also brought, with two eggs. ‘This nest differed from those of C. griseoviridis only in that it was composed entirely of soft white down (pappus) ; there were some tough brown cobwebs running through and giving firmness to the soft down. The nest was attached to six leaves, three underneath forming a support, and three above forming a roof, The eggs (Nos. 584 & 535) measure 17°5 x 12°5 and 17 x 12°5 mm, [They are similar to those of C. griscoviridis described above, but with the markings rather larger and more distinct, much as in the clutch including Nos. 526, 527.—W. Kk. O.-G. | + CAMAROPTERA SUPERCILIARIS. Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 323. Camaroptera flavigularis Reich, V. A. in. p. 621, No. 8952. ? immature. DBitye. No. 3304. Sex? Immature. Assobam. No. 3315. 3 immature. Assobam. Many adult specimens. These immature specimens have the throat and chest yellow with varying amounts of white intermixed, and it may be seen that the white feathers are in moult, many being still partly in the sheaths. The bird with yellow throat and chest described by Reichenow as C. flavigularis must be the young of C. superciliaris. A marked character of this species does not seem to have been noticed, prrhaps because it is supposed to be due to injury of the specimens. There is a bare patch at each side of the throat, the skin of which is deep blue. SyLVIELLA DENTI. (Plate XII. fig. 17, egg.) (Text- fig. 19, D. p. 614.) Sylviella denti Grant, Bull. B. O. C. xix. p. 25; Trans. Zool. Soc, xix. p. 364. 622 Mr. G. L. Bates on the Sylviella batest Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 319; Bates, Ibis, 1909) poses Two nests, like that already described, were brought to me, each with the old bird (Nos. 4036 & 4450) and a siugle nestling. Both nestlings had the inside of the mouth orange, and the tongue had a pair of black spots at the base (text-fig. 19, D, p. 614). I myself found another nest, and saw the little Crombec enter and sit in its tiny hammock, seeing it plainly enough to be pretty sure that it belonged to this species. This nest was hung on a prickly bramble-like stem that extended horizontally over a little cleared space in the éhdtok ; it was not concealed, but inconspicuous from its small size and resemblance to a bit of trash hanging on the stem. PHYLLOSCOPUS TROCHILUS. Reich. V. A. il. p. 644. No. 4443. 2. Bitye, October 19, 1910.. Plumage worn ; inside of mouth and tongue bright yellow and orange, without markings. This is the first time I have obtained the Willow-Wren. The Wood-Wren, P. sibilatrix, already reported, has been obtained again, and so has the Garden-Warbier, Sylvia simplex. GEOCICHLA BATESI. Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 123. No. 3067. 2. Bitye, August 1908. The occurrence of this specimen, which was caught ina snare, extends the range of the species further east. BATHMEDONIA RUFA. Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 122. Though rather rare, this is a bird of dikdték and not of the forest. Tn its lively motions and manner of cocking its tail forward over its back, it reminded me of Cisticcla and Prinia ; and I think, for this and for other reasons, that the natural place of the species is close to those genera. Both males and females have the iris brown, the feet Birds of Southern Cameroon. 623 blue, the bill black, and the naked or sparsely feathered skin of the throat blue. Nos. 3745 & 38746, g@ & ?, with large breeding-organs, were brought late in the evening, with a nest, by a man who said he had caught them both after it got dark. He had seen the nest in a small tree in the ékétck, and put his hand over it. The nest was large enough to accommodate both birds, and shallow ; but it may have been flattened and disarranged by the man’s hand. No eggs were brought, but dissection shewed that the female bird had recently laid two. ALETHE CASTANEA. (Plate XII. fig. 8, egg.) Sharpe, Ibis, 1902, p. 94; 1908, p. 127. A bird of this species, which proved to be an incubating female, was brought alive with a nest and one egg. The nest was flat or saucer-shaped, without any finished rim, and was made of fine rootlets with a little moss, bits of bark, and earth intermixed ; the top layer was formed of ink-black rootlets, and the dark colour of the egg was in keeping with the colour of the nest and its surroundings, for the nest was said to have been found on the ground under the end of a decaying log in the forest. The egg measured about 26x17 or 18 mm. _ It was some- what broken, and could not be accurately measured. [It is of a long oval form and almost devoid of gloss. The ground-colour is pale pinkish-white, nearly hidden by spots and blotches of rich maroon, light red, and dull lilac which cover the greater part of the shell—W.R.O.-G.] ALETHE COMPSONOTA. Reich. V. A. ul. p. 746. Geocichla compsonota Cassin, Pr. Philad. Acad. 1859, p. 42. Alethe alexandri Sharpe, Ibis, 1902, p. 94; 1908, p. 126. It was interesting to establish, from the type-specimen in the Museum of the Academy of Sciences of Philadelphia, the identity of the long-doubtful Geocichla compsonota of Cassin. Not only does the specimen itself shew this, but the deseription of Geocichla compsonota exactly fits Alethe 624 Mr. G. L. Bates on the alexandrii, with the one exception of the length of the wing: in the type-specimen that is 93 mm., which agrees with Alethe alevandrii; but in Cassin’s description it is given as “43 inches” (=120 mm.). This is evidently a mistake for 3? inches. TuRpinus FuLvescens. [Akalat.] (Plate XII. figs. 1-4, eggs.) Reich. V. A. iii. p. 736. Turdirostris fulvescens Cass. Pr. Philad. Acad. 1859, p. 54. Turdinus cerviniventris Sharpe, lbis, 1908, p. 119 ; Grant, Trans. Zool. Soc. xix. p. 879. An examination of the type in the Museum of the Academy of Sciences of Philadelphia has shewn that Cassin’s Turdirostris fulvescens is the species with no pure white on the under parts. Nos. 3614, 3875, 4321, and another bird not saved, were females, evidently sitting, and brought in with the nests on which they were caught or shot with bow and arrow. No. 3978 was a male with very large testes, that had been shot with bow and arrew on the nest, early in the morning ; the eggs that came with this bird and nest are Nos. 396, 397. These nests were loosely made shallow cups of large leaves, more or less wet and decaying, with a few fine stems, fibres, or tendrils inside. They were found on low bushes on the borders of the forest, at all times of the year except in the driest season. The eggs in every nest were two in number; they vary in length from 20 to 23°5 mm., and in width from 15 to 16°5 mm. [Eggs of this species vary very much in shape, markings, and colour; some are of a long oval form and others of a short blunt oval shape; they are slightly glossy. The ground-colour varies from pinkish-white or creamy-white to pure white ; some have a few rather large spots and blotches of bright maroon and purplish-grey rather sparingly scattered all over the shell; in otlers the entire shell is densely mottled and spotted with rather fine markings of Birds of Southern Cameroon. 625 the same colour ; in others, again, the markings are browner and less bright. One specimen has large blotches of dull purplish-grey underlying the small mottlings, and in two very blunt eggs there is a distinct zone or cap of deep chestnut-maroon surrouuding the apex at the Jarger end.— W. BL O.-G.| Turpinus Bates. [Akalat.] (Plate XIT. fig. 5, egg.) Sharpe, Ibis, 1902, p. 94; 1908, p. 117. This isa Turdinus, not an Alethe as Reichenow has it. This is evident, not only from its appearance and _ habits, which are like those of the other species of Turdinus, but from the structural characters given in the ‘ Vogel Afrikas,’ for the 5th, 6th, and 7th primary-quills are the longest and the 4th is considerably shorter. A young bird (No. 3069) with the plumage not grown has no spots on the plumage like the young of Alethe; some of the wing-coverts are of a scarcely discernible lighter shade at the tips; the chest is dark brown, and the feathers of the breast and abdomen have dark brown edges, forming slight cross-bars. Two sitting females (Nos. 4001 and 4128) were brought with their nests and eggs. The nests were merely loose piles of dead leaves with a few stems and rootlets, said to have been found on the ground in the forest ; each contained two eggs. Those of one clutch (Nos. 406, 407) were extremely long (20 x 16 and 24°5 x 15°5 mm.), and when the small embryo had been removed from each there came out of the smaller end of the egg another opaque mass which may have been a second abortive embryo. The other eges (Nos. 455, 456) both measure 23°5 x 17 mm. [These eggs are of a long oval shape, very slightly glossed, and have the ground-colour white or pale pinkish-white, with small spots and irregular blotches and markings of dull maroon and dark purplish-grey scattered all over the shell. In two specimens they are more numerous towards the larger end and form an irregular cap or zone.—W. R, 0.-G.] 626 Mr. G. L. Bates on the CossyPHA CYANOCAMPTA. [Angokon.] (Plate XII. figs. 6 & 7, eggs.) Sharpe, Ibis, 1905, p. 474; 1908, p. 1235. I can speak more certainly now than I could in my former note (‘Ibis, 1905, p.474) about the strange and sweet notes of the Angokén; for after looking for it many times when I heard it in the thickets of the dikotok, L at last saw it. This bird is avery perfect imitator of other birds ; often one seems to hear a Cuckoo, for instance, but presently the voice changes, and you know that it isan Angdkén. Late one evening when it was growing dark, and all sounds save those of night creatures had long ceased, I heard several short snatches of song by an Angdkon, from a thicket near by; is this bird acquiring the habit of its relative, the bird that “sings darkling”’?? Itis interesting to note, too, that its eggs look like those of the Nightingle. Four nests of this species, identified by the sitting birds caught in them, have been found by boys in the dark thickets which are the haunt of the bird. They were loosely built of decaying leaves and stems, with a few fibres inside. The number of eggs in each was two, but in every case one was broken; the eggs varied from 22 to 23°5 mm. in length, and from 15 to 16°5 mm, in width. [They are of a long oval form and distinctly glossy, the ground-colour varies from rather bright greenish-blue to pale bluish-green, and is more or less obscured by dull indistinct mottlings and cloudings of rufous or lilac-grey, which are concentrated towards the larger end.—W. R. 0264 CossypHa verticaLis. [Angdkon. ] Reich. V. A. 111. p. 761. Cossypha melanonota Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 124. My specimens have certainly, on the whole, darker backs than sperimens of C. verticalis from the Gold Coast ; but, as Dr. Sharpe pointed out, both these and the Gold-Coast birds vary in that respect, and are not clearly separable. This Ang6dkon is rarer than the other, and I do not know whether it sings or not. Birds of Southern Cameroon. 627 A sitting female (No. 3891) was brought in with a nest, which the boy found on the top of a decaying stump. The nest was a rather loose mass of rootlets, small stems, and husks of maize, all mixed with fine earth, damp and black. The one egg received (No. 321) (the other had been broken) measures 24x 16 mm. [It is of a long oval shape, glossy, and uniform dull olive-green in colour.— W. R. O.-G.] APPENDIX. Two subjects on which observations have been made can be better treated separately here than in scattered remarks under the different species of birds, One refers to some small points in the pterylography of certain groups of Passerine birds; the other to the kind of insect-food on which the birds live. I, The observations on pterylography were mostly made on skins turned inside out, in the process of preparation, but were verified in many cases by examination of the outer side and of nestling birds. (1) Space in the “ saddle” in certain Ploceide. In the genera Ploceus and Malimbus there seems to be always present a small bare or sparsely-feathered space within the enlarged portion or “saddle” of the spinal- feather tract. This space is usually small; the largest one observed was in the specimen of Ploceus batest (No. 4268). In the two examples of C. amaurucephalus afew small and scattered semiplumes were found upon it. Besides the species already mentioned and that figured (text-fig. 21, B, p. 629), the following have been examined— usually more than one specimen of each—and found to have this space: Ploceus nigricollis, P. ocularius, P. cucullatus, Malimbus malimbicus, M.nitens, M.rubricollis, and M. cassini. Many specimens belonging to other genera of the Ploceidie were examined and found to have no such space in the saddle of the spinal tract ; it is a character confined, so far as my observations go, to the two genera named. 628 Mr. G. L. Bates on the (2) Gap in the Spinal Tract in certain Sylviide. In certain genera forming a very natural group, largely African, of which Cisticola may be taken as typical, there is a marked gap in the spinal tract immediately behind the saddle, and the lower end of the saddle itself is often emarginate or cordate in outline. This gap is sometimes entirely without feathers of any kind, but usually bears a few small semiplumes in a more or less regular row, but no contour-feathers. It extends from the saddle halfway to the oil-gland. The specimen of Calamocichla rufescens figured had a few semiplumes on this part. Specimens of Camaroptera griscoviridis had not even the semiplumes, but had a perfectly bare gap from the saddle for 5 mm. in the direction of the tail. The same was true in the one specimen examined of Bathmedonia rufa and in one of Macrosphenus concolor. In a_half-fledged specimen of Prinia mystacea there was a perfectly bare gap extending for 10 mm.—a long way in so small a bird; but in adults of the same species the corresponding portion bore a few small semiplumes. Besides the species already mentioned, the following were examined—generally more than one specimen of each—and found to have this gap:—Cisticola erythrops, Burnesia bairdi, B. leucopogon, Apalis binotata, Macrosphenus flavicans, Camaroptera superciliaris, Sylviella virens, S. denti, and Eremomela badiceps. Some other species of small birds somewhat similar to the above, and generally placed near to them, were found to be without such a gap in the spinal feather-tract. Among these may be mentioned Phyl/oscopus trochilus, Stiphrornis wanthogaster, and Hylia prasina; in these the spinal tract, though narrow behind the saddle, was continuous, bearing contour-feathers all the way. The gap here described is doubtless a degeneration of the portion of the spinal tract most clearly overlapped by the long and abundant plumage of the saddle. But in birds of other groups examined in which the feathers of the saddle Birds of Southern Cameroon. 629 are equally long and abundant, the part of the spinal tract behind it is unbroken, bearing contour-feathers which take their places in the midst of those springing from the saddle. (3) Branching End of the Spinal Tract in the Pycnonotide. In most Passerine birds the spinal feather-tract is only gradually and slightly widened at its hinder end, just in front of the oil-gland. In all Pycnonotidee which I have Text-fig. 21. r ay ols FUSS Pe ‘ Wan tert ay ree Pee = . - aha | ‘ wee S| - ane s ee . - sear § be ~ ae hy as cage aN ‘ sy aN ' Finan 7, Zig PMNS , gears = = Pl Ai \ me Pia 3 a a4 id Be esl Le | 5a ‘ , iain ; fae ~ y late Y , Ph , . ve ‘ ty FM. ' rs yay i ey “ty HEN / AA rs Pe \ aro a pie +s re POU ash ain toe pans Pcs ice Ape ope a te AAS Soe N Ss prt Ny IRs hoa ATEN Nain sare f o> Ses ee — ee — A. Portion of the spinal feather-tract of Pycnonotus gabonensis. B, Spinal feather-tract of Ploceus nigerrimus. C. Spinal feather-tract of Calamocichla rufescens. (See Appendix, pp. 627, 628.) examined, the hinder end of the spinal tract extends laterally into a pair of short branches, one on each side, together forming a short transverse band. The feathers composing these branches are all very short, most of them being merely semiplumes; but some that stand nearest to the main tract are long enough, in some birds, to reach the light, thus being contour-feathers. These lateral branches were very marked in all specimens SER. IX.—VOL, V. 2U 630 Mr. G. L. Bates on the belonging to the genus Phyllostrophus—more so even, in some of them, than in the specimen of Pycnonotus gabonensis figured (text-fig. 21, p. 629). In all species of Andropadus and particularly in A. virens, the lateral branches were found to be weak, consisting of a few small semiplumes only. The following is a list of the species in which the end of the spinal tract was found to be branched; generally more than one specimen of a species was examined :—Criniger chloronotus, C. calurus, Bleda syndactyla, B. tricolor, Phyllo- strophus simplex, P, flavigula, P. falkensteini, P. leuco- pleurus, Andropadus indicator, A. clamans, A. gracilirostris, A. gracilis, A. virens, A. latirostris, Pycnonotus gabonensis, Lzonotus guttatus. No adult bird of the Family Pycnonotidze was found to be entirely without these transverse branches at the end of the spinal tract; and no bird of any other family was found to have them. It should be added that they were not usually apparent in nestlings, II. Do the Birds of Southern Cameroon eat Butterflies ? The question in regard to birds feeding on butterflies is of interest to ornithologists as well as to entomologists. I believe that the birds of the West African forest do not feed to any great extent on butterflies. This belief is not based merely on the fact that I have not seen them do so, for such merely negative evidence is of little value. It is based on the fact that the stomachs of a large number of birds examined were without any remains of butterflies that were identified as such. During half a dozen years in which I kept records of a considerable proportion of all birds skinned, not only as to whether fruits, or seeds, or insects were found in the stomachs, but also the kinds of insects found when these could be easily made out, I never recorded a single instance of finding a butterfly or part of one; and during several months, when my attention was particularly directed to that matter, I recorded in the cases of 178 insect-eating birds, the stomachs of which were examined, that nothing looking like remains of butterflies EXPLANATION OF PLATE XI. Figures of the Eggs of West African Birds. (The numbers in brackets are those of the eggs, as marked on the egg-shell. | Fig. 1. Pycnonotus gabonensis, p. 604. (No. 511.) Fig 9 99 ” (No. 229.) ii 2. Fig. 3. Criniger calurus, p. 597. (No. 344.) 1 Fig. 4. Pycnonotus gabonensis, p. 604. (No. 515.) Fig. 5. _ " i (No. 502.) Fig. 6. Andropadus virens, p. 602. (No. 269.) Hig, Si. A - (No, 448.) Fig. 8. Pyromelana flammiceps, p. 589, (No. 189.) Fig. 9. Andropadus virens, p. 602. (No, 520.) Fig. 10. Phyllostrophus flavigula, p. 600. (No. 349.) Fig. 11. Emberiza cabanisi, p. 596. (No. 453.) Fig. 12. Phyllostrophus simplex, p. 599. (No. 340.) Fig. 13. F z es (No. 278.) to) Fig. 14. ss 5 a (No. 457.) Fig. 15. 5 Salkensteint, p. 598. (No. 188 a.) Fig. 16. Cinnyris verticals, p. 608. (No. 462.) Fig. 17. Andropadus latirostris, p. 602. (No. 184.) Fig. 18. ? _ 2 (No. 325.) Fig. 19. Bs x (No. 556.) Fig. 20. Cinnyris obscurus, p. 607. (No. 451.) Fig. 21. os 3 5 (No. 506.) Fig. 22. 3 batesi, p. 606. (No. 476.) Fig. 28. 5 minullus, p. 610. (No. 487.) Fig. 24. = chloropygius, p. 609. (No. 454.) Fig. 25. es 3 Pf (No. 490.) Fig. 26. . rr (No. 414.) Fig. 27 PS obscurus, p. 607. (No. 167.) ac az . EXPLANATION OF PLATE XII. Figures of the Eggs of West African Birds. | The numbers in brackets are those of the eggs, as marked on the egg-shell. | Fig. 1. Turdinus fulvescens, p. 624. (No. 518.) Fig. 2. * ms . (No. 286.) Hig. 3. a i, 5 (No. 226.) Fie. 4. 5 iy by (No. 225.) Fig. 5. » atest, p. 625. (No. 455.) Fig. 6. Cossypha cyanocampta, p.626. (No. 893.) Mio. 7, y) 2 ; (No, 265.) Fig. 8. Alethe castanea, p. 623, (No number.) Fig. 9. Burnesia leucopogon, p. 615. (No. 391.) Fig. 10. % 4 3 (No, 314.) Bigs 11; is bairdi, p. 615, (No. 375.) Fig. 12. ; 3 7 Came) 13. Camaroptera griseoviridis, p. 619. (No. 589.) 14. Cisticola erythrops, p. 612. (No. 126.) 5. Apalis binotata, p. 618. (No. 425.) . 16. Calamocichla rufescens, p. 613. (No. 592.) Fe] ee} og 9Q 99 Je DQ a9 — Or Fig. 17. Sylviella denti, p. 621. (No. 62.) Mig. 18. Cisticola erythrops, p. 612. (No, 254.) Fig. 19. ” ” ” (No. 85.) Fig. 20. - P a (No. 239.) Hig. 21, 7 D es (No. 352.) Fig. 22. is mM 5 (No, 306.) Fig. 23 ; ‘i 8 (No. 571.) Birds of Southern Cameroon. 631 was found. Even though the wings of the butterflies had been removed and the bodies crushed in swallowing, yet some characteristic part, as the head with the curled proboscis, or the peculiar legs or abdomen, would sometimes have been recognized if they had frequently been present, at least when I was particularly looking for them. For its bearing on the point above mentioned, as well as for its more general interest, a summary of a count of the entries in my note-books during six years, of the different kinds of insects and similar small creatures found in birds’ stomachs, is here given. Larvee of insects were not counted. Coleoptera were recognised and recorded in 213 stomachs ; Orthoptera in 177; Ants in 57 (mostly in stomachs of birds of the genus Dendromus) ; other Hymenoptera in 8 ; Cocci in 32; Rhynchota in 19; Termites in 31; Slugs and Snails in 24; Spiders in 85 (mostly stomachs of Sunbirds) ; Mulli- pedes in 20 ; some other kinds of insects or small animals each in one or two stomachs; Butterflies in none ! SUPPLEMENTARY NOTE. Since writing the first part of this paper (see above, p. 479) I have had the great pleasure of a short visit to the Museum of the Academy of Sciences of Philadelphia, where, with the very kind and cordial assistance of Mr. Witmer Stone, I was enabled to see the types of some of Cassin’s species. In the preceding pages appear the results of my examination of the types of Turdirostris fulvescens and Geocichla compsonota, But regarding two birds belonging to Part I. of this paper, which was then already in the press, I take this opportunity of reporting as follows :— A comparison of one of my specimens of A/seonax olivas- cens (see above, p. 522) with Cassin’s type leaves no doubt that it is identical with Cassin’s Parisoma olivascens. An examination of the type of Cassin’s Butalis epulatus like- wise shews that it is Sharpe’s Alseonax fantisiensis (see above, p. 521). 202 632 Mr. J. A. Bucknill on the XXVI.—-A Further Contribution to the Ornithology of Cyprus. By Joun A. Bucxnitt, M.A., F.Z.S., M.B.0.U.* I was again stationed in Cyprus in 1910 and up to the time of writing this in 1911 (May), and was consequently enabled to accumulate a good deal more information about the island’s avifauna. Several circumstances combined to make the period excep- tionally interesting. First, the spring of 1910 was very wet: the rains continued until late, with the result that some of the lakes and reservoirs remained more or less supplied of which circumstance with water throughout the summer many interesting species of birds took advantage and stayed to nest. The Great Crested Grebe, Dabchick, Coot, Moorhen, Lesser Tern, Garganey, Shoveler, Tufted Duck, Marbled Duck, and Kentish Plover were amongst this class. Secondly, the winter of 1910-11, for two and a half months, was unprecedently severe ; snow lay at intervals in the plains, and people were actually frozen to death ; no one living in the island remembers such rigorous weather. The Anatolian Taurus must have been ice-bound from end to end, and in the Levant, Jerusalem had the unheard-of experience of being under snow. All kinds of unusual ornithological visitors, driven down, I presume, from the north, crowded into the island. Amongst those hitherto unrecorded were the Whooper Swan, White-fronted Goose, and Red-crested Pochard ; Sheldrakes (Ruddy and Common), White-eyed Pochards, and other usually rare Ducks were to be bought for a few plastres apiece; Great Bustards were shot, and, to our horror, devoured by a station-master, who was unaware of our gold offered for a specimen. Little Bustards, Golden Plovers, and Woodcocks were abundant, and I shot twenty-six Lapwings from a carriage on the drive between Nicosia and Papho. Fieldfares, very rare as a rule, swarmed, and so did Mistletoe-Thrushes, whilst we actually obtained a Redwing. * See ‘Ibis,’ 1910, p. 885._-The numbers prefixed to the names are those of Dresser’s ‘ Manual of Palearctic Birds.’ Ornithology of Cyprus. 633 Great migrations of the Hawfinch and the Eastern Ring- Ousel (both practically unknown here hitherto) occurred, and Greenfinches and Reed-Buntings were almost as common as Sparrows. Altogether it was a very remarkable year, and I do not suppose that such a season is likely to occur again for many a long day. Apart from all this excitement, we managed to make some more regular observations. We obtained the Moustached Warbler; found the Stone-Curlew breeding, and took its eggs, as well as those of the Quail, Meadow-Pipit, Short- toed Lark, Great Spotted Cuckoo (with the Magpie as host), Roller, Bee-eater, Barn-Owl (which is clearly a resident), Cyprian Tree-Creeper, Cretzschmar’s Bunting, Little Ringed Plover, and Cyprian Scops Owl. We proved with certainty that the Cyprian Pied Chat is only a summer visitor, that the Fantail-Warbler is a resident, and that many Crag- Martins stay throughout the year. We obtained many rare Cyprian birds: the Spotted Redshank, Marsh-Sandpiper, Barred Warbler, a genuine Goshawk, a White-tailed Eagle, the Rock- and Blue Rock- Thrushes, the Red-spotted Bluethroat, and many others, details as to the more interesting of which I have given in the list below. Much of the credit of the work thus done by members of the Cyprus Natural History Society is due to Mr. F. R. S. Baxendale, who, having been promoted to the Commissioner- ship of Famagusta, has diligently worked that rich marsh- district ; to Mr. G. F. Wilson, who has scoured the Nicosia neighbourhood; and to Mr. Greenwoodand Mr. Ansell, [.8.0O., at Larnaca, with Horsbrugh at Pseuda. When, therefore, I speak of “we” Iam only the chronicler, though I have, of course, handled all their specimens. For some ideuti- fications our best thanks are due to Dr. Hartert, the Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain, and Mr. M. J. Nicoll. A word should be said about one special expedition. Mr. Baxendale, in the second week of May 191], made a most interesting though short visit to the Klides Islands, which lie to the extreme north-east of Cyprus, at the end of 634 Mr. J. A. Buckuill on the the forty-mile “horn”: these islands are uninhabited, and are never visited except by an occasional fisherman ; indeed, the last ten miles of the promontory are practically desolate. The largest island has a little coarse grass, a kind of stone- crop, and a spring of fresh water which is said to be dry in summer. Mr. Baxendale found there the Mediterranean Gull breeding in considerable numbers and brought me several eggs, a Lesser Peregrine’s nest with two young and one addled egg (four dead Quail and a Shearwater (?) formed the larder), also a few Shags which were nesting, a number of Rock-Doves, and a few Turtie-Doves. On the peninsula were many Wheatears, one or two Ruffs, nests of the Red- rumped Swallow (of which Mr, Baxendale took the eges), and other common birds. The wind rose, and Mr. Baxendale had some difficulty in getting back to the mainland—a three- hours’ row. 1. Turpus viscrvorvs Linn. The very severe weather in January and February 1911 brought in hundreds of Mistletoe-Thrushes, which were shot in numbers all over the island, and exposed for sale with strings of the Common Thrush in the bazaars. The last note that I had of their stay was on March 26th, but nearly all had gone by the end of the first week of that month. 2. Turpus musicus Linn. This species was exceptionally abundant last winter, aud when the cold weather broke in mid-March it sang beautifully every where—not a usual occurrence here. 7. Turpus rracus Linn. Though fully expecting to come across the Redwing in the exceptionally cold winter of 1910-11, and though we all looked out for it carefully, I only discovered one—a male, obtained at Larnaca on February 24th by Mr. W. J. Ansell. Schrader states that this species “is found everywhere ” ; but this is an error. This specimen is the first and only properly identified example from the island. Ornithology of Cyprus. 635 9. Turpus Pitaris Linn. Usually decidedly rare, the Fieldfare was quite common last winter. From October 30th, 1910, to the third week in February 1911 it appeared all over the island, but was parti- cularly abundant in January and in the first week of February. 24. Subsp. Turpus aLpestris C. Brehm. Though I mentioned this bird in my previous paper on the Ornithology of Cyprus, I had been unable to obtain a specimen to satisfy myself as to its identity. However, on the loth of July, 1910, Mr. G. F. Wilson saw a specimen on a rocky stream in the Troddos Mountains, aud on October 13th an immature male was taken on bird- lime at Ormidhia, near Larnaca, and sent to Mr. T. Green- wood. From him it went to Mr. G. F. Wilson, in whose collection I saw it. None of these circumstances at all prepared us for what followed. Driven down, I imagine, by the heavy snows on the Taurus range in Cilicia, a regular swarm of the Eastern Ring-Ousel invaded the island about mid- February : one man shot twenty in one day! We obtained, of course, numerous specimens; many were sold as food in the bazaars. They frequented the gardens even in Nicosia town itself, and fed on ivy-berries. They mostly disappeared about the first week in March, though one was still to be seen in Nicosia as late as the 21st. No Cypriote, so far as I could ascertain, recognised or had ever seen the bird before. 25. Monricota saxaTivis (Juinn.). Mr. Baxendale saw a single Rock-Thrush at Kantara Castle (Kyrenia Mountains) on July 24th, 1910; he shot a fine adult female on the roof of a house at Famagusta on March 5th, 1911, and a splendid adult male at a place called Platanissa on the 23rd of the same month, 27. Monticona cyaNnus (Linn.). We have obtained several Blue Rock-Thrushes in different parts of the island during the last two years; in March, April, July, October, and November. 636 Mr. J. A. Buckuill on the 29. CincLUS MELANOGASTER Brehm. Tinelus olympicus Madarasz. At the beginning of July 1910 Mr. G. F. Wilson found three young birds, unable to fly, at the Caledonia Falls, on Troddos (5000 ft.). The Cyprian Dipper was often seen by me last summer in the same place. 46. Saxtcota morio Hempr. & Ehr. Saxicola cypriaca i. F. Homeyer. Savicola morio Heinpr. & Ehy. We have cleared up satisfactorily the question of the status in Cyprus of the Cyprian Eastern Pied Chat by careful observation. It is not a resident, but only asummer visitor, and many individuals are merely birds of passage at the migrations. It leaves Cyprus at the end of October and beginning of November, and reappears about the second week in March. We all independently came to the same conclusion. Of course, we could not visit the mountains in the depth of winter, butit is hardly conceivabie that the bird would stay on those bleak heights and flee from the hospitable plains. 55. Saxrcota MELANoLEUCA (Giild.). Mr. Baxendale obtained two more specimens of the “HWastern” form of the Black-throated Wheatear near Famagusta, both males, on March 2Ist and April 2nd, 1910, respectively. They were kindly identified by Mr. M. J. Nicoll. 56. SaXIcOLa ALBICOLLIs (Vieill.). (A) Saaicola amphileuca Khr. (B) Saxicola hispanica vwanthomelena= 8. albicollis Temm. Apparently we get both the Eastern and Western forms of the Black-eared Wheatear here on migration. Mr. Baxen- dale shot a male on April 3rd, 1910, of A (the Eastern form) at Famagusta, and a male and female of B near tite same place on the 7th and 8th of April, 1911. They were all kindly identified by Mr. M. J. Nicoll. 57, Saxicouta rinscut Heugl. Further observation proves that the Arabian Chat is quite a common winter visitor on suitable ground. It Ornithology of Cyprus. 637 arrives about the middle of November and leaves at the end of March. We obtained numbers, a good many of which were identified by Mr. Nicoll. 63. SAXICOLA ISABELLINA Riipp. Schrader states that the Isabelline Chat arrives at the end of February and remains till nearly the end of September. We have never managed to obtain it yet, though we have shot many Chats during the last two years. 94, Cyanrcuta svecica (Linn.). The Red-spotted Bluethroat is no doubt a regular winter visitor, and may probably be found in any really suitable locality. At the freshwater lake near Famagusta— an ideal place for the bird—Mr. Baxendale has obtained some half a dozen specimens in October, January, February, and March during the past two winters, and has seen several more. 109. Syzvia nisorra (Bechst.). The Barred Warbler is evidently a migrant in autumn, and perhaps, too, in the spring, though we have not yet obtained it at that season. On the Kyrenia range, in mid- September, Mr, Baxendale procured three examples, one of which was identified by Mr. M. J. Nicoll. 122. Sytvra aTRICAPILLA (Linn.). The Blackeap we had under observation in Nicosia during the whole of the winter, and at intervals we shot a specimen; so there can be no doubt that some numbers stay. Mr. Pierides, Mr. Horsbrugh, and others watched carefully the strings of ‘ Beccaficoes ” brought to the Larnaca market by the peasants during the autumn migration in 1910, with rather interesting results. Amongst the bag of “limed” birds taken in the first half of October were over a hundred Robins, several Common Redstarts, Lesser Whitethroats, Cyprian Pied Chats, and an Eastern Ring-Ousel ; and in September a Kingfisher (A/cedo ispida). 638 Mr. J. A. Bucknill on the 123. SyLvia oRPHEA T'emm. Sylvia jerdoni (Blyth). Sylvia hortensis crassirostris Hartert, Vog. Pal. Faun. 1. Pp. ook, The Orphean Warbler is evidently a regular visitor on migration in spring and autumn. We obtained several at the end of March, the beginning of April, the end of August, and the beginning of September in different localities. Dr. Hartert was kind enough to identify a few which I sent to him. 126. Sytvia MELANOTHORAX Tristram. The Rey. F.C. R. Jourdain kindly pointed out in this Journal (1910, pp. 216 & 217) that the eggs of the Palestine Warbler were taken by Glaszner in 1906, and that two clutches are in the Tring Museum. Glaszner is a very careful collector, and I have no doubt that he is correct in his identification. The bird certainly nests in places on the Kyrenia hills, as Mr. Baxendale found and obtained both old and young near Kantara in August and September ; he says it is of very skulking habits in the bushes, and cocks its tail like a Dartford Warbler. The nest, Glaszner says, 1s extremely hard to find. 156. PuyLioscorus TrocHiLus (Linn.). We obtained a number of specimens of the Willow- Wren in the spring and autumn; it appears to arrive about the middle of March, and reappear in August and September. 137. PuyLioscorus s1BriLaTrix (Bechst.). Phylloscopus sibilatrix erlangeri Hartert. IT sent a rather brightly-coloured male Wood-Wren, shot by Mr. G. F. Wilson at Nicosia on April 26th, to Mr. M. J. Nicoll, who pronounced it to belong to Hartert’s subspecies. 138. PuyLLoscopus BonELLII (Vieill.). Phylloscopus bonellit orientalis Hartert. Mr. Baxendale shot a male Bonelli’s Warbler at Fama- gusta on April 8th, 1911, which Mr. M. J. Nicoll states belongs to the form inentioned above. Ornithology of Cyprus. 639 168. ACROCEPHALUS STREPERUS (Vieill.). The Reed-Warbler turns out to be not uncommon in suitable places. We obtained several from March 12th to May 17th. It is quite probable that some nest in the reed-beds in the neighbourhood of Famagusta; nearly all our specimens came from the freshwater lake near that town. Apparently it does not occur in winter. 170. ACROCEPHALUS ARUNDINACEUS (Linn.). Acrocephalus turdoides, B. O. U. List, p. 19. The Great Reed-Warbler we find to be a regular and not uncommon spring and autumn visitor to localities where there are reedy marshes. Mr. Baxendale, Mr. Wilson, and Mr. Horslrugh shot and saw specimens in various localities between March 26th and the first week in May, mostly at the freshwater lake and Acheritou reservoir, 175. AcROCEPHALUS SCH@NOB#NUS (Linn.). Acrocephalus phragmitis (Bechst.) B.O. U. List, p. 20. We find the Sedge-Warbler a regular spring and autumn migrant in suitable places. Mr. Baxendale obtained and observed numerous specimens at the freshwater lake and Kouklia reservoir between March 10th and the middle of May, and again in October. 182. LuscintouA MELANOPOGON (Temm.). I am glad to be able to add the Moustached Warbler to the list of Cyprus birds. Mr. Baxendale obtained a male in good plumage on March 19th, 1911, at the freshwater lake, Famagusta, 194, Cerria cettir (Marm.). Cettia sericea (Temm.) B.O. U. List, p. 22. Mr. Baxendale heard Cetti’s Warbler at the freshwater lake, Famagusta, in May, though he did not obtain a specimen ; but on June 6th, 1909, he shot at Papho a very juvenile example, which Mr. M. J. Nicoll, who kindly identitied it, considers must have been bred in the island, It is evidently uncommon, 640 Mr. J. A. Bucknill on the 199, Cistrcota cursitans (Franklin). Careful investigation has proved that the Fantail-Warbler is a resident in some localities. At the freshwater lake, Famagusta, Mr. Baxendale had it under observation the whole year, and it bred there in some numbers; the young birds left the nest during the first week in June. 287, CERTHIA FAMILIARIS Linn. Jerthia brachydactyia dorothee Hartert. I found a nest of the Cypriote Tree-Creeper, with young and one unfertile egg, in a hole in a wall on Troddos (at about 5000 feet) in early July 1910. The ground-colour of the eggs was whitish, and the obtuse end was thickly zoned with reddish-brown blotches. Size: 16x12 mm. 313. ANTHUS PRATENSIS (Linn.). 1 think that a few Meadow-Pipits must nest with us, as on May 7th, 1910, I had four fresh eggs brought to me, taken in the fields close to Nicosia, which I cannot ascribe to any other bird. The species is abundant from November to April. 315, ANTHUS TRIVIALIs (Linn.). We obtained a few Tree-Pipits during September. 317. AnTHUS CERVINUS (Pall.). We found the Red-throated Pipit quite abundant on both migrations, and obtained specimens between March 18th and May 2nd, and again between September 26th and November Sth. 323. ANTHUS CAMPEsTRIS (Linn.). I had two eggs brought to me on May 7th, 1910, taken on the ground near Nicosia. They are certainly Pipits’, and I think probably those of the Tawny Pipit. Mr.Jourdain, who saw one, could not express any confident opinion as to their identity. They were certainly neither Meadow- nor Tree-Pipits’ eggs. The Tawny Pipit must be very uncommon in Cyprus, as none of us have ever got a specimen, Ornithology of Cyprus. Gil 379. Muscicapa coLtaris Bechstein. We found the White-collared Flycatcher fairly common everywhere at the end of March and in April. 388. Hirunpo rustica Linn. In 1910 a Swallow arrived with a small bell attached to its foot and nested in my stable. I could not ascertain that the bell had been attached by anyone in the island. I caught the bird and examined the bell—a child’s toy. The bird hatched its young, and did not return—at any rate, with the bell— this year. 893. Hrrunpo ruruLa Temm. Our observations now shew that the Red-rumped Swallow arrives at the end of March and in early April, leaving in early September: earliest date March 28rd, and latest date September 26th. Mr. Baxendale found it nesting in abundance near Kantara Castle, and took fresh eggs on May 10th. 396. CHEeLipon ursica (Linn.). The House-Martin arrives about the last week in March, and leaves at the beginning of October. I found numbers in the Kyrenia Pass, on the northern range. Mr. Baxendale saw a single bird on December 11th, 1910, at the freshwater lake. 400. Coryie riparta (Linn.). The Sand-Martin was found quite regularly in spring and autumn—in April and again in mid-October. 402. CoryLE RUPESTRIS Scop. The Crag-Martin is a partial resident, and considerable numbers frequent the rocky southern coasts of the island throughout the winter. I found them near Papho even in the bitter January of this year: they are well known there to the local sportsmen as ‘‘ zretpoyedvdovs.”” I found them also nesting in the Kyrenia Pass along with the House- Martin. 642 Mr. J. A. Bueknill on the ~~ 407. Curysomirris spinus (Linn.). Schrader stated that the Siskin “ appears in autumn,” but, so far, I have nothing to add to my previous notes on this species. 412. SeRtNus HORTULANUS Koch. I found young Serins leaving the nest on Troddos in early July. 416, Liaurinus cutoris Linn. Ligurinus chloris aurantiventris (Cab.). My previous notes on the occurrence of a Greenfinch in Cyprus require considerable amplification. First, Dr. Hartert tells me that Glaszner sent five specimens to the Tring Museum, taken in March 1905; secondly, in February and March of both 1910 and 1911 Greenfinches have occurred in Cyprus in abundance. We obtained numerous specimens from all parts of the island, and scores were exposed for sale as food in the bazaars. The colouring varied somewhat: some were vividly bright, others comparatively sober. I sent a few to Mr. M. J. Nicoll, and two to Dr. Hartert: the former says that they appear to be nearest L. ¢. auranti- ventris ; the latter that they are very nearly as bright as L. c. aurantiventris, and probably the same as the bird from Greece called L. c. miihlet by Parrot (Journ. f. Orn, 1905, p. 649). However, this last March we obtained some most brilliant specimens, which are, I should think, certainly L. ¢. auranti- ventris. They had all left by the middle of March. The Greenfinch is clearly an abundant winter visitor in some years. 421. CoccoTHRAUsTES VULGARIS Pall. A horde of Hawfinches invaded Cyprus during the very cold weatherin 1911. My first record was on January 31st, and my last on March 23rd. We obtained quite a number in various localities. I suppose that they were driven over from the Cilician Taurus, then a vast snew-covered mass—a glorious sight from Kyrenia. Old residents here tell me Ornithology of Cyprus. 643 that some years ago the species occurred once before in the island in small numbers. 426. Passer HISPANIOLENSIS (Temm.). I do not think that the Spanish Sparrow is common in Cyprus. Mr. Baxendale shot a fine male on March 22nd, 1911, in the Famagusta district, which, to make sure of, we had identified by Mr. M. J. Nicoll. 458. LInotTa CANNABINA (Linn.). Linota cannabina mediterranea Tschusi. Mr. W. J. Ansell sent me what I thought was a strange- looking bird of the Linnet type; on submitting it to ‘Mr. Nicoll, he identified it as ZL. c. mediterranea Tschusi. It was shot on February 22nd, 1911. I certainly do not think this is the ordinary form which we get here. 515. Emperiza HortuLANA Linn. The Ortolan is evidently not quite so uncommon as I supposed, and is no doubt a regular visitor in small numbers on the migrations. Schrader stated that “it appears about April 26th and stays over the summer”; but I am doubtful whether this is correct. Mr. Wilson shot a male on September 8th, 1909, near Nicosia, and Mr. Baxendale a female from a small flock in the Famagusta district on May 6th, 1910. Both were identified by Mr. M. J. Nicoll. 517. Emperiza c#sta Cretzschm. Mr. A. K. Bovitt found Cretzschmar’s Bunting nesting this year on the Kyrenia mountains, and brought me two eggs taken from a nest at the root of a cistus bush growing out of a bank. They measure °78 x °63 and ‘78 x ‘62 inch respectively : they were taken on May 6th and were slightly incubated. 533. EmMBERIzA scH@nNicLus Linn. Emberiza scheniclus canneti Hartert. The Reed-Bunting, hitherto only once recorded from Cyprus, is another species which has come before us very prominently on closer investigation of the marshes. It is evidently quite a regular and almost abundant winter 644 Mr. J. A. Buckuill on the visitor to suitable localities from the beginning of November till the end of March. We obtained numerous specimens in the reed-beds near the Limassol salt-lake, at the fresh- water lake, Famagusta, near Nicosia, and at Morphou. Indeed, at the second-mentioned locality Mr. Baxendale has seen hundreds. I sent a few to Dr. Hartert and Mr. Nicoll, who identify them as £. s. canneti, the South-European form. 558. Corypus cristatus (Linn.). Alauda cristata Linn , B.O. U. List, p. 171. Galerita cristata cypriaca Bianchi. IT sent a number of Crested Larks collected in different parts of the island in the spring of 1910 to Mr. Nicoll. They were all identified by him as G. c¢. cypriaca Bianchi (Bull, Acad. Sci. Petersburg, 1907, xxv. p. 65). 560. CALANDRELLA BRACHYDACTYLA (Leisl.). Some numbers of Short-toed Larks nest in the island, as I had half a dozen clutches of fresh eggs brought to me during May 1910. Migrating flocks occurred in April and mid-October. 567. STuRNUS VULGARIS Linn. 568. SrurNus PURPURASCENS Gould. Sturnus porphyronotus Sharpe. 569. Srurnus PoLTARATSKYI Finsch. Sturnus vulgaris grecus Tschusi & Reiser. Sturnus vulgaris balcanicus Buturlin & Harms. Older residents in Cyprus than I am had told me of the large flights of Starlings which visit the island during some winters. From the beginning of November till about the middle of March in the winter of 1909-10 very large flocks occurred. In Nicosia and its outskirts, which are well-provided with groves of tall eucalyptus and other trees, great companies numbering many thousands roosted nightly, streaming in in serried ranks just before dusk and wheeling out at dawn, running a fusillade from dozens of native gunners posted just outside the municipal limits (within Ornithology of Cyprus. 645 which one may not fire guns), and watched always high overhead by half a dozen Hawks. The trees were covered with the birds, and the noise of their chattering was deafening. But in such big packs they have none of the airs and graces of our familiar bird at home in England and none of their imitative and pretty notes, but only a ceaseless squeak. My impression is that the large majority were S. pur- purascens, and the most unaccomplished observer could see and hear that most of them were not our English bird. We obtained, of course, numerous specimens, In the winter of 1910-11 no such invasion occurred, though the usual scattered parties appeared as they always do. I sent a number away for identification to Dr. Hartert and Mr. Nicoll. 616.. CypseLus MELBA (Linn.). Mr. Baxendale discovered hundreds of the White-bellied Swift nesting in June and July near Kantara Castle. Our observations shew that it arrives at the end of February and beginning of March (earliest date, February 20th), and leaves towards the end of September (last date, Sep- tember 28th). 663. Coracias GARRULUS Linn. We found the Roller nesting in many localities in May and June. 669. Urura rpors Linn. Mr. Nicolls found a nest with young in a hole in a wall on Troddos, on June 2nd, 1910. 674. CoccystTEs GLANDARIUs (Linn.). We took seven eggs of the Great Spotted Cuckoo in clutches of Magpies’ eggs in April and May 1910. 689. Asio AccrPiITRINuS (Pall.). Asio brachyotus, B. O. U. List, p. 86. We have obtained several examples of the Short-eared. Owl in the winters of the last two years. 692. Scors cyprius (Mad.). In April and May 1910 I obtained several clutches of eggs SER, IX.—-VOL. V. 2X 616 Mr. J. A. Bucknill on the of the Cyprian Scops Owl: one of six from the side of a deep- walled well and another from a hole in an unused building. 709. ALuco rLamMMeEvs (Linn.). Strix flammea, B. O. U. List, p. 85. There is no doubt, now, that the Barn-Owl is a resident, as we obtained at Larnaca a female and three young alive on May 2nd, 1910, and I took a clutch of three fresh eggs from a hole in a cliff near Nicosia on March 18th, 1911. We obtained other specimens of the bird in January, May, and September. 718. Circus swarnsonr Smith. The Pallid Harrier is quite common: in the first week of April 1910 there was quite a large migration, and Horsbrugh obtained several examples; the crop of one contained a Little Owl. 721. Burzo vutearis Leach. Horsbrugh shot a female on the 2]st of March, 1910, at Kouklia reservoir: its crop contained a small svake and some lizards and scorpions. 730. Hipraitus Frascratus (Vieill.). I had a pair of eggs of Bonelli’s Eagle sent to me by Mr. R. L. Michell of Limassol. They were highly incubated, but proved amenable to strong caustic potash ; they were taken in the Troddos range on February 12th, 1911, and each measured 2°7 x 2°1 inches. 735. AQUILA HELIACA Savigny. We were lucky enough to obtain several specimens of the Imperial Eagle in different parts of the island: one, a fine male, was knocked over, whilst feeding on a dead sheep, by astone thrown bya peasant, and brought alive to Horsbrugh at Larnaca. 739. HaLrtarTus ALBICILLA (Linn.). Mr. Baxendale shot a large immature male on Novem- her 16th, 1910, feeding on carrion not far from Famagusta. This is the first specimen of the White-tailed Eagle actually obtained in the island. Ornithology of Cyprus, 647 745. AsTUR PALUMBARIUS (Linn.). It is satisfactory to be able to remove any doubt as to the occurrence of the Goshawk in Cyprus. When shooting in a thick fir wood near Asprokremno, on Troddos, on the opening day of the season last year (August 12th), Mr. H. McLaughlan, who was with me, shot a fine immatnre male. To make certain of its identity I sent it to Mr. Nicoll. 756. Pernis aprvorus (Linn,). Mr. G. F. Wilson shot a fine Honey-Buzzard near Nicosia on September 18th, 1910. : 765. Faxco punicus Levaill. The Lesser Peregrine was found nesting on the Klides Islands by Mr. Baxendale, who discovered an eyrie with two young birds and an unfertile egg on a ledge of rock with an overhanging top: the nestlings were white with white legs and pale bluish bills; they were lying on the bare rock, and the old birds were both close by. One nestling was much bigger than the other, and the two parents were considerably different in size. The egg measured 2:06 x 1547 inches. 770. Fatco ELEoNoR& Gené. The Rev. J. Smale kindly gave to me a fine male specimen of La Marmora’s Falcon, which he had shot on Troddos on August 6th, 1909. 771. Fatco vesPertinus Linn. Tinnuncnlus vespertinus Gray, B. O. U. List, p. 103. We find that the Red-footed Falcon is a regular visitor in spring and autumn. Large parties, consisting of from a dozen to over a hundred birds, appeared at the end of April and beginning of May 1910, and we noticed a good many at the beginning of September and end of October of the same year—mostly young birds. We obtained numerous examples. 776. PHALAcrocorax CARBo (Linn.). Mr. Baxendale bought a male Cormorant from a native gunner at Famagusta on December 22nd, 1910. 9.9 ~ x ~~ 648 Mr. J. A. Bucknill on the 788. ARDEA CINEREA Linn. A few Grey Herons remained in the marshes near Fama- gusta throughout the winter. 789, ArpEA PURPUREA Linn. We obtained the Purple Heron on both migrations, from the end of March till the beginning of June, and again in mid-October. It is quite common. 800. Nycricorax GRisEus (Linn.). We also obtained the Night-Heron on both migrations— from mid-April till the beginning of June, and from mid- August till mid-September. It is fairly common. 824. ANSER ALBIFRONS (Scop.). The White-fronted Goose was one of the species new for Cyprus which the exceptionally cold winter brought us. A female was shot by Mr. G. B. Amirayan’s shikari in December 1910, from a party of three on some flats near the sea, at a place called Aphendrika, in the Famagusta district, and was given to Mr. Baxendale. Another was shot on the Larnaca lakes early in 1911, and acquired for Mr. Ansell’s collection. 837. Cyenus musicus Bechst. The Whooper Swan was another of last winter’s additions to the Cypriote list. About Christmas I heard reports that Wild Swans were round the coasts, and on December 28th, 1910, Mr. Baxendale bought a young male Whooper from a native gunner. It had been shot on the Spathariko Marsh, close to the sea in the Famagusta district ; 1t was in poor condition ; its flesh, though dark, was tender, but rather flavourless. The gunner had watched it for several days, and it had, to use his words, ‘‘ smelt his powder” more than once before he eventually shot it from a shelter. It was said that there was a flock of fourteen individuals in the neighbourhood. About the same time “a pure white Swan ” was for sale in Limassol market, but was eaten before I could ascertain to what species it belonged. Ornithology of Cyprus. 649 CHENALOPEX £GYPTIACUS (Linn.). The Egyptian Goose appeared almost immediately after the first rains in December 1910: first four, then seven appeared on a little marsh near Nicosia, where they remained till about March 10th. They were too wary for us. 839. Taporna cornuta (S. G. Gmel.). Common Sheldrakes were very abundant from the middle of December 1910 until the end of February 1911 al! over the island. They were excellent eating. 840. Taporna casarca (Linn.). Quite a number of Ruddy Sheldrakes visited the coast in January 1911, and we obtained several. 844. CHAULELASMUS STREPERUS (Linn.). Mr. Baxendale obtained the Gadwall at Kouklia reservoir at the end of May 1910, and two specimens in December 1910 in the Famagusta neighbourhood. 845. SpaTuLa CLYPEATA (Linn.). The Shoveler has been very abundant from October to April during the past two winters; a few pairs nested at Kouklia reservoir, and I obtained a clutch of eight eggs from there on May 14th, 1910. 846. MarMARONETTA ANGUSTIROSTRIS (Ménétr.). The pretty Marbled Duck appeared in some numhers in the middle of April 1910 at the reservoirs, and a few pairs remained to nest at Kouklha. I obtained a clutch of seven highly incubated eggs from Koukla on July 5th, and several young birds were shot there on the 1st of September —the opening day for Duck-shooting. 848. QueRQueDULA ciRcrA (Linn.). The Garganey appeared in early April, and some nested at Kouklia, I obtained a clutch of nine eggs there on May 14th, and some young birds were shot in September. We also obtained one or two specimens during the winter, 650 Mr. J. A. Bucknill on the 856. AETHyIA RUFINA (Pall.). The Red-crested Pochard was another visitor during last winter not hitherto recorded from Cyprus. A big flock must have reached the island at the beginning of December 1910, and Mr. Baxendale at Famagusta, Horsbrugh at Larnaca, and I at Nicosia, all bought birds in our respec- tive bazaars on the 38rd. From that date up till the middle of February they were common all round the island, and even inland. They are very good on the table. 859. AXruyiA FULIGULA (Linn.). Fuligula cristata, B. O. U. List, p. 129. A few Tufted Ducks stayed at Kouklia reservoir during the summer of 1910, and I obtained eggs on July Ist. 860. Aitnyra nyroca (Giild.). Nyroca ferruginea, B. O. U. List, p. 180. Young White-eyed Ducks were shot at Kouklia on September Ist, and I think it is probable that they were bred there. We obtained a few specimens last winter. 877, ERISMATURA LEUCOCEPHALA (Scop.). The White-headed Duck again appeared at the end of December 1910, Horsbrugh having obtained a female in the Larnaca market. 895. Tunrur communis Selby. We find that the Turtle-Dove nests fairly commonly in suitable localities in the plains: Horsbrugh took several clutches of eggs in his almond plantations at Pseuda in June. 904. PrrrocLes ARENARIUS (Pall.). Bunches of the Black-bellied Sand-Grouse seem to have dropped in, to swell the few residents, from the middle of September 1910 until the middle of November. At the river near Pyroi, a few miles from Nicosia, which at that date, before the rains, was one of the few places offering pleaty of water, literally hundreds came down to drink: Mr. G. F. Wilson shot many. When the rains broke they Ornithology of Cyprus. 651 no doubt scattered over the country, and only occasionally were a few seen. Of about a dozen Sand-Grouse which I handled all were of this species. Mr. Baxendale sent his three live birds to Major Boyd Horsbrugh, by whom they were deposited in the London Zoological Gardens. 911. Puastanus cotcuicus Linn. In my previous notes in this Journal I mentioned our attempt to re-introduce the Pheasant. We divided our twenty-eight birds into two lots—one under the care of Mr. Barrett at the Athalassa farm near Nicosia, and the rest in Mr. T. Greenwood’s aviaries at Larnaca. To the first lot a sad disaster happened, as in the spring, owing to the carelessness of a servant, a door of ove of the pens was left ajar, and a fox got in and killed all except one cock and one hen, which escaped into the plantations. I turned out there another hen, as the cock was frequently seen again. Mr. Greenwood was very successful, and had far more eggs than he could deal with: he reared some sixty birds. The early broods did very well, but those hatched in May remained stunted and dwarfed by the great heat of the summer, and only attained full growth when about eight months old. We turned out a number of birds high up on the Tréodos range in February this year, and others in one of the game-reserved areas. It is too early yet to say how they will eventually fare, but we know that some of the hens are sitting on eggs in the woods. 958. CorurNIx comMuNIs Bonnaterre. I found that the Quail breeds fairly freely in the barley, and I had eggs in early April from several different localities. IT can often hear its nice little note all night from my bedroom window. 984. Ratius aquaticus Linn, The Water-Rail we find to be a very common winter visitor from the beginning of October till the middle of March in all suitable localities. I had notes of quite thirty examples being shot last winter. 652 Mr. J. A. Bucknill on the 986. Porzana MARUETTA (Leach). The Spotted Crake we find very common in likely spots at the migrations, and a few stay for the winter: Mr. Baxen- dale thinks that some may have bred at the freshwater lake in May 1910, but they had all gone from there by June 3rd. We obtained specimens in March, April, May, October, and November. 987. PorzaNa BAILLONI (Vieill.). We obtained specimens of Baillon’s Crake in March and April at the freshwater lake. 989. Porzana PARVA (Scop.). The Little Crake seems quite common in March and April at the freshwater lake, and Mr. Baxendale obtained one there as early as February 26th, 1911. 993. Crex prRATENSIs Bechst. I had never heard the Corn-Crake call in Cyprus, but Mr. G. F. Wilson detected one on April 23rd, 1911, near Nicosia, walked it up and shot it. We got two more in the autumn of 1910. 998. GALLINULA CHLOXOoPUS (Linn.). The Water-hen nested in the summer of 1910 on Limassol salt-lake, whence Mr. Michell sent me eggs taken in May. 999. Foxica atra Linn. The Coot bred in very large numbers on Kouklia reservoir in the summer of 1910. I saw many eggs in April and May. 1010. Orrs TARDA Linn. The Great Bustard occurred during the very cold weather of February 1911. We heard rumours of Wild Turkeys and offered ample rewards. Five were said to be at a place called Beila in the Larnaca district, and eventually a peasant found three near a village called Stroullos, and winged one with a long shot from his muzzle-loader. He chased it, according to his own account, for many miles, and despatched it, after what he vividly described as Ornithology of Cyprus. 653 a desperate struggle, with repeated blows of his heavy dagger-knife. He brought the dilapidated monster (it weighed 19 Ibs. without much blood in it) to Mr. Green- wood, who passed it to Glaszner to be skinned. Glaszner could do nothing with it, so Mr. Greenwood ate it and sent me the head! the flesh was dark and of good flavour. It was the head of an undoubted Otis tarda. About the 21st of February a peasant brought a specimen to one of the railway-stations called Styllos, on the Nicosia-famagusta line: only the feathers of the wing, a foot, and some sad relics greeted Mr. Baxendale on his arrival in frantic haste at the scene: the station-master had, unknowingly, paid ten piastres and devoured a sovereign. Enquiries elicited that there were three birds in this party. We heard no more of them. 1012. Terrax campsstRis Leach. Os tetrag Tann, Be O. UW. List, p., 154. Quite a number of Little Bustards appeared in Cyprus in December 1909 and January 1910. I had notes of about a dozen being shot, and we obtained some good specimens. They are excellent eating. 1015. GEpicnemus scotopax (S. G. Gmel.). I had a fresh egg of the Stone-Curlew sent to me from Famagusta on May 7th, 1910: so we may conclude that some individuals nest with us. 1016. GLarEoLa PRATINCOLA (Linn.). The Pratincole is evidently a regular visitor on its migrations. Mr. Baxendale obtained a male Pratincole from a flock of twenty at Kouklia reservoir on April 24th, 1910, and again observed the bird there on April 17th this year: healso obtained it at the same place on October 14th, 1910. 1022. SQuaTAROLA HELVETICA (Linn.). I am glad to confirm the alleged occurrence of the Grey Plover in Cyprus. Mr. Baxendale shot two from a flock of eight at Famagusta harbour on November 30th, 1910, and another on January 38rd, 1911, at the same place. 654 Mr. J. A. Bucknill on the 1028. AicraLiTIs caNTIANA (Lath.). The Kentish Plover nested in considerable numbers on the margins of the freshwater lake in early June 1910 and in May 1911, and Mr. Baxendale obtained several clutches of eggs. 1032, AieraLitis curonica (Gmel.). Mr. Baxendale found the Little Ringed Plover nesting at the freshwater lake near Famagusta this spring, and obtained eggs in early May. 1046. Recurvirostra Avocetta Linn. Mr. J. W. Ansell obtained a single Avocet on November 28th, 1910, at the Larnaca Salt Lake. 1047. Himanrorus canpipus Bonnat. The Black-winged Stilt remained in small numbers throughout the summer of 1910 at Kouklia reservoir and the Larnaca lakes, and though we did not obtain the eggs, I have no doubt that it nested in both places. We obtained juvenile specimens in the former locality on September Ist. 1050. Scotopax rustTicuLa Linn. The winter 1910-1911 was a famous one for Woodcock : one party shot forty in two days, and twenty-six were obtained in one wood on February 12th, 1911. 1052. Gattinaco Masor (Gmel.). Mr. Baxendale shot a female Great Snipe near Fama- gusta on May 6th, 1910, and a very heavy male at the freshwater lake on April 26th, 1911. 1067. Trinca MINuTA Leisl. We obtained a good many Little Stints in May and October. 1072. Trinca suBarquata (Gild.). The Curlew Sandpiper was quite common in the winter on the coast near Famagusta, where Mr. Baxendale shot a number of these birds. They are quite good on the table. Ornithology of Cyprus. 655 1080. Macneres puenax (Linn.). We found the Ruff abundant in all suitable localities from October to June. 1083. Toranus cauipris (Linn.). We obtained a good many Redshanks during the winter in the Famagusta marshes and near Larnaca. 1084. Toranus ruscus (Linn.), Mr. Baxendale shot a fine male Spotted Redshank at Avgasida marsh on February 28th, 1911. 1085. Toranus GLotris Naum. Mr. Baxendale obtained a female at the Famagusta harbour on April 22nd, 1911. 1087. Toranus sTaGNaTiLis Bechst. The Marsh-Sandpiper is probably a regular migrant. Mr. Baxendale shot five in April 1910 and 1911, all at the freshwater lake. 1089. Toranus ocnRopus (Linn.). Helodromas ochropus, B. O. U. List, p. 174. We found the Green Sandpiper quite common from September to April. 1091. Toranus GLAREOLA (Gmel.). The Wood-Sandpiper we also found common from October to May. 1101. Lrosa Betcica (Gmel.). The Black-tailed Godwit occurred in some numbers in June, September, January, and February. We obtained a number of specimens. 1111. HyprocuELipon LevcorTerA (Schinz). The White-winged Black Tern appeared in considerable numbers at the freshwater lake in May 1910 and April 1911. Mr. Baxendale obtained several examples. 1122. Sterna minuta Linn. The Little Tern nested in 1910 in some numbers at the freshwater lake and on the islands round Famagusta harbour, We obtained fresh eggs in June. It appeared in 1910 on May 14th, and in 191] on April 22nd. 656 On the Ornithology of Cyprus. 1133. Larus r1prpunpws Linn. We obtained several Black-headed Gulls during the past winter: one shot on March 10th had a well-developed black head. 1139. Larus minutus Pall. The Little Gull occurred in small numbers at the Larnaca lakes at the end of February 1911, and Mr. Ansell obtained some specimens. 1140. Larus canus Linn. We obtained two examples of the Common Gull during the past winter. 1145. Subsp. Larus cacHinnans Pall. Mr. Baxendale found the Mediterranean Herring-Gull breeding in considerable numbers on the Klides Islands during May 1911, and also on the adjacent promontories of the mainland. He took fresh and slightly incubated eggs on May llth. The nests were in slight depressions of the ground and were composed of coarse grass; those on the islands were situated on the top or on the sides of the highest part of the land. The eggs were of the usual Gull type, and the clutch was three. 1147. Larus ruscus Linn. I observed half a dozen Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the sea-coast near Kyrenia in mid-April 1911. 1213. PopicipEs cristatus (Linn.). The Great Crested Grebe can always now be found on the reservoirs when there is water: it bred in numbers on Kouklia last year, and we obtained plenty of eggs. 1216. Popicipes nrertcotuis E. L. Brehm. Although we did not find the nest last spring, I have no doubt that the Eared Grebe bred at Kouklia: it can always be seen there now. 1217. Popicrees riuviatitis (Tunstall). The Little Grebe bred in large numbers on Kouklia reservoir last summer, and we had fresh eggs in mid-May. On Birds observed in the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wei. 657 XXVIT.—On some Birds observed in the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wei, North-East China. By Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones, M.B., F.Z.S., R.N., M.B.O.U. Berween 55° and 38° north latitude the coast of China tends strongly to the north and east, to form the con- spicuous peninsula terminating in the promontory of Shan- tung, which separates the Strait and Gulf of Pechili from the Yellow Sea. On the northern shores of this peninsula and about twenty-seven miles from North-East Promontory, its easterly extremity, is the territory of Wei Ilai Wei. Situated in latitude 37°°30 North, and longitude 122°:10 East, Wei Hai Wei comprises a considerable area of the mainland and an island, Leu Kung Tao, so placed that the water intervening between it and the coast forms a harbour of some size. Leu Kung Tao is about two and a quarter miles long, and a mile wide at its broadest part. The long axis of the island runs approximately east and west. The island is hilly and somewhat rocky and barren, especially on its steeper northern slopes. The highest point is about five hundred feet above the sea-level. This island contains the naval establishment. Leu Kung Tao is separated from the mainland by a wide strait to the eastward, and by a much narrower and deeper one to the westward. About half-way across the eastern entrance to the harbour is the rocky islet of Itan, sur- mounted by a ruined fort and fringed on one side by considerable reefs. The western entrance, towards its seaward opening, contains several small islets, which are favourite sitting-places of the Pelagic Shag, so plent ful at Wei Hai Wei. On the mainland opposite to Leu Kung Tao is the walled city of Wei Hai Wei, whence the territory derives its name. Forty miles to the westward is Chefoo, and between these places and thirteen miles from the last-named is the rocky islet known as the White Rock. 658 Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones on Birds To the east of Wei Hai Wei, and twenty-six miles away, is a bold headland formed by a mass of high land, bordered to the seaward by tall but crumbling cliffs, and known as the North-East Promontory, or Shantung Promontory, the most easterly land of China proper. The North-East Promontory is separated from the other high land of the peninsula by a sandy plain of considerable size, on which are numerous small and several large fresh- water lagoons. A few miles to the north and west of Shantung Promontory is Alceste Island, of small size, but possessing considerable cliffs, and of interest as a breeding-place of Larus crassirostris, the Bar-tailed Gull. Eight miles to the westward of Alceste Island and at about a mile from the coast, is Kiming Island, considerably larger than the former and presenting fine cliffs on its seaward aspect. Just opposite Kiming Island the mouth of a very large and shallow salt-water tidal lagoon opens into the sea, the shores of which in early autumn are thronged with Waders journeying south. Some thirty miles to the south of North-East Promontory is South-East Promontory, situated on the island of Mur Tau and to the north side of Shi Tao Bay. At both North and South-East Promontories are placed powerful lights, which at the right seasons of the year attract immense numbers of migrants. The country in the vicinity of Wei Hai Wei is hilly, barren, and rocky. The hills, which, on the mainland opposite to Lev Kung Tao, rise to a height of 1343 feet, are very rocky and barren, but planted in some places with small pines and scrub oaks. The valleys are scored with nullahs, worn away by the torrents which flow down from the hills in the rainy season. The country is very badly wooded, almost the only trees which attain any size, except just round the villages, are those left to grow to maturity for semi-religious reasons. Firs, Oaks, and Willows form the majority of those small observed in the Vicinily of Wei Hai Wei. 659 groves which are found in and about graveyards, and other places, where to cut wood is a crime. Willows, often of considerable size, fringe some of the sandy watercourses which are to be met with in the flatter portions of the country. The hills either slope gradually down to the sea-level, or become from their position on the coast bold headlands, or they may merge at their feet into the sandy flats which in so. many places border the shores of the Shantung Peninsula, and provide breeding-grounds admirably suited to such species as Calandrella pispoletta and Aigialitis alexandrina. The vicinity of Wei Hai Wei is very thickly populated, and the Chinese cultivate all the lower ground to the utmost limits of its productivity. In the autumn and winter every stick and blade of grass that can be cut down or scraped from the ground is used as fuel, so that undergrowth has little chance to flourish. Practically the only places where scrub and rank grass escape are the native cemeteries, which for this reason form sanctuaries for many species of birds. The Shantung Peninsula is peculiarly well suited for the reception of migrating birds as they pass from north to south in autumn or in the reverse direction during the spring. Korea is not much more than a hundred miles to the north and east, Port Arthur and the Kwantung Peninsula are still nearer and almost directly due north, and two hundred miles or so further north and west, across the Gulf of Pechili, lies Manchuria. From all these lands, and from the vast spaces of North- eastern Asia which lie behind them, there pours down in early autumn a flood of migrants, and right across the southward track of very many of them stretches the Peninsula of Shantung. The North-East Promontory appears to be a point at which many birds aim in their autumnal southward journey, and nowhere may more migrants be seen in August and September, especially after one of the north-easterly gales so prevalent during the last-named month. The presence of a 660 Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones on Birds very powerful light on North-East Promontory doubtless attracts many birds to this place, particularly in stormy, cloudy weather. From North-East Promontory most of the birds seem to pass along the coast to the southward, until they reach the vicinity of Shi Tao, whence a considerable number appear to strike out across the sea towards the mouth of the Yangtze Kiang. Many migrants, however, arrive all along the coast between Wei Hai Wei and North-East Promontory, and doubtless towards Chefoo they are equally abundant. To this part of China the writer of these notes made visits in 1901, 1902, and 1907 ; on the first two occasions in H.M.S. ‘ Waterwitch,’ a surveying-vessel, and on the last to the Royal Naval Sick Quarters on Leu Kung Tao. In 1901 the ‘ Waterwitch’ was engaged in surveying at Wei Hai Wei, and in searching for a supposititious shoal in the Pechili Gulf, from September 4th to the 14th, and some notes made during these ten days are incorporated in this article, as they are of some ornithological interest. Whilst sheltering under the lee of a sandbank from a north-easterly gale in the neighbourhood of Taku, exceptional opportunities occurred for observing the migration of birds a2ross the Gulf of Pechili from Manchuria. The observations made at this time are noted under the various species concerned. Tn October 1991 a survey was also made of Shi Tao Bay, and there the arrival of many migrants was observed. At Shi Tao, the writer made the acquaintance of the late 'Mr. C. A. Schwilf, a sportsman-naturalist, to whom, in the course of a long subsequent correspondence, he is indebted for many interesting notes and specimens. In 1902 asurvey of the coast of the Shantung Peninsula was made, as far to the west of Wei Hai Wei as White Rock, and to the east to the North-East Promontory and some ten miles to the south of it. In 1907 nearly all the notes were made either on Leu Kung Tao or cn the mainland immediately opposite. observed in the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wei. 661 Unfortunately, the writer never arrived in Wei Hai Wei earlier than the last week in May nor remained there later than the middle of October, so that personal observations on the winter visitors are perforce omitted. In the summer months the climate of Wei Hai Wei is cool, compared to places immediately north and south of it, but the winter is very severe for the latitude. When it is borne in mind that floating sea-ice is not unknown at Wei Hai Wei, and that its parallel of latitude in Europe crosses the south of Spain, it is obvious that the winter visitors must be of a more arctic type in Shantung than in the Iberian Peninsula. On the question of local races and subspecies little will be found in these notes. That subspecies trmominally raised to specific rank exist in North-Eastern Asia is bewilderingly evident at the present time. The determination of such races appears to require an acuteness of vision, and parti- cularly of colour-vision, such as is found in but few, and to which the writer can lay no claim. The arrangement followed is in the main that of Dresser’s ‘Manual of Palearctic Birds. It is, of course, to be understood that this small contribution to the ornithology of North-East China in no sense sets forth a dist of the birds cf Wei Hai Wei. It is impossible to think of ornithology in connection with the Shantung Peninsula without calling to mind that Swinhoe, that great pioneer in Chinese zoology, spent the last months of his well-filled career in the country at Chefoo, only forty odd miles from Wei Hai Wei. Sent there to try and recover failing health, be nevertheless found time and energy sufficient to make the many interesting notes and observations recorded in ‘The Ibis’ of 1874-75, to which reference is made, on occasion, in this short article. It has been thought desirable to give measurements of the eggs mentioned in these notes, as such particulars appear to have an interest for some ornithologists, and, as the notes are in English, the measurements are in inches and decimal parts of an inch. SER. IX.—VOL. V. ay 662 Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones on Birds TURDUS OBSCURUS. The Dusky Thrush was seen, not infrequently, on passage at Leu Kung Tao during the first week of October. The birds were stragglers, and each was observed alone ; there were no parties or flocks. TURDUS PALLIDUS. The Pale Thrush was observed once, on the mainland opposite to Leu Kung Tao, in the first week of October. TURDUS VARIUS. White’s Thrush was only observed twice, on both occasions during the last week of September. On one occasion, as sometimes occurs, this species was shot in mistake for a Woodcock. MonTIcoLa CYANUS. The Blue Rock-Thrush occurs fairly abundantly about Wei Hai Wei, both as a breeding species and as a migrant. In the opinion of the writer the species (?) which is next mentioned is only a variety of Monticola cyanus. Monricoua SOLiTaRIvs. The Red-breasted Rock-Thrush is the form most often to be seen about Wei Hai Wei, where many pairs breed in the hills, often at no great elevation. The nest is well hidden as a rule, and the eggs are not, so far as can be ascertained, different in any way from those of the Blue-breasted form. The earliest date for eggs is June 14th and the latest July 2nd. On one occasion at least a bird with a blue breast was observed obviously mated with an individual with a red breast. The species may sometimes be heard singing on the wing, but apparently it is able to take a long downward glide only when it has attained a certain elevation. Thirteen eggs average 1:00 x ‘75 inch, and vary in length from 1:05 to °95 inch and in width from ‘79 to ‘70 inch. PHYLLOSCOPUS BOREALIS. Eversmann’s Warbler appeared at the end of May in great numbers on its way north, and some were still to be seen observed in the Vicinity of Wet Hai Wei. 663 as late as June 8th. These birds are found returning about the middle of September. On the autumn migration the birds appeared to be in small parties or in pairs, and their numbers were not so obvious as in the spring. PHYLLOSCOPUS SUPERCILIOSUS. The Yellow-browed Warbler was observed on Leu Kung Tao on August 17th, on its way to the south of China. PHYLLOSCOPUS CORONATUS. This Willow-Warbler occurs at Wei Hai Wei during its southern migration. It was observed in September. Parus MINOR. The Japanese Tit is moderately abundant about Wei Hai Wei. These birds are usually to be seen in pairs or in small parties, and they behave just as most other Tits do elsewhere. The nest is placed in a hole in a tree or in a crevice in a wall, and is much like that of Parus major. The eggs from Shantung have very reddish markings in the few known specimens. The local Chinese name “ Chi-ta-chi” gives an excellent idea of the call-note. PARUS PALUSTRIS. The Marsh-Titmouse was observed on the mainland opposite Leu Kung Tao in company with Parus minor ; it is not at all a common bird. MovactLua LEUCOPSIS. The White-faced Wagtail is a common summer visitor to Wei Hai Wei, and probably arrives early in April. The birds leave again about the latter part of September, during which month their numbers are largely augmented by those coming from further north. During August and September the family-parties, which are so commonly to be seen on the sea-shore earlier in the summer, join up to form flocks of considerable size, and it was not noted that on migration young and old birds were separated. i ars ~ 664 Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones en Birds This Wagtail breeds commonly at Wei Hai Wei and Shi Tao, and very often places its nest in the crevice of a rock on the seashore, but sometimes among herbage in a nullah. At all times, however, this species displays a great hking for the vicinity of the sea. The nest is made of grass and lined with finer grass or horsebair. The earliest date for eges is April 25th and the latest May 19th. Four or five is the usual number of eggs in a clutch, but six were found on one occasion. The eggs are of two types, a brownish grey and a greenish grey. Twenty-six eggs from Shantung average ‘79 x ‘57 inch, and vary in length from ‘89 to'73 inch and in width from °53 to ‘61 inch. MortacILLa OCULARIS. This Wagtail occurs on passage, and was observed in September. MoracILLA MELANOPE. The Grey Wagtail occurs abundantly on migration at Wei Hai Wei. As many as eighty birds were seen in one flock, opposite to Kyming Island, on September 14th. Whilst sheltering from a northerly gale, behind a sand- hank off Taku, many of these birds came on board and proved very useful in catching and eating the large blue- bottle flies which swarmed all over the ship to our great discomfort. This was during the first week of September. ORIOLUS INDICUS. Swinhoe met with this Golden Oriole at Chefoo during the summer months, and thought that it might breed there. It was observed once in June to the westward of Wei Hai Wei, so that Swinhoe may be correct. The great majority of these birds were seen on migration and particularly at North-East Promontory, where they were abundant during the first week of September. At Leu Kung Tao this species was only noticed once, also in September. Most of the birds seen at North-East Promontory were immature, evidently the progeny of those which had bred further to the north. observed ia the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wei. 665 LANIUS CRISTATUS. This Shrike was observed on passage at Shi Tao in the month of October. LANIUS LUCIONENSIS. The Philippine Red-tailed Shrike is 2 common summer visitor to the vicinity of Wei Hai Wei. This Shrike appears, in this part of China, not infrequently to place its nest in quite large trees. It is well built, but perhaps a trifle small for the size of the bird, which has the usual Shrike-like habit of sitting on the top of a bush or small tree when prospecting for prey, but it is not vociferous like so many others of its kind. The eggs have been described by La Touche from Kiu Kiang. Six eggs from Shi Tao average ‘89 x ‘64 inch, and vary from ‘92 to ‘85 in length, and from °63 to ‘66 in width. They were laid about the middle of June. LANIUs BUCEPHALUS. This Shrike occurs about Wei Hai Wei as a breeding species, and Fleet-Surgeon J. H. Stenhouse found it nesting near Wei Hai Wei in the month of May. HLEMICHELIDON SIBIRICA. Siberian Flycatchers come in to Wei Hai Wei and all along the coast of the Shantung Peninsula at the end of August and early in September, and, indeed, most of the last-named month. The first gale from the north-east, at this time of year, is sure to herald the advent of many of these little birds. On their first arrival they may be seen wearily sitting about on the rocks of the seashore or hawking for flies in a spiritless manner on the beach. They do not stay long, but soon betake themselves to the south. ALSEONAX LATIROSTRIS. The Brown Flycatcher arrives about the same time as the Siberian, but examples continue to come in until October. Brown Flycatchers were not observed on the seashore in the same way as the Siberian Flycatchers. These birds do 666 Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones on Birds not remain long; they almost all continue their journey south at once. TERPSIPHONE INCII. The Chinese Paradise Flycatcher occurs on migration, and was observed at North-Hast Promontory and at Wei Hai Wei early in September. At Leu Kung Tao one of these birds flew into a sitting- room, apparently attracted by a light. HirUNDO GUTTURALIS. The Common Swallow of the East is abundant about Wei Hai Wel, where it breeds under the eaves of houses like its Western representative. Although the Chinese regard these birds as lucky, they do not protect them so rigidly in Shantung further south, and there is no great difficulty in obtaining their eggs. In the last week of September Swallows begin to congregate on the roofs and telegraph- wires, and sometimes on the rocks by the sea-shore, previous to their southern migration. ‘The great majority have de- parted by the first week in October, two months later than in Hong Kong. _ The nests are similar to those of [/irundo rustica, and the eggs are laid, in Shantung, towards the end of May and in June; four or five eggs form the usual clutch. Thirty eggs from Shantung average °74x°52 inch, and vary in length from ‘82 to ‘70 inch and in width from ‘56 to 48 inch, HirvUNDO STRIOLATA. This Swallow is a very common bird about Wei Hai Wei, and, like Hirundo gutturalis, frequents native houses in the most familiar manner. In some years this species seems to leave Shantung earlier than the Eastern Common Swallow, but perhaps, as a rule, it takes its departure a little later. It may be that the date depends, to a considerable extent, on the ability of the young to migrate, for as late as the first week in October, 1907, observed in the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wei. 667 there were young in a nest at Leu Kung Tao, and that year this species was later than Hirundo gutturalis in leaving. The well-known flask-shaped nests of these birds are placed under the eaves of native and other houses, and many are usurped by the quarrelsome Tree-Sparrows (Passer montanus),in precisely the same way that House-Sparrows so often take by force those of the House-Martins in England. Like the other Swallows, this species congregates in large flocks prior to making its migratory journey to the south. The eggs are pure white and are laid in June and July. Five eggs from Shi Tao average ‘76 x °55 inch, and vary from ‘78 to *75 in length and from °75 to °54 in width. CHRYSOMITRIS SPINUS. Siskins occur in September and October on migration. At Shi Tao, in early October, a Siskin which had been caught in the lighthouse was seen in acage. Many of these birds are captured by the native bird-catchers when they come in from the north. LiGURINUS SINICUS. The Chinese Greenfinch is probably resident about Wei Hai Wei in small numbers. Usually I saw these birds in small parties or in pairs, and they breed sparingly in scattered localities. The white variety of the eggs of this bird found in Fo- kien was not met with about Wei Hai Wei, but the ground- colour of the eggs from Shantung is certainly less blue than that of those from South China. The earliest date for eggs is April 27th and the latest May 29th. Eight eggs average *70 x ‘53 inch, aud they vary from ‘72 to °68 in length and from °57 to *51 in width. EoPHONA MELANURA. These Hawfinches I saw only in cages, but I was informed that they are caught about Wei Hai Wei and at Chefoo. It has to be borne in mind, however, that there is con- siderable traffic in cage-birds on the Chinese coast and that they may be transported for considerable distances in junks, 668 Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones on Birds PAssER MONTANUS. The Tree-Sparrow, of course, takes the place in China of Passer domesticus in Europe, and is just as parasitic, bold, and noisy, while it is altogether different in habits from the same species in the West. These birds build in the native houses, and are particularly fond of turning the Mosque Swallows out of their elaborate nests, which they do not even trouble to re-line, as a rule. In 1901, the Tree-Sparrows in Leu Kung Tao were afflicted with a disease, which attacked fledglings, many of which died after first becoming blind. Large numbers must have perished from this cause during the summer. Several broods are got off in the season, and young birds, barely able to fly, were noticed in September. Most clutches are laid in May and June and contain, as a rule, three or four eggs. Twenty-four eggs average 76x °55 inch, and vary from °80 to ‘68 in length and from ‘60 to °53 in width. EMBERIZA CHRYSOPHRYS. This Bunting occurs plentifully during migration in the mouth of September. Several birds of this species came on board H.M.S. ‘Waterwitch’ whilst surveying in the Gulf of Pechili in the first half of September 1901. EMBERIZA FUCATA. The Grey-headed Bunting was observed at North-East Promontory on migraticn in September. EMBERIZA PUSILLA. A. flock of Little Buntings was once observed on Leu Kung Tao in the first week of October. [iMBERIZA CIOIDES. The Siberian Meadow-Bunting is the commonest breeding representative of the genus in the Wei Hai Wei district. Undoubtedly the majority are summer visitors, but it is just possible that some may remain through the winter. This species arrives at Wei Hai Wei earlier in the year than the writer, probably some time in May, whilst by the end of September most of them have taken their departure for the south. observed in the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wei. 669 In the summer months the birds are always scattered over the countryside in pairs, and shew no tendency to become gregarious even at the autumn migration. In habits this species seems to much resemble our Yellow Buntings (EZ. citrinella) ; the male has the same habit of sitting on the top of a small bush and repeating, ad nauseam, his plaintive little song, which, as Rickett very truly says, closely resembles that of our Emberiza citrinella, without the final note. The breeding-season commences in May, and the nest is placed, in Wei Hai Wei, under a tuft of grass beneath a small rock or at the foot of a bush or little tree. The long grass which always clothes the graves in a Chinese cemetery is a favourite situation. As a rule, the nests are lined with horse-hair alone or with a mixture of horse-hair and fine grasses. In Fokien Rickett and La Touche found this species nesting in small trees, a few feet from the ground, a situation which, so far as is known, it never selects in Shantung. The eggs vary from three to six in number, but four or five form the usual clutch. The earliest date for fresh eggs is May 13th and the latest June 8th, but the birds often sit much later than this, for on July 24th, 1907, a cock bird was noticed singing, in the manner which indicates a hen sitting somewhere in the vicinity, and, no doubt, Rickett is right in supposing this species to be double-brooded. The eggs have been described by Mr. La Touche (‘ Ibis,’ 1906, p. 633), but as they present considerable variation, the following remarks upon them may not be out of place :— Almost all the eggs have a creamy ground-colour, inclining in some specimens to a purplish brown, but there occur a few in which the ground-colour is clear bluish white, and of such only three were obtained. The eggs of a clutch some- times vary inter se, and [ obtained one of three in which two are normal and one is of the bluish-white variety. The wreath of hair-like sepia-coloured markings mentioned by 670 Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones on Birds Dresser in the ‘ Manual of Palearctic Birds’ is present in about half the specimens. In addition to the it a aca hair-like markings, dark-coloured streaks occur on most eggs Dark sepia-coloured spots of rounded shape, well ane in outline, occur also in many specimens. In nearly all eggs there are the yellowish blotches described by La Touche, but blotches of a reddish-brown and violet colour also occur in some specimens. Eggs vary from ‘80 to *70 inch in length and from °63 to °57 in breadth. The average of forty-one eggs is ‘76 x ‘60 inch. E-MBERIZA PASSERINA. This form of the Reed-Bunting was found on one occasion breeding at Shi Tao, by Mr. Schwilf. The nest was in precisely the same situation as that of its ally in Europe, and the one egg obtained was precisely similar. The date of the taking of this nest was June 20th. MELANOCORYPHA MONGOLICA. It is doubtful whether the Calandra Lark should be included, as it was only observed in cages. The Chinese assert, however, that the specimens which they have caged are taken near Chefoo, and as many of the birds are very young this is possible. It is also possible that the birds are brought from further north or from inland, but it is significant that in South China this species is called the Shantung Lark. ALAUDA ARVENSIS. Skylarks are met with about Wei Hai Wei only on migration, during August and September, when they are plentiful enough. Whilst sheltering from a gale off Taku, in H.M.S. ‘ Waterwitch,’ a good many Skylarks came on board and ably assisted in demolishing the blue-bottle flies : this was early in September. GALERITA CRISTATA, Crested Larks are common birds about Wei Hai Wei during the summer months; and probably some are resident. The usual form met with in Shantung is very sandy-coloured observed in the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wei. 671 and desert-like, but those that come down on migration in September are often much darker. These Larks never seem to breed down on the sandy flats, where the nests of Calandrella pispoletta are so abundant, but always in the fields and on the banks betweenthem. Usually the birds are to be seen in small parties, but they are also found in pairs, and singly. Eggs are laid from May 13th to July Ist, the majority in May, and three or four is the usual complement of a clutch: five are found occasionally. The eggs of this species taken in Shantung seem to fall into two well-marked types ; in one there are fairly well-defined markings of green or brown on a greenish-white ground, and in the other there are small markings, thickly scattered on a bluish-white ground. In the first-named type the general impression is of a greenish, and in the second of a greyish-white colour. Forty eggs from Shantung average °86 x ‘66 inch, and vary in length from ‘94 to ‘73 and in width from ‘69 to *59. CALANDRELLA PISPOLETTA. During the summer months Pallas’s Desert-Lark abounds on the Shantung littoral. The sandy flats which in so many parts of the coast separate the hills and the cultivated land from the sea provide these little Larks with conditions admirably suited to all their breeding requirements, On the flats between Wei Hai Wei and Chefoo one may, with the assistance of the small Chinese boys, who are sent out to rake up grass, easily examine a hundred or more nests in the course of a day. The nest of this species is of the flimsiest construction in most cases, and often does not even contain any proper lining. Frequently the bottom of the nest is formed by the sand alone, and sometimes it is nothing more than a horse- shoe-shaped mass of grass, the space between the ends being filled by a lump of sandy material or a stone. Some nests, on the other hand, are well sunk into the sand, and some are built up on the side of asmall hillock and have quite good bases and grass or hair linings. 672 Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones on Birds The first clutches of eggs have been taken about the middle of April, and as fresh eggs are still obtainable until the middle of June, there is little doubt that this species is double-brooded in Shantung. The usual clutch is four, rarely there are five, but not infrequently three. The young have blackish down and an orange gape. Mr. Dresser states, in the ‘Manual of Palearctic Birds,’ that the song of this species is said to be of a high order. An indifferent and feeble imitation of that of the Skylark would perhaps better describe it. This bird does not often soar, and still more rarely sings when so doing. Usually Pallas’s Desert-Lark sings when upon the ground, and in the breeding-season the male may be seen running rapidly up and down and round about its mate, with wings and tail outstretched, aud the feathers on the nape elevated, singing furiously. The earliest date on which eggs were taken is April 15th and the latest June 17th. The average of seventy-three eggs is °77 x °59 inch, and they vary from ‘85 to ‘70 in length and from ‘62 to 54 in width. The eggs have been elsewhere described, but it may not be out of place to remark that they vary greatly in ap- pearance, even in the same clutch. The majority are of a greenish-white ground-colour, generally profusely spotted and speckled with markings of brownish or yellowish, so that some bear a certain resemblance to those of the Sedge- Warbler. In shape most eggs are blunt ovals. Specimens shewing a zone of markings at the junction of the middle and upper thirds are fairly common, but those with bold markings at considerable intervals are rare. STURNUS POLTORAT-SKYI. A Starling, which appears to belong to this subspecies, occurred in small numbers at Wei Hai Wel. PICA RUSTICA. Magpies occur plentifully in and about Wei Hai Wei, as indeed they do almost everywhere in China. In the summer observed in the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wei. 673 time family-parties, of six to nine, are often to be met with, but in September flocks of as many as thirty individuals are to be seen. It is possible that some of the birds forming these large parties wander in from districts other than those in which the flocks are seen. Probably nearly all the Magpies about Wei Hai Wei are resident in Shantung. The Chinese there regard the Magpie as a lucky bird, but although they will not readily kill one themselves, they do not object to a foreigner doing so, and they have no scruples about taking the eggs. This bird builds, in Shantung, precisely the same kind of nest as it does in Europe, but the majority of eggs are laid in May. The earliest date for eggs is May 6th and the latest June Ist. The usual clutch is four or five, and more than seven have not been found. As Magpies are not persecuted in China, they naturally become very tame, and nests are often to be met with in quite low trees. The olive-green coloured eggs, so common at Hong Kong, were not met with at Wei Hai Wei, where they are of a bluish green. Twenty-four eggs from Shi Tao average 1:38 x +95 inch, and vary in length from 1°46 to 1°22 and in width from 1:02 to °92. CYPsELUS PACIFICUS. The Pacific Swift isa very abundant species about Wei Hai Wei during the summer months. In habits these birds some- what resemble Cypselus apus, but they are less crepuscular and are much more addicted to the tops of mountains, rocky islets, and other places far removed from human habitations. Pacific Swifts may be seen at Leu Kung Tao on a summer evening, flying in very large numbers about the highest points of the island, hawking for prey, but without very much screaming. The only breeding-place found was at White Rock, where a small colony was striving to maintain itself, in spite of the existence on the islet of innumerable hungry rats. The sites of many old nests were found with broken eggs and 674 Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones on Birds scattered feathers to tell a melancholy story of death and destruction wrought by the predatory rodents. One new nest was observed on June 16th; it was a small affair of grass and seaweed, all glued together by some gelatinous material produced by the bird, and so placed in a cleft of the rock that the hen bird could only sit, so to speak, in a “fore and aft ”’ position. The latest date on which these birds were seen was September 23rd at North-East Promontory, by which time, however, nearly all had gone south. Swinhoe obtained the eggs of this species at Chefoo. CAPRIMULGUS JOTAKA. This Goatsucker occurs on migration, and was noticed on many occasions at the end of August and in the beginning of September. When it first arrives it will sometimes hawk over the sand-flats in broad daylight and close to the sea-shore. DeENDROCOPUS CABANISI. This Spotted Woodpecker was only met with about Wei Hai Wei on one occasion, on the mainland, towards Chefoo. This was on July Ist, and the only specimen obtained was a male of the year. Nesting-holes, pre- sumably of this bird, were noticed in some large willow trees at the place where the bird was obtained. Hypopicus POLYOPSIS. This handsome little Woodpecker occurs about Wei Hai Wei at the end of August and the beginning of September, when on its southward migration. A specimen flew on board H.M.S. ‘Waterwitch, whilst surveying in the Gulf of Pechili to the north of Wei Hai Wei, on September 11th. At the time of year specified above there oozes from the oak trees (Quercus mongolicus) resinous matter, which attracts numerous insects, and in the pursuit of these Hypopicus polyopsis becomes so engrossed that it can be obtained with very little trouble. All the birds were seen in pairs or in parties of three, and all those obtained were immature males. observed in the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wet. 675 The cry is a loud sharp ‘‘keek”’ frequently repeated and at once calling attention to the presence of the birds. ALCEDO BENGALENSIS. Though not very plentiful, Kingfishers are found on most of the larger streams about Wei Hai Wei. Two of these birds were observed busily fishing in the sea, at Itau Island, on September 8th. HALCYON PILEATUS. The Black-headed Kingfisher was only observed on one occasion in the neighbourhood of Wei Hai Wei, and that was at Itau Island on September 2nd. There is little doubt that the bird was on its journey south. The master of a merchant ship told the writer that, at about the same time, four or five of these Kingfishers came on board his ship between North-East Promontory and the mouth of the Yangtze. EvrysToMUS ORIENTALIS. The Broad-billed Roller is a fairly common bird about Wei Hai Wei, where it arrives in May, to leave again at the end of September. A considerable number remain to breed, but never, so far as is known, in old Magpies’ nests, after their habit in Fokien. Usually the eggs are laid in a hole in a tree, but, according to the Chinese, sometimes in a cleft in the rocks. A considerable influx of migrants from Korea and further north takes place at the end of September. The peculiar undulating and Woodpecker-like flight of this bird at once calls attention to it in the field. Three eggs taken, one in June and two in May, average 1°38 x 1°05 inch. Upurpa EPops. The only Hoopoe obtained was shot on September 6th. Swinhoe met with this species once during the summer at Chefoo. The lighthouse-keeper at North-East Promontory stated that Hoopoes were, later in the year, sometimes very numerous. 676 Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones on Birds CuCcULUS CANORUS. Cuckoos are fairly numerous about Wei Hai Wei, and it is surprising never to flnd their eggs in the nests of Calandrella pispoletta. The only egg obtained, which may be safely assigned to this species, was found in a nest of Emberiza cicides, and bears a remarkable likeness to that of its host ; it was taken on May 28th. Cuckoos were seen in great numbers on migration at North-East Promontory early in September. Many of them were birds of the year. AsIO ACCIPITRINUS. The Short-eared Owl was only once met with, early in October, after a gale of wind, which may have driven it out of its usual course. Scors STICTONOTUS. This Scops-Owl was twice obtained at Shi Tao, on Sep- tember 26th and October 2nd. These birds were undoubtedly on migration. ATHENE BACTRIANA. This Owl was obtained once, on September 26th, near Shi Tao. Buxso MAXIMUS. The Eagle-Owl is a resident in the hills near Wei Hai Wei, and young birds have been procured there early in May. The birds are not common, and they are stated to breed in very difficult places in the hills. No eggs were obtained. CIRCUS SPILONOTUS. At North-East Promontory, in Septewber, these Harriers were very numerous on certain days, hawking over the marshy and grassy places. Almost all seen were females, and they did not remain in the locality for more than about a day. Buteo VULGARIS. Buzzards were only observed in the hills between Wei Wai Wei and White Rock, and only two pairs were scen. observed in the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wei. 677 As the time was early in June, there is every likelihood that they breed in that part of Shantung. ACCIPITER NISUS. Swinhoe noticed at Chefoo, nearly forty years ago, that Sparrow-Hawks were often in the possession of the Chinese, who used them for hawking small birds. He observed that this bird did not occur in the vicinity, or, at any rate, did not breed there. Young Sparrow-Hawks were occasionally seen at Wei Hai Wei, and as early as the end of May these birds either came from inland, possibly not from very far away, or had been brought in junks from some neighbouring part of the coast. When it is remembered how extraordinarily localised species often are, and nowhere more so than in China, the former assumption appears the more likely. MILVUS MELANOTUS. The Black-eared Kite, which is only fairly common about Wei Hai Wei in the spring and summer, at the end of August suddenly becomes very numerous, on account of the arrival of many migrants from the north, So far as the writer is aware, in Shantung, this species nests in rocks, and not in trees, as it usually does in the south of China. The eggs are laid in the first half of April, and although the birds do not actively resent their removal from the nest, they fly round with a peculiar mewing cry. When, however, they have young they may fiercely attack an intending marauder. The average of nine eggs from Shi Tao, Shantung, = 2:28x 1°65 inches. The greatest length is 2°46 and the least 2°2 ; in width they vary from 1°78 to 1°87. Falco PEREGRINUS. The Peregrine Falcon undoubtedly occurs as a resident about Wei Hai Wei, and is known by the Chinese to breed at some distance inland. Swinhoe knew the bird to breed about Chefoo in his time. SER. IX.—VOL. V. 24 678 Staff-Surgeon K. I. Jones on Birds The Chinese esteem this species highly for hawking, and with it kill a good deal of game in certain places. About the last week of September, and particularly at North-East Promontory, Peregrine Falcons occur in very large numbers and a dozen may be seen at one time on the wing there. They find abundant quarry among the other migrants and seem particularly fond of ducks. These Peregrines are not at all shy, and at Shi Tao, in October, one settled in the rigging of H.M.S. ‘Waterwitch,’ whence it made repeated dashes at the Gulls flying round the ship. T'aLco SUBBUTEO. The Hobby was only once obtained—near the North-East Promontory, on September 23rd. This bird was evidently on migration: its stomach was full of the elytra and other chitinous parts of various Coleoptera. It was an adult female, and in beautiful condition. FaLco AMURENSIS. The Eastern Red-footed Falcon was, during the summer, by far the commonest Hawk met with in the Shantung Peninsula. This species loves the sandy wastes which border the Gulf of Pechili and the Yellow Sea in so many places, and there it finds abundance of the grasshoppers and sand-lizards on which it chiefly preys, the birds’ crops often containing immense quantities. This bird is very Kestrel-like in its habits, and hovers when about to make a stoop in exactly the same way as Falco tinnunculus, while its cry is very similar, The Chinese, who are, about Wei Hai Wei, great sports- men, not infrequently train the birds for hawking, and fly them at Sparrows and other small game. The nest of this species is always, apparently, placed in a tree and is never, like that of the Kestrel, situated in rocks. There is no doubt, however, that in the majority of cases this bird makes use of a deserted Magpie’s nest in which to lay its eggs, and, indeed, the Chinese assert that it always does so. observed in the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wei. 679 Some nests were observed which appeared to have been built by the birds themselves, perhaps on a foundation laid by a Magpie: they were made of rather small sticks, and lined with grass. This species, as Abbé David has pointed out, is very tame and confiding, and frequently breeds close to villages or even inside the walls of a city. Several nests are sometimes discovered in close proximity. This species may breed when quite immature, and a pair, in plumage which indicated their youth, was obtained from a nest containing eggs on June 26th. It is a late breeder, and, as a rule, eggs are not laid until the last week of June, or the first week of July. Four is the most usual number of eggs in a clutch, three is not uncommon, but five is rare. These eggs are of two types, one brownish or sepia-coloured and the other reddish. Most specimens are marked thickly with reddish spots on a yellowish-white ground, and a few are richly and heavily blotched with large cloudy markings. Someeggs are quite light in colour, being faintly marked with small brown spots on a yellowish ground, whilst others, again, are entirely yellowish-white, with scanty and scattered spots of sepia- colour. Forty eggs from Shantung average 1'41 x 1:14, and vary in length from 1°47 to 1:31 and in width from 1°19 to 1°08. FaLco TINNUNCULUS. The Kestrel is fairly common as a resident in and about Wei Hai Wei, each pair of birds appropriating some range of cliffs or a bold headland to themselves. The numbers of this species, like those of so many others, are vastly augmented in August and September by the arrival of numerous migrants from further north. So far as is known, this species, unlike the nearly allied Falco amurensis, never nests in a tree at Wei Hai Wei; but invariably in some cleft of the cliffs or rocks by the sea-shore. pA 680 Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones on Birds Falco SATURATUS. This dark-hued Kestrel may perhaps breed in some parts of Shantung, as it does apparently further south, but it was seen about Wei Hai Wei only as an autumn migrant. The earliest arrivals appear at the end of August, and some are still coming from the north at the end of September. Generally the birds are in pairs and are wilder than Common Kestrels. PaNDION HALIAETUS. An Osprey was once observed at Shi Tao early in October, PHALACROCORAX CARBO, Cormorants are fairly abundant on the coast about Wei Hai Wei, and there can be no doubt that they breed in numbers in some place yet to be found. Early in June a Cormorant, accompanied by two young, was seen on White Rock. PHALACROCORAX PELAGICUS. The Pelagic Shag is a far more abundant bird about Wei Hai Wei than the preceding species, and, like it, is apparently a resident in this part of China, but, at the same time, it must be admitted that nests, eggs, and young have not yet been observed, ARDEA CINEREA. Herons were fairly numerous in August at a large fresh- water lagoon on the coast opposite Kyming Island. They were very wild and no specimens were obtainable. At Shi Tao only single birds were noticed, and they were scarce. No information as to their breeding was obtained. ARDEA ALBA. Great White Egrets were plentiful on the same lagoon as the Herons, but, like them, sparingly noticed elsewhere. ‘These birds were also very wild. ARDETTA SINENSIS. The Chinese Little Bittern was noticed on migration, in small numbers, at North-East Promontory during the first half of September. observed in the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wei. 681 ANSER FERUS. A few wild Geese began to make their appearance at Shi Tao during the first week of October, but they did not stay there, and strings of birds flying at a considerable height could be seen making straight out to sea in the direction of the Yangtze. Later in the year these Geese, and doubtless several other species, are abundant. The Chinese inspire them with no fear and can get within twenty yards of them as they feed in the fields, but this is guite impossible for a European. The natives have a curious Goose-trap, used in hard weather, which may be worth mentioning. A bait is attached to a thin strong piece of twine and the latter to a ring, which is hidden in the snow or under the soil. The bird takes the bait and finds itself fastened to the ring, which it attempts to remove with its foot. The foot gets pushed through the ring and the bird, tied head and foot, is easily captured. The writer never personally saw a Goose captured in this manner, but there is no reason to doubt the accuracy of his informant. BRANTA NIGRICANS. These Brent Geese were first noticed on the 14th of September, when a flock of five was seen. Others followed, but, like the Grey Lag Goose, all seemed very shortly to take their departure for the south. These Geese were only seen near Kyming Island and at North-East Promontory. ANAS BOSCAS. Mallards occur about Wei Hai Wei as early as the first week in August, but are not numerous until about the middle of September. About North-East Promontory they were very abundant on some days. ANAS ZONORHYNCHA, This Duck may be resident on some of the larger lagoons of fresh water, but it was not observed before the first week in August. QUERQUEDULA CIRCIA, The Garganey was observed only at the North-East Promontory during the month of September. 682 Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones on Birds NETtvIoN CRECCA. Teal were very abundant on the freshwater lagoons on North-East Promontory during the month of September. MareEca PENELOPE. Wigeon become plentiful about Wei Hai Wei in August, but most of them keep out at sea, and only a few take to the freshwater lagoons. ANTHYIA MARILA. Scaup Ducks occurred in immense flocks at the end of August, and were especially abundant in the vicinity of Kyming Island. A few of these Ducks began to arrive quite early in August and some took to the freshwater lagoons. CoLUMBA RUPESTRIS. The Eastern Rock-Pigeon is a very common bird on the rocky portions of the coast near Wei Hai Wei, and is there a resident. Although this species is supposed chiefly to frequent inland hills and cliffs it certainly, in Shantung, is much more abundant on the coast. Large numbers of these birds descend to feed upon the bean-fields in the autumn. Sometimes this species nests on an inland cliff, but about Wei Hai Wei a cliff on the sea-coast is usually selected. The eggs are laid from April until July, and the nests are made of small sticks and placed in a crevice of the rock. Eleven. eggs average 1:51 x 1:12; they vary in length from 1:63 to 1°44 and in width from 1:17 to 1:08. CoLUMBA IANTHINA. The Black Pigeon is a summer visitor to the neighbour- hood of Wei Hai Wei, and is not commonthere. The birds arrive in May and leave again in October. This species breeds from May until July, and the nest is placed in a tree and closely resembles that of Turtur orientalis. Three eggs measure respectively 1°36 X 1:04, 1°39 x 1-04, and 1°32 x 1:04, observed in the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wei. 683 TURTUR ORIENTALIS. The Eastern Turtle-Dove is a fairly common breeding species about Wei Hai Wei, but in the month of September its numbers are largely augmented by migrants from the north. As early as the first week in September some of these birds were observed crossing the Gulf of Pechili from Manchuria on their southward journey, but many were noticed as arriving about the end of that month at North- East Promontory. In the last-named locality the birds did not remain, but rapidly moved on to fresh places. This species occurs in winter as far south, at least, as Hong Kong. These birds are usually met with in scattered pairs during the summer months, but in the autumn small parties are the rule, and large flocks were not at any time observed. The nest is very like that of the Common Turtle-Dove of Europe, and is placed in a tree at an elevation of from twelve to eighteen feet. ‘The eggs, generally bluntly oval in shape, are, of course, white, and as a rule two in number, though sometimes only one is incubated. The earliest date for eggs is May 20th and the latest August 24th, the majority are laid in June. There is little doubt that this species is double-brooded. TURTUR HUMILIS. The Chinese Red Dove occurs somewhat rarely about Wei Hai Wei, and is said to remain throughout the winter. It breeds in similar situations to Turtur orientalis, and lays, as a rule, two eggs. The earliest date for eggs is May 15th and the latest August 24th. Five specimens vary in length from 1:14 to 1:03 and in width from *86 to ‘82. PHASIANUS TORQUATUS. There was a locality, about twelve miles from Shi Tao, where the Chinese Pheasant was at one time resident and fairly abundant. The Chinese, however, took to beating the birds out of cover at all seasons, and then flying Peregrine Falcons at them, by which means they have effectually wiped them out. 684 Staff-Surgeon K. I. Jones on Birds CacCABIS CHUKAR. The Chukar Partridge occurs very sparingly in the hills about Wei Hai Wei, but is probably a resident. No doubt the natives trap it to such an extent that it is almost exter- minated. I only once met with it, on September the 14th, 1901, when about ten or a dozen were observed together at Mahto. Swinhoe met with this species at Chefoo, and it occurs also about Shi Tao, but somewhat rarely. CotuRNIX COMMUNIS. Quails occur about Wei Hai Wei only on passage, and probably pass northward fairly early in the year. About the third or fourth week in September they began to put in an appearance on the return journey, but were never noticed in any numbers, and usually in pairs or two or three at a time. At Shi Tao these birds were found well on into October. At Chefoo Swinhoe obtained from native bird-catchers examples of the local race known as Coturnix japonicus, to which most of the Quails occurring on migration probably belong. TURNIX BLANFORDI. Blanford’s Hemipode is a common summer visitor to the Shantung Peninsula, and is known to the Chinese as the Yellow Quail, Probably most of the birds arrive in May, and a large number remain to breed. In the autumn the ranks of this species are largely augmented by the incursion of migrants from more northerly breeding-stations. The first arrivals appear as early as the beginning of September, and a specimen killed by a Peregrine was observed on the sea- shore on the 3rd of that month. The nest, in Shantung, appears to be always made in a corn-field, and it is, therefore, only when the sickle is put to the crop that the nest is discovered. The earhest date for eggs is June 10th and the latest observed in the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wei. 685 July 9th, but as the finding of the nest is governed by the cutting of the corn, these dates may not be a true index to the time of nidification, The nest is a mere pad of grass on the ground, among the corn-stalks, and whether it ever has a hood, like that of its ally Turniw pugnax, is doubtful. The full clutch of eggs seems to be invariably four. The eggs have been described by the present writer in ‘The Ibis’ for 1908 (p. 457), and closely resemble those of Turnix pugnax. The eggs described by Mr. La Touche in ‘The Ibis’ (1907, p. 17) were probably of a variety somewhat rare in Shantung, but which does occur there. During the breeding-season this species is very shy and is flushed with difficulty, but in October it gets up readily from under the feet and flies straight away from its disturber, to pitch again after twenty-five to fifty yards of flight. Mr. Stuart Baker informed the writer that it breeds on the frontier of China and Burma, and it is known to occur during the summer in Manchuria, so that its breeding- range is very extensive. A young bird was seen in a cage in the middle of August, so that possibly a seccnd brood is sometimes got off. Fifty-four eggs average 1:03 x°80, and vary in length from 1:06 to °95 and in width from *88 to °74. PorzZANA PUSILLA. This Crake was only met with. on one occasion, near North-East Promontory, in September 1902. GALLINULA CHLOROPUS. The Moorhen was only met with in one locality, a large, shallow, freshwater lagoon, fringed with ahundant reeds and situated close to the sea-shore, almost opposite Kyming Island. At this place it was very numerous and, it is fairly certain, had bred there in plenty. The time was early in August, and most of the birds seemed to be paired. No nests or young birds were seen at this place, 686 Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones on Birds GALLICREX CINEREUS. The Indian Watercock is a common breeding species about Shi Tao, where it does not arrive until June, and leaves again in September. Swinhoe met with the bird at Chefoo in the summer, and surmised that it bred there: he states that the local Chinese name is “ Hung Kwan,” or Red-Cap; but at Shi Tao it is known by the name of “ Pam-Pam,” from the characteristic ery, which is heard especially in the evening and first part of the night. It is a late breeder, no doubt because the summer is not sufficiently advanced for purposes of nidification im a sub- tropical and tropical species until the month of July, when most eggs are laid. The earliest date for fresh eggs was July 8th and the latest August 6th. The nest is always made among rank grass and reeds in damp and marshy places, and is, of course, composed of grasses and dried water-plants below and lined with finer kinds. The eggs vary from four to seven in number, but most nests contain six. They are very handsome, being of a very yellowish cream-colour, thickly streaked and with varying shades of red and red-brown. One clutch of six is of a whitish ground-colour, rather thinly streaked with reddish- brown, and spotted with shell-markings of a grey colour. In all clutches of six which were seen, one egg is of a much paler colour than the others. Fleet-Surgeon J. Stenhouse, R.N., found this bird breeding up in a tree in Fokien Province; it never makes use of such a nesting-site in Shautung, so far as is known. It probably breeds still farther north, for Commander H. Lynes has met with it in Corea. The eggs vary in length from 1°74 to 1°55 inches and in breadth from 1°27 to 1:11: the average of forty-one eggs is 164 by 1:20. CHARADRIUS DOMINICUS. The Hastern Golden Plover was met with on sevcral occasions on its way south from its far northern breeding- grounds. In October 1901, on several successive days, observed in the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wei. 687 large flights of these birds came to Shi Tao, where they established themselves on the mud-flats, and where, contrary to their usual custom, they proved, at any rate at first, un- commonly tame. They did not remain long, however, on the mud; but took to the grass, where they at once became as wary as they are elsewhere. Near Kyming Island, on the sandy grassy flats near the coast, for several days a flock of these birds was seen, but they were very wild and never came within shot. This was in the second week of August, so that their period for autumn migration is considerably extended. SQUATAROLA HELVETICA. Grey Plovers were found in some numbers at Shi Tao during the first half of October. No large flocks were seen, but parties of three or four birds were frequently met with on the mud-flats, and were decidedly tame. It was thought that the main body of migrants had either passed to the south or had yet to come. Many specimens still retained a great deal of black on the breast. AEGIALITIS CANTIANA. ‘The Kentish Plover is one of the commonest breeding- birds on the sandy wastes which border the Yellow Sea and the Gulf of Pechili in so many parts of Shantung Promontory, and most of the observations on this species were made on the flats between Wei Hai Wei and Chefoo. On the flat tracks of sand which a retreating sea leaves behind it, these birds breed in thousands and gave me ample opportunities of studying their habits, for they are very tame. This form of the Kentish Plover is considered to be subspecitically distinct from that which occurs in Western Europe ; but it does not seem to Mr. Dresser to be separable. Probably this bird breeds in suitable localities all down the coast of China, for La Touche reports eggs from as far south as Swatow; it was observed about Ilong Kong at the end of May. During September, so far as is known, all birds of this 688 Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones on Birds. species leave the neighbourhood of Wei Hai Wei for the south. In habits and actions the Kentish Plover in North- East China does not appear to differ in any way from the same bird in Europe. The number of bogus nests or scratches is astonishing, and to each of them leads four tracks of the birds’ feet, in the form of a cross, of which the intersection of the two cross-pieces is formed by the scraped hollow. Of all the nests observed not one was on shingle, all were on the sand, but certainly shingle is not plentiful. Nearly all the nests have small pieces of shell round and in them. Frequently eggs of the Kentish Plover were found almost buried in the sand, but whether this was due to action on the part of the birds, or whether the sand had simply blown into this position it was impossible to make out. If the eggs are purposely covered by the birds, which seems probable, it may be with the double object of concealing them from view and preserving them from the scorching rays of a hot sun and the desiccating action of the very dry wind. All the clutches observed were of three eggs except one, which contained five, and were thought to be the produce of one hen. It is of interest in this connection to observe that Ticehurst, ‘ History of the Birds of Kent,’ p. 424, mentions clutches of tive eggs and gives his reasons for believing them to be the produce of single pairs. The Kentish Plovers have dark legs, and none were seen with light-coloured ones, but when first hatched, and for some weeks afterwards, the young shew the dark colour only on the foot and the back of the tarsus. The earliest record of fresh eggs, a full clutch, was April 28tb, and on June 18th many nests contained one and two fresh eggs only, so that it is possible that this species is sometimes double-brooded about Wei Hai Wei. The great majority of birds begin to breed, however, during the first week of June, and as they are a good deal robbed by small Chinese boys, this may account for some being later than others. observed in the Vicinity of Wet Hai Wei. 689 The eggs vary from 1°35 to 1:17 in length and from 95 to *87 in breadth, and the average of seventy-six eggs is ees <9. ZEGIALITIS CURONICA. The Lesser Ringed Plover is not uncommon in Shantung, but on the seaboard it is much scarcer and more local than the Kentish Plover. As in Europe, this species shews a preference for the neighbourhood of fresh water, and it does not often nest close to the sea. The birds are found in scattered pairs or in small communities. The breeding- season about Wei Hai Wei may he said to extend from about May 20th to June 10th. Twenty eggs from Shantung average 1:14 °85, and vary in length from 1:20 to 1:08 and in width from °88 to *84. STREPSILAS INTERPRES. Turnstones were observed on their northward journey at Leu Kung Tao at the end of May, and in greater numbers on their southern migration early in September, at a point on the coast opposite Kyming Island. PHALAROPUS HYPERBOREUS. The only occasion on which Red-necked Phalaropes were seen about Wei Hai Wei was on August l4th, 1902, when a flock of six settled on a small pool of fresh water near Kyming Island. These birds had still a great deal of red on their necks. ScoLoPAX RUSTICULA. Woodeocks occur both going north in spring and coming back in autumn. At the time of the spring-passage they are, as arule, very fat and lazy and shew poor sport, but in October, on the southern passage, they are no easier to shoot than elsewhere. GALLINAGO C@&LESTIS. The Common Snipe occurs in large numbers about Wei Hai Wei on the spring and autumn migrations. The Snipe come in as early as the first week in August, and continue to do so in flocks of various sizes, until the latter part of 690 Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones on Birds September, when practically all have passed. A Snipe shot in the second week of October at Shi Tao was in very poor condition. The numbers of Snipe appear to vary greatly in different years, but it was noticed that when the wind and weather are not propitious for a further journey to the south, they often remain in the vicinity for some days. On the other hand, at North-East Promontory it was noticed that they remained for two days when all the conditions were in favour of their continuing their journey. At North-East Promontory, September 1902, in very stormy weather several parties of Snipe were observed coming in from the sea, obviously having crossed from the neighbourhood of Port Arthur ; they were in flocks of from five to ten birds, flying fairly high up, and uttering their characteristic cry. TRINGA ALPINA. Dunlins occurred in all suitable places near Wei Hai Wei as early as the middle of August, while in September and early October they became exceedingly numerous. There seemed to be two forms of this species which were obtained at Shi Tao, one of which was much larger than the other. The larger form kept separate from the smaller, but flocks of both were to be seen on the same mud-fiat. It is curious to note, however, that on the 9th of June, to the west of Wei Hai Wei, a Dunlin was obtained in full breeding-plumage, its foot being in a snare attached to a small withy, which it had pulled up when itescaped. As the Chinese set these snares near the nests of birds, there is every likelihood that this Dunlin was breeding in the neighbourhood. Wei Hai Wei is not further south than Southern Spain, where the Dunlin is known to breed. It is possible that the larger form of Dunlin mentioned above may be Tringa americana. TRINGA MINUTA. The Little Stint oceurs plentifully on the coast of Shantung from early in August onwards, generally in small flocks of from twenty to thirty birds. observed in the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wei. 691 TRINGA RUFICOLLIS. This Red-breasted Stint is the commonest of the Stints to be met with about Wei Hai Wei, where it occurs in the same places and at the same times as the other species of the genus. TRINGA SUBMINUTA. Middendorff’s Stint is plentiful in small flocks on the sand and mud-flats at Shi Tao and near Kyming in August and September. CALIDRIS ARENARIA. What applies to the Stints applies also to the Sanderling, except that the latter is less abundant. ToTraNUS GLOTTIS. At the end of September and early in October Green- shanks were met with in considerable numbers at Shi Tao. ToraNnus OCHROPUS. Green Sandpipers occurred in large flocks near Kyming and near North-East Promontory late in August and early in September. TOTANUS GLAREOLA. Greenshanks were very numerous at Shi Tao in October 1901, but were not observed elsewhere. ‘Their numbers increased markedly after a wind from the north or north-east. ToTaNUS HYPOLEUCUS. Sandpipers were noticed on one occasion only at the large freshwater lagoon opposite Kyming Island on August 14th, 1902. ToTaNUS INCANUS. This Tattler occurred at Shi Tao in October. Fleet- Surgeon J. H. Stenhouse met with this species at Chefoo. LIMosa BAUERI. Bar-tailed Godwits were first noticed on August 6th, but about the middle of the month they were abundant on 692 Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones on Birds the flats opposite Kyming Island. These flocks did not remain long, but others continued to come in until about the middle of September. LiMosA BELGICA. Black-tailed Godwits were much scarcer than Bar-tailed, and unlike them were not seen in flocks of any size; many individuals seemed to be solitary. NUMENIUS VARIEGATUS. This species occurred on its northward migration in considerable numbers about Wei Hai Wei at the end of May, and a few were observed returning in August. Some individuals appeared to be still frequenting the mud-flats between White Rock and Wei Hai Wei as late as June 18th, when they were in company with Curlews. NUMENIUS ARQUATA. Curlews were seen until after the middle of June near Wei Hai Wei. Their behaviour was peculiar in 1902, for in a letter from Mr. F. W. Styan it is stated that on July 9th at one place on the Yangtze they were heard going north, and at another place passing to the south. In August and September these birds are fairly common on the flats opposite to Kyming Island. STERNA MELANAUCHEN. Terns referred to this species were noticed in large numbers near Taku, and in September they began to put in an appearance in the neighbourhood of Kyming Island. STERNA CASPIA. The Caspian Tern was met with only once, at a salt-water lagoon which opens into the sea opposite Kyming Island, on September 14th, LLARUS CANUS. Common Gulls were first noticed in September, near North-East Promontory, in heavy weather. observed in the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wei. 693 STERNA SINENSIS, Ths Chinese Little Tern is a very common summer visitor to the coast about Wei Hai Wei, where the dry sandy flats, which attract Pallas’s Desert-Lark and the Kentish Plover, afford it also every facility for breeding purposes. In its habits this species closely resembles its near ally, Sterna minuta; it fishes in precisely the same manner and mobs intruding Hawks and Gulls with the same reckless courage and unceasing clamour, but in Shantung it was never observed to lay its two or three eggs on shingle. Invariably, the nesting-site was a small hollow in the sand, and this, indeed, it was thought, was made by the sitting bird, for when eggs were found quite fresh the depression was not to be seen. Two eggs form the usual clutch and three are unusual. They closely resemble those of Sterna minuta, but dark brownish-coloured specimens are more common than among those of that species. The earliest date on which eggs were found was May 28rd and the latest June 13th. All the birds seemed to have taken their departure to the south early in September. Forty-two eggs of this species from Shantung average 1:25 x°94 inch, and vary in length from 1:35 to 1:16 and in breadth from 1:02 to °88. LARUS CRASSIROSTRIS. The Bar-tailed Gull is a very common bird in the vicinity of Wei Hai Wei, and has, so far as is known, the distinction of being the only species of the genus which breeds in that part of China. It is probably subject to considerable seasonal movements, for in very cold and rough winter weather specimens not uncommonly occur as far south as Ilong Kong. This bird in its habits closely resembles Larus canus, and was found to be very tame and confiding, resting on the water close to the ship. The only breeding-site near Wei Hai Wei which this bird habitually uses is Alceste Island, which is mentioned by Swinhoe in bis article SER, IX.—VOL. V. 3A 694 On Birds observed in the Vicinity of Wei Hai Wei. on the birds of Chefoo (‘ Ibis,’ 1874, p. 424). Swinhoe’s informants were, however, very late in the season in exploring this islet, and almost all the nests at the time of their visit contained young birds ; they stated that no nest held more than two eggs or young. On May 15th thirteen fresh eggs of this species were obtained on Alceste Island, and on July 20th a couple more were taken. The nests were all placed in a smail cliff which faces the mainland of North-East Promontory ; there were no nests on the grassy top of the island nor on any of the surrounding islets. The nests were not very bulky, the bases being of dried seaweed and coarse herbage and the linings of fine grass. Some nests contained two eggs and others three. In colour these specimens varied from a light brownish- green to a dark brown stone-colour, and the markings were of dark brown, grey, and slate. Fifteen eggs average 2°59 x 1:55 inches; the length varied from 2°55 to 2°30 and the breadth from 1°61 to 1:77 inch, Larus VEG. These Herring-Gulls were first seen on August 14th, and by the end of that month a few were about Wei Hai Wei Harbour. By the middle of September they were abundant, and at the end of the month very numerous. The majority were immature, but a considerable minority were still in adult plumage. It is of interest to observe that Larus cachinnans was not met with at Wei Hai Wei, but it is the only Herring-Gull which occurs in full plumage at Hongkong, where adults of Larus vege are never seen. Swinhoe met with this species at Chefoo as varly as July. Larus GLAucUS. Glaucous Gulls were met with on several occasions at Shi Tao and about North-East Promontory in September and October, and usually in stormy weather, Birds collected by Mr. C. Grant in South Africa. 695 PopIcIPES FLUVIATILIS. Little Grebes were not abundant on the lagoons of fresh water which occur near Shi Tao and the North-East Promontory. These birds breed rather late, as one fresh egg was obtained on July 20th, and on August 28th a young bird not very long hatched. XX VIII.—On the Birds collected by Mr. Claude H. B. Grant at various Localities in South Africaa—Part III. By W. L. Scrater, M.A., F.Z.S., M.B.0.U. With Field-Notes by the Collector. (Continued from above, p. 437.] Tue numbers in front of the names of the Birds are those of the ‘ Check-list of South-African Birds, published by me in 1905 (Ann. 8S. Afr. Mus. ili. pp. 303-387), which is founded upon the four volumes of the ‘ Birds of South Africa’ by myself and the late Dr. Stark. In order to save space the following contractions are used :— CC.=Cape Colony. Tv. = Transvaal. W.= Natal. P. = Portuguese East Africa. 4. =Zululand. 382. Upupa AFRICANA. Tv. Woodbush, May, June (2); Legogot, May (1); P. Coguno, Aug. (2); Beira, Dec. (1). [The African Hoopoe has been noted from the Cape Peninsula (March 1903), the Eastern and North-Eastern Transvaal, and the Inhambane and Beira districts of Portu- guese Hast Africa. It appears to be a local migrant toa certain extent—as, for instance, at the Woodbush it was only observed in the winter, none being met with in the summer season; and at the Cape I have only seen it in the month mentioned, although I was there in both February and March and again in October, It is usually seen in pais or 3Az 696 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected threes, and inhabits more or less bushy country; it feeds largely on insects, for which it is observed searching in the trees and shrubs as well as on the ground. The cry is clear, somewhat loud, and generally of two notes; the flight is slow and jerky, the white on the wings and tail shewing conspicuously. It is rather a wary bird, and cannot always be approached within shot. The soft parts of the adult are :—Irides hazel; bill, legs and toes blackish. | 383. IRRISOR VIRIDIS. CC. Knysna, Dec., Jan. (8). [“ Kakelaar” of the Colonists. I have notes of this species from the Knysna only. It is always seen in small parties of about half a dozen individuals, and spends its time searching the trunks and larger limbs of the trees for insects and grubs. It can often be seen hanging head downwards on the under side of the branches examining the interstices of the bark. It has a ioud clattering cry of many syllables rapidly repeated, accom- panied by a see-saw movement of the body, the head being well thrown back eacli time, and likewise the tail. I have on several occasions seen the birds when calling face one another on a horizontal branch, their continual bowing to each other being very comical. The flight is undulating and never long sustained, the tail being widely spread, shewing clearly the white spots on it and on the wings. The species will often pitch on the side of the truuk of a tree after the manner of a Woodpecker. The soft parts of the adult are :—Inides dark brown; bill, legs and toes coral-red. In the young :—Irides much darker brown ; bill black ; legs and toes pink-brown. | 383 a. [RRISOR ERYTHRORHYNCHUS. Tv. Klein Letaba, July, Aug., Sept. (5) ; Legogot, May (1); Coguno, July, Aug. (5) ; Tambarara, April (1); Tete, Sept. (4). This Kakelaar has been noted in the Eastern and by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 697 North-Eastern Transvaal and the Inhambane, Beira, Goron- goza, and Tete districts of Portuguese Hast Africa. In cry, flight, and habits it cannot be distinguished from FL. viridis, and, like that species, inhabits only forest or well-timbered country. I have never succeeded in finding the nest, although I have chopped out holes in trees where I have seen birds enter or emerge. The soft parts are similar to those of I. viridis, 384. RHINOPOMASTES CYANOMELAS. Tv. Woodbush, May (1). RuINOPOMASTES CYANOMELAS SCHALOWI. Reichenow, Voég. Afr. 11. p. 347. P.. Cosuno, Aue. (3) > Beira, Dec(1)>;. Tete, Aug: (1). The birds from Portuguese East Africa should be referred to Schalow’s Scimitar-bill *, distinguished by its longer tail with much larger white spots. This subspecies was first detected in South Africa by Swynnerton (‘ Ibis,’ 1908, p- 392). There are several other examples in the British Museum, viz., from the Makalaka country (Bradshaw), Hunyani River (Clark), and Fort Chiquaqua (Sowerby), all in Rhodesia, referable to this form. It is not mentioned in Gunning and Haagner’s recently published ‘ Check-list of South-African Birds.’ [Only in the Inhambane, Beira, Gorongoza, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa have I noted this species. It was not common anywhere except in the Inhambane dis- trict, where a good many were noticed. It is always in pairs, and can often be seen examining the topmost branches of tall trees, never remaining long, and continually moving on from tree to tree. It has a single clear loud ery, like a sharp whistle, which is apparently the call-note. It is very wary, and is not easily obtained. I could discover nothing of its breeding-habits. The soft parts are :—Irides deep brown; bill, legs and toes black. ] * Rhinopomastus schalowi Neumann, J. f. Orn. 1£C0, p. 221 [Muanza, German E. Afr. }. 698 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected 387. CyPsELUS BARBATUS. CC. Plettenberg Bay, Feb. 20 (1); Tv. Wakkerstroom, Apl. 7 (1); Woodbush Hills, Nov. 20 (1). These are undoubtedly individuals of the resident South- African race. [I have only noted this Swift in the summer season, and I have always observed it in flocks, generally hawking so high that it was impossible to obtain specimens. Curiously enough, I have never seen this species breeding, and could learn nothing from the natives respecting it. The soft parts are :—Inrides almost black; bill and toes black. | 388. CyPsELUS CAFFER. CC. Plettenberg Bay, Feb. 20 (1) ; Tv. Wakkerstroom, Mch. 21 (2); Pietersburg, Feb. 25 (1). [This Swift is migratory, and I have noted it at most localities visited in the summer season from about September to April. It is often seen in small parties of about half a dozen, and when the birds chase each other the flight is mar- vellously rapid. They build generally under the verandas of private dwellings, and most people will not have them disturbed. The cry is a “screech,” continually uttered when chasing each other. The soft parts are:—Irides dark brown; bill and toes black. ] CuATURA BOEHMI. Chetura anchiete C. Grant, Bull. B.O. C. xxi. 1908, p. 66. me. Lete. Ais, 20°01). This little Spine-tail agrees in every respect with a series of specimens collected by Dr. Ansorge at Cassualalla and N’dalla Tando, in North Angola, and all should doubtless be referred to C. anchiete (Sousa, J. Lisboa, xvi. 1887, pp. 93, 105). Reichenow (Vég. Afr. 1. p. 888) makes C. anchiete a synonym of C. béhmt (Schalow, Orn. Centralb. 1882, p. 183) from Kakoma, in German East Africa. I have seen no examples from East Africa, but so far as the description goes there is no reason to doubt Reichenow’s identification. by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 699 The Angola birds have a spot of white on the lores, which, however, is often partially or wholly concealed by the stiff black tips of the feathers around ; this is not noticed in the descriptions of C. anchiete, but is probably present, as it is my theVete- bird. Sheppard (Journ. S. A.O. U. v. 1909, p. 37) obtained three examples of a Spine-tail, which he identified as C. bohmi, near Beira, and Wilde (Gunning and Haagner, ‘Check-list of South-African Birds,’ p. 78) got others at Sesheke on the Upper Zambesi; the bird is therefore pro- bably not uncommon along the Zambesi Valley, and makes an addition to the avifauna of South Africa. [I have only scen this Swift at one locality, and that was at the junction of the Mazoe and Luenya Rivers, some twenty or twenty-five miles south of Tete; it was probably passing there on migration, as about a dozen were seen for a few days only, which were hawking over the water in company with Cypselus caffer and Hir undo smithi. The flight is peculiar owing to the short tail, which ‘compels the bird to be con- tinually using the wings, especially when turning. It is apparently unable to turn with the graceful movement of the other Swifts and Swallows. The ery was not unlike that of H. smithi, and not the screech of the Swifts. Unfortunately, after I shot the specimen that I brought home, the others became wary and I could not secure any more. The soft parts are :—Irides almost black ; bill, legs and toes black. | 392. CAPRIMULGUS EUROPEUS. CC. Plettenberg Bay, Mch. 9 (1); Z. Jususie Valley, Dee, 2 (1); PB: Beira, Deeo12-(1): The Jususie Valley example, though sexed a female, appears to be a young male, while the Beira one, which is sexed a male, is obviously a female. [‘« Wozavolo ” of the Zulus. In its winter-quarters the European Nightjar has similar habits to those I have noted in Europe except that it is solitary, and I have never heard it call.] 700 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected 594. CAPRIMULGUS FERVIDUS. Tv. Legogot, May (1); Woodbush, May (2); P. Coguno, June, Aug., Sept. (7) ; Beira, Dec., Jan. (3). This is a somewhat rare species in South Africa. The two sexes seem to be almost identical. The females have the white on the tail-feathers and on the primaries, generally characteristic marks of the males, but the spots are, perhaps, slightly smaller. (“ Dowe ” of the Ntebis. Not until I reached the Transvaal did I come across this species, and there I found it both in the Eastern and the North-Eastern Jocalities visited, and again in the Inhambane, 3eira, and Gorongoza districts of Portuguese East Africa, but it was not heard or seen near Tete. It was not common in any locality except at Coguno, where it was exceedingly plentiful. It appears about sundown, and sits both on the ground and in trees ; it catches its prey from a fixed perch, and does not, I believe, hawk after the manner of C. fossei. It has a clear, loud, liquid call of several notes rapidly repeated, but different from that of C. naéalensis, and not casily described, and another single peculiar note which, I believe, is the call to another bird, as I always heard it when two came together. The alarm-note is a single harsh cry, sometimes with a sharp snapping noise, probably made with the beak. This species, hke most Nightjars, only utters its regular call or “song” when sitting. It was very common all round my camp at Coguno, and sat regularly on the trees near by. I noticed that it called much more often on moonlight nights; on dark nights it was seldom or never heard. The Ntebi name is derived from its single call-ncote. The irides are dark brown. | 395, CapRIMULGUS PECTORALIS. Cc. Durban Rd., Sept. (2); Port Nolloth, Aug. (2). One egg taken at Port Nolloth, Aug. 18. [‘‘ Nacht-uil ” of the Cape Colonists. The Cape Peninsula and Namaqualand are the only localities where I have seen this Nightjar, and it appears to by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 7OL be confined more or less to the coast-belt. Only the pair secured were seen at Port Nolioth, and none were heard calling; but at the Cape it was plentiful, and could be heard and seen every night, being very partial to orchards and cultivated lands. It was found sitting on the posts of the fencing, whence it took short flights round the fields, often returning again to its perch. It has a charming note, I think higher in tone than either that of C. fossei or that of C. euro- peéus, and another, somewhat guttural, which is probably the sexual call. It apparently breeds fairly early, as the pair shot at Port Nolloth were flushed from the nest, which was a mere hollow in the sand on an open stony hillside, and contained one egg just laid. On skinning the female I found another in the oviduct not quite Lardened. The irides are dark brown. | 396. CaPRIMULGUS TRIMACULATUS. Tv. Swali’s Nek, July (1); Woodbush, June (1); Legogot, Apl., May (5). This is a rare species in South Africa. There are only three South-African examples in the British Museum—the type of C. lentiginosus A. Smith, from Namaqualand, one skin from the Cunene River, and one from Rustenberg. The present series is therefore a welcome addition. The female has the white spots on the three outer primaries as in the male, but no white on the tail. [Only in the Eastern and the North-Eastern Transvaal have 1 noted this distinct Nightjar. It was fairly plentiful at Legogot, but two specimens were seen at Woodbush and one was secured in the low veld. It appears about sun- down, and always sits in roads or tracks, never, I believe, on a stump or tree, and I have not flushed it in the daytime. Whether this bird is silent or not I do not know, but I have been unable to recognise its call. The irides are dark brown. | 397. CAPRIMULGUS FOSSII. Z. Umfolosi Station, July (2); Hluhluwe Stream, Aug. (1); Tv. Woodbush, Jan. (2); Pietersburg, Mch. (1); 702 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected Legogot, Apl. (1); P. Beira, Dec., Jan., Feb. (8); Tete, Aug. (2). The bird killed Jan, 4th at Beira is in full moult; the outer tail-feathers are only about half an inch long and quite hidden. The Beira birds, as remarked by Grant, are slightly smaller than those from the Transvaal, the wings averaging 150 against 160 mm. [The three males from Beira are somewhat smaller than the rest of the series, the wing being only 6:0 inches as compared with 6°3 and 6°5 of males from other localities. I have noted this Nightjar in Zululand, the Eastern and North-Eastern Transvaal, and in the Beira, Gorongoza, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa. It was neither heard nor seen in the Inhambane district. This Nightjar usually sits on the outside branches of trees, whence it darts out on its prey, returning again to the same spot; occasionally, also, it sits on the ground. It indulges in long flights, often in wide circles, generally returning to the place which it has left, and in this respect resembling C. europeus. It was commonly seen in numbers every evening on the Zambesi Liver on my trip from Tambarara to Tete, skimming over the surface of the water, catching insects and sitting on the sandbanks. The callis a “ churr”’ exactly resembling that of the Kuropean Nightjar, the alarm-note being a sharp snap, probably caused by the beak. In the daytime it is sometimes flushed in rough scrub and vegetation on the outskirts of woods and forests. The irides are dark brown. | 398. CAPRIMULGUS NATALENSIS. 4. Umfolosi Station, July, Aug. (1); Hluhluwe Stream, Aug. (1); Jususie Valley, Dec. (2). One egg taken from a female shot at Umfolosi Aug. 30th. Only known in South Africa from Natal and Zululand. [“‘ Foyia ” of the Zulus. Only in Zululand and Natal have I noted this Nightjar. In Zululand it was particularly plentiful, especially in the Umfolosi country, where it was found lying up in the long by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa, 703 grass in the dry vleis and on the hillsides. It appears just after sundown, and has a low skimming flight; it was very fond of sitting on the open railway-track or sometimes on the posts of the fencing. It has a cry of several clear liquid notes, distinct from those of other Nightjars which I have met with. It is apparently a somewhat early breeder, for I took a developed egg from the oviduct of a female shot in August, and I shot a fully-fledged young bird in December. The irides are dark brown. | 400. Coracias GARRULUS. B. Beira, Dec, 2512) 16551 74:(6). [It was only in the Beira district of Portuguese East Africa, in the summer of 1906-7, that I came across this bird, and I find the following references to it in my diary :— “2 Dec., 1906.—Large flock of European Rollers passed over here (63 mile camp) this afternoon, coming from the N. and going S., travelling very high. After wasting several ‘cartridges I succeeded in securing three specimens.” “16 Dec., 1506.—Several small lots of C. garrulus passed over going south to-day.” And again, under date the Sth Feb., 1907, I find :— “The European Roller which was so common here a few weeks back has gone from round my camp (634 mile), and I only saw two or three as I was walking up from Beira.” | 401. Coractas CAUDATUS, Tv. Klein Letaba, July, Aug., Sept. (7); P. Coguno, Aug., Sept. (4); Beira, Nov., Dec. (2); Tete, Sept. (4). A young male, marked “ Beira, Dec. 16,” has the crown more faintly tinged with green than the adult and the breast is cinnamon instead of lilac, while the elongated tail- feathers are, of course, absent. [The Lilac-breasted Rolier has been observed in Zululand north of the Hluhluwe Stream, in the Eastern and Northern Transvaal, and in the Inhambane, Beira, Gorongoza, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa. This species is more or less confined to the lower ‘‘ bush-veld,” and I have only seen an occasional individual in the high country. 704 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected It is usually observed in pairs perched on the tops of bare trees, and when approached flies round in large circles high up out of shot, keeping up a continuous dis- cordant cry. On the wing it often indulges in sudden tumbles, rising again abruptly when within a few feet of the ground, It often mobs hawks and crows that happen to pass near it. I have always observed that the bird so mobbed makes off as fast as it can, and never attempts to retaliate. It feeds entirely on insects, and will congregate in numbers in company with the Drongos around grass-fires to catch grasshoppers, beetles, aud other insects driven out by the flames. : The soft parts of an adult are :—TIrides hazel; bill black ; legs and toes dark greenish yellow.] 402. CoRAcIAS SPATULATUS. P. Coguno, Aug., Sept. (2). So far as I am aware the Racquet-tailed Roller has not hitherto been obtained in Portuguese East Africa, but within South African limits only in Rhodesia. [1 have not seen this Roller elsewhere than in the Inham- bane district of Portuguese Kast Africa, and even there, although several individuals were seen, it could not be said to be plentiful. It was observed singly, and I remarked that it was not so noisy as C. caudatus. It generally sat on the tops of small bushes and trees or ou the lower branches of the larger ones. I found it rather wary, and when disturbed it merely moved off to some distant position, never circling round high up as does C, caudatus. ‘The soft parts of an adult are :—Irides brown ; bill black ; legs and toes greenish or greenish yellow. | 403. Coractas MOSAMBICUS. Tv. Klein Letaba, Sept. (1) ; P. Tete, Aug. (1). [I only noted the Purple Roller at Klein Letaba, where it was fairly plentiful, and in the Tete district, where it was scarce. It is always observed singly, and generally frequents well-timbered country, and is seen either perched on the middle branches of the trees or on the ground by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 705 devouring some prey. When disturbed it flies slowly off to some other position, and is generally very quiet in habits, but is wary and not easily shot. It feeds principally on insects such as grasshoppers and beetles. Its ery is loud and discordant, but is not often uttered. The soft parts of an adult are :—Trides dark hazel; bill black ; legs and toes brown washed with green. | 404. EURYSTOMUS AFER. P. Beira, Nov., Jan. (2) ; Masambeti, Oct. (1). [‘‘ Sauri” of natives in the Beira country. It was only between Beira and Tete that I saw this species, and even there it was local, being commonest near Beira. It inhabits forest country, and is generally seen sitting on the topmost branches of the large dead trees ; it indulges in long circling flights when disturhed—and often when not—calling continuously and loudly all the while, after the manner of Coracias caudatus, but I have never noted it tumbling to the same extent. It feeds principally on insects, and I have seen it dart out and catch locusts on the wing after the manner of a Flycatcher. I have observed it both singly and in small parties of eight or more; these latter may have been old and young or birds migrating. The soft parts of an adult are:—Irides brown; bill yellow; legs and toes greenish-yellow. | Menors SUPERCILIOSUS. Reichenow, Vog. Afr. 1. p. 325. FP. Masambeti, Oct., Nov. (5); Beira, Jan. (1). Six eggs taken at Masambeti, Oct. 24. This Bee-eater has not hit! erto been taken south of the Zambesi, so far as I know. It is a common Kast African species, ranging, according to Reichenow, from Shoa to Mozambique. ‘The most southern locality mentioned by Reichenow is Kissango, north of Mozambique and at least 700 miles north of Beira. The eggs are like those of other Bee-eaters ; they average Ts] x9 mnch- (@. 6.28. < 23). [Only near Beira, where it was plentiful, and up towards 706 Mr. W. L. Sclater en Birds collected the Zambesi, where it was scarcer, have I seen this Bee- eater. I met with it both in pairs and large flocks at the same time ; it was one of the common birds of Beira, and could be seen any day sitting on the acacias and other trees in the streets and the gardens of the private houses. It does not appear to hawk for food like the other Bee-eaters, but darts out on its prey from a fixed perch after the manner of Melittophagus meridionalis. In Beira enormous flocks were seen towards evening circling and twisting over the mangrove- swamps where they roosted, presenting at a distance the appearance of Swallows. At Masambeti, near Beira, I found two pairs breeding in the banks of some drainage-ditches cut through cultivated laud, but only one hole contained eggs. These holes ran in for about three feet, with hardly any up- ward incline, and in the cavity at the end of one I captured a female sitting on six eggs, which I should imagine is rather a larger clutch than usual. When dug out the cavity was within six inches of the surface of the ground, and there was no deposit of débris or other matter. The cry of this bird is a single clear note, and its food consists principally of winged insects of various kinds. The soft parts of the adult are:—Irides crimson ; bill, legs and toes black. | 408. Merops NUBICOIDES. Merops natalensis C. Grant, Bull. B. O. C. xxi. 1908, p. 66. Tv. Woodbush, Jan. (3) ; P. Masambeti, Nov. (1); Beira, Nov., Dec. (4). [Woodbush in North-East Transvaal, the Beira district, and the Zambesi, where I saw several hawking over the water on my trip from Tambarara to Tete, are the only localities where this beautiful Bee-eater was noted. It was usually seen in threes, fours or half dozens, comprising old and young, sitting on the tops of the trees or hawking high up for food well out of shot. This Bee- eater is perpetually on migration or is a great wanderer, as all I have seen have never remained for more than a few by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 707 hours in any one locality. The cry is a single clear note, rather louder than that of M. superciliosus ; the food consists of insects of various kinds, which are taken on the wing as described above. I find the following note in my diary with reference to the young male shot at Beira on Dec. 11th, 1906 :— “The immature male of M. nubicus shot to-day is inter- esting, as it is assuming the adult colouring without a moult” (see Bull. B. O. C. xxi. p. 66). The soft parts of the adult are :—Irides brown; bill, legs and toes black. Young similar. ] 409. DicrocERCUS HiRUNDINEUS. P. Cognno, Aug. (2). [On only two occasions have I seen this pretty Bee-eater ; at Coguno, where the pair shot were observed, and again on the 9th May, 1907, when another pair were seen at Tambarara, Gorongoza district. It was noticed sitting on the tops of the trees hawking for insects after the manner of the larger Bee-eaters. It has a single clear call, somewhat different from that of the other Bee-eaters. The soft parts of the adult are :—Irides bright red; bill, legs and toes black. ] 410. MrLitroPHAGUS MERIDIONALIS. N. Illovo, Nov. (2); 4. Jususie Valley, Dec. (2); Unmfolosi Station, June, July, Aug. (6); Tv. Klein Letaba, July, Sept. (8); P. Coguno, Aug. (8); Masambeti, Oct., Nov.i(2)-) BemaWec. (3) Tete, Aue. Sept. (2): Four eggs taken at Masambeti, Oct. 30. Three young birds taken at Beira on Dec. 9th are appa- rently just out of the nest, and are in an interesting state of plumage. They are green above, much as in the adult, while below, the breast is green, becoming yellow on the throat and cinnamon on the abdomen. The bill is very short. [This is a very common Bee-eater in all the lower bush- veld country in Eastern and East-Central South Africa. IT have noted it from Natal and Zululand, the Eastern and 708 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected North-Eastern Transvaal, and the Inhambane, Beira, Gorongoza, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa. Ta habits this little Bee-eater is somewhat different to the other species; it is usnally observed along the banks of rivers and streams or low-lying swampy ground, where it sits on the tops of the bushes and reeds, from which it darts out on to its prey, coming back to its perch in a graceful circle. In the Inhambane district I have seen it some considerable distance from water, and I have found it sitting in the bushes and stumps in native clearings and lands. The call is a sharp single note, not loud, and is often uttered when disturbed, especially by pairs. It apparently breeds from October onwards, and I took the eggs and young in the Beira district in October and December respectively. The nesting-hole is placed in a bank, often on the railway, and runs in only about two feet in length, with a slight upward tendency and a cavity at the end. The hole is usually run in straight. I have seen it turned at right angles at a few inches from the entrance, but this is generally due to the birds meeting with hard soil or roots. The clutch is apparently four, although three is often taken, and both birds assist in incubation and feeding the young. The food consists of insects, which are usually caught on the wing. The soft parts of the adult are :—ITrides crimson ; Dill, legs and toes black. In the young the irides are brown. | 411. MELirropHAGUS BULLOCKOIDES. Tv. Legogot, Apl., May (5); P. Tete, Sept. (1). [This is distinctly a scarce Bee-eater. At Legogot it was fairly common, going about in flocks of twenty or more and generally hawking high up out of shot ; towards evening these would congregate together, and with much calling and circling ata great height go away towards the Legogot Moun- tains, where they roosted on the ledges of the rocks or in the deep dongas. In the Tete district only a pair or so were seen. ‘The cry is somewhat sharper and shriller than that of the other Bee-eaters. The soft parts are:—lIrides hazel; bill, legs and toes black. } by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 709 412. CuryLE RUDIS. CC. Plettenberg Bay, Mch. (6); Z. Umfolosi Station, July, Aug., Sept. (6); Tv. Klein Letaba, Aug., Sept. (8) ; P. Beira, Feb. (1) ; Tete, Aug., Sept. (2). [“Isicuya” of the Zulus. This Kingfisher is quite the commonest in South Africa, and was noted or taken in every locality visited from the Cape to the Zambesi, excepting Namaqualand. It is usually seen in pairs or threes and occasionally fours or halfdozens, the latter probably old and young. It systematically works the water, hovering with the bill pointed vertically down- wards ; on seeing a shoal of fish it shuts its wings, and drops like a stone head first on to its victim, which it devours on the wing if it is small, or, if large, takes to the bank to swallow. This Kingfisher perches on reeds, low bushes, and dead branches, and is often seen sitting on the ground, yet it never fishes from such positions, but always on the wing. The cry is a sharp “kwik,” and is, I believe, merely 2 call-note. It is very tame, passing very near when on the wing and fishing within a few yards of people; when settled, it will allow itself to be approached quite close before taking wing. I have never succeeded in finding the nest of this species. The soft parts are:—lIrides dark brown; Dill, legs and toes black. ] 413. CeryLeE MAXIMA. CC. Plettenberg Bay, Mch. (1); Z. Ngoye Hills, Oct. (2) ; Tv. Klein Letaba, Sept. (2). Three eggs taken at Klein Letaba, Sept. 9, measure about 46 x 36 mm. [I have observed the Giant Kingfisher in the Knysna district of Cape Colony, Zululand, Klein Letaba, and in the Beira, Gorongoza, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa. It is everywhere very wild, and nowhere can it be said to be plentiful. Always observed in pairs and frequent- ing both large and small rivers or streams and occasionally lagoons and lakes, it is perhaps more partial to well- SER. IX.—VOL. V. 3B 710 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected wooded and shady streams, but is never actually found in forest. The flight is fast and straight, and the bird flies close to the surface of the water, except when passing from one water to another, when it keeps well up over the tops of the trees. This species, like most Kingfishers, fishes from some projecting stump or branch, and is often seen resting in the middle of large trees. The cry is very loud and somewhat harsh, and is generally uttered when the bird is on the wing. I took a nest on Sept. 9th, 1905, at the Klein Letaba; it was in the sandy bank of a large dry donga cut into the bank of the Klein Letaba River. The hole ran in about five feet, with a slight upward tendency, having a large cavity at the end in which I found three eggs deposited on the earth without any débris. Both the old birds were secured, the female being shot on a tree close by, while the male was caught sitting on the eggs. The soft parts of an adult are :—Irides dark brown ; bill black ; legs and toes brown. | 414, ALCEDO SEMITORQUATA. Cc. Knysna, June (1); 2. Ngoye Hills, Oct. (1); P. Masambeti, Nov. (2). [Only in the Knysna, the Ngoye Hills in Zululand, and at Masambeti near Beira have I observed this species; it was never plentiful. It frequents well-wooded and shady rivers and streams, and I have never seen it on open lagoons or lakes. It is very shy and retiring in habits, making off at the first alarm, and has usually to be shot on the wing. It fishes from an overhanging bough or thick reed, and the ery is a single shrill note, generally uttered on the wing. It breeds in the banks of the rivers and streams, but I have never succeeded in securing the eggs. The soft parts of an adult are :—Irides hazel; bill black ; legs and toes tomato-red. | 415. CoRYTHORNIS CYANOSTIGMA. CC. Plettenberg Bay, Mch. (1); Z. Umfolosi Station, Sept. (2) ; Ngoye Hills, Oct. (1); Tv. Woodbush, June (1); P. Masambeti, Nov. (4); Beira, Feb. (2). by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. rial | [“Iguyamtwama” of the Zulus; “Dederu” of the Ntebis. This was one of the commonest Kingfishers in S. Africa, and I have seen it in every locality from the Cape through East and East-Central South Africa to the Zambesi. It is equally common on rivers and streams in wooded and forest country and on lagoons and open reedy swamps, where it is seen either perched on some overhanging branch or reed waiting for its prey, or flying with incredible swiftness and appearing like a biue streak. It feeds principally on small fishes, besides crustacea and beetles. I have generally observed it singly. It breeds in the banks of the rivers and streams, but I have never succeeded in finding an occupied nesting-hole. The soft parts of an adult are :—Irides dark brown; bill and legs rich tomato-red. In the young the bill is blackish, with part of the lower mandible and the extreme tip of the upper very pale tomato-red ; legs and toes very dark. | 416. IsprpINA NATALENSIS. N. Illovo, Nov. (3); 2. Ngoye Hills, Oct. (2); Tv. Woodbush, May (1)-; P- Masambeti, Nov., Oct. (2). Two clutches of two and three eggs each, taken at Masambeti, Oct. 25 and Nov. 11. [This little Kingfisher was observed in Natal, the Ngoye Hills, Zululand, Legogot, Woodbush, and the Inhambane, Beira, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa. I did not myself see this species in the Northern Transvaal, but the dried specimen sent flew against the window of a farmhouse in the village of Woodbush and was picked up dead by the farmer, from whom I got it. It is usually observed on the outskirts of woods and forests, not neces- sarily near water, perched on some projecting branch or bough, whence it darts on its prey, which consists largely of spiders and coleopterous insects. I have never seen it take fishes. The flight is straight and marvellously quick, and the call is sharp and not easily distinguished from that of Corythornis cyanostigma. It was found breeding at Masam- beti, near Beira, and two sets of eggs were taken, on Oct. 25th OB2 fate Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected and Nov. 11th, 1906. The nesting-holes were situated in the cut-away bank of the railway and ran in about two or three feet with a slight upward tendency, the eggs being deposited in a cavity at the end on the bare earth without any lining or débris. The soft parts of an adult are :—Irides dark brown ; bill, legs and toes pale tomato-red. | 417. Hatcyon sWAINSONI. P. Masambeti, Oct. (1). Four eggs taken at Masambeti, on Oct. 25th, closely resemble those of other species of the genus, being white and very round. [Only at Masambeti, where a single pair were found breeding, was this species observed. The flight and cry are similar to those of H. orientalis, and its general habits are probably much the same. The nesting-hole was situated in a cut-away bank of the railway and ran in about three or four feet; four eggs, which is the full clutch, were found in a cavity at the end and were deposited on the bare soil without lining or débris. The soft parts of an adult are:—TIrides hazel; bill, legs and toes red. ] 418. Haucyon ALBIVENTRIS. W. Illovo, Nov. (2); Z. Jususie Valley, Nov., Dec. (2) ; Ngoye Hills, Oct. (1) ; Tv. Klein Letaba, July, Sept. (2) ; Woodbush, June (1) ; Legogot, Apl., May (4); P. Coguno, June, July (3). Some individuals of this species are much more strongly washed with ochreous on the breast and flanks than others. In the above series the birds from Legogot, killed in April and May, shew this most clearly, and I imagine that these are freshly moulted individuals and that the buff gradually wears off in the course of the year. The birds from Coguno ought to be referable to A. orien- talis, the type of which is said by Peters to have come from Inhambane, but they have all the characters of LH, albiventris. by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 713 [This species has been observed in Natal, Zululand, and the Eastern and Northern Transvaal. In the Portuguese country to the east and north its place is taken by 7. orientalis, though specimens from Inhambane and Legogot (i. Transvaal) intergraduate between the two. Therefore, where these species meet they interbreed, and specimens from such localities would shew characters of both. This bird is fond of well-wooded country, and is usually observed perched on the lowest branches of trees, often along shaded rivers and dry dongas. It feeds principally on insects and probably on freshwater crustacea, but I have never seen it take fishes. It has a loud harsh cry, the alarm-note being different from the call; the flight is fast and straight, the alarm-note being uttered as it leaves its perch. The soft parts of an adult are :—Irides brown; bill, legs and toes red. In the young the bill is reddish-brown, more brown than red, and the legs and toes dark brown tinged with pale red. | 419. HaLcyon ALBIVENTRIS ORIENTALIS. P. Masambeti, Oct., Nov. (2-4 nestlings) ; Beira, Jan. CG); [Only in the Beira district of Portuguese East Africa have I observed this species. In cry and general habits it exactly resembles H. albiventris. It breeds during the wet season, and I found the nest at Masambeti, near Beira, at the end of October. The nesting-hole was situated in the bank of the Masambeti stream under an overhanging bough, and ran in about four feet with a sight upward tendency ; from a cavity at the end I took four young birds: both the adults were caught with a grass noose at the entrance, The soft parts of the adult are similar tc those of H, albiventris. | 420. HatcyoNn CHELICUTI. Z. Ntambana Hills, Aug. (1); Tv. Legogot, Apl. (1) ; P. Coguno, Aug., Sept. (4); Masambeti, Nov. (1) ; Beira, Dec. (1) ; Tambarara, June (1); Tete, Sept. (1). [‘‘ Nongwosoya”’ of the Zulus. 714 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected Only in the Ntambana Hills, north of the Hluhluwe Stream in Zululand, Legogot, and the Inhambane, Beira, Gorongoza, and Tete districts of Portuguese Hast Africa have I observed this little Kingfisher. It seems very partial to clearings and native gardens, where it is seen perched on the lower branch of a dead tree, keeping a sharp look-out for its prey, which consists mainly of coleopterous insects. I have observed it also in parts quite remote from any water, and it is usually solitary, although at Beira it was in pairs; as this was, how- ever, in the wet summer season it was probably breeding, but I was quite unable to locate any nests. In the early morning and late afternoon, seldom during the middle of the day, it can be seen perched on the topmost branch of a tree and giving forth a loud continuous “ trill,” while sitting bolt upright and regularly opening and shutting the wings to their fullest extent, so as to make it appear as though the movement of the wings had greatly to do with the “song” ; and from this peculiar habit I have always called it the “concertina bird.” I believe that it is only the male which “sings,” but I have not been able to conclusively prove the fact. ‘This is one of the earliest birds to rise in the morning, and I have heard it trilling before the first streaks of dawn. The flight is fast and straight, but never long sustained. The soft parts of an adult are :—Irides brown; bill, upper mandible dark purple, lower red ; legs and toes red, darkest on the upper surface. | 4.23. CoLIUS sTRIATUS. CC. Durban Rd., Mch. (1); Knysna, Feb. (1) ; Pletten- berg Bay, Feb., Mch. (2). 423 a. CoLIUs STRIATUS MINOR. Reichenow, Vog. Afr. ii. p. 208. Z. Jususie, Jan. (1); Umfolosi Station, July (2) ; Hluhluwe Stream, Aug. (4); Tv. Woodbush, June, Dec. (3)5 Legogot, Apl., May (2); P. Coguno, June, Aug., Sept. (3). Reichenow distinguishes a subspecies from East and South-East Africa, extending south to Natal, by its smaller by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 715 size and by the blacker chin and throat. The series col- lected by Grant shew some variation in size, though a by no means constant one, but the character of the black chin is fairly noticeable and may suffice. [‘‘ Muis-vogel”” or “ Mouse-bird” of the Colonists; “ Nhlazi” of the Zulus. This is the common Coly of most localities that I visited. I have met with it in the Cape Peninsula, the Knysna district, Zululand and Natal, the South-Eastern, Eastern, and North-Hastern Transvaal, and the Inhambane, Beira, Gorongoza, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa. It was found to be more plentiful farther north, and was especially common in the Inhambane district. It is gregarious in habit, aud was often found in flocks of twenty or more individuals feeding on fruit and berries. It does considerable damage in orchards and gardens. It gets its name of “ Mouse-bird” from the quaint way in which it clambers among the branches and its habit of getting into thick bushes and remaining quiet, much as mice will do. The cry is a whistle, uttered generally when on the wing or on being disturbed, and is apparently both eall- and alarm-note. The flight is lew, straight, and rapid, often with a few rapid beats of the wing and a long glide, the birds, as a rule, diving into the middle of the bushes before settling. The soft parts are :—Irides brown ; bill, upper mandible dark slate, lower light slate ; legs and toes dark crimson. | 424, CoLius CAPENSIS. CC. Table Mt. slopes, Feb. (1); Durban Rd., Mch., Sept. (2); Port Nolloth, Aug. (2); Klipfontein, May (1). I can see no difference in colour between the Cape Penin- sula and Namaqualand birds, so that the latter shew no approach to C. c. damarensis Reichw. [(‘* Muis-vogel” or ‘‘ Mouse-bird ” of the Colonists. I have only observed this Mouse-bird in the Cape Peninsula and Namaqualand, and it was common in both localities. In habits it resembles C. striatus, being, like that species, gregarious and generally seen in flocks of perhaps a dozen 716 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected individuals, but I have never observed it in such large flocks as that species. It is also one of the fruit-growers’ worst enemies, damaging far more thanit eats. The cry is some- what different from that of C. striatus, being more of a double note. The soft parts are :—Irides dark brown; bill pale slate- coloured, dark at tip of upper mandible, yellow at tip of lower; legs aud toes coral-red. | 426. Bucorax CAFER. Z. Sibudeni, Oct. (3); Tv. Klein Letaba, July (head of 5 only); P. Beira, Dec. (head of 9 only), and wing not ticketed. Of three males killed on the same day, Oct. 28th, at Sibudeni, two appear to be somewhat younger than the third. The culinen of the youngest of these, measured in a straight line with dividers, is only 18 in. against 22 in the older specimen. In the young bird the greater part of the base of the lower mandible is white, not black (in the dried skin). The plumage of the younger bird, too, is much browner than in the adult, while some of the darker adult feathers are already appearing on the back. (*“ Brom-vogel ” of the Colonists; “ Insingisi ” of the Zulus; “ Marandane”’ of the Machangaans. This great Horubill was commonly noticed in small parties of from three to six individuals in Zululand, the Transvaal, and the Beira and Gorongoza districts of Portuguese Hast Africa. It is usually seen on the ground hunting for food, which consists of almost any thing from insects to reptiles and young birds. In many parts protection had been given to this bird, but when it was discovered that it destroyed quantities of young game-birds, this was removed. It roosts at night in tall trees in the woods and forests, where also I have been shown the nest, composed of sticks placed in the topmost forks or strong branches, but I have never seen one occupied. The flight is slow but powerful, the white primaries heing then very conspicuous, and the call is a penetrating low “boom” of about five syllables, the last three being lowest in tone; it is somewhat ventriloquial and by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. rilley can be heard to a considerable distance. It is possible that more than one bird contributes to the call, but as the syllables run concurrently it is difficult to prove this con- clusively. When taken young it is a remarkably tame and amusing pet, but has usually to be kept away from the poultry yard. Wounded birds when attacked by a dog stand with the wings outstretched and make vicious digs at the animal with their beaks, but never attempt to use the wings; they continually inflate and deflate the pouch, producing a loud snake-like hiss. The soft parts of the adult are:—<. Indes pale grey, with dark brown lines and vermiculations; all bare skin on head and neck red; bill, legs and toes black. ?. The bare skin round the eyes is duller and the chin is metallic blue, which extends more or less on to the throat. I have seen many young birds in captivity; they are similar to adults in plumage, but the black is duller, and all the bare skin of the head and neck is dull sooty-black without red. ] 427. BycANISTES BUCCINATOR. Z. Sibudeni, Oct., Nov., Dec., Jan. (5); Ngoye Hills, Sept., Oct. (4) ; P. Beira, Feb. (1); Tambarara, June (1); Tete, Sept: (1). The size of the bill and casque in the male varies very considerably ; in the male from Beira the casque measures 160 mm. in a straight line, in one from Sibudeni only 115. I find, however, as great variation among examples from Nyasaland in the British Museum, and suspect that it is purely a question of age. [“ Nkanat” of the Zulus; “ Kegemide” of the Ntebis, Gorongozas, and Njungwis. The Trumpeter Hornbill was found in Natal, Zululand, and the Inhambane, Beira, Gorongoza, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa. It was common im all these localities except the Inhambane district, where only two or three pairs were seen aud no specimens were secured, it being very wild. Curiously enough, it is not known in any of the 718 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected forested country in the Eastern and North-Eastern Transvaal, although one would imagine that these parts are as well suited to its habits as many others. It is generally seen in flocks of from half a dozen to twenty or more, and is entirely frugivorous, being very partial to wild figs, the berries of the Ntuma, and the seeds of certain leguminous trees. The flight is noisy, swift, and strong, consisting of several flaps of the wings, then a glide, and the flaps again. The cry is loud and harsh, and not easily described, but cannot be mis- taken for that of any other bird; it is uttered both on the wing and when sitting. In feeding the birds are very noisy, continually calling and flapping about in a clumsy manner in the trees. The soft parts of the adult are:— ¢. Inides brown; orbits pinky flesh-coloured; bill horny black or blackish, pinky flesh-coloured at the basal end of the casque; legs and toes black. The female is similar to the male, except that the orbits are dusky. | 427 a. BYCANISTES CRISTATUS. P. Tambarara, June (1). [‘‘ Kegemide”’ of the Ntebis and Gorongozas. This Hornbill has only been observed in the woods and forests of the Beira and Gorongoza districts of Portuguese ast Africa, where it was as plentiful as B. duccinator and consorted to a great extent with that species. In its food, flight, and general habits it resembles it, but its cry is very different ; it 1s not harsh and loud, but more approaching a growl, and is not easy to describe exactly. The soft parts are :—Irides dark brown; orbits pinky flesh-coloured ; bill dirty white; legs and toes black. | 4.28. LopHocrRros MELANOLEUCUS, Cc. Knysna, Jan. (3); Z. Sibudeni, Nov., Dec., Jan. (6) ; Jususie Valley, Dec. (1); Ngoye Hills, Oct. (2); P. Coguno, June (4); Masambeti, Nov. (1); Beira, Jan. (1); Tambarara, June (1); Tete, Sept. (1). [‘‘ Slap-gat ” of the Colonists; ‘ Nkolwane ” of the Zulus ; “ Nyumdero” of the Gorongozas. This Hornbill is much more a bird of the woods and by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. rane) forests than other members of the genus, and is not usually found in ordinary bush-veld. It is somewhat locally dis- tributed, and was found in the Knysna, at Sibudeni and Ngoye in Zululand, and in the Inhambane, Beira, Gorongoza, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa, but does not exist at Zuurbron, Legogot, or the Woodbush Hills, although these localities are weil forested and, one would think, well suited to its habits. It is generally observed in flocks of about a dozen individuals, and in pairs or family-parties in the summer season. The flight is graceful and floating, without a great deal of flapping, and it usually perches on the topmost boughs of the trees. It feeds on insects of various kinds, wild fruit and berries, and often visits orchards and lands for the fruit and grain, especially kaffir corn. I have seen it catch locusts and grasshoppers on the wing with a pretty easy grace. The call is almost a whistle, rather shrill and of several syllables, the middle ones uttered rapidly. The soft parts of the adult are :— ¢. Indes pale yellow ; bare skin round eyes and at base of cheeks adjoining the lower mandible sooty black; bill dull red, pale yellow at base of both mandibles; legs and toes dull black. ¢. Soft parts as in male, except the bare skin round eyes and at base of cheeks adjoining the lower mandible, which is pale green. Ina young female the irides are greyish yeliow ; bare skin round eyes and base of cheeks paler green; bill duller and lighter, without the pale yellow at base. | 430. LopnHocerRos EPIRHINUS. Tv. Klein Letaba, Aug. (4). [‘« Nkolu” of the Machangaans. Only in the low bush-veld of the North-Eastern Transvaal have I seen this Hornbill and it was there fairly plentiful. It is usually in pairs, and has an easy graceful flight as it moves from tree to tree. In company with L. leucomelas it came in numbers to the grass-fires, and would perch on the lowest branches of the Mopani trees or bushes in front of the fire and dart down on the numerous grasshoppers and other insects that were driven out. Insects of various kinds 720 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected appear to be its principal food, and it is often observed on the ground hunting for its prey, especially on burnt-off patches. Its cry is a single, low, melancholy note, not greatly dissimilar to that of L. lewcomelas. The soft parts of the adult are :— g. Irides reddish brown; bare skin round eyes and base of cheeks adjoining the lower mandible sooty black; bill black, with a long yellow patch on the upper mandible, extending from the base under the nostril to over half the length of the mandible, and three or four yellow transverse lines on the lower. Legs and toes black. 2. Irides as in male; bare skin round eyes and base of cheeks browner; bill, upper mandible at base pale yellow, along cutting-edge and apical portion dull dark red; lower mandible, basal two-thirds black crossed with four pale yellow lines, apical portion dull dark red. Legs and toes as in male. In neither sex does the colour of the bill alter after death.] 43]. LopHocEeRos ERYTHRORHYNCHUS. P. Tete, Aug., Sept. (4 and one head). [« Nyumdero” of the Njungwis. Around Tete and south of Makumbi’s country to about the 18° south latitude, on my return trip to the coast, this species was found. It was generally in small flocks of half a dozen individuals and was somewhat wary. Every morning flocks would pass over, coming out of the back country and making towards the rivers, where they spent the day, presumably to feed on the wild fruit and berries and to rest in the shade of the leafy trees that line the banks— for, as it was the dry season, the only leafy vegetation was near the river; they passed back again towards sundown, each flock regularly taking the same course, so that it was then by a little waiting that specimens could be secured. The flight is easy and graceful, with a few flaps of the wings, accompanied by the long glide so characteristic of the Hornbills. The cry is a single note, low and clear, and almost a whistle. by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 721 The soft parts of an adult are :—Irides pale yellow; bare skin above eye bluish white, behind and below eye and at base of cheeks adjoining the lower mandible pinkish flesh- coloured ; the throat and neck pale white; bill, upper mandible very dark tomato-red, whitish horn-coloured at the base, lower mandible whitish horn-coloured at base, next part blackish, apical two-thirds and cutting-edges very dark tomato-red ; legs and toes sooty black. ] 433, LoPHOCEROS LEUCOMELAS. 4. Hluhluwe Stream, Aug. (1); Tv. Klein Letaba, July, Aug., Sept. (6) ; P. Tete, Sept. (1). [‘‘ Umxeu” of the Zulus; “ Nkolu” of the Machangaans. The Yellow-billed Hornbill has been noted at the Hluhluwe Stream, Zululand, the Klein Letaba, and in the Tete district of Portuguese East Africa. It was not seen in the other localities visited; and as it is a striking species it cannot easily be overlooked. It was by no means common in Zululand, or in the Tete district, but was very plentiful at the Klein Letaba. It inhabits bush country, usually singly or in pairs, and was seen sitting on the top of thorn-trees or halfway up a Mopani: it feeds on fruit and berries and insects of all kinds, for which it visits grass-fires. The flight is quite Hornbill-like, and the cry is a single loud and clear note, a sort of cross between a mew and a whistle. The soft parts of an adult are:—Irides bright yellow; bare skin round eyes, base of cheeks, and throat pale flesh- coloured; bill yellow-chrome, tips and cutting-edge of both mandibles blackish. ] 4314. HAPALODERMA NARINA,. CC. Knysna, Jan. (2); N. Illovo, Nov. (1); Z. Sibu- deni, Oct., Nov., Dec., Jan., Feb. (6); Ngoye, Sept., Oct. (4) ; Tv. Woodbush, Dec., Jan., Feb. (5). A young bird just fledged, but with the tail still ungrown, was obtained at Woodbush on January 29. It is green above, much as is the adult, but has a number of con- spicuous white spots on the coverts and inner secondaries ; (fee Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected below, the breast is buffy, mottled and irregularly barred with green and dusky. [“ Bosch-lourie” at Knysna; “ Trogon’ vaal; “Sansobi” of the Zulus. I have taken this Trogon in the Knysna, in Zululand and the North-Eastern Transvaal ; it was said to occur at Legogot, though I did not myself come across it; but I both saw and heard it in the Beira and Gorongoza districts of Portuguese Kast Africa. Where found it is fairly plentiful, and is seen either singly or in pairs; it is essentially a bird of the woods and forests, never being seen in ordinary ‘‘ bush-veld,” but occasionally in tree-fringed streams and rivers in forested districts. It is often seen flitting through the trees with a rapid twisting flight, the green back shining in the sunlight ; but when perched it is extremely difficult to detect unless the watcher catches sight of the belly, the rest of the colouring harmonizing so well with the foliage of the trees. The cry 1s only uttered in the summer season, the bird being apparently silent during the rest of the year; it is, I believe, only uttered by the male and sounds like a “ goo” several times repeated. it can be easily mistaken for the cooing of Haplopela larvata, except that with the Trogon it never varies in tone. It can be heard at a good distance and is distinctly ventriloquial, the performer often being quite close when it sounds a distance away. ‘The food of this bird consists of insects, which I have seen it catch on the wing, darting out from a fixed perch. I have never succeeded in finding the nest, but it apparently has two broods, as I have shot the young in changing plumage in February and again in April, the latter probably representing the broods hatched in January and February and the former those about October. The soft parts of the adult are :— 3. Irides rich brown ; bare skin round eyes blue, bare skin at back of eye, base of beak, and throat green and yellow ; bill lemon-yellow at base, greenish yellow at tip; legs and toes whitish flesh-coloured. ?. As in the male, except the bare patch on throat yellow, and legs and toes browner. ? of the Trans- by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 723 ? imm. Trides paler brown; bill horn-coloured, all the bare skin dusky ; legs and toes much browner. 3S juv. Irides as in imm. ?; bill horny white ; legs and toes brownish flesh-coloured.| 435. GEOCOLAPTES OLIVACEUS. Tv. Zuurbron, Apl. (1). [Since the close of the Central Cape Colony trip I have only observed this fine Woodpecker in the mountains of Namaqualand and in the mountainous country to the east of Wakkerstroom, South-Eastern Transvaal. Its loud resounding cry, not unlike the alarm “ whistle ” of the Klip- springer (Oreotragus saltator), at once betrays its presence. It spends most of its time searching the crevices of the rocks and boulders for insects, which it captures with its long flexible tongue. It can often be seen clinging to the flat surfaces of the great rocks, being easily able to hold on to any shght inequality. Its flight is very swift and straight, the cry being uttered both on the wing and when settled. Since the trip referred to above, I have been able to supple- ment the notes on the breeding-habits of this bird. I find that it invariably nests in sandy banks, generally those of dongas and spruits at the base of kopjes and mountains ; the nesting-hole does not go in to any very great depth— usually some three to four feet, with a slight upward ten- dency, ending in a cavity in which the eggs are deposited on the bare earth. Often the hole, after going in for some few inches, is turned abruptly to the right or left, and where a pair have decided to nest, a number of smaller or greater excavations can be seen where the birds have tested the bank. The soft parts of the adult are :—Irides yellowish white ; bill black ; legs and toes ashy grey. | 436. CAMPOTHERA NOTATA. CC. Plettenberg Bay, Mch. (1). [ ‘‘ Hout-Kopper” of the Cape Dutch. The Knysna Wood- pecker was only observed in the Knysna district of Cape Colony, and I did not commonly see it there. In ery and habits it much resembles C. abingdoni. 724 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected The soft parts are:—Irides hazel; bill blackish horn coloured, somewhat paler at base of lower mandible; legs and toes slate-coloured. ] 437. CAMPOTHERA ABINGDONI. N. Illovo, Nov. (2); 2 Ngoye Hills, Oct. (1); P. Coguno, Aug. (3); Masambeti, Nov. (1); Beira, Nov., Dec., Feb. (3). [The Golden-tailed Woodpecker was procured in Nata and Zululand, and in the Inhambane, Beira, and Gorongoza districts of Portuguese East Africa. It was found especially plentiful in the Inhambane and Beira districts. It is always in pairs and frequents well-timbered country, being par- ticularly partial to the dead trees left standing in native clearings, where its continued tapping betrays its presence. It has a loud sharp ery, which can be heard at a considerable distance. The flight is straight and swift, though usually only from tree to tree, the bird pitching generally on the trunk and working up to the topmost branches, searching every crevice on the way. The soft parts of the adult are:— ¢. Ivides reddish brown or purple; bill dark slate-coloured ; legs and toes grey-slate- coloured. @. Irides brown; the rest of the soft parts as in the male. | 438. CAMPOTHERA SMITHI. Tv. Klein Letaba, Sept. (1). [Only on the occasion when I secured the specimen brought home have I seen this Woodpecker ; a pair were then observed. In cry and habits it resembles C. abingdoni. The soft parts are :—lIrides reddish brown; bill blackish slate-coloured ; legs and toes slate-coloured. | 439. CAMPOTHERA MALHERBII FOLLEBORNI. Neumann, Journ. f. Orn. 19C0, p. 204; O.-Grant, Bull. 5.0, C.xx1,1908, 2p: 66, P. Masambeti, Nov. (2). This subspecies, recently described by Neumann from Langenburg on Lake Nyasa, seems to be hardly separable by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 725 from the typical form, C. malherdii, originally described from Zanzibar. However that may be, it is a new species for South Africa, though it was included by Swynnerton (¢ Ibis,’ 1908, p. 410) in his list of the birds of Gazaland, having been taken at Chirinda on the Mashonaland- Portuguese frontier. Curiously enough, Gunning and Haaener in their recently published Check-list of South-African birds include it on the strength of its being recorded from Zomba (!) by Reichenow. IT need hardly add that Zomba (in Nyasaland) is far to the north of the Zambesi, the boundary for South Africa recog- nised by these authors. [The occasion on which I secured my pair was the only time that I saw this Woodpecker. In ery and habits it exactly resembles the common C. abingdoni, and except for its smaller size can easily be passed over for that species. Although the two specimens were shot on different days, 1 have little doubt but that they were a pair, as the male was found in the same tree in which the two birds had been originally observed. | 440, DENDROPICUS CARDINALIS,. Tv. Woodbush, Jan. (1). 440 a. DeNDROPICUS CARDINALIS HARTLAUBI. Z. Jususie Valley, Dec. (1); P. Coguno, Aug. (3); Masambeti, Nov. (4); Tambarara, Apl., June (2); Tete, Aug., Sept. (2). As one would naturally expect, the Zululand and Coguno examples are more or less intermediate between the typical form from South Africa and D. c. hartlaubi originally described from Zanzibar. [*‘ Squopamiti ” of the Zulus, This little Woodpecker was noted in most of the localities visited in Eastern and East-Central South Africa from Zululand northwards to the Zambesi. It was scarce in Zuluiand, but became more plentiful the further north I went, being especially so in Portuguese East Africa. It was SERS IX.—-VOL: V- BC 725 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected observed in pairs, or, during the latter end of the breeding- season, in family-parties, and frequented both ordinary bush- veld and denser woods or patches of forest, being more especially noticed searching for food on the dead trees in the native clearings. In ery and habits it is exactly a smaller replica of C. abingdoni. The soft parts are :— &. Irides crimson ; bill, legs and toes slate-coloured. 9. Ivides reddish brown; bill, legs and toes slate-coloured. Juv. Trides brown; bill horn-coloured, paler at base of lower mandible; legs and toes pale slate-coloured. ] 441. TuHripras NAMAQUUS. Tv. Klein Letaba, Sept. (1); P. Coguno, Aug. (1) ; Beira, Nov., Dec. (2); Tete, Aug., Sept. (3). [I have found this striking Woodpecker in the North- Eastern Transvaal and in the Inhambane, Beira, Goron- goza, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa. Only one pair was observed in the low veld of the North-Eastern Transvaal, where the male was shot, but it was more plentiful in the Portuguese country, especially from Beira to the Zambesi, although nowhere can it be said to be common. It is always found in pairs and has all the habits of the other Woodpeckers, but its larger size compared with the other bush-veld haunting species and its louder and harsher note at once betray its presence; and when once seen and heard, it cannot be mistaken for any other species or be easily overlooked. Like C. abingdoni and D. hartlaubi, this species has a great partiality for dead trees, especially those left standing in clearings and native gardens, The soft parts are :— ¢@ & 9. Inrides crimson; bill, legs and toes dark slate-coloured. | 442, MesoPicus GRISEOCEPHALUS. CC. Knysna, Dec., Jan. (7); Z. Sibudeni, Nov. (4); Tv. Zuurbron, Apl., May (2); Woodbush, Nov. (6). [“‘ Squopamiti ” of the Zulus. This species is strictly a bird of the forest, and does not inhabit ordinary well-timbered country (‘“ bush-veld”’) as by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. — tae do most of the other Woodpeckers. I noted it as common in the forests of the Knysna, Zululand and Natal, the South-Eastern and North-Eastern Transvaal, but no sign of it appeared in the great virgin forests of Portuguese Hast Africa, although those of the Gorongoza district seem as well suited to its habits as those further south. It was observed both singly and in pairs, the cry being some- what loud, but perhaps not so harsh as that of the other Woodpeckers. Although I have seen this bird right through the summer season, I have never succeeded in observing a pair nesting. The soft parts of both sexes are :—Irides dark crimson ; bill, legs and toes slate-coloured. In many specimens the greater part of the lower mandible is pearly white. | 443, IyNx RUFICOLLIS. Tv. Woodbush, May 23, 25 (4). Mr. Grant’s notes strengthen my conclusion (B.S. Afr. ui. p. 143) that this bird is only a winter visitor to South Africa. [I have not observed this Wryneck elsewhere than in the Woodbush, North-Eastern Transvaal, where I spent some months from April onwards; it was not until the latter end of May that this species put in an appearance, when I secured the only four specimens seen, after which I did not see or hear another. In the early morning these birds could be heard calling from the tops of the trees, but were silent throughout the rest of the day. Whether they were passing through on migration it is impossible to say posi- tively, but the fact that none was seen or heard before or after tends to that conclusion. The soft parts are:—Irides russet-brown ; bill, legs and toes pale whitish green. | 445. INDICATOR MAJOR, Tv. Legogot, Apl. (1). [Only at Sibudeni in Zululand, and at Legogot, Eastern Transvaal, where the specimen secured was shot, have I noted this Honey-Guide. The specimen secured was sitting on a aC2 728 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected thorn-bush, calling quietly to itself; this may have been a sort of song, as the usual note is loud and clear. I have seen so few examples of this species that I have been unable to make any exact observations on its habits. The soft parts are :—Irides hazel; bill, legs and toes blue- slate-coloured. | 445. INDICATOR VARIEGATUS. Z. Ngoye Hills, Oct. (1); Tv. Legogot, Apl. (1) ; P. Tambarara, July (1). [I have observed this Honey-Guide in the Knysna, Zulu- land, and Legogot, Eastern Transvaal, and from the forests of the Gorongoza district. As with the others, I have been extraordinarily unlucky in coming across this species, and it was only in the Eastern Transvaal that I was able in any way to study its habits. What has been said by Sparrmann about the guiding-habits of J. indicator is equally true of this bird, and I have myself on several occasions found the nests of bees by its aid. At the Cape the natives say that it is useless to follow a pair, as they are only calling to each other, but that it is the single birds which endeavour to attract attention. I have not been able to prove this con- clusively, although it is true that all those which I have followed have been solitary. It does not, however, always happen that the bird takes its follower to honey, as it often brings him to snakes, leopards, and sometimes to game. The soft parts are :—lIrides brown; bill blackish, pale at base of lower mandible; legs and toes pale slate-coloured. | 447, INDICATOR MINOR. 4. Hluhluwe Stream, Aug. (1); Ngoye Hills, Oct. (1). {Only on the two occasions when I shot specimens did I find this little Honey-Guide. It appears to be very retiring in habits, and like J. variegatus is partial to well-wooded and forest country. I have not recorded its call or other habits, having seen so little of the species. The soft parts are :—Irides hazel; bill blackish brown, much paler at base of lower mandible ; legs and toes slate- coloured. | by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. ine 449. Lysius rorquatus. W. Illovo, Nov. (2); 4. Jususie Valley, Jan. (1); Ngoye Forest and Hills, Sept. (2); Tv. Woodbush, May, June (4) ; Legogot, Apl., May (2); P. Masambeti, Nov. (1) ; Beira, Wea. Pepin). The examples from Beira and Masambeti are distinctly smaller than those from the Transvaal—wing 84-88 against 93-95; and in this respect they approach the East African L. wroratus, but they retain the characteristic plumage of L. torquatus. [This Common Barbet was found in Natal and Zululand, northwards and eastwards to the North-Eastern Transvaal and the Beira and Gorongoza Districts, It is usually observed in pairs, and frequents well-timbered country, where its loud resounding cry can be often heard, In the early mornings it is frequently seen sitting on the topmost boughs of the trees, probably enjoying the first warm rays of the sun, uttering at intervals its cry, and bobbing up and dewn in a funny fashion, opening and shutting the wings each time. Both male and female call. The flight is swift and straight, and generally only from tree to tree unless the bird is greatly alarmed. Its food consists mainly of fruit and berries, for which it visits orchards and gardens, but it also devours a goodly number of insects. I have seen it examining and going in and out of holes of trees, apparently with the idea of nesting, but I have never succeeded in finding the eggs. The soft parts of the adult are :—Ivides red-brown ; bill, legs and toes black. In the young bird the irides are hazel ; bill brownish black ; legs and toes as in the adult. | 450. TRicHOLA:MA LEUCOMELAS. CC. Klipfontein, Apl., July (4). [Since the Central Cape Colony trip I have only seen this Barbet in Namaqualand, where it was quite common and resident. It is usually found in pairs and feeds principally on berries and fruit, for which it visits gardens and orchards. It does considerable damage to green and ripe fruit, espe- cially figs. It has aloud ery of two or three syllables and 730 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected is active in habits, often hanging upside down like a Tit when feeding or endeavouring to reach some special food. The soft parts are:—Irides hazel; bill, legs and toes black. ] 452, SMILORHIS LEUCOTIS. P. Beira, Jan, Feb. (5) ; Tambarara, June (2). [Only in the Beira and Gorongoza districts of Portuguese East Africa have I seen this striking Barbet. It cannot be said to be common even there, although several individuals were observed, most of which were secured. I noticed it both in pairs and family-parties, and until I shot them they could be seen every morning sitting on the topmost branches of dead trees after the manner of Lybius torquatus. This is a local resident species, keeping to the same ground and frequenting the same trees. The call is loud and different from that of the other Barbets, and the flight is swift and straight, but seldom long sustained. When I reached Beira it had apparently already bred, as young birds assuming the adult feathering were secured in company with the parent birds in February. The soft parts are:—Irides dark brown; bill, legs and toes black. | 456. BarBATULA EXTONI. Tv. Woodbush, June (1). [The specimen sent is the only one that I have ever seen : it was shot pottering about in a Euphorbia. It was both solitary and silent. The soft parts are :—Irides dark brown; bill, legs and toes black. | 457. BARBATULA BILINEATA. Z. Ngoye Forest, Sept. (1). [ As in the case of the preceding species, I have only once seen this Barbet. The specimen was noticed creeping about in a thick bush intertwined with brambies. It was solitary and silent. The soft parts are :—Irides dark brown; bill, legs and toes black.] by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 731 458. TRACHYPHONUS CAFER. Tv. Klein Letaba, Aug., Sept. (4). [I have only noticed this species in the North-Eastern Transvaal, where it was common in the bush-veld below the Berg, and again in the Gorongoza and Tete districts of Portuguese Hast Africa, where it was decidedly scarce. Ia habits it is retiring and, as arule, frequents thick bush along the dongas and rivers. It has a peculiar loud call and is more often heard than seen. The soft parts are :—Irides red-brown ; orbits dusky ; bill yellowish green, apical portion pale slate-coloured ; legs and toes dark slate-coloured. | 459. CucuLus GULARIS. P. Beira, Jan. 29 (1). {Several individuals of this species arrived around Beira in company with C. canorus in January, but were so wild that they could seldom be approached within shot. They were observed sitting in the larger trees or on the bare topmost branches of dead ones, and had no eall. The soft parts are :—lIrides pale dirty yellow; eyelid yellow; bill greenish yellow at base, black at tip and ridge of culmen ; gape orange. | 460. CucULUs CANORUS. P. Beira, Feb. 13, 16 (2). One of the birds is immature and shews traces of rufous barring on the back. [This Cuckoo arrived in company with C. gudaris in January and remained up to the time I left the Beira district, which was in March. It was indistinguishable from C. gularis on the wing and when sitting, and had no call. The soft parts are :—Adult. Irides darkish yellow ; eyelid yellow ; bill at base greenish yellow, black at tip and ridge of culmen ; legs and toes lemon-yellow. Imm. Irides pale dirty yellow; eyelid yellow; bill at base ereenish yellow, black at tip and ridge of culmen; legs and toes lemon-yellow. | ray Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected 462. CUCULUS SOLITARIUS. Z. Sibudeni, Nov. 1 (1). [“ Piet-myn-vrow ” of the Colonists and Dutch ; ‘“ Pago- m-kono” of the Zulus. This Cuckoo frequents well-wooded and forested localities, where it is more often heard than seen. It is very shy and retiring, and as it generally keeps within the forest, where it flits backwards and forwards calling all the time, it is a most difficult bird to secure; in fact, only on the occasion when I shot the specimen brought home did I ever see it, although I spent many hours searching for the bird. It 1s migratory, and I only heard it calling in the first months of the summer season. I have noted it in Zululand (Nov.), the Woodbush Hills (Oct. & Nov. 1905), and at Masambeti (Nov. & Dec. 1906). The call is of three whistles, the last being much lower in tone than the other two, and is audible at a considerable distance; it is on its call that both the Colonial and native names are founded. Owing to its being so shy and retiring I was unable to learn anything about its breeding-habits. The soft parts are:—Irides brown; orbits bright lemon- vellow; bill, upper mandible dark slate-coloured, lower greenish yellow ; legs and toes bright lemon-yellow.] 464. CurysococcyxX SMARAGDINEUS. %. Sibudeni, Dec. 19 2, Jan. 21, 23,3 ’s (8); Tv. Wood- bush, Nov. 23, Dec. 5, 8, 3’s (8). [“« Emerald Cuckoo ” of the Colonists ; “ Libentonyane 2 of the Zulus. The Emerald Cuckoo is essentially a bird of the forests, where in the summer season its unmistakable cali can be heard. It was heard in the forests of the Nkandhla Range in Zululand and in those of the Woodbush Hills in the North-Eastern Transvaal, while I heard one calling at Storms Liver, between the Knysna and Port Elizabeth, in Dec. 1904, although when I reached the Knysna none was heard. Its call is a whistle of four distinct notes, the last two being lower than the other two, and can be heard at a considerable distance, the bird sitting among the leafy boughs of some tall tree. by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 733 Only the male calls, the female being very retiring in habits and difficult to secure. The colours of this Cuckoo so per- fectly match the green of the trees that I have found not a little difficulty in distinguishing it when sitting still, although I have actually located the tree in which the bird is by its call. Each male appears to frequent the same spot day after day and keeps to the part of the forest it has reserved for itself, and never have I heard two calling from the same spot. The female from Zululand was shot at the nest of a Sunbird which was still in course of construction and which she was evidently watching. The soft parts are:—¢. Inides brown ; eyelid greenish blue ; bill greenish yellow, bluish at gape; legs and toes blue- slate-coloured, nails black. ?. Irides brown; eyelid blue; base of bill blue, tip black ; legs and toes slate-coloured.] 465. CHRYSOCOCCYX KLAASI. Cc. Durban Rd., Sept. 16 (1); Z. Umfolosi Station, July 15 (1); P. Coguno, Aug. 24 (1). When I prepared the ‘ Birds of South Africa’ I believed that this Cuckoo did not winter in South Africa, but it has since been taken by Taylor at Barberton in June (Bull. B. O. C. xvi. p. 7) and by Ivy in Albany and Davies in Pondo- Jand in the same month, so that it is evidently a resident or partial resident in South Africa throughout the year, [I have seen Klaas’s Cuckoo in the Cape Peninsula, near Umfolosi, and at Coguno. Except at the Cape, where a pair were seen, I have only noted it singly. It frequents the out- skirts of patches of bush, and I have found it very shy and retiring in habits. The cry is a single note, generally uttered on the wing. The soft parts are :—Irides dark brown ; bill pale green ; legs and toes very pale green. | 466. CHRYSOCOCCYX CUPREUS. Tv. Woodbush, Jan. 3 (1); Pietersburg, Mch. 2 & 4 (2). [‘* Didiic ” of the Colonists. I have observed the Golden Cuckoo in the Northern 734 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected Transvaal near Pietersburg, and a pair were seen at Masam- beti, near Beira, on the 10th Oct., 1906. This species is generally met with in the thorns and bushes along the streams and rivers, and often in the orchards and trees of cultivated gardens. It has a loud ery, which is especially uttered when the birds first arrive and when they chase each other. The flight is swift, but never long sustained. The soft parts are:—Irides red; eyelid red; bill, upper mandible black, lower fleshy ; legs and toes blackish. | 468. CoccystEs JACOBINUS. P.. Beira, Feb. 9 (1). [Only near Beira have I seen this Cuckoo, where several pairs were noticed creeping about in the rough growths and bamboos on the ant-heaps. It was wild and not easy of approach, and I did not hear it utter any call. The soft parts are :—Ilrides dusky black ; bill, legs and toes blackish. | 469. CoccysTES HYPOPINARIUS. Tv. Woodbush, Dec. 28, 30, Jan. 9, 15 (6). [Whilst on the North-Eastern Transvaal trip, from April 1905 to March 1906, this Cuckoo made an appearance in October, proclaiming itself by its loud call. It was in pairs, and frequented the thorns and bushes, generally along the spruits and streams. After afew weeks it became silent and retiring in habits, but I could not discover whether it was breeding or not. The soft parts are :--Irides dusky ; bill, legs and toes blackish. ] 472. CENTROPUS BURCHELLI. N. Illovo, Nov. (1); @. Jususie Valley, Dee. (1) ; Umfolosi Station, July, Aug. (5) ; Tv. Klein Letaba, Aug. (1); P. Beira, Nov., Dec. (2). [This species is common in most localities throughout Eastern and East-Central South Africa. It is perhaps more plentiful to the south than nearer the Zambesi. It frequents thick vegetation and undergrowth, generally by Mr, Claude Grant in South Africa. 739 along streams and rivers or marshy places. Although almost exclusively a ground bird, it will sometimes perch on branches and in bushes and trees, especially when disturbed. The flight is slow and floppy and seldom long sustained. The call, which is more often heard in wet weather than in dry, and is more frequently uttered in the early morning, is a series of liquid notes running up and down the scale, not easily described, but which cannot be mistaken for that of any other bird. I have never succeeded in locating a nest. The soft parts are :—Inides red ; bill, legs and toes black. | 4.76. CENTROPUS SUPERCILIOSUS. P. Coguno, Aug. (1). This bird is a female not quite adult, which agrees in every respect with C. superciliosus, except that it has a single blue- black feather on the nape which looks as if more were coming and that eventually it would develop into C. burchelli ; buat C. superciliosus undoubtedly does occur in South Africa, though it is by no means so common as OC. burchelli. 478, CreUTHMOCHARES AUSTRALIS. ©. ‘Beira, Web. (1). [I have only on one occasion come across this species and that was in a dense patch of forest within five miles of Beira, It was seen skulking and creeping about in some parasitic plants growing on one of the trees. I do not know its call, and it is a species that might easily be overlooked owing to the dense nature of the country in which it lives. The soft parts are:—Irides dark crimson; bill yellow, base of culmen black; legs and toes black. | 479. TuRACUS CORYTHAIX. CC. Knysna, Dec., Jan., Feb. (26); Plettenberg Bay, Mch. (1). [“ Lourie” of the Colonists; ‘ Gwalagwala”’ of the Zulus. Curiously enough, I have only taken this Turaco in the Knysna district, and have heard it only in one other locality and that was in the Nkandhla Forest in Zululand, where it 736 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected was once common but is now distinctly scarce, owing, it is said, to its having been shot out by Cetywayo’s hunters ; the red feathers of the wings were that king’s special perquisite. In the forest of the Knysna district it is very plentiful and is usually seen in flocks of from half a dozen to a dozen, occasionally in pairs. It is a sociable species, and if one is shot from a flock the others, although alarmed at the report of the gun, will soon return and look for their mate, when another can be secured, and so, if one stays long enough, the whole party can be taken. When in the trees it has a creeping action, running along the branches and peering round on the intruder, continually raising and lowering the crest, and gradually working up to the topmost boughs, from which it finally takes flight to another tree ; the red primaries are very brilliant when the sun catches them. They are also most inquisitive birds, and I have had them, when I have been quietly lying up for bluebuck or small birds, come jumping aud running through the trees within a few feet of me, examining me first from one point and then from another, uttering occasionally their harsh alarm-note and taking flight in a great hurry when I waved my arm. This species feeds almost exclusively on fruit and berries, and the cry is a harsh croaking noise which can be heard at a great distance. It calls generally in the early morning and late afternoon, often all day long when the weather is wet; sometimes not a bird is heard for days together, but this is generally when the weather is fine and warm. The soft parts of the adult are :—Irides brown ; orbits red ; bill orange-red ; legs and toes black. In the young the irides are raw sienna, the orbits dusky ; bill brown or brownish red; legs and toes black. ] TURACUS CORYTHAIX PH@BUS. Neumann, Ornith. Monatsb, 1907, p. 198. Tv. Woodbush, Nov., Dec. (5). Neumann has recently shown that the “Louries ” of the Eastern Transvaal are separable from those of Cape Colony by the colour of the back and tail, which is of a rich metallic by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 737 blue without any trace of green. This distinction is quite obvious when the Woodbush Louries are compared with those from Knysna. Neumann’s type is an adult male from the Kaap near Barberton in the Transvaal, now in the Liverpool Museum, and he also mentions two examples in the British Museum from the Lydenburg District. Others from Knysna, Elands Post, and King Williamstown in Cape Colony, and from Durban, all specimens in the British Museum, are typical T. corythaiv. [‘* Lourie ” of the Transvaal Colonists. Only in the forest of the Woodbush Hills in the North- Eastern Transvaal have I seen this form of the Knysna Lourie. There it is decidedly plentiful, and in every habit and action it resembles the southern 7. corythaix and cannot, until handled, be distinguished from that species. The soft parts are also similar. | 480. TURACUS LIVINGSTONII. P. Tambarara, Mch. (1). (“ Nkurukuru”’ of the Gorongozas. Livingstone’s Turaco much resembles in general habits the common 7’. corythaiz. I have found it only in forest country and either singly or in pairs, never in flocks, It was by no means plentiful in the Gorongoza forests, where it frequented the denser parts and was more often heard than seen. The cry is similar to that of 7. corythaiv, but rather harsher. The native name is derived from its alarm-note. The soft parts are:—Irides brown ; orbits red; bill red- orange ; legs and toes black. ] TURACUS REICHENOWI. Reichenow, Vog. Afr. ii. p. 53; C. Grant, Bull. B. O.C. xxl. 1908, p. 66. P. Masambeti, Nov. (1). This bird, taken for the first time within South African limits, differs from 7. livingstonii very much in the same way in which 7. c. phebus ditfers from 7. corythaix, by the pure blue metallic coloration of the lower back, wings, and tail, without any traces of green. 738 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected I have not been able to find any examples which exactly match this bird in the British Museum. All the Nyasaland examples, of which there is a long series, seem to be true T. livingstonit. [“ Nkurukuru ” of the Niebis. This species was by no means common, only two or three being observed in the thicker patches of forest near Beira ; but whether they were of this form or the ordinary 7. living- stonii it is quite impossible to say, as in general habits and call it exactly resembles that species. The soft parts are also similar. | 481. GALLIREX PORPHYREOLOPHUS. N. Illovo, Nov. (2); Tv. Legogot, Apl., May (2) ; d P. Coguno, Aug. (2) ; Beira, Feb. (1). 482. GALLIREX PORPHYREOLOPHUS CHLOROCHLAMYS. PB. Vete, Ane. (2); The Zambesi Purple-crested Lourie apparently replaces the southern typical form only in the Zambesi Valley proper ; specimens from Beira are identical with those of Natal. [‘* Gwalagwala ” of the Natal natives ; * Ngulegule ” of the Machangaans and Machopees; ‘Nkurukuru” of the Ntebis. This species appears to be confined to the low veld of the eastern side of South Africa. I have noted it in Natal, the Eastern Transvaal, and in the Inhambane and Beira districts of Portuguese East Africa. Except in Natal it is not partial to forest, and is usually found in the thicker and denser parts of ordinary “ bush-veld”’ country, where it occurs singly or in pairs, creeping about the trees and brushwood in search of fruit and berries after the manner of the other Louries. The flight is swift and gliding, harsh and resonant, deeper than that of 7uracus and different in tone. g, with little movement of the wings, and the cry is The soft parts are :—Irides very dark brown; eyelid red ; bill, legs and toes black. ] by Mr. Claude Grant in South Africa. 739 483. ScH1zoRHIS CONCOLOR. Tv. Klein Letaba, July, Aug., Sept. (8); P. Tete, Aug. (1). [‘‘Go-away” bird of the Colonists; “ Nkwenyane” of the Machangaans and Machopees. I first saw this Lourie in Zululand, north of the Hluhluwe Stream, where I noted it in threes and fours in the thorn-trees, but it was so wary that I was unable to secure specimens. I subsequently met with it in the Eastern and the North- fastern Transvaal, and in the Inhambane and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa. It frequents “ bush-veld,” and I have only once observed it on the high veld proper, and that was on the Pietersburg—Klein Letaba road, where a few were seen in the thorn-trees along the edge of the Berg. It appears to be somewhat local; for instance, it is not found south of the Hluhluwe Stream in Zululand, and in the Inhambane District it is confined to the valleys of the Inyasuni and Yamatemda Rivers, where the country is more or less open, and is not met with either in the Beira or Gorongoza districts of the Portugucse country, although common around Tete. It is usually found in companies of about half a dozen flopping about in the trees, feeding on the berries and fruit or lazily flying from tree to tree. It has a loud drawn-out cry of ‘* kway,” sometimes singly, sometimes doubly repeated. Although wary and keeping out of shot as a rule, it is most inquisitive, and will accompany a man for long distances, either on one side or more often in front, perching on the tops of trees and giving vent to its aggravating cry, jerking up the tail and continually raising and depressing its crest. From this habit it has earned a bad reputation among hunters, as it warns the game of the approach of danger, the cry sounding as though the bird was calling to the game to “go away.” ‘The natives also attribute this to the bird, and I have seen them strike off in another direction because of its persistence in keeping in touch with them; I have myself blown the bird to pieces with a rifle-ball in pure exasperation. The soft parts are :—Inides hazel; bill, legs and toes black, ] 740 Birds collected by Mr. C. Grant in South Africa. 484, PmocEPHALUS ROBUSTUS. Tv. Zuurbron, Apl., May (2). [ “ Papegaai”’ of Colonists. Only in the Wakkerstroom district of the Transvaal and the Beira and Gorongoza districts of Portuguese East Africa have I noted this Parrot. It is generally observed in pairs or threes and frequents forest country, feeding on the wild fruits and berries. It is wary and not easily approached within shot. The ery is a single loud note often repeated, especially when the birds are passing high overhead from one part of the forest to another. The soft parts of an adult are :—Irides brown; bill pearly; legs and toes slightly slate-coloured. | 486. PamocEPHALUS FUSCICAPILLUS. Tv. Klein Letaba, July, Aug., Sept. (6); P. Coguno, June (2) ; Beira, Dec. (3). Mr. Claude Grant remarks (below) that in one of the Klein Letaba examples and in all three from Beira the axillaries as well as the under wing-coverts are yellow, while in the other examples they are green. As there are signs of green on some of the yellow axillaries, it seems probable that the birds with the yellow axillaries are immature. The male from Klein Letaba (dated Sept. 6) with yellow axillaries is also slightly smaller both in the wing and bill and has the notch of the upper mandible but slightly indicated, all signs of immaturity. [In the three examples from Beira and one from the Klein Letaba the axillaries are yellow. Inthe other five specimens from the Klein Letaba and the two from Coguno the axillaries are green. This is probably due to age, as one with yellow axillaries shews distinct traces of the green colouring, and one or two with green axillaries have them tinged with yellow. It was not till I reached the Klein Letaba country that I came across this species; afterwards I found it in the Inham- bane, Beira, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa. This little Parrot is generally seen in pairs, often also in Birds noticed during a Voyage to Alexandria. 741 small parties of half a dozen. Its flight is very rapid and straight, and the cry is clear and sharp and often repeated, especially when on the wing. It feeds principally on berries and wild fruit, and I have noticed that it drinks regularly, usually about noon, The soft parts are :—Irides pale yellow; bill, upper mandible blackish, lower pearly ; legs and toes slaty. ] [To be continued. | XXIX.—On the Birds noticed during a Voyage to Alexandria. By Cuaup B. Ticzunurst, M.A., M.R.C.S., M.B.O.U. In the spring of 1909 I went by a slow passenger-steamer to Alexandria. As there are not a great number of papers dealing with bird-life seen at sea and in the neighbourhood of the ports of call, I think that it may be worth while to put on record the names of such species as I came across, especi- ally as I was on the look out the whole time, and kept careful notes of those that I met with. Short calls of a few hours were made at Gibraltar, Algiers, and Malta, and nearly all the time available at these places was devoted to studying the bird-lhfe of the neighbourhood. [ left Liverpool on April the 13th, 1909, in the s.s. ‘Menes.’ In the Mersey were noted Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Terring-Gulls, both adult and immature, and some Common Gulls. The next day, as we went down the Welsh coast, Herring-Gulls, Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and Kittiwakes followed the ship the whole day, and these were almost all adult birds ; two adult Gannets were also seen. At dusk about a dozen Manx Shearwaters appeared from the west flying in towards land. Had these birds come from the Irish coast, or had they been resting on the sea during the day ? On the 15th, we were out of sight of land after leaving the Scilly Islands at 3 a.m., and birds were scarce; a few adult and immature Great Black-backed Gulls (Larus marinus) and Puffins were all that were seen, except a large Skua in the SER, 1X.—VOL. V. 3D 742 Mr. C. B. Ticehurst on the Birds noticed distance. We were then over one hundred miles from land. The next day, passing through the Bay, we saw only one or two Gannets and some immature Gulls. On the 17th we were running down the Portuguese coast with land never more than fifty miles distant, and Gulls were more numerous; several adult and immature Lesser Black-backs and some adult Yellow-legged Herring-Gulls followed the boat all day. The latter birds were easily identifiable, as when they sailed close over head their yellow legs were conspicuous: an immature Gannet was the only other species seen. The next day we passed close to Cape St. Vincent, and here a Hoopoe was brought to me which had settled on the ship exhausted. It had nothing in its gizzard and the ovary was slightly enlarged, so the bird must have flown a considerable distance to be so exhausted as not to be able to reach land, only two miles distant; moreover, the weather was calm. Two other birds, which I did not see, settled on the ship during the day, and soon flew to the north, so that even if they had come from the nearest point on the African coast a hundred and fifty to two hundred miles distant, and their point of exit may have been much further off, they were performing a long sea journey instead of crossing the Straits. But it may be that their objectives were the river valleys of the Guadiana and Guadalquivir, up which, perhaps, there are big migration-routes. These records may seem little to base any theory on, but it must be remembered that at sea, as on land, for every bird one observes migrating there are probably hundreds of others on the same course which are not met with. The only other birds seen this day were an immature Great Black-backed Gull and an adult Puffinus Kuhl. On the 19th of April we were at Gibraltar, and having all the morning ashore, I started early and walked to the Carboneros hills at the head of the bay near Campamento. The cha- racter of the ground here has altered much since Col. Irby’s time, and, as all the cork-woods have gone, many birds have gone with them. Round the foot of the hills is a sandy waste covered with coarse grass, and dotted about here and during a Voyage to Alexandria. 743 there are small houses and gardens, but very few trees. Here I saw a few Redstarts, Common Wheatears, Wood- Chats, Garden- Warblers, and Crested Larks, while Swallows, House-Martins, and Swifts were numerous. The Sparrow of Gibraltar appeared to be P. domesticus. Further up the hillside the ground became broken with big boulders and plentifully covered by gorse and heather, which in places was high. Bird-life was not abundant, but the two commonest species were the Sardinian Warbler (Sylvia melanocephala) and the Spectacled Warbler (Sylvia conspi- cillata). Both these birds have pretty warbling songs, and the former in its habits much resembles the Common White- throat, as it mounts up into the air and hovers, singing the while; it also has a loud scolding note. Both these species were evidently breeding, and were feeding their young on beetles and other insects. Equally common was the Stonechat (Pratincola rubicola), which was also nesting. Compared with our British Stonechat at the same time of year, this bird has much of the grey edgings to the feathers of its back worn off, so that the upper parts look almost black while the under parts are noticeably paler. I saw one or two pairs of Black-throated Chats (Saxicola occidentalis of Salvadori), but judging from their organs they were not breeding; a male had all the body- feathers quite fresh, and had evidently not long moulted, while the tail also looked quite new. Other birds which were numerous were Kestrels, Spanish Ravens, and Gold- finches. There were also some Nightingales which evidently had just arrived ; they were very shy, skulking, and silent. I witnessed an interesting arrival of Bee-eaters; they came in high up from over the Straits and went on inland to the north, uttering their well-known call-note. Another bird which I saw arrive from Africa was the Eared Chat (Savxicola caterine of Whitaker). I saw it first as a speck high up over Gibraltar: it gradually came nearer, and finally pitched close to me ona rock; the testes were fairly enlarged and there were the remains of beetles in its gizzard. As regards Vultures, I saw several Neophron percnopterus, both 3D2 744 Mr. C. B. Ticehurst on the Birds noticed adults and young; one was feeding on a carcase in the village of Linnea: Griffon Vultures I also saw, the square tail and extended primaries being very noticeable; on one oceasion there were five wheeling round together. In Gibraltar Harbour there were adult Larus fuscus and L. cachinnans, many immature L. ridibundus and L. melano- cephalus, while I saw one adult of the latter species in full winter plumage and one immature bird with a partial hood. As we left Gibraltar flock after flock of Puffins were steadily passing west through the Straits, evidently a migratory movement, and during the afternoon scattered parties of Swallows kept crossing from the African coast. On April the 20th, in fine weather, with a light N.E. wind, some Swallows passed the ship, going N. by E.,— we were then seventy miles from the African shore and thirty from Capo de Gata; more passed during the day : the only other birds seen were afew Puffins. Onthe 21st we put into Algiers, and were about seven hours ashore. Not knowing where to go, [struck out to the country on the west of the town. Here were many gardens and scattered houses, and, further on, village after village with little or no open land except gardens. Swallows, House-Martins, and Nightingales were plentiful; the last in full song. Many other birds were seen, including the following species probably on migration:—Common Red- start, Pied Flycatcher, Blackcap, Willow Wren, Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Wryneck, Blue-headed Wag- tail. The Algerian Chaffinch was singing; I could not be certain of any difference in song between it and our bird, but the alarm-note seemed quite distinctly weaker and less metallic than that of our bird. The Wagtail was typical Motacilla flava; the Linnets looked markedly paler, but the Blue Tits very brilliant and with adark crown. To any one visiting Algiers, the walk that I took could not be bettered for seeing some of the common birds in a short time, but there are too many people and gardens for collecting. The next day we skirted along the African coast, which was about six or eight miles distant, but a few adult Gulls (Larus during a Voyage to Alexandria. 745 cachinnans) were the only birds seen. On the 23rd we were off the Bay of Tunis, and during the day Isaw an immature Gannet and some young Larus marinus and adult L.cachinnans. Some small Shearwaters, probably Puffinus yelkouwanus, were observed about ten miles N.W. of Pantellaria, and in the evening afew Swallows came on board. The following morning we were in Malta, and on visiting the market I found a few birds exposed for sale. Turtle-Doves, Quails, and Golden Orioles (mostly fully adult birds, but some immature) were the most numerous, but there were also a Scops Owl, Cuckoo, Hoopoe, Rock- Thrush (Monticola savatilis), Red-footed Falcon, a Roller, a Short-eared Owl, and a Reeve—a truly mixed bag—which could be bought for threepence a head. Having a few hours to spare, I took acab to the Marsa and walked up a very rocky valley, on the side of which were innumerable small patches of cultivation surrounded by low stone walls, known as the Wied Zubbug. Even here, the only place near Valetta where one can get away from houses and people, I found bird-life not abundant ; but I noted the following birds :—Swallows, House-Martins, Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, Golden Orioles, a Wood-Chat, Turtle-Doves, Spectacled Warblers, Rock- Thrushes, Red-footed Falcons, and the Maltese Sparrow. All the birds were very wild, no doubt owing to native per- secution. The Rock-Thrushes were in full song; the song seemed to me rather sweet and soft, more melodious and less monotonous than that of the Song-Thrush and having more * body ” thau that of a Common Wheatear. The Spectacled Warbler was also uttering a rather pleasing little song, in parts rather like a Common Wren’s, but more warbling and varied and not so shrill. Tfound the nest of this bird where the straggling branches of a crab-tree mingled with those of a hawthorn. It seemed rather big for the size of the bird, and was composed of the dried leaves of some kind of thistle lined with dried grasses, while dotted about in the lining were the tops of a flowering grass which looked like yellowish wool and reminded me of the little bits of wool frequently seen dotted about in the nest of the Common Whitethroat ; 746 Mr. C. B. Ticehurst on the Birds noticed I wondered for what purpose these two allied species thus ‘decorate ” their nests. This nest was ready foreggs. The Maltese Sparrow (Passer domesticus melitensis) 1 saw only round houses, and even there it seemed wild, but I remarked that the striping on the flanks was very noticeable. In Floriana long earthenware bottles, with the bottoms knocked out, are put up under the eaves for these birds to nest in. On the morning of the 25th, when a hundred and eighty- three miles from Malta and from the African coast, we had Turtle-Doves passing across our bows every half-hour or so in twos and threes. None settled, and only one circled round the boat until joined by two or three others, and then went, as did all the others, N. by E. In the afternoon a Blue-head Wagtail came on board, and remained with us until we were off Alexandria—an assisted passage of seven hundred and fifty miles. Later a Meadow-Pipit and some Swallows alighted ; the latter went to roost in the saloon. On skinning the birds I had bought in the Malta market, I found that the Scops Owl had the remains of a lizard and some beetles in the gizzard and that the ovary was not enlarged appreciably ; the ovary of the Rock-Thrush was in the same state and the gizzard held the remains of beetles and snails. The Roller had the remains of beetles in its gizzard, the testes slightly enlarged ; the Red-footed Falcon had the ovary not enlarged and remains of beetles in the gizzard; the Golden Orioles had the organs slightly enlarged, and some had the remains of green and hairy caterpillars in their gizzards. The last-mentioned birds were fairly fat, the colour of the fat being bright golden. The colour of fat in birds varies some- what, and perhaps has some correlation with the colour of the plumage. I have once or twice noted that some birds with bright red in the soft paris (e. g. adult Oyster-catchers) have the fat distinctly tinged with red. The next day we were skirting along about sixty miles from the African coast, but the only birds seen were a Swallow and some Mediterranean Shearwaters; these latter were going about in parties of five or six, and their typical flight was wellseen. They seemed to fly in segments of large circles and during a Voyage to Alexandria, 747 were at their greatest height above the water at the end of the segment: then, with slanting wings, they went down to the surface and so started another flight ; when feeding they suddenly put up their wings and dived straight in; then they came up and rested on the surface a moment before resuming their flight. On the return journey we left Alexandria on May the 19th, but saw no birds till the 21st. When in long. 20°45! and a hundred miles from the African coast, two Red-footed Falcons came on board and roosted in the rigging. On the 23rd we put into Malta for an hour or so, but the only birds in the market were a few Turtle-Doves and a cage- ful of Short-toed Larks; the coloration of the latter birds varied enormously and no two seemed quite alike, especially about the head. In the harbour were a few Larus cachinnans. Off Gozo quite a number of Storm-Petrels followed the wake of the ship and came with us all day—that is, they presumably flew a hundred and twenty miles from their nesting-places. In the evening, when about forty miles equidistant from Pantellaria and the Sicilian coast, some House-Martins came on board and roosted. Some more came on board the next evening. The only other birds seen on the voyage to Gibraltar were a few Larus cachinnans and small Shear- waters. Just before we got opposite Gibraltar on the 27th, a Willow-Warbler came on board and, after remaining a few minutes, flew to land east of Gibraltar, making an un- necessarily long journey, as we thought. In the Straits some Puflins were still to be seen, and over the Rock, flying in a wedge-formation to the westward, was a flock of about a hundred and fifty Flamingoes, probably on their way to the Guadalquivir. On the 28th, when off Lisbon, I saw some immature Ganunets, and a few more in the Bay of Biscay. Otherwise birds were few until we neared the French coast off Ushant and the Channel, when Kittiwakes, Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls, adult and immature, and im- mature Gannets were met with, and off the Scilly Islands Puffins were seen ; off Holy Isle, in addition to the Gulls were Common Terns, Guillemots, Manx Shearwaters, and a Black Tern: 748 Mr. il. S. Dove on the Relation of the XXX.—On the Relation of the Spine-tailed Swift (Chetura caudacuta) to Weather Conditions in Victoria and Tasmania. By H. Sruart Dove, F.Z.S., M.R.A.O.U. During a_ stay among the mountains of Northern Tasmania I used to notice that the Spine-tailed Swift usually appeared in connexion with an atmospheric disturbance ; and observations since carried out both in Victoria and Tasmania appear to fully confirm my idea that this species finds something attraetive in that part of a country where an alteration in the weather is either pending, has just taken place, or is actually in progress. It may be well to state, first, that this fine Swift comes down south from China and Japan, and, after spending the summer months with us, departs again for the north in the autumn. There is great variation in the numbers which annually visit us, for during some seasons scarcely any are seen, while during others, such as the summer recently past (which has, by the way, been a remarkably unsettled one), the Swifts are seen in such numbers as absolutely to force themselves upon our attention. I have recorded a number of appearances, both during the summer of 1909-10 and that of 1910-11, and will now give these in sequence as they were written down. During the summer first named, that of 1909-10, which was much more settled than that which has just left us, I was residing in the island State of Tasmania, and saw no Swifts at all until March 4th, 1910, when a solitary specimen was sighted; on the 8th of the same month a small party of the Spine-tails was seen near the beach at West Devonport, North- West Tasmania, where insects were plentiful in the warm humid atmosphere which prevailed after the heavy rains of the previous day and night. Before this, we had enjoyed a long spell of hot weather, during which none of the birds were observed; thus it will be noticed that as soon as a change in the atmosphere occurred the Swifts were quick to respond, Of this party at the coast, some swooped along near the ground, others high up; they often turned Spine-tailed Swift to Weather Conditions. 719 obliquely to one side or the other when in flight, sometimes moving the wings, especially when rising to a higher elevation, but often making long sailing flights on motion- less pinions, especially when cn the downward curve. This Swift does not appear to make any call when in flight ; it is a silent bird, except that the “‘ swish” of the long curved wings may be heard when it is near, On the same day, March 8th, a large party, probably of one hundred or more, came apparently from the north-west and went through graceful circlings and wheelings high up over the wooded hills to the south, where they could be well distinguished against the background of dark grey clouds. Presently another party arrived, apparently also from the north-west, and joined the main body, until the whole upper atmosphere seemed full of the graceful wheelings of these perfect aeronauts. The wind was at this time light from the north-west, but presently shifted to the south, and many of the Swifts came back before it to the beach, and swooped about after their insect prey at varying heights, many quite close to the ground. It should be mentioned that the storm of the previous day and night had been from the south-east, and had threatened us for three or four days before it broke. The birds were seen on and off until March 12th, none occurring at Devonport after that date up to April 6th, when I left Tasmania for a time. Lakes Entrance, East Gippsland, Victoria (Australia). 8th Dee. 1910.—A great company of Spine-tailed Swifts appeared this morning for the first time this summer, circling and wheeling at heights varying from just above the gum- trees to practically out of sight in the blue sky ; they were first noticed shortly before 9 a.m. and appeared to come from east-north-east, as in the case of the great com- pany of Wood-Swallows (Artamus tenebrosus) noted here on the 5th of Sept., 1910, and recorded in the ‘Emu?’ for October 1910, which continued its migration to the west- south-west. On the occasion of this first appearance of the 750 Mr. H. 8S. Dove on the Relation of the Swifts the weather was fine and summer-like, and on the 10th and 11th of December more companies arrived, apparently from the same direction; some flew within a few yards of the ground, passing us with a great “swish” of their powerful wings. Ina few days the weather changed from calm and summer-like to rough and windy, with heavy showers, while during the week following, 7. e. Dec. 18th and onwards, we had terrific squalls from the westward. Towards the end of the same month of December two companies of this species were noted before and after stormy weather. On January 6th, 1911, a party of the same Swifts was observed in the midst of a thunderstorm flying towards the north-east, the wind at the time being north-west. On February Ist, 1911, while proceeding by launch up the Tambio River, East Gippsland, we noticed many of these Swifts flying backwards and forwards over the river, some at a low elevation ; the day was sunny and extremely warm, with a light easterly breeze. Two days afterwards the sky became overcast and we had a gale from the eastward. 8th February.—Large numbers of the Spine-tails were seen high in the air, early in the morning, in fine weather. The next day broke fine, but rain came on during the morning and continued until noon, while on Feb. 10th heavy squalls of wind and rain passed over South-eastern Victoria. West Devonport, Tasmania. March 11th, 1911.—Numbers of the Swifts appeared on the 8th, 9th, and 10th of this month during disturbed thundery weather with rain, and during part of the time a high south-east wind. There were great floods again in Victoria and in parts of this island. March 20th.—The birds again appeared yesterday, when there was rain almost the whole day. They passed in a leisurely way from west to east near the sea and at a con- siderable elevation. March 28rd.—Swifts again seen coursing about; soon afterwards rough weather set in. C Spine-tailed Swift to Weather Condilions. 751 April 16th.—A_ perfect morning, with a cloudless sky and a light sea breeze. Spine-tailed Swifts passed over the shore-scrub at a low elevation, making somewhat to the west. I remarked to the friend with whom I was walking, “ There are the Swifts, our fine weather will not last long.” That very night great cumulus clouds appeared in the eastern sky, drifted gradually overhead, and brought a heavy downpour of rain. April 15th.—On this day the Swifts were seen migrating, passing to the north-west over the beach, at a height of perhaps sixty or eighty feet; weather cold, showery, squally, wind veering north-west to south-west. April 27th.—This afternoon the Swifts passed to the north-west in a long straggling party, over the beach and the sea, at a height of perhaps sixty feet; wind south-westerly, strong, cold. This was their last appearance, and the latest date at which I have ever scen them ; I believe it constitutes a record for Tasmania, and probably for Australasia. A reason may now be suggested for these appearances of the Swift in the time of disturbed weather, and it is this. The bird feeds largely upon ants in the winged state, and, indeed, I believe such to be its favourite article of food; the male and female ants having reached the winged state, fre- quently issue in vast numbers from their nests during those hot muggy days which precede a disturbance, while the so- called “‘ white ants” or termites, very tasty morsels, will often “ swarm” while a light warm rain is actually falling. It seems highly probable, therefore, that this Swift appears in numbers in the vicinity of a weather-disturbance because its favourite food is more plentiful and more easily obtained at such times. There may be other conditions of which at present we know nothing, affecting the sudden appearances and disappearances of this most interesting species, but the theory here advanced seems a reasonable one. I hope, however, that other observers of our migratory birds may e be induced to give particular attention to the habits of this fine Swift. “I n cw) Obituary. XXXI.—Obituary. Mr. A. D. Mizar. Ir is with much regret that we learn of the death, on May 10th last, of Mr. Alfred Duchesne Millar, who has been a Colonial Member of this Union since 1905. He was born at Durban on July 30th, 1858, the son of the Hon. Mr. J. Millar, member of the Natal Legislative Council. He was educated in Natal, and spent the whole of his life there, never, we believe, having visited England or even Europe. Millar took up the Law as a profession, and was well- known in Durban, where he practised, as a man of the strictest integrity and a very sound lawyer. For many years he was Vice-President of the Natal Law Society. All his spare time was devoted to sport and natural history. He was an extraordinarily good observer, and it was a most interesting experience to accompany him for a walk in the “bush,” when he would recognise and name every bird and insect met with. He was also a very expert taxi- dermist, and made excellent bird-skins ; his collection of insects was a delight to look at, every specimen being most neatly prepared and mounted, While engaged on the volumes on the ‘ Birds of South Africa,’ the writer of this notice was in constant corres- pondence with Millar, who helped him with the loan of many rare birds which were not represented in the collection of the South African Museum, and furnished him with numerous notes on the life-histories of the birds of Natal. Millar published very little under his own name, and I can find only two short papers of his in the Journal of the South African Ornithologists’ Union. These are entitled, “ Orni- thological Notes from Natal,’ and ‘‘ On the Nidification of the Striped Kingfisher (Halcyon chelicuti).” He took a great deal of interest in the Durban Museum, to which both he and his brother Harold contributed largely. He was a member of the Museum Committee from 1895, and its Recently published Ornithological Works. 798 President from 1909. It is to be hoped that his valuable collections of Birds’ eggs, Birds, and Insects will find a permanent home there. Millar made many excursions to Zululand, and further north on the East Coast, hunting and collecting, and _ his house was stored with the spoils taken on these excursions. We are indebted to Mr. E. C. Chubb, the Curator of the Durban Museum, for some newspapers containing an account of his life. Mr. Chubb also informs me that he hopes to be able to acquire for the Durban Museum, Millar’s Collection of Birds’ Eggs, which consists of about 2500 eggs forming 617 clutches, 74 of the latter belonging to species of which the eggs are at present undescribed. Millar’s early and premature death is a sad loss to South African Ornithology and Entomology, good field-observers being few and far between in that part of the world. VWielos: XXXII.—Notices of recent Ornithological Publications. [Continued from p. 573.) 81. ‘ Annals of Scottish Natural History. [The Annals of Scottish Natural History. A Quarterly Magazine, with which is incorporated the ‘Scottish Naturalist.’ April, July, 1911.] In the first of these numbers the chief interest centres in two species of birds new to the Scottish List, one of which (Acrocephalus dumetorum) is also new to Western Europe. It was observed by the Duchess of Bedford on Fair Isle in September 1910, and subsequently secured. The other (Locustella lanceolata) has only been recorded twice from Western Europe—in Lincolnshire and on Heligoland ; the present example is from the Pentland Skerries. Mr. R. Clyne reportson the rock-breeding birds of the Butt of Lewis, but has nothing very striking to relate, and Mr. H. B. Watt has four pages of additions and corrections to his 754 Recently published Ornithological Works. former account of the Scottish Heronries ; while Mr. J. H. Gurney sends a note on Solamosse (Solway) Geese, as distinguished from Sollemgeese (Gannets). Notices of Northern Bullfinches, Mealy Redpolls, and the continental forms of the Willow-Warbler and Great Spotted Woodpecker are of considerable interest ; as are the details of nests of the Snow-Bunting in Aberdeenshire and the Wigeon in Roxburghshire by Mr. Blackwood. A large part of the July number is devoted to the Report on Scottish Ornithology for 1910 by Misses Rintoul and Baxter, who record the first Scottish examples of the Rock Thrush (Pentland Skerries), the Marsh-Warbler (St. Kilda), the American Totanus flavipes (Fair Isle) and Anthus pennsyl- vanicus (St. Kilda), besides the rarer species mentioned in the first paragraph of this notice. Acanthis exilipes and A. hol- ° belli were also procured, if these forms are to be regarded as certainly distinguishable, while continental forms of the Robin, Gold-crested Wren, and Great Tit were examined and identified. A separate report is given by the same two ladies to record the Nightingale from the Isle of May (May 9th, 1911); but the same article has also much interesting information on the distribution of birds in the separate faunal areas and notices of such rare species as the Icterine Warbler, Siberian Chiffchaff, and White-spotted Blue-throat. Northern Bull- finches and Hoopoes were unusually abundant. Greenland Falcons occurred in several places, but no reports were received on this occasion of Yellow-browed or Barred Warblers, 82. ‘ Avicultural Magazine.’ {Avicultural Magazine. Series 8. Vol. ii. Nos. 8-10 (June—Aug. 1911).] Threemore numbers of ourcontemporary come to be noticed, and we are particularly pleased with the account of the “display *’ of the Peacock-Pheasant by Mr. R. I. Pocock, which supplements that of Darwin, while shewing a connexion with the displays of the Argus Pheasant and others of the same Family, and a contrast to those of the Peacock and Turkey. The lateral and frontal positions are both figured. Recently published Ornithological Works. 755 We find also articles by Mr. D. Seth-Smith on the rare Cinnamon Teal (Querquedula cyanoptera, col. pl.), in addition to a continuation of the same author’s ‘ Notes from the Zoological Gardens’ and article on Practical Bird-keeping (Parrakeets). The practical keeping of Star- lings is discussed by Dr. Butler and that of Hawks and Owls by Mr. Bonhote, who also writes on the Oven-bird and its nest (cuts) in conjunction with Mr. H. D. Astley. Mr. M. J. Nicoll has a paper on Brehm’s Hoopoe (cuts), Mr. H. D. Astley writes on the Red-capped Parakeet (col. pl.), and Mr. C. B. Smith on the Rufous-throated Tree-Partridge. Mr. T. H. Newman gives an account of a second expedition to North-west Africa (Algeria and Tunis) in March and April 1911, and Mr. H. Goodchild discourses on the Water- colour Studies of Bird-life, painted by our fellow-member, Mr. G. E. Lodge, and calls attention to their excellence. 83. Bartholomew’s Zoogeography. [Atlas of Zoogeography. names, but Lesson, Swainson, Cuvier, and. Vieillot. 764 Recently published Ornithological Works. The following new generic terms are proposed by Mr. Mathews:— Irediparra to replace Hydralector of Wagler, which is, according to Mr. Mathews’s views, an “absolute synonym of Metopidius.” Eutelipsitta, to replace Psitteuteles, which is stated to be equivalent to Ptilosclera. Alisterus, to replace Aprosmictus of Gould, 1842, which is considered to be properly equivalent to Ptistes. Grantiella, to replace Entomophila of Gould, preoccupied by Horsfield (1824). After considerable debate Rallina is reinstated for Euryzona. The new specific name cecilie is proposed for Platycercus splendidus Gould (1845), nec Shaw (1792) ; Psephotus multi- color (Kuhl, nec Gmelin) is to be called P. dulciei; and Corvus australis Gould is to be changed to C. mariane, not being the same as C. australis of preceding authors. Finally, Mr. Mathews wishes to shift the familiar name Savicola from the Wheatears to the Chats, and to call the Wheatears QUinanthe. To this proposal we most decidedly cbject, as it would cause endless confusion, and is,1m our opinion, quite unnecessary. We cannot agree with Mr. Mathews’s reasoning on this subject. Motacilla a@nanthe was one of the three birds included in his genus Savicola by Bechstein in 1802, and that name has been almost universally apphed to the Wheatears ever since that period. 95. Mathews on the Birds of Australia. (The Birds of Australia. By Gregory M. Mathews. Vol. i. pt. 4. London, 191]. 4to, pp. 185-284, pls. 46-58. } The fourth part of this work contains the continuation of the Family Rallide, with the genera Rallus, Eulabeornis, Crex, Porzana, Tribonyx, and Gallinula (pt.). The habits of Rails are comparatively little known, and therefore we heartily welcome the excellent notes which we find here, espe- cially those on Rallus pectoralis, the two interesting species Recently published Ornithological Works. 765 of Tribonyx, and Eulabeornis castaneiventris. The full life- history of the last of these species is now brought to light by Mr. J. P. Rogers, collecting for Mr, Mathews. The author draws attention to the fact that Rallus feather- stont of Buller from New Zealand was at once pronounced by Hutton to be the British Land-Rail, and that a specimen has since been procured in Australia ; he has also unearthed Temminck’s original description of Radllus pectoralis, which specific name takes precedence of R. brachypus of Swainson. Neither of these facts appears in the ‘ Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum’ (vol. xxiii.). Moreover, the discovery that the form from Western Australia should be separated as R. p. clelandi has led Mr. Mathews to the conclusion that the bird should be placed in the genus Rallus and not Hypotenidia. This has necessitated the cancelling of pp. 183-4. The genera Poliolimnas and Microtribonyx of Sharpe are given up, while Amaurornis is no longer separated from Gallinula—all decided changes for the better, as the characteristics are not truly generic. Eulabeornis (Hypotenidia) philippensis is now divided into no less than twelve subspecies, of which seven are new ; other new subspecies proposed by Mr. Mathews are E. tricolor robinsont and FE, tricolor grayi, while Porzana palustris and P. plumbea are to stand as P. pusilla palustris and P. plumbea immaculata. Reference should also be made to the preceding Notice (Ibis, 1911, p. 570). 96. Mathews on Two new Australian Birds. [Two new Australian Birds. By Gregory M. Mathews. Noy. Zool. xviii. p. 22.] The new birds described are subspecies, Geryone albigu- laris rogersi from Derby, N.W. Australia, and Aliséerus cyanopygius minor from Cairns, North Queensland. The eges of the former and of Poéphila personata belcheri are described. 766 Recently published Ornitholegical Works. 97. Mearns on Ten new African Birds. [Descriptions of Ten new African Birds, By Edgar A. Mearns, U.S. Nat. Mus. Smiths. Miscell. Collect. vol lvi. No. 14. Washington, U.S.A., 1911.] The following species and subspecies of Birds are described as part of the results of the ‘“‘ Smithsonian African Expe- dition under the Direction of Colonel Theodore Roosevelt.” We have already noticed Col. Roosevelt’s interesting narrative of his expedition (see above, p. 394), and are glad to find that it has been so successful as regards birds, although its principal object, we believe, was to obtain specimens of the larger Mammals of Africa before their approaching extermi- nation. The species and subspecies of birds now described as new are Francolinus schuetti maranensis (Kilimanjaro) ; Fs. hayi- tensis (Athi plains); Fs. keniensis (Mt. Kenia) ; Nectarinia johnstoni idia (Mt. Kenia); Cinnyris mediocris heniensis (Mt. Kenia); Cyanomitra changamwensis (Mombasa) ; An- threptes collaris elachior (near Mombasa) ; Pseudoniyrita arnaudi kapitensis (Kapiti Plains) ; Lagonosticta incerta (Gondokoro, White Nile) ; Sporopipes frontalis abyssinicus (Abyssinia). We think that it would have been better to have sent Dr. Mearns to the British Museum to examine the specimens there before describing these supposed novelties. 98. Mearns on Fifteen new African Birds. [Descriptions of Fifteen new African Birds. By Edgar A. Mearns, U.S. Nat. Mus. Smiths. Miscell. Collect. vol. lvi. No. 20. Washington, U.S.A., 1911.] Ten of the forms described in the present paper are pro- ducts of Col. Roosevelt’s expedition to East Africa. The species and subspecies now described are Pternistes leuco- scepus keniensis; P. l. kilimensis ; Francolinus grisescens (Uganda); F. granti delutescens (Kenia); F. schuetti zappeyi (Hast coast of Lake Victoria); Péilopachus fuscus keniensis (Kenia); Turnix sylvatica alleni (Kenia); Xanthophilus bojeri allent (coast of B.E.A.); Ureginthus bengalus brunneogularis (N.W. of Kenia) ; Pycnonotus layardi fayi (B.E.A.); P. 1. Recently published Ornithological Works. 767 peaset (Kapiti Plains); P. 1. pheocephalus (Uganda) ; Pogono- cichla cucullata keniensis; Eminia lepida hypochlora (B.E.A.); Sylvietta whyti loringt (Fort Hall, B.E.A.). ; We may remark that the results arrived at by Mr. F. J. Jackson, who has lately studied the Francolins of B.E. Africa and Uganda (see above, p. 569), do not seem to coincide with those of Dr. Mearns. 99. Oberholser on the Forms of the Ladder-backed Wood- pecker. [A Revision of the Forms of the Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris). By H.C. Oberholser. Pr. U.S, Nat. Mus. xi. p. 189 (1911).] Ifaving compared a large series of specimens from various American Museums, Mr. Oberholser divides the Woodpeckers of the genus Dryobates allied to D. scalaris into subspecies. The six generally recognised forms of this group are thus increased to fifteen, and nine are described as “ new sub- species.” An outline map illustrates the distribution of the group from Texas to Honduras. 160. Pycraft on the Skeleton of Paleeocorax. [On the Skeleton of Paleocorax mortorum. By W. P. Pycraft, M.B.0.U. Nov. Zool. xviii. p. 122.] Remains of this extinct bird were discovered by Dr. H. O. Forbes in Chatham Island (see ‘ Nature,’ xlvi. p. 252). Mr. Pycraft gives us an excellent description of its bones, accompanied by a figure of its cranium. Though the skull agrees very closely with that of the Raven (Corvus coraz) it differs from it in one or two noteworthy particulars. Mr. Pycraft is doubtful whether this form ought to be considered as generically distinct from Corvus, but is certain that it has no generic connection with Gymnorhina, 101. Reichenow on Birds from Spanish Guinea. [Ueber eine Vogelsammlung vom Rio Benito im Spanischen Guinea. Von Anton Reichenow. Mitth. Zool. Mus. in Berlin, Band vy. Heft 1. Berlin, 1910.] From the territory called ‘Spanish Guinea,” south of the 768 Recently published Ornithological Works. German Colony of Cameroon, Herr Tessman, of Lubeck, brought back in 1909 a collection of birds which contains examples of 194 species. The forms, as might have been expected, are mostly those of Cameroon, but five are regarded as new by Dr. Reichenow, and are named Theristicus brevi- rostris, Aplopelia (scr. Haplopelia) tessmann’, Psalidoprocne tessmanni, Pedilorhynchus tessmanni, and Bradornis sylvia. The types have been placed in the Berlin Museum. 102. Reichenow on the Birds of Cameroon. [Die ornithologischen Sammlungen der Zoologisch-Botanischen Kamerun-Expedition, 1908 und 1909. Mit einer Uebersicht aller bis jetzt aus Kamerun bekannten Vogelarten. Von Ant. Reichenow. Mittheil. Zool. Mus. Berlin, Band vy. Heft 2. 1911.] In the years 1908-9, the Imperial Colonial Office of Germany sent out a Zoological and Botanical Expedition to the Protectorate of Cameroon on the western coast of Africa. The collectors were Herr Riggenbach and Herr Hauptmann Striimpell, who brought back about 1000 bird-skins. These are referred by Dr. Reichenow to 305 species, of which 34, new to science, have been already characterized by Dr. Reichenow in the ‘ Ornithologische Monatsberichte.’ A list is now given of the species and the exact localities in which they were obtained, with a few notes. The localities are further indicated by an outline map, which gives the routes followed by the expedition. Appended is a list of all the species of birds that are as yet known to occur in the Protectorate of Cameroon, with their localities, altogether 670 in number. 103. Reichenow on the Birds of the Mid-African Lake MNistrict. [Die Vogelfauna des Mittelafricanischen Seengebietes. Auf Grund der Sammlungen Seiner Hoheit des Herzogs Adolf Friedrich zu Mecklenburg bearbeitet von Prof. Dr. Anton Reichenow. Berlin, 1911.] We have already called attention (‘ Ibis,’ 1908, p. 199) to the large and important collections of Natural History made by the Duke Adolf Frederick of Mecklenburg and Recently published Ornithological Works. 769 his assistants during his hunting and scientific Expedition to Central Africa in 1897-8. The results are now being gradually worked out by different savants, and the birds have been naturally assigned to Dr. Reichenow, who has kindly furnished us with a copy of his report on this subject. To make his memoir more complete, Dr. Reichenow has included in it notices of other recent work in the same district of Africa, which he calls the ‘‘ Mid-African Lake- district,’ and of which he gives us a useful outline-map. The Mid-African Lake-district, he tells us, is specially rich in bird-life. At present we know of 750 species from this country—that is, about one-fourth of all the known species of the Ethiopian Region, which is estimated to contain about 38000 species. This richaess in species comes from the central position of the Province. West Africa supphes the greater portion of them, as out of 750 species about 130 may be classed as West-African forms. Typical East-African forms are about 100 in number, and 70 extend over East and South Africa, while about 100 of them are generally spread over the whole Ethicpian Region. The European-Asiatic migrants that are known to occur in the Lake-district are about 50 in number. The author proceeds to record the species of the Lake- district according to the nomenclature and arrangement of his ‘ Vogel-Afrikas, and adds many good notes. Coloured figures are given of Scoptelus adolphi-frederici, Malaconotus adolphi-frederici, Cinnyris schubotzi, Pyromelana leuconota, and Bradypterus milbreadi. 104. Snethlage on the Avifauna of the Amazonian Campos. [Sobre a distribugao da Avifauna campestre na Amazonia. Por FE. Snethlage. Bull. Mus. Gveldi, vi. p. 226 (1910). ] This is an interesting essay to those who are studying geographical distribution. ‘The author, who is one of the officials of the Museum Goeldi at Para, and is very well acquainted with the birds of Lower Amazonia, shews, or attempts to shew, that the birds of the campos of that district (that is, of the treeless spaces, surrounded by forest, 770 Recently published Ornithological Works. which are frequently found there) are quite different from the birds of the adjoining forest, and belong to genera, and, in many cases, even to species, which are of wide dis- tribution in other parts of the South-American continent. Madame Snethlage gives a list of more than forty species belonging to the Avifauna of the campos of Amazonia in which this is the case. 105. Winge on the Birds captured at the Danish Lighthouses. [Fuglene ved de danske Fyr i 1910, 28de Aarsbiretning om danske Fugle. Ved Herluf Winge. Vid. Meddel. fr. d. naturh. Foren. i Kobenhayn, 1911.] Dr. Winge sends us a copy of the 28th report on the birds taken or observed on the Danish Lighthouses in 1910 *. Thirty-one of the Lighthouses sent their specimens to the Zoological Museum at Copenhagen. These were altogether 1307 in number, and are referred by Dr. Winge to 77 species, of which a list is given, The Sky-Lark (Alauda arvensis) and the Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) appear to have been among the most numerous victims, though the Song-Thrush (Turdus musicus) and Redwing (7. iiacus) were likewise abundant, as in former years. Of Robins (Lrithacus rubecula) 62 were sent in, but more were captured. Numerous notes about the various localities, a separate account of the birds met with at each Light- house, and the dates of their occurrences are given. Only one Muscicapa grisola was met with, while 66 examples of M. atricapilla were registered—the latter, we believe, being by far the commoner species in Scandinavia, We venture to suggest to the Migration Committee of the B.0.U. that a somewhat similar report on the occurrences of the nocturnal visitors to St. Catherine’s Lighthouse in the Isle of Wight might be of interest. * See above, p. 182, for a notice of the last Report. Letiers, Kxtracis, and Notes. 771 XXXITI.—Letters, Extracts, and Notes. We have received the following letter addressed “ To the Editors of ‘The Lbis’?”? :— Sirs,—With reference to Mr. D. A. Bannerman’s notes on Pytelia nitidula (‘Ibis 1910, p. 681), it may interest him, and other readers of the Journal, to know that there is a pair of that species in this Museum, obtained recently by Mr. H. M. Millar on the outskirts of the town. They are well mounted and in good plumage. On comparing them with the plate and descriptions given by Mr. Bannerman based upon British East African examples, they appear to differ in the following respects :-— Male. The chest is olive-green, only a little lighter than the back, and without the wash of scarlet, or orange as it appears in the figure. The upper tail-coverts are of a more golden olive than the back, but they are not cinnamon-brown asdepicted in the plate. Dimensions :—'Total length 4 inches, wing 2, tail 1°4, tarsus °6. Female. The chest is pale olive-green with a scarcely perceptible suffusion of buff, very different from that of the female as shown in the plate. Dimensions :—Total length 4. inches, wing 2, tail 1:2, tarsus ‘6. From these facts it would appear that the northern form of this bird can hardly be considered identical with P. nitidula, if Durban examples are taken as typical of the latter. I am, Sirs, yours &c., I. C. Cuuss. Durban Museum, Natal, 22nd July, 1911. Report on the British Museum, 1911.—The usual “ Return’”’ to Parliament of the British Museum for 1910 states that the acquisition in the Class “ Aves ”” in that year amounted to 9377 specimens. Of these the most noteworthy were as follows :— . Six Harlequin Ducks (Cosmonetia histrionica) in eclipse plumage: 16 birds from Co. Sligo, Ireland, including the 772 Letters, Extracts, and Notes. type of the newly-described Irish Coal Tit (Parus hiber- nicus), presented by Mr. Collingwood Ingram: the first British-killed specimen of the Carolina Crake (Porzana carolina), presented by Mr. H. S. W. Eyre : 676 birds from South China, received in exchange from Lt.-Commander R. E. Vaughan, R.N.: 108 birds from South China, pre- sented by Staff-Surgeon C. EL. C. Stanford, R.N.: 166 birds from Formosa, presented by Mr. A. E.Wileman: 4 birds from Formosa, including the type of a new species (Nucifraga owstoni), presented by Mr. Collingwood Ingram: 61 birds from the N.-W. Provinces of India, presented by Capt. C. H. T. Whitehead: 162 Kalij Pheasants from Burma, in- cluding examples of six species new to the Collection, and seven type-specimens (Oates Collection): 4 birds from Upper Burmah, including the types of three new subspecies, pre- sented by Major H. H. Harington: 141 birds from Annam, including the type of a new species of Pigeon (Crocopus annamensis), collected by Dr. J. J. Vassal: 115 birds from Borneo, presented by the British Ornithologists’ Union : 4 birds, including two specimens of a Chaffinch (Fringilla polatzeki) new to the Collection, from Grand Canary, presented by Mr. D. A. Bannerman: a Whale-headed Stork (Baleniceps rev) from the Bahr-el-Ghazal, presented by Lieut.-General Sir Francis Wingate, h.C.B.: 45 birds from Somaliland and South Abyssinia, presented by Dr. R. E. Drake- Brockman : 429 birds from British East Africa, col- lected by Mr. Robin Kemp, presented by Mr. C. D. Rudd: 219 birds from various localities in British East Africa, presented by Mr. 8S. L. Hinde: 283 birds from the Mabira Forest, British East Africa, presented by Mr. L. M. Seth- Smith: the type-specimens of Stiphrornis mabire, Alethke kikuyuensis, and of five other species recently described, from British East Africa, presented by Mr. F. J. Jackson: 159 birds and 3 eggs from Lake Ngami, collected by Mr. R. B. Woosman and the Hon. Gerald Legge, presented by the subscribers to the Lake Nyami Expedition Fund : 1346 birds, nests, and eggs from Angola, Portugucse Guinea, and the Cape Verde Islands, including an example of one Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 773 species (Dryoscopus turati), new to the collection, and the type of a new species of Weaver-bird (Ortygospiza ansorgei), obtained by Dr. W. J. Ansorge: 29 birds from Nigeria, presented by Mr. P. A. Talbot: a Darwin’s Rhea (Rhea darwini) from the Woburn Aviaries, presented by His Grace the Duke of Bedford, K.G.: 150 birds collected in Guatemala by Mr. G. C. Shortridge, presented by the Zoological Society of London: 95 birds collected on the Rio Paraguay, presented by Mr. Geoffrey W. Tudor : 647 birds, 602 eggs, and 40 nests from Buenos Aires, collected by Mr. C. H. B. Grant, presented by Mr. Ernest Gibson: 161 birds from the Owen-Stanley Mountains, New Guinea, presented by Mr. E. J. Brook: 402 birds and 29 eggs from Aru, Kei, Ceram, and Amboina, presented by the British Ornitholo- gists’ Union: 153 birds from Australia, presented by Miss Audrey Chirnside. The American Pheasant-Expedition.—In our last number (above, p. 578) we gave some particulars concerning the expedition in search of Pheasants of all sorts and descrip- tions, led by Mr. C. W. Beebe, Curator of Birds in the Zoological Park, which left New York in December 1909. The last number of the Zoological Society’s Bulletin (July, 1911) announces the return of the party to New York in May last “after completing the circle of the globe,’ and gives an interesting account of the journey, well illustrated by photographs. The expedition proceeded first to Ceylon, where six wecks were spent in studying Pavo, Gallus, and Galloperdix, and thence to Calcutta, where they were cordially received by Dr. Annandale, and examined the splendid collection of Pliasianidee in the Indian Museum. Thence it was not a far journey to Darjeeling, where they were lodged in a Dak Bungalow on the Nepal-Sikkim frontier, and met with Genneus, Tragopan, Lophophorus and other well-known forms of the Eastern Himalayas. Returning to Calcutta, the party proceeded to the Western Himalayas, visiting Gurwhal and Cashmere, and on their way back to Caleutta SER. 1X.—VOL, V. 3 OF 774 Letters, Extracts, and Notes. passed a short time in the plains, where Pea-fowl and Jungle-fowl were met with. From Caleutta they steamed 1700 miles south to Singapore, and established a second base in that famous emporium, whence they made excursions to Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and the Malay States. Thus they obtained information, and in many cases living specimens, of Lophura, Acomus and Argus, and, rarest of all, of the little-known wattled Lobiophasis of Borneo and even of the very rare Rheinardtius. In Burmah they penetrated 700 miles north, nearly up to the Chinese borders, and found some of the most interesting specimens of the entire trip. Returning to Singapore the travellers took ship for a new sphere of action in China, where, after much toil and trouble, Hared-Pheasants (Crossoptilon) besides several species of true Pheasants (Phasianus) were obtained. The last field of work was Japan, where the birds were comparatively accessible. The expedition reached New York on their return home on May 27th, 1911, after travelling fifty-two thousand miles, and spending seventeen months in their search for Pheasants, in which, we must all allow, they were wonderfully successful. Besides masses of notes and photographs, several hundred skins of the more interesting birds were brought home. The Report of the National Museum, U.S.A., for 1910.—_ The principal accessions of birds in 1909-10 were from East Africa and Java. Next in importance was a collection from Polynesia made by Dr. C. H. Townsend during one of the early Pacific cruises of the steamer ‘ Albatross,’ of which he was then the naturalist. It comprises 391 specimens and examples of about 85 species, many of which are new to the Museum or were previously represented only by old and faded specimens. ‘The types of three species of Swiftlets (Collocalia) are Included, and there is a good specimen of the rare Sand- piper, Aichmorhynchus cancellatus, which had been reported as extinct. Thirty-nine birds and one nest from Hast Borneo and the islands of the Java Sea, included a Pheasant, Letters, Extracts, and Notes. 775 Polyplectron schleiermacheri, new to the collection ; they were presented by Dr. W. L. Abbott. There were two contribu- tions of birds from the island of Luzon, one of 64 specimens from Dr. H. C. Curl, United States Navy, the other of 33 skins and 2 eggs from Mr. D. B. Mackie, of the Bureau of Agriculture, Manila. Mr. Henry D. Baker, American Consul at Hobart, Tasmania, transmitted 24 Australian birds, Thirty-four Chinese birds, including a Pheasant, Crossoptilon tibetanum, were received in exchange from the Hon, J. E. Thayer. One hundred and six African birds, chiefly from Mount Ruwenzori, needed for comparison, were purchased. The reserve collection of Birds was removed to the new building in August 1909. The eggs had been previously transferred, but were not permanently arranged until December of the same year. The overcrowding of the skins in the old building had been so great that it was found necessary to order immediately more than 70 additional cases to provide for a reasonable spreading of the collection, and soon after half as many more to accommodate the current accessions, including those from Hast Africa. Delays in securing all of the drawers and fittings for the new cases, however, prevented the completion of the arrangement of the specimens within the year. Mr. E. C. Chubb.—We learn from the Ninth Annual Report of the Rhodesian Museum, Bulawayo, that Mr. E. C. Chubb, F.Z.S., has resigned his position as Assistant Curator and Zoologist of that Museum in order to take up the Directorship of the Durban Museum, Natal. The thanks of the Committee of the Buluwayo Museum to Mr. Chubb for his efficient work, and their regret at his leaving had been recorded on the Minutes. Mr. G. L. Bates —Mr. Bates, having paid a short visit to his friends in the United States this summer, has returned to his former residence at Bitye in the German Colony of Cameroon, and is continuing his collections in every branch OF 2 776 Letters, Extracts, and Notes. of Natural History. As will be seen by his excellent paper (above, p. 581) his observations are quite original and in many instances very remarkable, especially as regards the tougue-spots in young birds. New Inquiry on the Migration of Birds —We learn from ‘The Times’ of September 4th that Prof. J. Arthur Thomson and Mr. A. Lansborough Thomson, secretary of the Natural History Department of Aberdeen University, have issued a circular drawing special attention to the work of the “ Aberdeen University Bird-Migration Inquiry.” The inquiry, as we know, aims at collecting more definite informa- tion on migration by the method of placing rings on the feet of a large number of birds, in the hope of hearing of the subsequent movements of some of them. The rings are inscribed with the address ‘‘ Aberdeen University,” and a number (or number and letter combina- tion) which is different in each case. The rings are to be placed on young birds found in the nest, or on any old ones that can be captured without injury. The rings, which are of aluminium and extremely light, do not inconvenience the birds in any way. The marking work is chiefly carried on in Scotland, notably in Aberdeenshire, but is not confined to that county. The inquiry has the support of Mr. J. A. Harvie-Brown, Mr. William Eagle Clarke, Mr. William Evans, and other Scottish ornithologists, INDEX OF Abdimia abdimii, 485. Acanthis cannabina mediterranea, 200, merzbacheri, 761. exilipes, 378, 754. — holboelli, 754, 760. — linaria, 760. holboelli, 378. Acanthopneuste borealis, 65, coronata, 66. tenellipes, 68. Accipiter nisus, 677. wolterstorfi, 193. Acomus, 774. Acredula caudata, 85. Acrocephalus aquaticus, 451. arundinaceus, 451, 639. —— dumetorum, 753. —— phragmnitis, 639. schceenobxnus, 451, 639. stentoreus, 568. streperus, 451, 639, -—— turdoides, 639. Actitis macularia, 146, A’chmophorus major, 476. AEchmorhynchus cancel- latus, 774. Aédonopsis signata, 416. Aigialeus semipalmatus, 146. A€gialitis alexandrina, 659. cantiana, 654, 687. collaris, 465. — curonica, 654, 689. falklandica, 465. semipalmata, 146. /Egithalus caroli, 282. caudatus tyrrheni- cus, 194, 446, Oise Egithina tiphia, 55. viridissima, 35. /Eluredus buccoides buccoides, 365. geislerorum, 351, 365. stonei, 365. —— melanotis arfaki- anus, 360. maculosus, 350, 351, 365. melano- cephalus, 365. melanotis, 365 viridis, 350, 351, . 3865. /Ethiopsar fuseus, 68. /Ethopyga anomala, 75. cara, 74. saturata, 75. siparaja, 74. — temminceki, 75. wrayi, 75. A&thorhynchus lafres- nayel, 55. A&thyia fuligula, 650. marila, 682. nyroca, 650, rufina, 650, Aex sponsa, 482, Agapornis pullaria, 496. zenkeri, 497. Ageleus cyanopus, 106. —— ruficapillus, 105, thilius, 105. Agriornis —andecola pazne, 178. Ajaja ajaja, 341. rosea, 341. Alzemon nivosa, 256, Alario alario, 248. leucolema, 248. Alauda arvensis, 182, 670, 770. cantarella, 207. | SCIENTIFIC NAMES, Alauda cristata, 644. Alea impennis, 184. Alcedo bengalensis, 32, 675. dea, 386. —— euryzona, 33, 762. —— guentheri, 515. —— ispida, 32, 637. —— meninting, 382. semitorquata, 710. Alcippe cinerea, 61. phayrii, 61. Alethe alexandrii, 623. castanea, 480, 623. compsonota, 625. —— kikuyuensis, 772. —-— poliocephala, 480. Alisterus, 764. eyanopygius minor, 769. Alophoixus phzeocepha- lus, 57. Alophonerpes pulveru- lentus, 47. Alseonax adusta, 421. epulatus, 521, 522. fantisiensis, 521. fantisiensis, 521, 631. flavipes, 522. latirostris, 51, 665. olivascens, 522,631, comitatus, 523. Aluco flammeus, 646. Amaurornis, 765, pheenicura, 11. Amazona estiva, 327, caymanensis, 143, 149. leucocephala, 142, 149. Amblycerecus solitarius, 103. Amblyornis 365. flavifrons, 778 Amblyornis inornatus, 3854, 365. subalaris germanus, BO4, 505, 365. Aimblyospiza albifrons, 226. —— saturata, 586. Amblyrhamphus holo- sericeus, 106. Ammodromus manimbe, 99. Ampeliceps coronatus, 68. Ampelis eedrorum, 155, Amydrus eaffer, 217. morio, 216, 397, subalaris, Anabathmis reichen- bachi, 611. Anaplectes rubriceps, Our 220, Anas boseas, 681. zonorhyncha, 681. Ancylochilus subarqua- tus, 14, Andropadus clamans, 602, 650. efulensis, 602. —— gracilirostris, 630. —— gracilis, 650. indieator, 601, 630. —— importunus, 296. latirostris, 602, 630. serinus, 480, virens, 602, 630. Anhinga rufa, 481. Anomalospiza imberbis, 247. Anser albifrons, 648. ferus, 681. Antbobaphes yiolacea, 277. Anthoscopus holomanni, 175. Anthothreptes collaris, 278. 278. hypogrammica, 76. malaccensis, 76. — reichenowi, 278. — rhodolexma, 76. —— simplex, 75, — xanthochlora, 76. Anthracoceros conyexus, 36. — malabaricus, 35. —— malayanus, 36. Anthreptes aurantius, 606. hypodilus, INDEX OF Anthreptes collaris ela- | chior, 766. flavigaster, 78. fraseri, 480. reichenowi, 397. —— xanthochlora, 76. Anthug brachyurus, 264. caffer, 26-4. campestris, 437, 640. cervinus, 640. chloris, 263. correndera, 86, crenatus, 263. fureatus, 87. lineiventris, 263. maculatus, 74. malayensis, 74. nicholsoni, 264. pennsylvanicus, 4, pratensis, 458, 640. — pyrrhonotus, 265. — rufulus, 74, 265. spinoletta obscurus, 439. EET \ ) (3 — spinoletta, 438. trivialis, 438, 640, Anumbius aeuticandatus, 132. Anurophasis thonyx, 181. Anuropsis malaccensis, 60. Apalis binotata, 617, 618, 628. claudei, 212, 305. —— florisuga, 307, 397. jacksoni, 479, 619. — ruddi, 212, 306. thoracica, 304, Aphobus chopi, 109. Aplopelia tessmanni, 488, 768. Aprosmictus, 764. Apus kittenbergi, 175. Aquila chrysaétos, 191. heliaca, 646. Ayrachnothera chryso- genys, 77. eytonii, 78. —— flavigaster, 77, 78. —— longirostris, 77. — modesta, 77. robusta, 77, 78. simillima, 78. Aramides chiricote, 462. Aramus — scolopaceus, 463. Ardea alba, 680. monor- Ardea cinerea, 648, 680. eocoi, 336. egretta, 336. —— purpurea, 648. sibilatrix, 337. sumatrana, 14. — tricolor ruficollis, 147. virescens, 148. Ardeola bacchns, 15. grayi, 15. Ardetta involucris, 333. sinensis, 680. Arenaria interpres, 146. Argus, 774. Arremon polionotus, 94, Artamus tenebrosus, 749. Arundinicola cephala, LILI. Asareornis leucoptera, 1T9S21" seutulata, 19. Asio accipitrinus, 328, 645, 676. —— brachyotus, 328, 645. — clamator, 329. mexicanus, 329. Astrapia nigra, 362, 366. —— rothschildi, 351, 361, 866. splendidissima, 366. stephanie, 851, 362, 366. Astur castanilius, 493. ——— gentilis arrigonii, 193. —— palumbarius, 647. poliopsis, 22. -—— soloensis, 22, toussenellii, 480, 493. Asturina nitida, 331, pucherani, 330. Athene bactriana, 676. cuculoides bruegeli, 303. noctua, 193. Atrichornis rufescens, 567. Atticora eyanoleuca, 92, — fucata, 92. leuco- Baliniceps rex, 395, 574, reed (ia. Barbatula 730. erythronota, 507. extoni, 730. bilineata, Barbatula flavisquamata, 506. leucolemia, 508, 507. subsulphurea, 507. Basileuterus — auri- capillus, 88. flaveolus, 89. Bathmedonia rufa, 622, 628. : Batis capensis, 425. fratrum, 424. — molitor, 424. —— pririt, 425. puella soror, 212, 425, sheppardi, 397. Baza borneensis, 28. ceylonensis, 28. cuculoides, 494. —— incognita, 25, 27, jerdoni, 25. -~—— sumatrensis, 25. Bernicla melanoptera, 565. poliocephala, 343. Bias musicus, 422, 526. Bleda batesi, 601. flavigula, 600. —— flavostriata, 298. —— indicator, 601. — notata, 480, 597. simplex, 599. syndactyla, 597, 630. — tricolor, 680. Bolborhynchus mona- chus, 326, 546. Botaurus lentiginosus, 148. Brachyspiza pileata, 98. Bradornis sylvia, 768. Bradyornis griseus, 419. — infuseatus, 418. silens, 419. Bradypterus babecula, 300. —— bradypterus, 500. — milbreadi, 769. Branta nigricans, 681. Bubo maximus, 676. orientalis, 3l. Bubuleus coromandus, 16, Bachan! leucogenys, te AJ (a. Bucorax cafer, 379, 565, ria 716. Budytes cinereocapillus, 73. Buphaga africana, 542. SCIENTIFIC NAMES. Buphaga — erythro- rhyneha, 245. Burnesia_ bairdi, 614, 615, 628. leucopogon, 615, 628. Busarellus nigricollis, 331. Butatis epulatus, 521, 631. Butastur indicus, 23. Buteo buteo arrigonii, 194. melanoleucus, 332. — obsoletus, 351. swainsoni, 331. vulgaris, 646, 676. Butorides cyanurus, 337. javanica, 15, striata, 337. virescens, 148. Bycanistes albotibialis, Olle — buccinator, 717. cristatus, 718. subquadratus, 511. Caccabis chukar, 684. Cacomantis merulinus, 40. Cairina moschata, 345. Calamanthus monta- nellus, 567. Calamocichla poensis, 615, rufescens, 613, 614, 628, 629. zuluensis, 300. Calamonastes fasciolatus, 308. Calandrella brachy- dactyla, 644. brachydactyla, 206. pispoletta, 659, 671. Calendula crassirostris, 252. Calidris arenaria, 469, 691. Callene 480. Calliste, 377. Jallocalia fusciphaga capnitis, 573. inopina, 573. Calopelia brehmeri, 489. puella, 480, 489. Calorhamphus hayi, 43. Calornis chalybea, 68, Calospiza, 377. eyornithopsis, vars. Calyptomena viridis, 50, Camaroptera brachyura, 302. brevicaudata, 302. — chloronota, 480, 620. —— flavigularis, 621. —- griseoviridis, 302, 619, 628. superciliaris, 480, 621, 628. Campophaga neglecta, 54. nigra, 428. quiscalina, 535, Campothera abingdoni, 724. malherbei fiille- borni, 212, 724. nigra, 418. notata, 723. smithi, 724. Campylorhynehus pusil- lus borealis, 382. Cancroma cochlearia, 339. Caprimulgus ambiguus, ol. —— batesi, 515. — binotatus, 516. europus, 699, fervidus, 700, ——- fossii, 701. —— jotaka, 37, 674. lentiginosus, 7OL, — macrurus, 387, natalensis, 702. —— pectoralis, 700. trimaculatus, 701. Carcineutes pulchellus, 3. Carduelis cannabina mediterranea, 200, carduelis tschusii, 195, 200, citrinella corsicana, 195, 201. spinus, 200. Casiornis rubra, 125. Cassicus albirostris, 103. Catarrhactes chrysocome, 168, 186. Cathartes aura, 335. Celeus kerri, 3828. Centrites niger, 114. Centropus xgyptius, 169. burchelli, 734, sinensis, 41. superciliosus, 735. Centurus caymanensis, 150. australis, 333. 780 Cerchneis cinnamominus, 332. — tinnunculus, 29. Cercomacra melanaria, ite6. Certhia brachydactyla dorothex, 640. familiaris, 640. corsa, 194, 195, 440. Certhilauda albofasciata, 259, ae) capensis, 256, 259. semitorquata, 258. Certhiola sharpei, 160. Ceryle aleyon, 149. amazona, 323. americana, 324. —— maxima, 709. rudis, 709. torquata, 323, Cettia cettii, 450, 639. sericea, 639. Ceuthmochares australis, (ats Ceyx euerythra, 33. tridactyla, 33. Cheetura, 385. anchietz, 698. — boehmi, 212, 698. —— caudacuta, 748. sabinii, 517. Chalcococeyx _ basalis, 41. —— lucidus, 169. — maculatus, 41. malayanus, 41. xanthorhynchus, 41. Chalcomitra amethys- tina, 276. fusca, 276. gutturalis, 275. — kirki, 276. — olivacea, 277. daviesi, 277. verreauxi, 277. fischeri, 277. Chaleopelia afra, 212, 490), Chaleophaps chlora, 570. longirostris, 570, occidentalis, 570. Chamepelia insularis, 145. ——-~— jamaicensis, 145. —-— passerina, 145. neglecta, chryso- 382. talpacoti, 460. INDEX OF Charadrius dominicus, 464, 686. Chaulelasmus streperus, GAY. Chauna chavaria, 342. cristata, 342. Chaunonotus sabinei, 480. Chelidon erythrogaster, 152. urbica, 641. Chenalopex xgyptiacus, 649, Chlamydera cerviniven- tris, 350, 851, 365. — lauterbachi, 365. maculata guttata, 351, 365. maculata, 350, 351, 365. nuchalis nuchalis, 35), 353, 365. orientalis, 850. 351, 353, 365. Chloéphaga poliocephaia, 343. —- rubidiceps, 343. Chloris echloris aurantii- ventris, 199. -——— mihlei, 642. Chlorocichla flaviventris, 296. —— occidentalis, 297. zambesiz, 297. Chloronerpes chryso- chlorus, 320. Chloropeta batesi, 524. massaica, 524. natalensis, 422. Chlorophoneus _ batesi, 537. —— bocagii, 537. maraisi, 289. — multicolor, 587. —— quadricolor, 288. reichenowl, 537. rubiginosus, 289, —-— sulphureopectus similis, 289. Chloropsis chlorocephala, 55. cyanopogon, 56, icterocephala, 55. zosterops, 55. Chlorostilbon splendidus, 318. Chotorhea chrysopogon, 43, mystacophanes, 43. versicolor, 43. Chrysococcyx cupreus, 733. Chrysocoecyx flavigu- laris, 502, klaasi, 733. smaragdineus, 732. Chrysocolaptes gutticris- tatus, 47. validus, 47. Chrysomitris icterica, 101. spinus, 642, 667. Chrysophlegma huni, Ab. malaceense, 46. Chrysoptilus cristatus, 321. melanochlorus, 321. — melanolemus, 321, —— nigroviridis, 321. Chrysotis estiva, 327. —— caymanensis, 149. leucocephala, 149. Chrysuronia ruficollis, 317. Cicinnurus goodfellowi, 363, 367. lyogyrus, 362, 363, 366. regius coccineifrons, 366. 366, Cinclodes fuscus, 127. Cinclus cinclus hiberni- eus, 549. —-— sardus, 193. melanogaster, 636. olympicus, 636, Cinnyricinclus verreauxi, 21% Cinnyris afer, 272, 397. asiaticus, 565. —— batesi, 606. chalybeus, 273. subalaris, 274. chloropygius, 609, 610. regius, 363, pauwelsi, 565. cyanolemus, 608. flammaxillaris, 77. hasselti, 77. —— johanne, 609. — leucogaster, 271. —— mariquensis, 271. mediocris keniensis, 766. Parle minullus, 610. neergaardi, 212, 274. obscurus, 607, microrhynchus, Cinnyris pectoralis, 77. preussi, 600. —— seimundi, 606, —— schubotzi, 769. venustus niasse, verreauxi fischeri, 212, verticalis, 608. Circus eruginosus, 21, cinereus, 350. —— macropterus, 330. — maculosus, 330. —- melanoleucus, 22. —— spilonotus, 22, 676. swainsoni, 646. . Cisticola aberrans, 311. beavani, 67. —— chiniana, 313. —— cinnamomeiceps, 310. cisticola, 454, cursitans, 640. —- erythrops, 612, 613, 628. —— fulvicapilla, 310. —— natalensis, 314. arta el de — ruficapilla, 311. — strangei, 3l4. — subruficapilla, 313. —— sudanica, 763. — terrestris, 312. == tinniens,oll2: Citrinella corsicana, 195, 201. Cittocincla 65. ———= tricolor: 65. Cnenophilus macgregori, 354, 365. Coecothraustes cocco- thraustes, 199. vulgaris, 642. Coecystes coromandus, 39. —— glandarius, 499, 645, hypopinarius, 734. jacobinus, 499, 734. Coccyzus maynardi, 149. — minor, 149. maynardi, macrura, 149. Ceereba sharpii, 143, 160. Colaptes agricola, 320. gundlachi, 143, 150. Colibri cabanidis, 763. — cyanotis, 763. SCIENTIFIC NAMES. Colius affinis, 510. capensis, 715, indicus, 397, nigricollis, 510. nigriscapalis, 510. striatus, 714. minor, 714. Coliuspasser ardens, 239. progne, 238, Collocalia, 774. Colceus monedula, 197. Columba bollii, 181. flavirostris minima, 382. ianthina, 682. laurivora, 181. — leucocephala, 144, — leuconota, 565. — picazuro, 459. An rupestris, 682. sylvestris, 459. —— unicincta, 487. Columbigallina pas- serina, 145, insularis, 148, 145, Columbula picui, 460, Compsothlypis ameri- cana, 155d. Conurus acuticaudatus, 326. nenday, 326. Copsychus musicus, 57, 65. saularis, 65. Coracias affinis theresix, 395. caudatus, 703. —— garrulus, 645, 703, —— mosambicus, 704. spatulatus, 704. Corapipo altera albi- rostris, 382. Corone macrorhynchus, (als Corvultur albicollis, 214. Corvus australis, 764. capensis, 215. — corax corax, 195. hispanus, 195, sardus, 195. —— tingitanus, NOD: cornix sardonius, 196. —- corone, 192, 197. enca, 71. — frugilegus, 197. macrorhynchus, (hic 781 Corvus mariane, 564, 764. sardonius, 193, 196. sardus, 193, 195. scapulatus, 214. Corydus cristatus, 644. Coryphospingus _cris- tatus, 97. Coryphospiza albifrons, 97. Corythxola cristata, 497. Corythocichla leuco- sticta, 61, Corythornis — cyano- stigina, 710, Coscoroba candida, 344. coscoroba, 344. Cosmonetta histrionica, ale Cosmophoneus now}, 537. Cossypha bicolor, 414, caffra, 415. namaquensis, reiche- 212, 415. cyanocampta, 626. — melanonota, 626, natalensis, 414. verticalis, 626. Cotile cincta, 429. obsoleta sarda, 193. paludicola, 429, — riparia, 641. rupestris, 641. Coturniculus peruanus, 99. Coturnix communis, 651, 684. Cracticus mentalis, 567. Crateropus — jardinii, 293. kirki, 293. reichenowi, 175. Creatophora — caruncu- lata, 216. Crex, 764. pratensis, 652. Criniger —_calurus, 597. chloronotus, 480, 630, — ochraceus, 57. pheocephalus, 57, sordidus, 57. tephrogenys, 57. 782 Crocopus annamensis, hie Crossoptilon, 774. —— tibetanum, 775. Crotophaga ani, 324. major, 324. Cryptillas victorini, 500. Cryptolopha ruficapilla, 304. Crypturus soui mensis, 082, tataupa, 477. — undulatus, 477. Cuculus aurivillii, 502. canorus, 500, 676, Tous 150, pana- 500, kleinschmidti, 396. clamosus, 500. — gabonensis, 500. — gularis, 731. inornatus, 572. —— micropterus, 40. solitarius, 500, ton. sonnerati, 40. Cyanecula suecica, 637. Cyanocorax —_ exruleus, 109. chrysops, 109. Cyanoderma — erythro- pterum, 62. Cyanomitra cbangam- wensis, 766. cyanolzma, 608. obscura, 607. Cyanops mystacophanes, 45. Cyanoptila cyanomelna, 53. - cumatilis, 573. Cyanotis azare, 118. ——- rubrigaster, 118. Cyclorhis altirostris, 89. viridis, 89. Cygnus bewicki, 378. melancoryphus, 344. — musicus, 546, 648. nigricollis, 344. Cymbirhynchus macro- rhynehus, 50. malaccensis, 386, 50. Cyornis diaJilema, 52, magnirostris, 51. sumatrensis, 51, tickelli, 52. INDEX OF Cyornis tickelli comans, 573. Cypselus barbatus, 698. — caffer, 698. melba, 645, pacificus, 673. Cyrtostomus flammaxil- laris, 77. pectoralis, 77. glauci- Dafila bahamensis, 348. spinicauda, 547. Dandalus rubecula rubecula, 458. sardus, 458. Daphenositta miranda frontalis, 181. Demiegretta sacra, 15. Dendrobates olivinus, 323. Dendrocincla anabatina saturata, 382. Dendrocolaptes nus, 185. Dendrocopus, 193. cabanisi, 674. —— lignarius, 822. —— major, 442, —— -— harterti, 193. ——._ —— ' mongolicus, 174. minor, 565, Dendrocygna fulva, 345, javanica, 21. Dendreca exstiva inedita, 568. auricapilla, 156. eerulea, 156. cxruleseens, 156. coronata, 156. crawfordi, 142, 148, 158. discolor, 157. dominica, 157. albilora, 157. magnolia, 563. palmarum, 158. -—— petechia auricapilla, 143, 155. eundlachi, 155. rara, 157. —- tigrina, 156, vitellina, 142, 157. Dendromus caroli, 508. efulensis, 509. kasaicus, 565. nivosus, 480, 509, permistus, 509. Dendrophila aen0- chlanys, 71. corallipes, 71. picum- Dendrophila _ frontalis, lod 10, saturatior, 70. Dendropicus cardinalis, ro (2D hartlaubi, 725. Diaphorophyia castanea, 528. chalybea, 480, 528. chlorophys, 528. tonsa, 028. Diceum chrysorrheum, (d. cruentatum, 78, 400. trigonostigma, 78. Dichoceros bicornis, 30. Dicrocercus hirundineus, 707. Dicrorhynchus, 382. Dicrurus afer, 427. —— annectans, 72. leucogenys, 72. salangensis, 72 ne ludwigi, 418, 428. sharpii, O41. Dinimellia — dinimelli, 568. Diphyllodes gulielini tertii, 352, 353, 364, 367. — magnificus chryso- pterus, 552, 367. —— hunsteini, 352, 307. -—— —— magnificus, 302, 367. Diplopterus — nevius, 325, Dissemurus paradiseus, TA. Dissura episcopus, 16. Diuea behni, 178. Dolichenyx oryzivorus, 105, 161. Donacobius atricapillus, 85. Donacospiza 97. Drepanornis albertisi, 366. cervinicauda, albifrons, albertisi 366. geisleri, 554. — bruijni, 566. Dromzus minor, WELT Droimolwxa, 584. 168, Drymocataphus nigri- sapitatus, 60. tickelli, 60, Dryobates __ scalaris, 767. Dryodromas _ ictero- pygialis, 307. Dryoscopus bocagei, 537. cubla, 286. gambeusis, 540. rufiventer, 287. hybridus, 287. senegalensis, 559, - tricolor, 529. —— turati, 773. Elenia martinica caymanensis, 1&1. complexa, 151. riisii, L5L. Elainea albiceps, 118. albivertex, 119. martinica, 151. caymanensis, 143, 151. complexa, 143, 151. pagana martinica, 151. Elanus leucurus, 333. Elminia longicauda, 530. Mumberiza cabanisi, 596. eesia, 643. — calandra insularis, 208. — obscura, 205. chrysophrys, 668. cioides, 663. cirlus nigrostriata, 206, 396. —— citrinella, 382. —— flaviventris, 249. fueata, 668. hortulana, | 643. major, 249, —— orientalis, 249. passerina, 670. pusilla, 668. scheeniclus, 206, 206, 645. eanneti, 648. Emberizoides herbicola, 100. ——- sphenurus, 100. —— — herbicola, 100. Embernagra _ platensis, 100. SCIENTIFIC NAMES. Emblemma__ pictum, 379. Eminia lepida hypo- chlora, 767. Empidagra suiriri, 119. Empidochanes _ fringil- laris, 122. Empidonax minimus, 152. Empidonomus aurantio- atro cristatus, 123. Engyptila chaleauchenia, 460. collaris, 145. Entomophila, 764. Eophona — melanura, 667. Eopsaltria hilli, 566, Ephthianura _ lovensis, 567. Eremomela 628. polioxantha, 601. scotops, 301. Eremopteryxsmithi, 251. verticalis, 251. Ereunetes pusillus, 147. Erismatura ferruginea, od, leucocephala, 650. vittata, 349. Erithacus cyaneus, 64. badiceps, — dandalus sardus, 194, 458. rubecula, 182, 770. Erythrocercus maccallii, 430, 529, Erythrocichla _ bicolov, 60. Erythromyias muelleri, 53. Erythropygia coryphaus, 417. leucophrys, 417. zambesiana, 417. Erythrotriorchis rufo- tibia, 567. Estrilda angolensis, 99 avl, astrilda, 280. cavendishi, atricapilla, 480, 595. clarkii, 232, —— dufresnii, 733. —— granatina, 232. -— incana, 231. —— melpoda, 594, 595, —— nonnula, 593, 594, 783 Estrilda oecidentalis, O93: Eucichla boschi, 49. coccinea, 49. gurneyl, 49. Eudromias modesta, 465. Eudynamis orientalis, 41. Euethia coryi, 160. lepida, 159. olivacea, 159, coryi, 143, 160. Eulabeornis, 764. castaneiventris, 765. tricolor grayi, 765. robinsoni, 765, -— (Hypotenidia) phi- lippeusis, 765. Eulabes intermedius, 67. javanensis, 67. Eupbonia, 577. chlorotiea, 92. serrirostris, 92. Euprinodes florisuga, 3U7. olivaceus, 617. rufogularis, 480, 616, 617. schistaceus, 616. Eurillas camerunensis, 6U2. efulensis, 602. virens, 602. . Kuryapteryx (meus) crassa, 163. Eurylemus ochromelas, dO. Eurynorhynchus pyg- meus, 562. Eurystomus afer, 510, fae (Ud. calonyx, 52. gularis, 510, neglectus, 510. neclectus, 510, orientalis, 32, 675. Euryzona, 764. Euscarthmus margari- taceiventris, 115. Eutelipsitta, 764. Kutolmaétus spilogaster, 397. Euxenura maguari, 359, Falco amurensis, 678. columbarius, 148, communis, 332, 784 Falco eleonore, 647. fusco - caerulescens, 33 2. peregrinus, 9332, 677. punicus, 647. saturatus, 680. — subbuteo, 494, 678. — tinnunculus, 679. —— vespertinus, 647. Falcinellus astrapioides, 366. ellioti, 361. striatus meyeri, 366. striatus, 366. Faleunculus whitei, 566. Fluvicola albiventris, Le Formicivora rufa, 136. rufatra, 136. Francolinus granti, 212. _ delutescens, 766. grisescens, 766. lathami, 480. schuetti kapitensis, 766. 766. —— —— maranensis, 766, —— keniensis, zappeyi, 766. squamatus, 480. Franklinia rufescens, 67. Fraseria cinerascens, 480, ocreata, 480, 520. Fregata aquila, 148. Fringilla ccelebs tyrrhe- nica, 202, 396. montifringilla, 203. polatzeki, 772. teydea, 181. polatzeki, 401. Fringillaria capensis, 250. — media, 250. — — reidi, 250. typica, 250. —— impetuani, 251. —— tahapisi, 250. Fulica armillata, 462. atra, 652. cornuta, 178. gigantea, 178. leucopyga, 462. rufifrons, 462. Fuligula cristata, 650. INDEX OF Furnarius assimilis, 127. -— rufus, 126. Galeoscoptes carolinensis, kas} Galerita cristata, 670. cypriaca, 644, Gallicrex cinereus, 686. Gallinago ccelestis, 689. delicata, 147. — major, 654. megala, 14. —— paraguaye, 467. stenura, 14. Gallinula, 764, 765. —— angulata, 483. chloropus, 652, 685. galeata, 146. pumila, 485. Gallirex porphyreo- lophus, 738. chlorochlamys, 738. Galloperdix, 773. Gallus, 773. Garrulus — glandarius bambergi, 174. hibernicus, 549. ichnuse, 197, — sardus, 194, LOT. ichnuse, 193, 197. Gecinus observandus, 46. puniceus, 46. observandus, 46. viridanus, 45, — viridis, 193. vittatus, 45. Gelochelidon anglica, 474. Gennzus, 773. Geocichla batesi, 622, citrina, 63. compsonota, 623, 631. —— innotata, 63. —— sibirica, 562. Geocolaptes olivaceus, 723. Geophaps cuneata, 570. seripta, 570. shortridgei, 570. smithii, 570. tranquilla, 570. Geositta cunicularia, 12: Geothlypis, 564. - cucullata, 88. | Geothlypis trichas, 159, brachydacty la, 159. velata, 88. Geranoaétus melano- leucus, 332. | Geranospizias czerules- cens, 332. Geryone albigalaris rogersi, 765, Glareola melanoptera, 483. pratincola, 653. Glaucidium perlatum, 162. pyerafti, 495. Glottis nebularius, 13. Gnorimopsar chopi, LOY. Gorsachius melano- lophus, 15. Grallaria gigantea, 571, macularia diluta, 386. Grantiella, 764. Graptocephalus davisoni, Graucalus cesius, 429, pectoralis, 428. Grus canadensis, 564. leucauchen, 564. leucogeranus, 564, viridirostris, 564. Guira guira, 325, piririgua, 325. Guttera plumifera, 480, 491, Gymnobucco peli, 506. Hadrostomus _ atri- capillus, 125. Hematopus palliatus, 466. Halcyon albiventris, C2, —- — orientalis, 713. armstrongi, 34. badius, 513. barnardi, 567. — chelicuti, 713, 752. chloris, 34. concretus, 35. coromandus, 34, eyanoleucus, 512, forbesi, 512, humii, 34, malimbicus, 512. perpulchra, 34. —— pileatus, 34, 675. senegalensis, 512, —— smyrnensis, 84. Haleyon swainsoni, 712. torquatus forbesi, 512. Haliaétus albicilla, 646. leucogaster, 23. leucoryphus, 24. Haliastur intermedius, 24. Hapalocercus yentris, 116. Hapaloderma narina, 721. Haploeichla, 144. Haplopelia plumbescens, 480, 488. seimundi, 488. tessmanni, 488. Harpactes orescius, 39. Heleodytes narinosus, 563. Heliolais erythroptera, 315. kirbyi, 315. Heliomaster furcifer, 817. Heliopais personata, 19. Helminthophila chry- soptera, 760. —— pinus, 760. Helminthotherus vermi- vorus, 155, Helmitherus vermivorus, 155. Helodromas ochropus, 655. solitarius, 469. Hemicercus canente, 47. sordidus, 47. Hemichelidon fuliginosa, 51. flavi- sibirica, 51, 665. Hemilophus pulveru- lentus, 47. Hemipteryx 180. Heniipus obscurus, 69. —— picatus, 69. Hemixus cinereus, 56. malaccensis, 56. Henicurus leschenaulti, G4. minuta, schistaceus, 64, sinensis, 64. Herodias egretta, 336. Herpornis zantholeuca, 63. Hetzerodes insignis, 504. Heterocorys breviung»iis, 258. Heteronetta atricapilla, 345, SCIENTIFIC NAMES. Heteronetta melano- cephala, 545. Heteronyx ruddi, 212, 252, Heteropygia 468. fuscicoliis, 468. maculata, 147, bairdi, 468. Hieraétus fasciatus, 646. Hierocoecyx fugax, 40. nisicolor, 40. sparverioides, 40. Himantopus brasiliensis, 467. candidus, 654. — melanurus, 467. Himantornis hama- topus, 483. Hirundo albigularis, 431, atrocerulea, 431. badia, 50. christyi, 482, cucullata, 434. erythrogaster, 152. griseopyga, 433. cutturalis, 666. javanica, 50, monteiri, 435. puella, 484, rufula, 641. rustica, 430, 641. semirufa, 438. senegalensis, 519, smithi, 4538. striolata, 666. Histriophaps histrionica, 570. Holoquiscalus cayman- ensis, 143, 161. gundlachi, 142, 161. Homorus cristatus, 134, Hoplopterus ventralis, il Hubua orientalis, 31, Hydralector, 764. Hydranassa_ rutficollis, 147. Hydrochelidon leuco- ptera, 655. Hydrocichla frontalis, 64. Baa ME Ub ruficapilla, 64. Hydropsalis furcifera, 519. Hylia prasina, 628. Hyliota australis, 180. rhodesizx, 180, —— violacea, 527. 785 Hylophilus peecilotis, 89. Hypargos schlegeli, 591, 594. Hyphantornis cabanisi, 223. —— eucullatus, 379. jamesoni, 223. —— nigriceps, 221. shelleyi, 222. spilonotus, 221, ‘ tahatali, 222. xanthops, 223, Hypochera nigerrima, 241. Hypolais polyglotta, 388, 451. Hypopicus polyopsis, 674. Hypotinidia, 765. Hypothymis azurea, 53. Tanthothorax bensbachi, 366, mirabilis, 858, 866. Ibidorhynehus — stru- thersi, 761. Ibis gigantea, 17. hagedash, 568. Ibycter chimachima, 334. chimango, 333. Icterus bairdi, 145, 161. fuertesi, 565. pyrrhopterus, 109, Ictinaétus malayensis, 22. (Neopus) malay- ensis, 22. Indicator, 394. archipelagicus, 44. inornatus, 44. conirostris, 480, 503. emini, 504. maculatus, 503. major, 727. malayanus, 44, minor, 728. stictothorax, 503. variegatus, 728. Tole olivacea, 56. viridescens, 56. Irediparra, 764. Irena cyanea, 56, puella, 56. Irrisor erythrorhynchus, 696. viridis, 696. Ispidina lecontei, 514, natalensis, 711. HTT 786 Txonotus guttatus, 608, | 630. Tyngipicus canicapillus, 46, pumilus, 46, Tynx ruficollis, 727. Jacana jacana, 463. Kaupifalco monogrammi- cus, 397. Kenopia striata, 62. Ketupa ceylonensis, 50. Javanensis, 30, Lagonosticta brunnei- ceps, 229, rendalli, 229. heematocephala, 290 229. incerta, 766. jamesoni, 228. margaritata, 230, —— niveoguttata, 250. —— rhodopareia, 229. rubricata, 228. Lagopus rupestris, 162. scoticus, 368. Lalage culminata, 54. Lamprocolius glauco- virens, 542. melanogaster, 219. pheenicopterus bispecularis, 218. splendidus, 542. glaucovirens, 542. sycobius, 219. Lamprothorax wilhel- mine, 366. Lamprotornis 218, Lamprotreron, 392. Laniavius leucorbynchus, 502. luehderi, 538. —— major, 287. mossambicus, mevesi, 287. Lanius badius, 447. bucephalus, 665. collaris, 283. humeralis, ——— collurio, 284. jourdaini, 448, —— cristatus, 69, 665. — humeralis, 283. lucionensis, 69, 665. — mackinnoni, 540. senator badius, 447. | INDEX OF Larus argentatus cachin- nans, 194. audouini, 194. cachinnans, 656, 694, 744, 745, 747. canus, 656, 692. cirrhocephalus, 475, crassirostris, 658, 693. dominicanus, 474. — fuscus, 696, 744. —— glaucus, 694. maculipennis, 475. —— marinus, 741, 745. melanocephalus, 744. —— minutus, 564, 656. ridibundus, 656, 744, ver, 694. Larvivora cyanea, 64, Leistes superciliaris, 106. Lepocestes porphyro- melas, 46. Leptasthenura egitha- loides, 128. platensis, 128. Leptocoma hasselti, 77. Leptoptila chloro- auchenia, 460, collaris, 143, 145. dubius, 16. —— javanicus, 16. Leucosarcia melanoleuca, 570. picata, 570. Leucotreron, 392. Lichenops perspicillata, Lis: Ligurinus chloris, 642. aurantiventris, ehloris, 199. sinicus, 667. Limnopardalis rhyti- rhynchus, 462. Limonidromus indicus, 73. Limounites minuta, 14, minutilla, 147. ruficollis, 14. Limosa baueri, 691. belgica, 655, 692. hemastica, 470. hudsonica, 470. Linota cannabina, 643. mediterranea, 643. Lioptilus nigricapillus, 418. Loboparadisea sericea, 365. Loborhamphus, 357. nobilis, 357, 366. ptilorhis, 358, 366. Lobotus oriolinus, 480, 535, Locustelia 66, 753. Lophiophasis, 774. Lophoceros epirhinus, (19: erythrorhynchus, 720. hartlanbi, 480. leucomelas, 721. melanoleucus, 718. Lopholemus antarcticus minor, 392. Lophophaps ferruginea, 570. leucogaster, 570, plumifera, 570. leucogaster, lanceolata, 570. Lophophorus, 773. Lophorina minor iati- pennis, 357. — superba latipennis, 307, 366. -— —— minor, 351, 366. superba, 366. Lophostrix letti, 480, 495. Lophura, 774. Loria loriz, 365. Loriculus galgulus, 32. vernalis, 32 Loxia curvirostra, 565. curvirostra, 202. Lullula arborea famili- aris, 207. Luscinia megarhyncha corsa, 457. —— suecica cyanecula, 458. Lusciniola melanopogon, 450, 639, Lybius bidentatus, 505. —— torquatus, 729. Lyeocorax pyrrhopterus morotensis, 367. obiensis, 35], 367. pyrrhopterus, 367. Lyncornis cerviniceps, 38. — temmincki, 38, Macgregoria pulchra, 366, Macherirhamphus alci- NUS; O00. Machetes pugnax, 655. Machetornis rixosa, 114. Macrodipteryx macro- dipterus, 516. Macronyx amelie, 262. capensis, 260. colletti, 260. —— croceis, 261], Macropteryx comata, 38. —-— longipennis, 58. Macrosphenus concolor, 480, 628. — flavicans, 628. Mainatus intermedius, 67. javanensis, 67, Malaconotus adolphi- frederici, 769. gabonensis, 480, 540. olivaceus starki, 290. Malinibus eassini, 544, coronatus, 548. malimbicus, 627. nigerrimus, 584. nitens, 545, 627. rubricollis, 480, 545, 627. Malurus dulcis, 167. pulcherrimus, 567. Manueodia atra altera, 350, 851, 364, 367. atra, 350, 351, 364, 367. ° chalybata chaly- bata, 567. -—— jobiensis, 567. orientalis, 351, 365, 367. rubiensis, 367. comrii, 350, 851, 367. — orientalis, 365, Mareea penelope, 682. —— sibilatrix, 548. Marmaronetta angusti- rostris, 649. Megapodius duperreyi, 566. Melznornis ater, 418, Melanerpes candidus, 322, caymanensis, 143, 150. | SCIENTIFIC NAMES. Melanochlora flayucris- tata, 70. sultanea, 70. Melanocorypha calandra, 206. mongoliea, 670. Melanopteryx maxwelli, | 585. nigerrimus, 584. Melichneustes robustus, dd, sommerfeldi, 505, Melierax polyzonus, 382. Melignomon robustus, 505. zenkeri, 504. Melirrhophetes noukuysi, 181. Melithreptus leucogenys, 567. Melittophagus oides, 708. meridionalis, 707. swinhoii, 36. Melizophilus deserticola, 382. Melopyrrha, 148. nigra, 159. —— taylori, 141, 143, 59! Mergus serrator, 183. squamatus, 182. Merops apiaster, 204. lamark lamark, 3884, natalensis, 706. nubicoides, 706; nubicus, 707. philippinus, 37. sumatranus, 37. superciliosus, 705. viridis, 384. Merula alpestris, 176. obscura, 64. bullock- 212 “ys orientalis, 176. rufiventer, 82. torquata, 176, | Mesobueco cyanotis, 43. | —-— duvauceli, 44, 762. | Mesopicus griseocepha- | lus, 726. | Metopiana 349. Metopidius, 764. Micranous leucocapillus, » 1&6. Mierceca brunneicauda, | 566. Mierohierax fringillarius, 24, peposaca, 787 Micropalama —himan- topus, 470. taczanowskia, 174. Micropus melanocepha- lus, D7. Microtarsius melauo- cephalus, 57. Microtribonyx, 765. ventralis, 162. Miglyptes grammithorax, 46. Milvago chimachima, 334. chimango, 833. Milvulus tyrannus, 124. Milvus melanotus, 677. milyus, 203. Mimociebla, 143. coryi, 154. ravida, 143, 153. rubripes, 154, coryi, 148, 154. Mimus modulator, 83. orpheus, 153. polyglottos orpheus, 153. triurus, 84. Mirafra, 569, ——- africana, 253. transyailensis, 254, apiata, 255. -cheniana, 254, fischeri, 255. —— milligani, 564, nivosa, 256. rufocinnamomea, 212, 255: zombee, 212, 255. Mixornis — erythroptera, 62. cularis, 62. rubricapilla, 62. Mniotilta varia, 155. Molothrus badius, 104. —— bonariensis, 103, 1OeISIE —— rufoaxillaris, 104, 107. Menticola brevipes, 408. cyanus, 635, 662. explorator, 4U8. rupestris, 408. saxatilis, 162, 456, 635, 745. solitarius, 64, 662. solitarius, 455. Motacilla alba alba, 439, 788 Motacilla boarula boarula, 439. borealis, 73. capone, 267. clara, 267. flava, 744, 746. cinereocapilla, OU: flava, 439, leucopsis, 663. — longicauda, 267. —— melanope, 73, 664. — ocularis, 664. — cenanthe, 764. — vidua, 266. Motacilloides, 186. cinereus, 186. Munia leucogastra, 762. Muse pene atricapilla, 449, 770 coerulescens, 421, collaris, 449, 641. epulata, 522. ficedula neumanni, 174. grisola, 520, 770. hypoleuca, 449. —— parva, 182. striata (q. grisola) tyrrhenica, 396. tyrrhenica,449. — torquata, 410. Myiarchus denigratus, 143, 152. ferox, 123. sagree, 142, 143, 152. tyrannulus, 122 Myiobius nevius, 120. Myioceyx lecontei, 514. ruficeps, 514. Myiodynastes _ solitarius, 120. Myiophoneus rostris, 62. dicrorhynchus, 63. —— eugenei, 62. —- robinsoni, 63. Myiopsittacus monachus, 326. Myiospiza manimbe, 99. Myiotheretes rufiventris, 110. Myrmecocichlabifasciata, 409, formicivora, 408. 54, 420, crassi- Nectarinia famosa, 268. johnstoni idia, 766. Neocossyphus poensis, 480, INDEX OF Neoparadisea, 359. ruysi, 899, 366. Neophron percnopterus, 743. Nettion brasiliense, 347. crecea, 682. flavirostre, 346. Nicator gularis, 290. Nigrita bicolor, 591. — brunnescens, 591. fusconota, 592. — luteifrons, 592. pinaronota, 592, Nilaus brubru, 284. Niltava lychnis, 573, Ninox seutulata, 31. Nothura maculosa, 479. Nucifraga caryocatactes rothschildi, 76L. hemispila macella, 573. Lies Numeniae arquatus, 12, 692. —— pheopus, 12. tenuirostris, 383. variegatus, 692 Nyctanassa violacea, 147. Nyctibius jamaicensis, 320. Nycticorax griseus, 648. leuconotus, 485. obseurus, 339. —— tayazu-guira, 339. violaceus, 147. Nyctidromus albicollis, 319. — — derbyanus, 319. —— derbianus, 319. Nyctiornis amicta, 37. Nyctiprogne leucopygia, 320, Nyroca ferruginea, 650. Oceanodroma castro, 575. Octhodromus — geotfroyi, 12. mongolus, 12. pyrrhothorax, 12. Ocyphaps lophotes, 570. Odontophorus melano- notus, 571. Cidicnemus csongor, 562. —— scolopax, 653. Qéinanthe, 764. C&strelata, 167. leucoptera, F67. neglecta, 167. Onychognathus hart- laubi, 542. Oreophilus 466. Oreornis chrysogenys, 181. Oriolus diffusus, 72. galbula, + a indicus, 7 2, 664. leetior, 53D. larvatus, 220. melanocephalus, 72. notatus, 220. oriolus, 199. trailli, 565. zanthonotus, 73. Ornithion cinerascens, 119, obsoletum, 119. Ortalis eanicollis, 461. Ortholophus albocrista- tus, 480. Orthotomus atrigularis, 66. — ruficeps, 66. Ortygospiza ansorgei, 773. —— polyzona, 233. Otis tarda, 652 tetrax, 653. Otocompsa emeria, 56, 57, 58. jocosa, 58, 3879 Otus asio gilmani, 180. ruficollis, ee Pachycephala grisola, 54. lanioides, 564. melanura, 564. Pachycoccyx vyalidus, 499), Pachyrhamphus viridis, 125. Pandion haliaétus, 29 680. Paleocorax moriorum, 767. Paradigalla carunculata, 366. Paradisea apoda, 403. apoda, 850, 367. augustie-vic- toriz, 850, 351, 352, 367. ? 3851, 352, granti, 352, 364, 367 352 ay 367 intermedia, ’ novee-guiner, 302, 307, Paradisea apoda rag- giana, 350, 351, 302, 367. decora, 352, 367. granti, 364. gulielmi, 351, 367. maria, 367. — minor finschi, 351, 367. - jobiensis, 367. —— —— minor, 351, 352, 359, 367. mirabilis, 358, 367. rubra, 367. rudolphi, 351, 353, 367. hunti, 333. Paramythia montium olivacea, 181. Parisoma holospodium, 523. layardi, 299. olivascens, 522, 631. — plumbeum, 299, 923. —— subceruleum, 298. Parmoptila woodhcusei, 480. Paroaria capitata, 97. cucullata, 96. Parotia carole berlepschi, 366. carolx, 366. —— —— meeki, 3054, 366. — duivenbodei, 355, 366. — sefilata helenz, 366. lawesi, 351, sefilata, 366. ——- wahnesi, 356, 366. Parra jacana, 463. Parula americana, 155, pitiayumi, 87. Parus afer, 281. ater sardus, 446. —— britannicus, 551, 552. — ceruleus, 85. ogliastree, 195, —y 366. 443. — cinerascens, 281. — corsus, 193, 443. dresseri, 759. hibernicus, 552, 772. ledoucil, 551. major, 378. artatus, 573. corsus, 443. SER. IX.— VOL. V. 548- SCIENTIFIC NAMES, Parus minor, 663. niger, 281. palustris, 663, 759. sardus, 446. xanthostomus, 281. Paryphephorus duiven- bodei, 353, 366. Passer albiventris, 763. alexandrinus, 763. — domesticus, 205, 743, 765. — — woelitensis, 746. griseus, 243, hispaniolensis, 643. arrigonu, 194 205. italix, 204. melanurus, 242. damarensis, 242. — montanus, 205, 667, 668. nikersoni, 763. Passerculus sandwich- ensis, 160. Pavo, 773. Pedilorhynchus breviros- tris, 480, 524, camerunensis, 523, comitatus, 523. tessmanni, 768. Pedionomus, 391. Pelargopsis amauroptera, Pelicinius gutturalis, 8. Pellorneum = suboch- raceum, 59. Penthetria albonotata, 238. Penthoceryx sonnerati, Perenostola, 3805. rufifrons, 385. — — minor, 385. — subcristata, 385, Pericrocotus, cinereus, 55, 186. flammifer, 54. —— igneus, 59. —— montanus, 5). Pernis apivorus, 647. cristatus, 29. —— ptilonorhynchus, 29 —— tweeddalii, 29. Petrochelidon pyrr- honota, 91. Petreeca vittata, 168, 789 Petronia petronella, 241. petronia hellmayri, 193, 203. superciliaris, 241. Petrophassa albipennis, 570. rufipennis, 570. Petrophila solitaria, 64, Phacelodomus frontalis, 132. —— ruber, 133. — rufifrons, 132. —— rufipennis, 133, striaticollis, 133. Phaéthon erubescens, 167. Phaéthusa magnirostris, 471. Phalacrocorax auritus, 564. —— brasilianus, 335. brasiliensis, 335, carbo, 647, 680. pelagicus, 680. vigua, 835, Phalaropus fulicarius, 378. —— hyperboreus, 689. wilsoni, 467. Phaps chalcoptera, 570. elegans, 570. Pharomacrus mocinno costaricensis, 383. Phasianus, 774. colchicus, 651. torquatus, 683. Philentoma pyrrhop- terum, 53. — velatum, 53. Philomela, 186. — transcaucasia, 186. Philydor columbianus, 571. riveti, 571. Phimosusinfuscatus, 341, Phleoeryptes melanops, 27 awl. Pheebetria fuliginosa, 186, Pheenicopterus ignipal- liatus, 342. jamesi, 178. Pheenicurus ochrurus gibraltariensis, 457. pheenicurus, 457. Phonygammus kerau- dreni gouldi, 351, 367. hunsteini, 367. —— —— jamesi, 351, 367. 367. —— keraudreni, 3G 790 Phormoplectes dorso- maculatus, 581. Phyllastrephus capensis, 297. dowashanus, 175. —— strepitans, 298. terrestris, 297. Phylloscopus bonellii, 638. orientalis, 638. —— borealis, 65, 662. —- coilybita collybita, 449, coronatus, 66, 663, neglectus, 382, 576. nitidus, 382. — sibilatrix, 450, 622, 688. superciliosus, 66, 182, 663. tenellipes, 65. trochilus, 182, 299, 450, 622, 628, 688. viridanus, 382. Phyllostrophus — falken- steini, 598, 6380. flavigula, 600, 630, leucopleurus, 630. orientalis, 600. simplex, 480, 599, 630. viridescentior, 598. Piaya macrura, 325. Pica pica, 197. rustica, 672. Picolaptes angustirostris, bivittatus, 135, Picumnus pilcomayensis, Pionus maximiliani, 328. Pipile cumanensis, 461. Pipra aureola calame, 386. —— opalizans, 579. Piprisoma modestum, 79. Pitangus bolivianus, 119. caudifasciatus, 151, caymanensis, 142, 152. Pitta caerulea, 48. cucullata, 49. —— cyanoptera, 48. —— longipennis, 437. —— megarhyncha, 48. reichenowi, 518. Platycercus cecilix, 564, 764. splendidus, 764, erlangeri, 638. | iNDEX OF Platylophus ardesiacus, Platypsaris atricapillus, 125. Platysmurus leucopterus, 70 Platystira cyanea, 528, peltata, 423, Plegadis guarauna, 340. Ploceipasser pectoralis, 226. Ploceus amaurocephalus, 545, 627. auricapillus, 222. batesi, 627. — bicolor, 545. cucullatus, 627. dorso - maculatus 581. maxwelli, 585. 480, ? nigerrimus, 584, 629. nigricollis, 582, ‘ a ocularius, 583, 627. preussi, 480, 581. tahatali, 222. Plotus anhinga, 336. melanogaster, 19. rufus, 382, 481. Podager nacunda, 320. Pcdica jacobi, 484. —— senegalensis, 484. Pod ceps micropterus, 178. Podicipes americanus, 476. cristatus, 656. fluviatilis, 656, 695. nigricollis, 656, rollandi, 476. Podilymbus podiceps, AL. Peecilodryas caniceps pectoralis, 181. —— pulverulentus, 167. quadrimaculatus, Si Peecilonetta bahamensis, 348. Pceocephalus fuscicapil- lus, 740 robustus, 740. Poéphila personata bel- cheri, 765. Pogonocichla cucullata keniensis, 767. stellata, 416. Polioaétus humilis, 30. Polioaétus ichthyaétus, Poliocichla layardi, 413. pollux, 413. sinuata, 413. Poliohierax semitorqua- tus, 397. Poliolimnas, 765. Poliomyias luteola, 52. Polioptila cerulea, 153. dumicola, 84. Polhospiza gularis, 243. melanochroa, 244. mennelli, 244. Polyboroides _ typicus, 492. Polyborus tharus, 334. Polyplectron — schleier- macheri, 775. Polytmus thaumantias, 317. Pomastostomus, 569. Pomatorhinus borneen- sis, 09. olivaceus, 59. —— wrayi, 59. Pomatorhynchus frater, 536. Poospiza melanoleuca, 98. —— nigrorufa, 98. personata, 98. Porzana, 764. bailloni, 652. — carolina, 772. — maruetta, 652. —— palustris, 765. parva, 652. plumbea, 765. immaculata, 765. pusilla, 685. palustris, 765, Pratincola pastor, 410. — rubetra, 456. — rubicola, 393, 743. stejnegeri, 393. torquata, 409. insularis, 456. orientalis, 212, 409, 410. typiea, 409, Prinia bairdi, 615. flavicans, 309. —-~ hypoxantha, 308, maculosa, 308. —— mystacea, 309, 614, 628. Prion vittatus, 186. Prionochilus ignicapillus, 79. Prionochilus maculatus, 7); modestus, 79. Prionodura newtoniana, 351, 365. Prionops talacoma, 292. Prodotiscus insignis, 504, Progne chalybea, 90. — domestica, 90, furcata, 89. tapera, 90, Promerops cafer, 268. gnrueyi, 268. Prunella collaris tschusii, | 396. Psalidoproecne melena, 436. orientalis, 436. petiti, 519. tessmanni, 768, Psephotus dulciei, 564, 764, multicolor, 764, Pseudastrapia, 360, ellioti, 861, 366. lobata, 3861, 366. Pseudibis papillosa, 17. Pseudochloris olivascens berlepschi, 178. Pseudoglottis guttifer, 13, Pseudoleistes virescens, 107, Pseudonigrita arnaudi kapitensis, 766. Pseudosizura cristata, 154. Psittacella lorenzi, 181. Psitteuteles, 764. Pteridophora __ alberti, 366, Pternistes leucoscepus keniensis, 766. kilimensis, holo- 766. Pterocles arenarius, 650, exustus, 162. ——- fasciatus, 162. Pteronetta — hartlaubi, 482. Ptilinopus, 392. Ptilonorhynehus viola- ceus, 350, 351, 365. Ptilopachus —_ fuscus keniensis, 766. Ptilorhis intereedens, O77. magnifica alberti, 350, 351, intercedens, ole SCIENTIFIC NAMES. Ptilorhis magnifica mag- nifica, 3851, 366. —— mantouni, 366. paradisea para- disea, 350, 366. victoria, 350, 351, 366. Ptilosclera, 764. Ptilotis cassidix, 168. planasi, 566. Ptistes, 764. Ptyonoprogne fuligula anderssoni, 430. Puffinus, 167. gravis, 186. — kuhli, 742. sphenurus, 566. yelkouanus, 745. Pyecnonotus analis, 57, 58. capensis, 294. —— finlaysoni, 58. gabonensis, 480, 604, 629, 630. layardi, 295. fayi, 766. —— —— peasei, 767. pheocephalus, 767. nigricans, 295, —— plumosus, 58. —— pusillus, 58. — salvadorii, 58. ——- simplex, 58. viridescentior, 598, Pyranga azare, 94, Pyrenestes granti, 212, 227. minor, 227. ostrinus, 588. Pyrocephalus rubineus, 121. Pyromelana 236. —— approximans, 237. flammiceps, 589. leuconota, 769. capensis, oryx sundevalli, 235. taha, 236. xanthomelana, 237. Pyrotrogon orescius, 39. Pyrrhocorax graculus, 198. pyrrhocorax, 198. Pyrrhopicus porphyro- melas, 46. Pyrrhura chiripepé, 326. vittata, 326. Pytelia afra, 212, 228, Pytelia melba, 227. —— nitidula, 771. — schlegeli, 591. Quelea erythrops, 212, 235, 589. quelea, 234. Querquedula brasiliensis, O47. circia, 649, 681. cyanoptera, 345, 759. — flavirostris, 346. versicolor, 347. Quiscalus caymanensis, 161. —— gundlachi, 161. Rallina, 764. superciliaris, LO. Rallus, 764. aquaticus, 651. —— brachypus, 765, featherstoni, 765. pectoralis, 764, 765. clelandi, 765. rhytirhynchus, 462, Recurvirostra avocetta, 654. Regulus —_ignicapillus minor, 194, 447. regulus interni, 194, 447. Rhamphastos toco, 325. Rhamphocelus — atro- sericeus, 9+. Rhea americana, 478. darwini, 773. Rheinardtius, 774. Rhinopomastus eyano- melas, 397, 697. schalowi, 697. schalowi, 697. Rhinortha chlorophea, 42, Rhipidura alisteri, 564. —— phasianus, 167. Rhopodytes diardi, 42. — tristis, 42. hainanus, 42. Rhyacophilus glareola, 13 solitarius, 469, Rhynchxa semicollaris, 467. Rhynchocyelus sulphu- rescens, 119. 342 792 Rhynchops melanura, 470. Rhynchotis rufescens, 477. Rhytidoceros undulatus, 36. Riparia nigricans, 763. Rostratula semicollaris, 467. Rostrhamus 333, Rubigula webberi, 59. Rufornis pucherani, 3380. Ruticilla phcenicurus, 182. sociabilis, Saltator aurantiirostris, 99: — cerulescens, 94. similis, 95. Sarcogrammus nuchalis, 11. Sasia abnorinis, 48. everetti, 48. Saxicola, 384, 764. albicollis, 636. — ampbileuca, 636. caterins, 743. —— cypriaca, 636. falkensteini, 412. familiaris, 412. 413. galtoni, 412. hellmayri, atri- — finschi, 636. - — hispaniea xantho- melzna, 636. isabellina, 637. leucopyga, 382. melanoleuca, 636. mounticola, 397, 411, 413. — morio, 636. occidentalis, 743. -—— cnanthe argentea, 174. — cenanthe, 456. pileata, 411. Scenopeetes dentiros- tris, 167, 3851, 365, 566. Schizorhis concolor, 739. Schlegelia wilsoni, 566. Scheenicola apicalis, 301. Scolopax rusticula, 654, 689. Scops cyprius, 646. erlangeri, 162. lempiji, 31. letti, 495. —— malayanus, 31, INDEX OF Scops tschusi, 396. stictonotus, 676. Scoptelus adolphi- frederici, 769, Scopus umibretta, 162. scops Scotornis climacurus, 516. Scythrops novyee- hollandix, 566. Seciurus auricapillus, 158. motacilla, 158. noveboracensis, 158. Selasphorus simoni, 382. Seleucides ignotus auri- pennis, 360, 866. ignotus, 851, 359, 366. Semioptera — wallacei halmahere, 367. wallacei, 367. Sericulus chrysocephalus, 350, 351, 353, 365. melinus, 353. Serinus albigularis, 247, canarius serinus, 201. canicollis, 244. ——. flaviventris, 246. — hortulanus, 642. —— icterus, 246, 595. —— punetigula, 595. — rendalli, 247. —-- scotops, 247. — sulphuratus, 162, 245, Serpophaga nigricans, 1D. subcristata, 116. Setaria affinis, 762. —— magnirostris, 60. Setophaga ruticilla, 159. Sigmodus rufiventris, 535. scopifrons, 212, 291. tricolor, 291. Siphia magnirostris, 51. sumatrensis, 51. Siptornis hudsoni, 130, maluroides, 131. sordida, 129. sulphurifera, 130. Sisopygis icterophrys, 112. Sitagra capensis, 224. olivacea, 224. ocularia, 223, 588. Sitta canadensis white- headi, 440, 444, 445. Sitta frontalis saturatior, 70. —whiteheadi, 192, 194, 440. Sittasomus chapadensis, 134. Siurus aurieapillus, 158. motacilla, 158. noveboracensis, 158. Smilorhis leucotis, 750. Smithornis cameru- nensis, 526. capensis, 422. rufolateralis, 527. sharpii, 527. zenkeri, 527. Somateria — spectabilis, 378. Spatula clypeata, 649, platalea, 349. Spelxornis, 384. | Speotyto cunicularia, 329. Spermestes cucullata, 590. fringilioides, 253, guttata, 590. nigriceps, 234. poensis, 590. scutatus, 254. Spermophila cxrulescens, 95. melanocephalus, 95. Spermospiza guttata, 587. Sphenocichla, 384. Spheneacus africanus, 315. natalensis, 316. transyaalensis, 212, 316. Sphyropicus varius, 150. Spiloptila ocularia, 309, Spilornis pallidus, 25. rutherfordi, 23. Spindalis, 143. benedicti, 143. pretrei, 162. salvini, 143, 160. Spizaétus alboniger, 23. limnaétus, 23. nipalensis, 22. Spizocorys conirostris, 256. Sporophila, 145. cerulescens, 95. leucoptera, 95. melanocephala, 95, Sporopipes _ frontalis abyssinicus, 766. squamifrons, 226. Spreo bicolor, 217. Squatarola helvetica, 653, 687, Stachyris davisoni, 61. nigriceps, 62. nigricollis, 62. poliocephala, 62. Steganopus tricolor, 467, wilsoni, 467. Stelgidopteryx ruficollis, 92. Stenostira scita, 306. Stephanibyx melanop- terus, 397. Sterecorarius antarcticus, 186. crepidatus, 476. Sterna bergii, 11. easpia, 692, maxima, 472. — melanauchen, 692. — minuta, 655. —— sinensis, 693. superciliaris, 473. trudeauii, 473. vittata, 186. Stiphrornis mabire, 772. xanthogaster, 628. Stoparola melanops, 54. thalassinoides, 54. Strepera plumbea, 167. Strepsilas interpres, 146, 689. Streptopelia quata, 487. Strix ernesti, 193. flammea, 646. furcata, 149. fureata, 149. occidentalis, 180. huachucze, hol 471- semitor- 180. virgata tamaulipen- sis, 563. Sturnus _ poltaratskyi, 644, 672. porphyronotus, 644. —— purpurascens, 644. — unicolor, 199. vulgaris, 182, 198, 644, 770. 644, baleanicus, greecus, 644. Sula coryi, 148. cyanops, 148, 167. —— piscator, 148. piscatrix, 145, SCIENTIFIC NAMES. Sula sula, 19. Surniculus lugubris, 39. Sutoria maculicollis, 66. Sycalis arvensis, 102. pelzelni, LOL. Sycobrotus amauro- cephalus, 545, —— bicolor, 545. —— gregalis, 225. stictifrons, 225, Sylvia atricapilla, 451, 637. atricapilla, 452. —— pauluccii, 193, 451. cantillans cantillans, 452. communis, 452. ——- conspicillata, 743. conspicillata, 455. curruca, 452. hortensis, 182. crassirostris, 6: oo 8. jerdoni, 638. inelanocephala, 743. melanoce- phala, 452. melanothorax, 382, 638. momus, 382. mystacea, 382. nana, o82. nisoria, 637, orphea, 638. rueppelli, 568. sarda, 194, 455. affinis, 45d. simplex, 622. subalpina, 402. -undata, 453. Sylviella batesi, 622. denti, 614, 628. distinguenda, 175. —— pallida, 303. rufescens, 303. virens, 628. —— whytii, 305. loringi, 767. Synallaxis cinnamomea, 129. LTTE LTT 621, russeola, 129. —— frontalis, 128. —— pbhyganophila, 129. sulphurifera, 130. vulpina, 129, Syrigma cyanocephalum, 337. 793 Syrnium maingayi, 31. seloputo, 30, —— sinense, 30, Tachornis infumata, 38. —— parvus, 518. = brachypterus, 518. Tachycineta leucorrhoa, 91. leucorrbous, 91. meyenl, 91. Tachyphonus _ eristatus madeirew, 386. -—— melaleucus, 94. rufus, 94. Tadorna casarca, 649. cornuta, 193, 649. variegata, 565. Tenioptera dominicana, 110. irupero, 111. nengeta, 110. Tanagra bonariensis, 93. sayaca, 92. Tangara, 377. Tantalus loculator, 340. Tarsiger silens, 419, —— stellatus, 397. Tchitrea melanura, 532. perspicillata, 426. —- plumbeiceps, 426, 534. rufocinerea, 480, 534. —— speciosa, 532. viridis, 532. Telephonus australis, 285. congener, 286. — minor, 286. — senegalus, 284. tschagra, 285. Tephrocorys cinerea, 207. -— anderssoni, 257. Tephrodornis gularis, 69. Terekia cinerea, 13. Tersiphone aflinis, 53, duchaillui, 532. incil, 58, 666. paradisi, 166. princeps, 35. Tesia, 384. Tetragonops 382. frantzil, rhamphastinus, 382. Tetrax campestris, 653, 794: Thalassogeron culmin- atus, 186. desolationis, 573. Thalurania columbica, 763, venusta, 763. Thamnolexa arnotti, 414. Thamnophilus czrules- cens, 1386. major, 135. radiatus, 186. Thaumatibis gigantea, LG Theristicus brevirostris, 768. olivaceus, 485. rarus, 484, Thinocorys pallida, 395. rumicivorus, 466. Thripias namaquus, 726. Thriponax javensis, 47. Tiga javanensis, 47. Tigrisoma marmoratum, 338. Tinamus latifrona, 571. Tinnunculus — cinnamo- minus, 332, saturatus, 29. vespertinus, 647. Tityra brasiliensis, 125. Todirostrum cinereum, 115, Tolmarchus ecaudifascia- tus caymanensis, 143, 151. caymanensis, 152. Totanus calidris, 12, 655. flavipes, 146, 378, 469, 754. fuscus, 655. — glareola, 655, 691. — glottis, 655, 691. hypoleucus, 488, 691. incanus, 691. — melanoleucus, 469. ochropus, 485, 655, 691. stagnatilis, 13, 655. Trachyeomus — ochroce- phalus, 56. Trachylamus atus, 08, 508. Trachyphonus 731. Tragopan, 778. Tribonyx, 764. Trichoglossus 566. septentrionalis, 567. p urpur- cafer, colesi, INDEX OF Tricholema leucomelas, 729, Tricholestes 57. Tringa acuminata, 382. —— alpina, 690. —— americana, 690. — bairdi, 468. canutus, 468. fuscicollis, 468. —— maculata, 147, 468. — minuta, 654, 690. —— minutilla, 147. — ruficollis, 691. subarquata, 654. subminuta, 691. Tringoides hypoleucus, 13. criniger, macularius, 146. Trochocercus cyano- melas, 426. nigromitratus, 530, 531. — nitens, 480, 530, 531. Troglodytes hornensis, 85. musculus, 86. hornensis, 895. musculus, 86. troglodytes keenigi, 396. Trogon surucura, 324, variegatus, 524, Trupialis defilippii, 108. militaris, 108. Turacus chalcolophus, 176. —— corythaix, 565, 735. phebus, 736. livingstonii, 737. meriani, 498. persa, 480, 498. persa, 498. reichenowi, 212, 737. zenkeri, 498, Turdinulus exsul, 61. — eranti, 61. humei, 61. Turdinus abbotti, 59. batesi, 625. cerviniventris, 624. fulvescens, 624. — loricatus, 60. —— macrodactylus, 60. —— magnirostris, 60. sepiarius, 59. Turdirostris fulvescens, | 624, 631. | Turdus alpestris, 635. Turdus amaurochalinus, 82. cabanisi, 397. cardis lateus, 573. —— gurneyi, 406. iliacus, 182, 634, 770. leucomelas, 82. libonianus, 407. tropicalis, 455, 407. litsitsirupa, 405. —— melinus, 353. —— merula, 182. merula, 455. — musicus, 182, 455, 634, 770. naumanni, 382. olivaceus, 406. obscurus, 64, 662. pallidus, 662. philomelos — philo- melos, 455. pilaris, 182, 454, 635. ruficollis, 382. — rufiventris, 82. saturatus, 480, sibiricus, 562. —— torquatus, 182, 455. varius, 382, 662. yiscivorus, 182, 684. reiseri, 454. Turnix blanfordi, 684. olivii, 177. sylvatica alleni, 766. Turtur communis, 650. humilis, 683. orientalis, 683. semitorquatus, 487. Turturcena iriditorques, 487. Tympanistria tympanis- tria, 490. Tyrannus dominicensis, 152. melancholicus, 123. Upupa africana, 695. butleri, 763. epops, 645, 675. saturata, 174. indica, 35. Ureginthus bengalus brunneogularis, 766. Urobrachya axillaris, 238. Urococecyx thus, 43. Urolais marix, 188. erythrogna- Urolestes melanoleucos, 282. Urubitinga urubitinga, dol. zonura, 331. Vanellus 464. Veniliornis 323. Verreauxia 480. Vidua paradisea, 241. principalis, 240, Vinago calva, 486. wakefieldi, 212. Vireo alleni, 154. barbatulus, 154. calidris barbatulus, 154. caymanensis, 154. — chivi, 89. crassirostris alleni, 143, 154, cayennensis, olivinus, africana, SCIENTIFIC NAMES. Vireosylva calidris barba- tula, 154. —— caymanensis, 154. — chivi, 89. 143, Xantholema hzmatoce- phala, 44. Xanthomelus 404. aureus ardens, 353, 360. ardens, — aureus, 353, 365. Xanthophilus — bojeri alleni, 766. Xanthopygia cyanome- lena, 53. Xanthotis filigera, 567. Xerophila, 569, Xiphocolaptes major, 134 Xipholena pompadora, 86. 795 Xiphorhynchus trochili- rostris, 135. Zanclostomus javanicus, 42, Zenaida amabilis, 145. auriculata, 459. — maculata, 459. meridionalis, 145. richardsoni, 145. spadicea, 143, 145. Zonibyx modestus, 465. Zonotrichia pileata, 98. Zosterops anderssoni, 279. aureiventer, 79. capensis, 280. pallida, 280. palpebrosa, 80. senegalensis, 605, stenocricota, 605. tahanensis, 79. —— yirens, 279. reichenowi, 565. INDEX OF CONTENTS. 1a Africa, Gunning and Haagner’s Check- list of the Birds of South, noticed, 172; Madardsz on new Birds from East, noticed, 175; Sclater on Birds collected by Mr. C. H. B. Grant at various localities in South, 208, 405, 695; Jackson on the Game-birds of East, noticed, 569; Percival on European Migrants in British East, noticed, 572 ; Roosevelt’s expedition to East, 577; Madardsz on new Birds from, noticed, 765; Mearns on new Birds from, noticed, 766; Reichenow on Birds of the Lake District of Mid-, noticed, 768. ‘African Game-Trails,’ Roosevelt’s, noticed, 3894. Alexander, Boyd: Note on the collec- tion of Birds of, 187; Letter from W. R. Ogilvie-Grant on the Bird collection of the late, 573. Alexandria, C. B. Ticehurst on Birds noticed during a voyage to, 741. Algeria, Gyldenstolpe on the Birds of, noticed, 384. Allen, J. A.: Collation of Brisson’s Genera of Birds, noticed, 376. Amazonian Campos, Snethlage on the Avifauna of the, noticed, 769. America, Note on a new work on Birds of South, 580; Note on the Report of the National Museum of, 774. ‘Annals of Scottish Natural History,’ Correction of a notice of the, 1&4; noticed, 377, 753. ‘Annals of the Cyprus Nat. Hist. Society,’ noticed, 561. Annual General Meeting of the B.O.U., Notice of, 404; Proceedings at, 553, ‘ Aquila,’ noticed, 378. ‘ Archivum Zoologicum,’ noticed, 561. Argentina, C. H. B. Grant on Birds collected in, 80, 317, 459. Arizona, Swarth on two new Owls from, noticed, 180. Arvigoni degli Oddi, E., Ou Geocichla sibirica, noticed, 562. Asia, Finn on the Waterfowl of, noticed, 168. Auk, Bidwell on an Egg of the Great, 184. ‘The Auk,’ noticed, 562. Australia, Mathews on the Birds of, noticed, 176, 891, 570, 764; On two new Birds from, noticed, 765; Hall on the distribution of Land-birds in, noticed, 568; North on Nests and Eggs of Birds found breeding in, noticed, 572. ‘Aves’ of ‘Zoological Record,’ Vol. xlvi., noticed, 396. ‘ Avicultural Magazine,’ noticed, 162, 379, 564, 754. Baltic Provinces, Loudon on the Birds of the, noticed, 390. Bangs, O. and Thayer, J. E., On new Birds from Central China, noticed, 573. Bannerman, D. A., Letter from Gran Canaria, 401. Bartholomew, J. G., ‘Atlas of Zoo- geography,’ noticed, 755, Bates, G. L., Further Notes on the Birds of S. Cameroon, with Des- criptions of the Eggs by W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, 479, 581; Return of to Cameroon, 775. 798 Bedford, Mary, Duchess of, Nine days on Grimsey and the N.E. coast of Iceland, 1. Beebe, ©. W., Notes on American Pheasant-Expedition, 578, 773. Beetham, B., ‘Lhe Home-Life of the Spoonbill, White Stork, Common and Purple Herons,’ noticed, 880; ‘Photography for Bird-Lovers,’ noticed, 757. Benham, W. B., on the Moa of Stewart Island, noticed, 162. Bidwell, E., Letter from, on an egg of the Great Auk, 184. Bolivia, C. H. B. Grant on Birds collected in, 80, 317, 459; Ménégaux on Birds from, noticed, 178. Booth Collection of Birds, Griffith on Additions to, noticed, 172., Borneo, Parrot on Birds from, noticed, Bie Brazil, C. H. B. Grant on Birds collected in Southern, 80, 317, 459. Brisson’s ‘Genera of Birds,’ Allen’s Collation of, noticed, 376. ‘British Bird Book,’ noticed, 569. British Birds, Ogilvie-Grant’s List of, noticed, 170. British Museum (Nat. Hist.), Collector’s Instructions, noticed, 880; Report (1911) on the, noticed, 771. British Ornithologists’ Union, Annual Meeting of the, 404, 553. Brook, E. J., Note on the Paradise Birds of, 577. Buceknill, J. A. S., A list of the Birds of Cyprus, noticed, 163; A further con- tribution to the Ornithology of Cyprus, 652. Butler, A. G., ‘ Foreign Birds for Cage and Aviary,’ Part IL., noticed, 163. Buturlin, 8. A., Letter from, on Mergus sguamatus, 182. California University, Grinnell on the Birds of the Campus of the, noticed, 568. Cameroon, Bates on the Birds of Southern, with descriptions of the Eggs by W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, 479, 581; Reichenow on the Birds of, noticed, 768, Carriker, M. A., Jr., List of the Birds of Costa Rica, noticed, 381. Carruthers, D., Letter from Central Asia, 398. Cayman Islands, Lowe on the Birds of the, 137. INDEX OF CONTENTS. ‘Check-list of North-American Birds, 3rd edition, noticed, 164; Abridged edition, noticed, 165. China, Thayer and Bangs on new Birds from Central, noticed, 573; Jones on Birds observed in the vicinity of Wei Hai Wei, North-east, 657. Chubb, E, C., Letter from, on Pytelia nitidula, 771; At the Durban Museum, 775. Collectors, British Museum instructions for, noticed, 380. Congoland, Dubois on new Birds from, noticed, 565. Corsica, Jourdain on the Ornithology of, 189, 437; Schiebel on new Birds from, noticed, 396. Costa Rica, Carriker’s list of the Birds of, noticed, 881; Ferry on Birds from, 383. Cyprus, Bucknill on the Birds of, noticed, 163; A further contribution to the Ornithology of, 632; Annals of the Nat. Hist. Society of, noticed, 561. Danish Lighthouses, Winge cn Birds captured at, noticed, 182, 770. Dewar, D., on Common Indian Birds, noticed, 166. Dove, H. 8., On the Relation of the Spine-tailed Swift to Weather Con- ditions in Victoria and Tasmania, 748. Dresser, H, E., ‘ The Eggs of the Birds of Europe,’ noticed, 382. Dubois, A., On new Birds from Congo- land, noticed, 565. Dumfriesshire, Gladstone on the Birds of, noticed, 169. Eckhardt, W., On the Migration of Birds, noticed, 565. Ecuador, Ménégaux on the Birds of, noticed, 571. Egypt, Innes Bey on the Birds of, noticed, 388. ‘The Emu,’ noticed, 166, 566. European Birds’ Eggs, Jourdain on, noticed, 389. Evans, A. H., On the Fauna of the Tweed Area, noticed, 757. Evans, W., On the Mealy Redpolls, noticed, 760. Faxon, W., On noticed, 760. Brewster’s Warbler, INDEX OF Ferry, J. F., On Birds from Costa Rica, noticed, 883. Festa, E., and Salvadori, T., On a new Thinocorys, noticed, 395. Finn, Frank, ‘The Waterfowl of India and Asia,’ noticed, 168. Flower, 8. 8., on the Giza Zoological Gardens, noticed, 168; List of Animals in the Giza Gardens, noticed, 567. ‘Foreign Birds for Cage and Aviary,’ Part II., noticed, 1638. Fulton, R., On the Bronze Cuckoo of New Zealand, noticed, 169, Giza Zoological Gardens, Report for the year 1909, noticed, 168; Flower’s List of Animals in the, noticed, 567. Gladstone, H. 8., ‘The Birds of Dum- friesshire,’ noticed, 169; Letter from, correcting a locality, &e., 184. Grand Canary Island, Thanner on the Birds of, noticed, 181; Letters on Bird-life of, 401, 575. Grant, C. H. B., List of Birds collected in Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Southern Brazil, with Field-notes, 80, 517, 459; Field-notes on Birds collected at various localities in South Africa, 208, 405, 695. Griffith, A. F., On Additions to the Booth Collection of Birds, 172. Grimsey, Duchess of Bedford on Nine days on, and the N.E. Coast of Iceland, 1. Grinnell, J., On Birds of the California University Campus, noticed, 568. Grouse, Somerville on the introduction on the Continent of the Red, 368. Guinea, B.O.U. Expedition into Central New, 186, 404, 577; Reichenow on Birds from Spanish, noticed, 767; Van Oort on new Birds from South-Western New, noticed, 181. Gull, Rubow on the Common, noticed, 395, Gunning, J. W. B., and Haagner, A., “A Check-list of the Birds of South Africa,’ noticed, 172. Gyldenstolpe, N. F., On Algerian Birds, noticed, 884; On Birds from Russian Turkestan, noticed, 760. Haagner, A., and Gunning, J. W. B., ‘A Check-list of the Birds of South Africa,’ noticed, 172. Hall, R., The Distribution of Australian Land-birds, noticed, 568. CONTENTS. 799 Hamilton, A., List of the Birds of New Zealand, noticed, 761. Hartert, Ernst, ‘Miscellanea Ornitho- logica,’ noticed, 884; On the Eggs of the Paradiseidx, noticed, 384. Harvie-Brown, J. A., Letter from, on Phylloscopus neglectus, 576. Hellmayr, C. E., On the Species of Percnostola, noticed, 885; On the 8. American Species of Chetura, noticed, 3885; On the Birds of the Rio Madeira, noticed, 385; Letter from, on a specimen of Baleniceps rex, 574. Herons, Beetham on the Home-Life of the Common and Purple, noticed, 380. Hiesemann, M., ‘How to attract and protect Wild Birds,’ noticed, 386. Hind, Rev. H. N., Note on Whooper Swans which visit the River Eden in Cumberland, 546, ‘History of Birds,’ Pyeraft’s, noticed, 178. Honey-bird, Note on the, in N.E, Rhodesia, 580. Howard, H. E., ‘The British Warblers,’ noticed, 388. Humming Birds, Madardsz on two, noticed, 763. Iceland, Duchess of Bedford on Nine days on Grimsey and the N.E, Coast of, India, Dewar on Common Birds of, noticed, 166; Finn on the Waterfowl of, noticed, 168. Innes Bey, W. F., On the Birds of Egypt, noticed, 388. Trish Coal Titmouse, Ogilvie-Grant on the, 548. ‘Trish Naturalist,’ noticed, 761. Jackson, F. J., On the Game-birds of East Africa and Uganda, noticed, 569. Jones, K. H., On some Birds observed in the vicinity of Wei Hai Wei, N.E. China, 657. Jourdain, F.C. R., Notes on the Ornitho- logy of Corsica, 189, 437 ; ‘The Eggs of European Birds, noticed, 389. ‘Journal of the FE. African and Uganda Nat. Hist. Society,’ noticed, 569. ‘Journal of the S. African Ornitholo- gists’ Union,’ noticed, 180, 396, 800 Kershaw, J. C., Letter from, on the nest of Diceum cruentatum, 400. Kirkman, F. B., ‘The British Bird Book,’ noticed, 569. Kloss, C. B., On noticed, 762. Kloss, C. B., and Robinson, H. C., On Birds from the Northern Portion of the Malay Peninsula, including the Islands of Langkawi and Terutau; with Notes on other rare Malayan Species from the Southern Districts, 10. Malayan Birds, Langkawi, Robinson and Kloss on Birds from, 10. Letters, Extracts, and Notes, 182, 398, 578, 771. Lénnberg, E., On Birds from Trans- baicalia and Mongolia, noticed, 173. Loudon, H., On the Birds of the Baltic Provinces, noticed, 390, Lowe, P. R., On the Birds of the Cayman Islands, West Indies, 137. Macgillivray, William, The Life of, noticed, 174. McGregor, R. C., ‘A Manual of Philip- pine Birds, noticed, 391. Madardasz, J. v., On new Kast African Birds, noticed, 175; On new Birds from Africa, noticed, 765; On two Humming Birds, noticed, 763. Malay Peninsula, Robinson and Kloss on Birds from the, 10; Kloss on Birds of the, noticed, 762. Martorelli, G., On variation in the Ring Ousel, noticed, 176. Mathews, G. M., ‘The Birds of Aus- tralia,’ noticed, 176, 391, 570, 764; Proposed Alterations in Nomen- clature, noticed, 892; Some necessary Alterations in Nomenclature, noticed, 763; On two new Australian Birds, noticed, 765. Mearns, E. A., Descriptions of new African Birds, noticed, 766. Ménégaux, A., On Birds from Bolivia and South Peru, noticed, 178; On the Birds of Heuador, noticed, 571. ‘Messager Ornithologique,’ noticed, 186. Meyer, A. B., Death of, 376 ; Obituarial notice of, 556. Migration, Thienemann on_ Stork-, noticed, 3897; Eckhardt on Bird-, noticed, 565; Percival on European Bird-, in B. E. Africa, noticed, 572 ; New Inguiry on Bird-, 776. INDEX OF CONTENTS. Millar, A. D., Obituarial notice of, 752. ‘Miscellanea Ornithologica,’ noticed, 384. Moa of Steward Island, Benham on the, 162. Mongolia, Lonnberg on Birds from, noticed, 173. Moulton, J. C. “ Eighth Report of the Sarawak Museum, noticed, 392. Munich, Note on the Zoological Museum at, 578. New Forest, Army Manceuvres in the, 579. New Zealand, Fulton on the Bronze Cuckoo of, noticed, 169; Hamilton’s list of the Birds of, noticed, 761. Nomenclature, Mathews’ proposed alterations in, noticed, 392, 763. North, A. J., On Nests and Hggs of Australian Birds, noticed, 572. Notices of Ornithological Publications, 162, 186, 376, 561, 753. Oberholser, H. C.; Revision of the Forms of the Ladder-backed Wood- pecker, noticed, 767. Obituary, 869, 556, 752. Ogilvie-Grant, W. R. ; ‘ A list of British Birds,’ noticed, 170; Descriptions of Eggs from 8. Cameroon, 479, 581; On the Irish Coal Titmouse, 548 ; Letter from, on the Boyd Alexander collection of Birds, 578. ‘ Oologist,’ The, noticed, 393. ‘Ornithologische Mittheilungen,’ no- ticed, 186. Owls, Swarth on two new, from Arizona, noticed, 180. Palearctic Birds’ Eggs, Dresser on, noticed, 382. Paradiseide, Rothschild on recently described, 350; Hartert on the Eggs of the, noticed, 884; Introduction of, into the West Indies, 403; Note on Mr. E. J. Brook’s, 577. Paraguay, C. H. B. Grant on Birds collected in, 80, 317, 459. Parrot, Curl, Death of, 376; Obi- tuarial notice of, 557; On Birds from Siam and Borneo, noticed, 393. Percival, A. B.: on European Migrants in B. H. Africa, noticed, 572. Peru, Ménégaux on Birds from South, noticed, 178. INDEX OF Pheasant - Expedition, Notes on the American, 578, 773. Philippines, MeGregor’s Manual of the Birds of the, noticed, 391. ‘Photography for Bird-Loyers, Bee- tham on, noticed, 757. Protection of Wild Birds, Hiesemann _ on the, noticed, 386. Publications, Notices of Ornithological, 162, 186, 376, 561, 753; Tschusi on the Ornithological, of Austria- Hungary for 1909, noticed, 398. Pyeraft, W. P., ‘A History of Birds,’ noticed, 178; On the Skeleton of Paleocorax moriorum, noticed, 767. Redpolls, W. Evans on the Mealy, noticed, 760. Reichenow, A., on Birds from Spanish Guinea, noticed, 767; On the Birds of Cameroon, noticed, 768; on the Birds of the Mid-African Lake Dis- trict, noticed, 768. Report of the 8. African Museum for 1909, noticed, 185. Ring-Ousel, Martorelli on variation in the, noticed, 176. Rio Madeira, Hellmayr on the Birds of the, noticed, 385. Robinson, H. C. and Kloss, C. B.: On Birds from the Northern Portion of the Malay Peninsula, including the Islands of Langkawi and Terutau ; with notes on other rare Malayan Species from the Southern Districts, 10. Roosevelt, T., ‘African Game-Trails,’ noticed, 394; Note on his East African Expedition, 577. Rothschild, Walter, On recently des- cribed Paradiseide, with notes on some other new Species, 350. Rubow, C., on the Common noticed, 395. Gull, Sahara, Noteon the Birds of the Central, 402. Salvadori, T., On a noticed, 573. Salvadori, IT. and Festa, E., On a new Thinocorys, noticed, 395. Sarawak Museum, Moulton’s Report on the, noticed, 392. Schiebel, G., On new Corsican Birds, noticed, 896. Seclater, W. L., On the Birds Collected by Mr. Claude H. B. Grant at various localities in South Africa, with Field- new Albatross, CONTENTS. 801 notes by the Collector, 208, 405, 695 ; ‘Aves, of ‘Zoological Record,’ Vol. xlvi. noticed, 396. Scott, W. E. D., Death of, 876, Obituarial notice of, 559, ‘Scottish Natural History, Annals of,’ Correction of a notice of the, 184; noticed, 377, 753. Serle, W., Letter from, on Birds of Gran Canaria, 575. Shelley, G. E., Death of, 188; Obituarial notice, 369. Siam, Parrot on birds from, noticed, 393. Snethlage, E., On the Avifauna of the Amazonian Campos, noticed, 769. Somerville, W., A note concerning Red Grouse on the Continent, 368. Spoonbill, Beetham on the Home-Life of the, noticed, 380. Stewart Island, Benham on the Moa of, 162. Stork, Beetham on the Home-life of the White, noticed, 380; Thienemann on the Migration of the, noticed, 397. Swans, Hind on Whooper, on the River Eden, 546. Swarth, H. 8., On two new Owls from Arizona, noticed, 180. Swift, Dove on the relation of the Spine-tailed, to Weather Conditions in Victoria and Tasmania, 748. Tasmania, Dove on the relation of the Spine-tailed Swift to Weather Con- ditions in, 748. Terutau, Robinson and Kloss on Birds from, 10. Thanner, R. y., On the Birds of Grand Canary Island, noticed, 181. Thayer, J. EH. and Bangs, O., On new Birds from Central China, noticed, 573. Thienemann, J., On the Migration of the Stork, noticed, 397. Ticehurst, C. B., Letter from, 401; On the Birds noticed during a Voyage to Alexandria, 741. Transbaicalia, Lénnberg on birds from, noticed, 173. Tschusi zu Schmidhoffen, V. RB. v.,Onthe Ornithological Literature of Austria- Hungary for 1909, noticed, 398. Turkestan, Gyldenstolpe on Birds from Russian, noticed, 760. Tweed Area, A. H. Evans on the Fauna of the, noticed, 757. Uganda, Jackson on the Game-birds of, noticed, 569, 802 Van Oort, EB. D., On new Birds from S. W. New Guinea, noticed, 181. Victoria, Dove on the relation of the Spine-tailed Swift to Weather Con- ditions in, 748. Warblers, Howard on the British, noticed, 888; Faxon on Brewster's, noticed, 760. Wei Hai Wei, Jones on Birds observed in the vicinity of, 657. INDEX OF CONTENTS. West Indies, Introduction of Paradise- Birds into the. 403. Winge, H., On Birds captured at Danish Lighthouses, noticed, 182, 770. Woodpecker, Oberholser on the Forms of the Ladder-backed, noticed, 767. ‘Zoogeography,’ Bartholomew’s ‘ Atlas of, noticed, 755. ‘Zoological Record,’ ‘ Aves’ of Vol. xlvi. "08 noticed, 396, END OF VOL. V. seautiful Books of Wonderful Photographs. . . THE BIRD-LOVER’S HOME-LIFE SERIES. . . Ph HOVE s=wiP Ee OR ‘The OSPREY, PD VOLUME OF PTH E SER LES Photographed and Described by CLINTON 'G, ABBOT 7.2. B.A., Assoc. A.O.U. A DOO) Teer WONDERFUL BIRD PHOTO: GRAPHS UNIFORM WITH “THE HOME- LIFE OF A GOLDEN EAGLE 2 AND “THE HOME- LIFEs OF THE SPOONBILE,” Gc., Gc. CROWN QUARTO. 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EP.Z:S., R.N., M.B.0.U. (3 Se aa . 657 XXVIII, On the Birds collected by Mr. Claude H. B. Grant at various Localities in South Africa—Part IIl. By W. “L, Sctuater, M.A, F.Z.S., M.B.0.U. With F ield-Notes by the Collector . . . : . 695 XXIX. On the Birds noticed during a Vevaie to Alexandria. ‘By Cravp B. Ticenvxst, M.A., M.R.C.S., M.B.O.U. eek ag ed XXX. On the Relation of the Spine-tailed Swift (Ontewed caudacuta) to Weather Conditions in Victoria and Tasmania. By H. Srvarr Dovs, F.Z.S., M.R.A.O.U. . 748 © RK KI. Obituary: Mr, A.D. Minar 4+. 5 eee eee XXXII. Notices of recent Ornithological Publications :— _ 81. ‘Annals of Scottish» Natural eee PE Sie ein ie a See hea 82. « Avicultural Magazine’ . . . ENP Nec se a ea gO 83, Bartholomew’s Zoozeography : Dhue COO 84, Beetham on the Practical P hotozraphy of Birds . ti 85. A. H. Evans on the Fauna of the Tweed Area ade 86. W. Evans on the Mealy Redpolls . | 87. Faxon on Brewster’s Warbler ‘ 760 88. Gyldenstolpe on Birds from Russian Pukeestan 89. Hamilton’s List of the Birds of New Zealand . . . “61 90, ‘Irish Naturalist’ . , rhs Orn ea a eRe Lee 91. Kloss on Malayan Birds 762 92. Madaradsz on new Birds from Nin 3. Madarasz on two Humming-Birds ; | 763 94, Mathews on Alterations in the N omerclaries of Bids: | 95. Mathews on the Birds of Australia . . . . . . 7647 96. Mathews on Two new Australian-Birds. “ . . .,. 7609 97. Mearns on Ten new African Birds. . .°. . . . | 766 98. Mearns on Fifteen new African Birds. : 99, Oberholser on the Forms of the Ladder-backed Woodpecker : re 767 100. Pyceraft on the Skeleton ar Paleocor AD A ie cnet 101. Reichenow on Birds from Spanish Guinea . | 102. Reichenow on the Birds of Cameroon : 103. Reichenow on the Birds of the Mid- African Lake ea ; District s ; ‘ 104. Snethlage on the he jenn ati ate nga Campos. 769 105. Winge on the Birds Se at thé Danish Light- | houses : i ectetm te [ Contents continued on page 2 of W rage, ‘A Q (29) . 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