LIBRARY 
 
 IHHXIRSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 DAVIS 
 
W 
 
GL b D ey t>. ft 
 
 MAP 
 
 to illustrate 
 
 ANDERS SON'S 
 
 ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES. 
 
 English Miles. 
 
 p SO 100 200 
 
 l,onjdicrv: J. Van, Voorst*. 
 
 'R.Weller.lith. 
 
NOTES 
 
 THE BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND 
 
 AND THE ADJACENT COTJNTKIES OF 
 
 SOUTH-WEST AFRICA. 
 
 BY THE LATE 
 
 CHARLES JOHN ANDERSSON. 
 
 AUTHOR OP ' LAKE NGAMI ' AND OF ' THE OKAVANGO RIVER.' 
 
 ARRANGED AND EDITED BY 
 
 JOHN HENRY GURNEY, 
 
 WITH SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES BY THE EDITOK, AND AN INTRODUCTORY 
 CHAPTER CONTAINING 
 
 A SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR'S LIFE, 
 
 ABRIDGED FROM THE ORIGINAL PUBLISHED IN SWEDEN. 
 
 LONDON: 
 JOHN VAN VOORST, PATERNOSTER ROW. 
 
 MDCCCLXXII. 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 
FLAMMAM. 
 
 PRINTED BY TAYLOR AND FRANCIS, 
 RED UON COURT, FLEET STREET. 
 
INTKODUCTORY CHAPTER, 
 
 BY THE EDITOR, 
 
 INCLUDING A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR 
 (TRANSLATED FROM THE SWEDISH). 
 
 IN introducing to the public the following ornithological notes 
 by my late friend CHARLES JOHN ANDERSSON, I purpose, in the 
 first instance, to lay before my readers a short biographical 
 sketch of Mr. Andersson's career which appeared in a Swedish 
 periodical, the ' Sveriska Jagarforbundets nya Tidskrift ' for 
 1868, and for a translation of which I am indebted to my valued 
 friend L. Lloyd, Esq., of Gothenburgh. 
 
 The details given in this sketch will enable the reader to judge 
 of the circumstances under which Mr. Andersson made his 
 ornithological observations, and will be followed by some remarks, 
 in the form of a preface, relating chiefly to the mode which I 
 have adopted in arranging the results of those observations as 
 contained in his MS. notes, for the purpose of publication in the 
 present volume. 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 
 
 CHARLES JOHN ANDERSSON was born in Wermelandf in 1827, 
 was educated at the public high school in Wenersborg, and was 
 afterwards a student at the University of Lund for a single 
 term. In early life he evinced a great passion for the chase, 
 natural history, and travel, * * * * ; and, according to what he 
 himself relates, his aspirations were at an early period turned 
 towards the deserts of Africa. 
 
 t A province of Sweden. 
 
 a 2 
 
iv INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 In 1849 he may be said to have commenced his travels. 
 Towards the end of that year he proceeded to England to dispose 
 of many specimens (living and dead) of natural history that he 
 had for some time past been collecting, purposing thereby to 
 raise sufficient funds to enable him to visit distant countries. 
 His most ardent wish, as mentioned above, was to proceed to 
 Africa ; but this project he, for the time, was obliged to forego, 
 as the cost of such an expedition quite exceeded his means. 
 Already, indeed, he had determined on visiting Iceland, when 
 an altogether unexpected circumstance enabled him to carry into 
 execution his original and favourite scheme. 
 
 David Livingstone had in 1849 commenced his wonderful 
 discoveries in Africa. By means of the Kalahari desert he found 
 his way to the " Lake Ngami," which had long previously been 
 ascertained to exist, but to which no European had then pene- 
 trated, thereby making known to the world that to the north of 
 South-western Africa lay a well-watered country, rich in vege- 
 table and animal life, and especially in elephants. This intelli- 
 gence, which promised so well for the naturalist, the man of 
 business, and the hunter, created in England and elsewhere the 
 greatest sensation. Amongst those seized with a desire to 
 follow in the track of Livingstone was Francis Galton, who, as 
 early as the first months of 1850, began to make preparations 
 for a journey to " Ngami." Andersson met with this gentleman 
 in London ; and it was soon arranged between them that they 
 should travel in company, Galton agreeing to bear all the ex- 
 penses of the journey. 
 
 The needful outfit completed, Galton and Andersson sailed 
 from England in the month of April 1850, and arrived at the 
 Cape the following June. From thence, in the commencement 
 of August, they proceeded by sea to Walvisch Bay, on the 
 south-west coast, which they reached towards the end of the 
 month. The starting-point of their projected journey was the 
 missionary station of Scheppraansdorf, situated some twenty 
 
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. v 
 
 miles to the eastward of the bay in question. Galton was desi- 
 rous that their little expedition should be thoroughly well 
 equipped in every respect more especially as regarded draft- 
 and saddle-oxen, which were not to be had .thereabouts, the 
 Damaras in that part of the country being as poor in regard to 
 cattle as in every thing else. The first journey of the travellers 
 into the interior was, therefore, chiefly for the purpose of pur- 
 chasing oxen trained as well to the saddle as to the yoke. 
 
 During this excursion they were exposed to all the hardships 
 and inconveniences that usually follow a wandering life in South- 
 western Africa namely, burning heat, extreme thirst, worn-out 
 draft-oxen, and attacks by lions, which either devoured their 
 horses and cattle, or drove them to a distance from the en- 
 campment. 
 
 After several days' journey through Namaqua Land, and when 
 they had reached the confines of that country, they arrived at 
 the missionary station of Richterfeldt. Here they succeeded in 
 procuring from Hans Larsen, a Dane, who was resident there, 
 the requisite number of oxen, as also in inducing him to 
 accompany them during their future wanderings. This was the 
 greatest good fortune that travellers, unaccustomed to life in the 
 wilderness, could have met with ; for, independently of his 
 having a perfect knowledge of the country, he could turn his 
 hand to almost any thing as for example, to train oxen either 
 for riding or draft, repairing a waggon when needful, the dis- 
 covery of water in the desert, &c. He was, moreover, a hunter 
 of the first order, and possessed of herculean strength, an iron 
 constitution, and a sang-froid that nothing could move. 
 Andersson, indeed, admits that he and Galton could with diffi- 
 culty have traversed the wilderness had they not been accom- 
 panied by Hans. 
 
 They now retraced their steps to Scheppmansdorf. The last 
 preparations for the journey into the interior were made ; and on 
 the 13th of November they set forward. It had thus taken 
 
vi INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 some three months from their first landing in Walvisch Bay 
 to get all things in proper order. 
 
 Their course in the first instance was directed to Richterfeldt, 
 from whence they made an excursion in a south-easterly direction 
 to Barmen, another missionary station, at a distance of some 
 days' journey from Richterfeldt. 
 
 On their return Andersson had his first serious adventure with 
 a lion. At a short distance he had shot at the beast and lodged 
 a ball in its body, when, finding itself wounded, it faced about 
 and prepared to attack him. Andersson fell on one knee in 
 readiness to fire his second barrel, but, being unable to obtain 
 a proper view of its head, he delayed discharging his gun. The 
 beast in the meanwhile suddenly made its spring, but, happily, 
 overshot its mark, and passed clean over its opponent. With 
 good reason Andersson called his escape " a lucky " one, as 
 when making its bound the lion seldom miscalculates the 
 distance. Some few days after the above occurrence the beast 
 in question was found dead, and that at only a short distance 
 from the scene of conflict. 
 
 From one cause or another their movements were slow. It 
 was not before the beginning of March 1851 that Galton and 
 Andersson left Schmelen's Hope, situated near the river Swakop, 
 to set out in good earnest on their journey of discovery. Their 
 first plan of visiting Ngami had been abandoned, because Galton 
 determined on proceeding to another and nearer lake (the Oman- 
 bonde), of which he had received wonderful accounts from the 
 natives. After somewhat more than a month's travel through 
 part of Damara Land never previously explored, they reached 
 the lake in question, which bitterly disappointed the expectations 
 of both travellers. A dried-up mere, altogether without water, 
 about an English mile in length, and partly overgrown with 
 reeds, was the only reward for months of labour and anxiety. 
 
 After a short sojourn at this so-called lake, in the vicinity of 
 which Andersson had, for the first time, the pleasure of seeing 
 
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. vii 
 
 tracks of the elephant, the travellers resolved on attempting to 
 make their way to Ovampo Land, the nearest country to the 
 northward, of which, and of its inhabitants, the Damaras had 
 given them extraordinary descriptions. 
 
 Their route lay through a wild and desolate country, of which 
 they were the first to give an account. On the way it unfor- 
 tunately happened that the axle-tree of their waggon snapped 
 asunder, which compelled them to leave the vehicle, together 
 with a number of their people, behind, and to prosecute the re- 
 mainder of their jourr.ey with saddle- and pack-oxen. 
 
 In the beginning of May they arrived at Ovampo, the resi- 
 dence of Nangoro, the chief or king ; and, during a six weeks' 
 stay there, Andersson had opportunity to make his observations 
 on the country and its inhabitants. 
 
 It was a question if they should extend their explorations to the 
 not far-distant Cunene River, then all but unknown ; but, partly 
 owing to the disabled state of their oxen, and partly to the many 
 difficulties thrown in the way by the natives, this project was 
 given up, and nothing remained for them but to retrace their 
 steps to the disabled waggon that had been left under the charge 
 of Hans, and which, during their absence, he had succeeded in 
 repairing; and from thence they proceeded to the missionary 
 station of Barmen, which they reached in the beginning of 
 August. 
 
 Galton was now wearied out with the inconveniences attendant 
 on the life of a traveller, and determined on proceeding to Europe 
 by the first opportunity that offered from Walvisch Bay. As, 
 however, no vessel was expected there until December, and they 
 consequently had several months at their disposal, they deter- 
 mined on making an excursion to the eastward, where game was 
 reported to be much more abundant than in the countries they 
 had hitherto traversed. 
 
 After a fatiguing journey the travellers arrived on the 3rd of 
 October at Tunobis, where Andersson for the first time became 
 
viii INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 aware of the riches of the African animal world. Here was 
 found, he says, an incredible number of wild animals ; and he 
 mentions, as an instance, that he, together with others, killed, in 
 the course of a few days, thirty rhinoceroses, and that he him- 
 self, when quite alone, shot in one night no fewer than eight of 
 those beasts, consisting of three different species, together with 
 other large game. 
 
 After they had hunted to their hearts' content at Tunobis they 
 returned to Walvisch Bay, where Galton, in the early part of 
 1852, engaged his passage in a ship bound for England, taking 
 with him at the same time Andersson's collection of specimens 
 of natural history, amongst which were the skins of about five 
 hundred birds. 
 
 The plan abandoned by Galton of penetrating from the west- 
 ward to Ngami was now taken up by Andersson. This, never- 
 theless, required a considerable outfit; and although Galton 
 furnished him with many needful supplies, there were many more 
 of which he stood in need. His waggon and such other things 
 as he thought he could do without, he therefore exchanged for 
 cattle, and with these proceeded by land to Cape Town, where 
 he disposed of them, and with the proceeds purchased goods 
 to barter with the natives, scientific instruments, and other 
 requisites. 
 
 Prior to parting with Hans at Walvisch Bay it should be 
 remarked he had entered into partnership with him, they 
 agreeing to share alike in any profits that might accrue in the 
 barter trade which they purposed carrying on with the tribes in 
 the interior. 
 
 These preparations for his intended journey occupied Andersson 
 a whole year : and therefore it was not before the end of January 
 1853 that he returned by sea to Walvisch Bay. Tn the month 
 of May we find him again at Tunobis, the most easterly point 
 previously reached by him when in company with Galton ; but, 
 to the great chagrin and disappointment both of himself and of 
 
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. ix 
 
 his numerous and half-starved followers, no game was then to 
 be found at that place. 
 
 During his stay there Andersson made disagreeable acquaint- 
 ance with one of the deep pit- falls dug by the natives for the 
 capture of large game, into which he and his horse tumbled 
 headlong, but from which, happily, both rider and steed extri- 
 cated themselves without very serious injury. 
 
 In consequence of the information Andersson received from 
 the Damaras as to the difficulty of proceeding further with 
 waggons, he left these vehicles at Tunobis and proceeded on his 
 journey to the eastward with pack- and saddle- oxen. The supply 
 of game now became abundant. At Kobis, one of the nearest 
 stations to Ngami, Andersson had, he himself tells us, his 
 surfeit of shooting. On this and many other occasions he 
 adopted a system of hunting that in South-west Africa, during 
 the dry season, is especially successful, namely, to lie in 
 ambush at night near to some pool. During the daytime the 
 larger animals are dispersed over a wide tract of country, some- 
 times of many miles in extent ; but at night they resort to the 
 water to quench their thirst ; and if at such times the hunter 
 knows his business he has the opportunity of obtaining much 
 large game. These night hunts, however, are attended with 
 greater peril than those by day. Andersson was accustomed to 
 ensconce himself in a so-called skarm or screen that is, a small 
 circular enclosure six or eight feet in diameter, the walls usually 
 consisting of loose stones, being about two feet in height ; but 
 this afforded him scarcely any protection, and he must besides, 
 if he would count on a sure shot, allow the beast to approach to 
 within a few paces before firing. We believe that the hunter 
 is never so unprotected against savage animals as in such 
 nocturnal combats. Andersson, indeed, on the first night of 
 his stay at Kobis, was on three several occasions in imminent 
 peril of his life. First came an elephant without his being 
 aware of its approach, and with lowered trunk stood directly 
 
x INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 over him; that he could save himself as he did by throwing 
 himself backwards on to the ground, and discharging his piece 
 upwards at random is what could only happen once in a thou- 
 sand times. A while afterwards he shot at and wounded a black 
 rhinoceros; and when subsequently he left the skarm to look 
 after another of those animals he had fired at and struck, he 
 was fiercely attacked by the first rhinoceros, cast headlong to 
 the earth, and had his right thigh ripped up. Lastly, when at 
 sunrise he attempted to aid his boy, Kamapyu, who, whilst 
 searching for his master, was attacked by the same beast, 
 Andersson again escaped death as by a miracle ; for just as he was 
 on the point of being impaled on its sharp horn, the rhinoceros 
 fell dead from its numerous wounds. For such a rapid succession 
 of hair-breadth escapes it would be difficult to find a parallel. 
 
 A few days afterwards Andersson arrived at Lake Ngami, 
 "The object of my ambition," he writes*, "for a number of 
 
 * 'Lake Ngami,' p. 431. Mr. Andersson adds to the passage quoted in 
 the text the following characteristic reflections : 
 
 " The first sensation occasioned by this sight was very curious. Long as 
 I had been prepared for the event, it now almost overwhelmed me. It was 
 a mixture of pleasure and pain. My temples throbbed and my heart beat 
 so violently that I was obliged to dismount, and lean against a tree for sup- 
 port, until the excitement had subsided. The reader will no doubt think 
 that thus giving way to my feelings was very childish; but < those who 
 know that the first glimpse of some great object which we have read or 
 dreamt of from earliest recollection is ever a moment of intensest enjoyment, 
 will forgive the transport.' I felt unfeignedly thankful for the unbounded 
 goodness and gracious assistance which I had experienced from Providence 
 throughout the whole of this prolonged and perilous journey. My trials 
 had been many ; but, my dearest aspirations being attained, the difficulties 
 were all forgotten. And here I could not avoid passing my previous life in 
 review. I had penetrated into deserts almost unknown to civilized man ; 
 had suffered the extremity of hunger and thirst, cold and heat, and had 
 undergone desperate toil, sometimes nearly in solitude, and often without 
 shelter during dreary nights in vast wildernesses haunted by beasts of prey. 
 My companions were mostly savages. I was exposed to numerous perils by 
 land and by water, and endured torments from wounds inflicted by wild 
 animals ; but I was mercifully preserved by the Creator through the manifold 
 dangers that hovered round my path. To Him are due all homage, thanks- 
 giving, and adoration." 
 
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. xi 
 
 years, and for which I had forsaken home and friends, and 
 staked my life." 
 
 Though he had so far succeeded, yet after all, he had only 
 reached the starting-point of his explorations, Livingstone and 
 Oswell having four years previously proceeded thus far. His 
 ardent desire was to follow up discoveries which with them 
 ended here, and as a naturalist and geographer to explore the 
 lake. He therefore commenced the ascent of the Teoughe, 
 a river that falls into Lake Ngami, where he found a vegetable 
 and animal kingdom far exceeding in richness any thing he had 
 previously met with in Africa. It was here that Andersson had 
 first an opportunity of hunting the buffalo ; and it was here he 
 also met with the remarkable Tsetse-fly (Glossina morsitans), 
 whose bite is fatal to domesticated horned cattle, horses, and 
 sheep, but perfectly innocuous to animals in a wild state. In 
 many districts, indeed, the fly prevents the keeping of other 
 tame animals than the ass and the goat ; and it at the same 
 time presents an almost insurmountable obstacle to journeys of 
 discovery, the traveller losing both his saddle- and draft-oxen 
 shortly after entering countries infested by this pernicious insect. 
 
 Andersson was not permitted to penetrate very far to the 
 north of Ngami. For his supplies he was altogether dependent 
 on the chief of the district he was traversing ; and when he had 
 proceeded eleven short days' journey up the Teoughe, all further 
 support was withdrawn from him. He could neither obtain a 
 boat, people, nor a guide, and was therefore compelled to return 
 the way he came to the lake a sad result of his labours, more 
 especially as a rich and new field of discovery lay before him. 
 More than once subsequently his projects were frustrated owing 
 to similar obstacles being thrown in his way by the natives. 
 
 Andersson, during his sojourn at Ngami, devoted much of 
 his time to studying the habits of the people and to researches 
 in his favourite pursuit, natural history, and was thus enabled to 
 make a large collection of zoological specimens. 
 
xii INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 When at length a waggon was required to convey these to 
 the Cape, together with a large quantity of ivory which he had 
 collected, he set off for Namaqua Land, accompanied by a 
 single attendant, to procure one of these vehicles. It was a 
 hurried journey of four months' duration ; and probably neither 
 on any former or subsequent occasion did he suffer more from 
 hunger, thirst, the burning rays of the sun, and over fatigue 
 than he did on this journey. Bearing in mind all these hard- 
 ships and sufferings, which, thanks to the elasticity of his spirit 
 and his still unbroken strength of body, he was happily enabled 
 to endure, one cannot wonder at his exclaiming, in the words 
 of a former traveller, "To journey in Africa requires the endu- 
 rance of a camel and the strength of a lion/ 7 
 
 This little expedition was not without its sporting results. 
 One night he chanced to fall asleep in his skarm, when his 
 mind became impressed with a confused sense of danger : whilst 
 between sleeping and waking he could not make out the nature 
 of the peril ; but on coming fully to himself he distinctly heard 
 the breathing of an animal immediately near his place of con- 
 cealment, and a sound somewhat resembling the purring of a 
 cat. A lion had crept close up to him as quietly as possible, but 
 still not unnoticed by his dangerous neighbour. Andersson 
 seized his gun, which was lying ready close by his side, aimed 
 at the dark mass before him, and fired. The beast's roarings 
 and convulsive movements showed plainly that the ball had told. 
 It was not, however, until daylight that Andersson ventured 
 forth from the skarm to ascertain the effect of his shot, when 
 he found, to his great satisfaction, the lion lying dead at no 
 great distance. 
 
 In the early part of 1854 Andersson repaired to Cape Town, 
 and shortly afterwards visited Europe, where he published his 
 well known work ' Lake Ngami/ At the end of 1856 he was 
 back again at the Cape, for the purpose, as previously agreed 
 upon, of joining his friend Frederick Green in an expedition 
 
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. xiii 
 
 intended as well for hunting as for the exploration of the river 
 Cunene. 
 
 As, however, that gentleman was then absent in the interior 
 of Damara Land (in company with the late Mr. Wahlberg, who 
 was shortly afterwards killed by an infuriated elephant), and was 
 not expected to return for some time, Andersson undertook the 
 superintendence of some recently discovered copper-mines on 
 the confines of Namaqua Land ; and when therefore his friend 
 returned to the Cape, which was much sooner than had 
 been anticipated, and set off on the journey to the Cunene, he 
 was unable to accompany him a circumstance which at the 
 time caused much annoyance to Andersson, but which, as the 
 event proved, was little to be regretted, as, owing to the enmity 
 of the Ovampo, the expedition proved altogether unsuccessful. 
 
 But at the expiration of a year, the mines in question having 
 proved a failure, Andersson was free from his engagement ; and 
 he then determined on attempting to carry out the object that 
 Green had failed in accomplishing. 
 
 In March 1858 he started from Objimbinque, situated on the 
 river Swakop, which subsequently became his chief residence, 
 after having by his own great exertions and the kind assistance 
 he received from the missionaries fortunately succeeded in pro- 
 curing the needful outfit. The course he took, which was 
 through Western Damara Land, was not perhaps the most 
 favourable, as he had to traverse a country where both game 
 and water were known to be scarce ; but it was shorter than the 
 eastern route, and he hoped for the best. 
 
 For two months the expedition moved forward, though but 
 slowly, owing partly to the rough nature of the ground and the 
 dense brakes through which they were often obliged to cut their 
 way with the axe, and partly to the frequent detours they were 
 compelled to make in search of water. They persevered, never- 
 theless, and at length reached the Ovatjionba country, where 
 they procured guides, who, however, soon lost themselves in the 
 
xiv INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 desert. They had been two days without water; and though 
 the guides were threatened with death, they were unable to 
 direct them to the precious liquid. On the third day Andersson 
 and his people separated, and searched in different directions 
 for water ; but not a single drop was to be found in the then 
 totally burnt-up country. To escape, therefore, from perishing 
 by thirst no other alternative was left them but to retrace their 
 steps, which they commenced doing without further delay ; and 
 at length, worn out with fatigue and languishing for water, of 
 which they had then been destitute for six whole days, the 
 caravan found its way back to Okova fountain. 
 
 Andersson now saw the impossibility of proceeding through 
 western Damara Land to the river Cunene. He nevertheless 
 did not give up the project of penetrating to that river, and 
 only altered his plans so far as to proceed in an easterly direc- 
 tion, where it was known that running water was to be met 
 with. 
 
 Shortly afterwards, however, the waggon broke down and 
 Andersson was under the necessity of sending it to Objimbinque 
 for the needful repairs, with orders to the people in charge of it 
 to rejoin the expedition with the vehicle at a distant point on 
 the river Omuramba-Matako ; and subsequently the journey 
 was continued with saddle- and pack-oxen. 
 
 Game was now met with in abundance, and Andersson was 
 very successful in hunting. One day he shot two giraffes, though 
 not aware of having killed more than a single one. It happened 
 thus : The first he fired at fell within a very short distance ; but 
 as another giraffe started off from the very same spot he 
 imagined it to be the same animal, and pursued it ; and it was 
 not until this had also succumbed, that he discovered the 
 mistake. 
 
 He was now enabled to renew his night hunts. After long 
 fatiguing marches during burning hot days, it was truly no 
 child's play thus to lie out on the watch ; but in this kind of 
 
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. xv 
 
 chase he nevertheless took special delight. "A moonlight 
 ambush by a pool well frequented by wild animals/' he writes*, 
 "is worth all the other modes of enjoying a gun put together. 
 In the first place there is something mysterious and thrilling in 
 finding one's self the secret and unsuspected spectator of the wild 
 movements, habits, and propensities of the denizens of nature's 
 varied and wonderful menagerie no high feeding, no barred 
 gates, no harsh and cruel keeper's voice having yet enervated, 
 damped, or destroyed the elasticity, buoyancy, and frolicsomness 
 of animal life. And then the intense excitement between each 
 expected arrival ! The distant footstep, now heard distinctly 
 rattling over a rugged surface, now gently vibrating on the 
 strained ear as it treads on softer ground ; it may be that of a 
 small antelope or an elephant, of a wild boar or rhinoceros, of 
 a gnu or a giraffe, of a jackal or a lion. And then what oppor- 
 tunities present themselves of observing the habits and pecu- 
 liarities of each species, and even of individuals, to say nothing 
 of the terrible battles that take place and can so rarely be 
 witnessed in the daytime. I have certainly learnt more of the 
 untamed life of savage beasts in a single night's tableau vivant 
 than during months of toilsome wanderings in the broad light 
 of the sun." 
 
 By slow stages, during which Andersson had ample opportu- 
 nity of using his rifle, they followed the course of the Matako 
 River, and toward the end of August were rejoined by the 
 people from Objimbinque with the repaired waggon. Andersson, 
 however, derived little benefit from the vehicle ; as it was soon 
 found impossible to drag it through so rough a country as 
 that they were then traversing. For a second time therefore he 
 was obliged to leave it behind, and to proceed as before with 
 saddle- and pack-oxen. 
 
 On September 16th Andersson reached Omanbonde, the 
 so-called lake with which he made acquaintance on his first 
 * The Okavango River, p. 85. 
 
xvi INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 journey in Africa, when in company with Galton; but it was 
 with peculiar feelings that he revisited the spot. ' ( It was now 
 close upon eight years and a half," he says*, " since I was first 
 here. Eight years and a half, the fifth part of a man's life in 
 its full vigour ! What was I at the beginning of this period, 
 and what am I now? Where are the once ruddy cheeks? 
 Where is that elasticity of foot and spirit that made me laugh 
 at hardships and dangers? Where that giant health and 
 strength that enabled me to vie with the natives in enduring 
 the extremes of heat and cold ? Gone ! gone ! ay, for ever ! 
 The spirit still exists unsubdued ; but what with constant care, 
 anxiety, and exposure, the power of performance has fled, leav- 
 ing but the shadow of my former self. What have I accom- 
 plished during these long years ? what is the result of all this 
 toil, this incessant wear and tear of body and mind? The 
 answer, if candid, must be, apparently, very little. This is a sad 
 retrospect of the fifth part of a man's life, whilst still in the 
 pride of manhood. And yet I feel I have not been idle, that 
 I have done as much as any man under similar circumstances 
 could have done ; and so with this poor consolation I must rest 
 content/' 
 
 Omanbonde now contained much more water than when first 
 visited by Andersson ; and, as a consequence, much game was 
 met with in the vicinity, such as the eland, the koodoo, the 
 pallah, the quagga, the elephant, the lion, and the rhino- 
 ceros. During a hunt, however, one of his attendants was 
 unfortunately killed by one of the last-named beasts, that had 
 been previously wounded, which threw a damp over the whole 
 party ; with this exception all Andersson's hunts ended happily, 
 and he was enabled to supply his numerous and hungry fol- 
 lowers with abundance of food. He himself lived sumptuously. 
 "One day"t> he savs > "I dined on beef-steak, on lion, and 
 hump ' de rhinoceros/ done in the ashes * * * * I had never 
 * The Okavango River, p. 113. f Ibid. p. 130. 
 
 
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. xvii 
 
 before partaken of lion's flesh, but found it very palatable and 
 juicy, not unlike veal, and very white. Rhinoceros-hump was 
 a frequent and favourite dish of mine." 
 
 The stay of the expedition at Omanbonde was somewhat long, 
 because Andersson, prior to plunging into an unknown country, 
 wished to send to Objimbinque the large quantity of ivory 
 he had collected, and to await the return of the messengers. 
 It was therefore not until the commencement of January 1859 
 that he broke up the encampment and again set forward, but 
 this time with the waggon in company. 
 
 During the journey, they came to a district where elephants 
 very greatly abounded. " I had often heard the natives say, on 
 being questioned as to the haunts of these animals," writes 
 Andersson*, "that in certain localities they walked about as 
 thick as cattle ; but never till now had I been able to verify 
 this apparently exaggerated statement. I did so at present ; for 
 the whole country in the neighbourhood of the vley (or piece of 
 water) lately referred to, with the adjacent plain, was literally one 
 network of elephant footprints. The trees and bushes, moreover, 
 were so broken that one might fairly suppose a large army had 
 just traversed the veldt. During the daytime they were not 
 visible, but at night their shrill trumpetings would frequently 
 startle us from our sleep. If, instead of exploring, I had turned 
 my attention exclusively to elephant -hunting, I might have had 
 magnificent sport, and profit too. The temptation was strong, 
 but I considered it ignoble, however great the allurements I had 
 to resist, to swerve from a predetermined purpose for the sake 
 of gain and personal gratification." At length, and after a long 
 and fatiguing journey, Andersson reached, not the Cunene as 
 he had intended, but another considerable river, the Okavango, 
 which may be looked on as the greatest of his geographical 
 discoveries, and the name of which serves as a title to the second 
 of his published works. Having so long struggled through deep 
 * The Okavango River, p. 175. 
 
 b 
 
xviii INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 sandy wastes, a broken country, and tangled underwood, it was 
 a magnificent sight to him thus, in the heart of the continent, 
 to view a noble stream, at least 1200 feet in breadth, but which, 
 to his astonishment, he found to flow to the eastward instead 
 of to the westward. 
 
 His ardent desire was now to follow up this mighty discovery ; 
 but the same adverse fate that had already more than once 
 mocked his best endeavours even now crossed his path. He 
 and nearly all his people were suddenly struck down with a 
 dangerous fever, to which several of them shortly succumbed ; 
 and even when he himself began slowly to recover, many of his 
 followers were still on the brink of the grave. He could not, 
 therefore, longer hesitate in retreating from this most interesting, 
 but to him most melancholy region. "To linger where I 
 was," writes he*, "seemed certain death; and any visions of 
 future success I might still entertain were too remote to justify 
 me in so fearfully imperilling the lives of my fellow creatures. 
 A precipitate retreat appeared therefore quite imperative. It 
 cost, nevertheless, a severe struggle between duty and ambition 
 before I could resolve upon it. I obeyed at last the monitions 
 of conscience, and bade, with a sigh, farewell to the pursuit of 
 fame and glory for ever. That this act of self-renunciation was 
 not determined on without acute pangs it would be useless to 
 deny. After such toils ! such hardships ! such sacrifices ! and 
 with the prospect of a final crowning success just dawning on 
 me, it may well be imagined that I turned my back on the land 
 of promise with drooping spirits and a heavy heart." 
 
 Andersson was thus unable to ascertain the further course of 
 the Okavango not even whether, as is most probable, it is con- 
 nected with the river-system of the Lake Ngami; so far as 
 we know this problem remains still unsolved. 
 
 On their return journey, which commenced in the beginning 
 of June, and during which but slow progress was made, owing 
 * The Okavango River, p. 218. 
 
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. xix 
 
 to the weak state to which they were all reduced by fever, new 
 difficulties arose. After proceeding five or six days in a southerly 
 direction, Andersson was compelled to command a halt in 
 consequence of intelligence having reached him, through parties 
 he had sent forward to reconnoitre, that the country in front 
 was untraversable owing to the scarcity of water; and sub- 
 sequently information of a still more serious nature was .brought 
 him namely, that an attack on his encampment was imminent 
 on the part of the Ovampo (the tribe that in 1857 made an 
 onslaught on Green and his party). Stuck fast, so to say, as 
 Andersson now was in the wilderness, his situation about the 
 middle of November was very critical. 
 
 Fortunately the Ovampo had taken a long time in making 
 their preparations ; and intelligence of their murderous intentions 
 in regard to Andersson had in the meantime reached Green, 
 then on his return from an expedition to the eastward of the 
 Ngami. 
 
 On learning there their evil designs, this gentleman instantly 
 resolved on proceeding to the assistance of his friend, or, in the 
 worst event, of avenging his death. That his movements might 
 be more rapid he separated from his companions and started off 
 all but alone ; and though the dangers and difficulties of the 
 route were great, they were overcome, and the travellers had 
 once more the pleasure of embracing each other. 
 
 It now only remained to gain Green's encampment ; for when 
 their forces were united it was hardly probable the Ovampo 
 would venture on an attack, as the prospect of success would 
 then be small indeed. Without delay, therefore^ Andersson 
 broke up his camp, and commenced the march. They had, 
 however, a five days' march before them through a fearful desert, 
 but succeeded in accomplishing it without accident of any kind. 
 "For that while"*, says Andersson, "we had little to satisfy 
 hunger or thirst. Its happy issue was, under Providence, 
 * The Okavango River, p. 246. 
 
xx INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 mainly owing to the cheerful cooperation and indefatigable 
 exertion of Green. Nothing less than his energy could have 
 given us so prompt and, comparatively, so cheap a success." 
 
 Without any thing remarkable occurring our travellers after- 
 wards proceeded in company to Objimbinque, wliich they reached 
 in safety. * * * * 
 
 Arrived at Objimbinque, Andersson occupied himself in pre- 
 paring for the press his second work, "The Okavango River/ 
 and afterwards proceeded to the Cape, where, in 1861, he was 
 married to Miss Aitchison. 
 
 His health being now much impaired, owing to the hardships 
 he had undergone during his several journeys, and more es- 
 pecially by the fever he caught near the river Okavango, there 
 was no longer a possibility of his resuming a wandering hunter's 
 life. He therefore determined on devoting himself to trading- 
 pursuits, for which purpose he settled at Objimbinque, where he 
 provided the native and other hunters with what they needed 
 for the chase, and received from them in return ivory, ostrich- 
 feathers, and cattle. At first he prospered, but after a time, 
 owing to a deadly feud between the Damaras and Namaquas, 
 the tide turned against him. Andersson, who dwelt in the 
 country of the former, took their part and assisted them both by 
 word and deed. The Namaquas, to revenge themselves on him, 
 seized his convoys one after the other, and at length, with arms 
 in their hands, made an attack on Objimbinque; Andersson, 
 who had put himself at the head of the Damaras, was wounded 
 during the battle that ensued, by a ball that shattered one of his 
 knees and being deserted by his cowardly Damara allies, with 
 difficulty saved his life. His wound confined him long to his 
 bed, and ultimately rendered him a cripple for the remainder of 
 his days. 
 
 Some months afterwards he repaired to Cape Town, where he 
 chiefly occupied himself in the composition of a new work, entitled 
 " The Avifauna of South-west Africa." During his many years' 
 
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. xxi 
 
 abode there he had devoted much of his time and attention to 
 this object ; and numerous beautiful drawings of birds,, principally 
 from specimens in his own collection,, were made by himself and 
 by his friend, the well-known traveller and artist Mr. Baines, 
 for the illustration of his intended work. * * * * 
 
 In May 1866, Andersson again returned to Damara Land, 
 and resumed his barter-trade with the natives and others. But, 
 as the Namaquas continued their persecutions, he determined, 
 with his usual indomitable resolution (although then a cripple, 
 and although his constitution was fairly broken down), on 
 making a journey to the Cunene for the purpose of ascertaining 
 if further to the northward a suitable locality for a trading- 
 station might be found, where he would at least be free from the 
 robberies of his enemies. 
 
 Accompanied by a young Swede named Axel Ericson, 
 Andersson, in May 1867, left Objimbinque and set off on this 
 long and perilous journey; and though he was then so worn out 
 as hardly to be able to sit on his horse, he, together with several 
 followers, succeeded, though deserted by his native guide, in 
 reaching the river in question. 
 
 Hardly had he arrived there, however, before his illness 
 became so serious as to cause him to determine on retracing his 
 steps. But it was not ordained that he should ever again 
 rejoin his friends ; for on his way through Ovampo Land, on 
 July 5th, 1867, his eyes were closed in death; and in the 
 country of the tribe Wagaambi his remains were interred in a 
 sand-hill by his Swedish friend and follower Axel Ericson. 
 
 As an appropriate supplement to the foregoing biographical 
 sketch, I may here add an interesting extract from the annual 
 address of the Chairman of the Cape-Town Public Library for 
 the year 1868 : 
 
 " Whilst Livingstone and others have been upraising the 
 
xxii INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 veil which has so long obscured South-eastern Africa, Charles 
 John Andersson and' others have been performing similar work 
 for South-western Africa : Andersson, in his quiet, modest, but 
 most persistent and (considering all the difficulties and obstacles 
 he had to encounter), I will add, heroic manner, has made us 
 as familiar with the maps of Damara Land and Ovampo Land 
 and onwards towards the Cunene, as with those of the Free 
 State, or Natal, or the Cape Colony itself. 
 
 What could be more touching than the record of his last fatal 
 journey, told so well a few months ago by his friend and fellow- 
 explorer Mr. Frederick Green ? There amid the wilds of On- 
 donga, tended only by his faithful servant, baffled and prostrate, 
 he calmly prepared himself to die ; and, after farewell thoughts 
 of his wife and children and home, he begged to have read to 
 him the Psalms in his native Swedish, which in childhood he 
 had learnt, and which in the supreme moment were now his 
 consolation and his stay. 
 
 The University of Lund have only by this last mail conferred on 
 him the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, a fitting acknowledg- 
 ment of the service he has rendered to the march of civilization 
 and of science; but months before, he had already passed 
 beyond the reach of earthly distinction, and finished a career 
 which will, however, still give honour to his memory as one of 
 the best and bravest of the pioneers of progress in South Africa. 
 I speak of him as I knew him ; and I could not make mention 
 of his name at all without offering this tribute at once of warm 
 affection and high esteem/' 
 
 The extract above cited fitly closes the narrative of Charles 
 John Andersson's career ; and I will only add to it the expression 
 of my persuasion that he was one of whom it may with truth be 
 said that he habitually 
 
 " Looked through Nature, up to Nature's God," 
 thus cultivating a tone of thought which most effectually en- 
 
 
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 XXlll 
 
 hances the delight of studying the works of the Almighty 
 Creator, who has stamped upon the face of nature the impress of 
 his own infinity, and of whom we are assured that " his tender 
 mercies are over all his works " *, and that before him not even 
 one Sparrow "is forgotten" f. 
 
 J. H. G. (1872). 
 
 * Psalm cxlv. ver. 9. 
 
 t Luke, ch. xii. ver. 6. 
 
PEEFACE BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 THE four hundred and twenty eight species of birds enumerated 
 in the following pages have been observed either as residents, as 
 migrants, or as accidental visitors in that part of South-western 
 Africa of which Damara Land is the central portion, but which 
 also comprises Ovampo Land to the north, the district adjacent 
 to Lake Ngami to the north-east, a portion of the Kalahari 
 Desert to the south-east, Great and Little Namaqua Land to 
 south, and the coast and adjacent islets of the Atlantic to the 
 west. 
 
 All the species included in this volume have been identified by 
 myself from an examination of specimens obtained in the 
 above-mentioned countries, except in those cases where the 
 contrary is specifically mentioned"*. 
 
 The specimens so identified were chiefly contained in the 
 collection left by Mr. Andersson at his decease, and subsequently 
 sent to London for the purpose of being disposed of; but some 
 were seen by me in other collections of Mr. Andersson's which 
 reached England in previous years. 
 
 In this work of identification I have been exceedingly in- 
 debted to the assistance of my friends Mr. R. B. Sharpe, Mr. 
 J. E. Harting, M. Jules Verreaux, Mr. Layard, my late 
 much -regret ted friend Mr. G. R. Gray, and other eminent 
 ornithologists, whose kind aid is more particularly acknow- 
 ledged in the following pages. To the two first-named 
 
 * A memorandum to the above effect, however, was accidentally omitted 
 in'the case of Circus maurus and of Circus ranivonts, pp. 33 and 34. 
 
xxvi EDITOR'S PREFACE. 
 
 gentlemen I am under especial obligation for a free access to 
 their rich collections, as well as for much valuable informa- 
 tion ; and, indeed, but for the help of my friend Mr. Sharpe, I 
 should have despaired of effecting a satisfactory identification of 
 many of the smaller insessorial species ; but with the aid which 
 I have received, this has, I believe, been accomplished with 
 considerable accuracy. 
 
 Most of Mr. Andersson's specimens were numbered by him as 
 they were obtained ; and many of these numbers corresponded 
 with memoranda in his note-book, which greatly facilitated the 
 work of identification. 
 
 By far the greater number of the species referred to in 
 the following pages were obtained by Mr. Andersson himself; 
 but a few which he did not meet with, but which have been 
 satisfactorily ascertained on other authority to have occurred 
 within the districts to which the present volume refers, are 
 here included, for the purpose of making the entire catalogue 
 of the birds known to inhabit these countries as complete as 
 possible. 
 
 Mr. Andersson's notes as here given, have been extracted 
 partly from his rough note-book and partly from the MS. (which 
 he had partially prepared at the time of his decease) for his 
 projected work on the avifauna of South-western Africa, to both 
 which documents I have had full access by the kind permission 
 of Mr. Andersson's widow. 
 
 To have given the whole of these MSS. in full would have 
 extended the present work to a very inconvenient size ; and I 
 have therefore only extracted such portions as appeared to me 
 to embody Mr. Andersson's personal and original observations. 
 
 The operation of combining these extracts into a consecutive 
 account has made it necessary to have recourse to some verbal 
 emendations ; but I have endeavoured scrupulously to avoid any 
 alterations which could in any degree vary the meaning of the 
 author. 
 
 
EDITOR'S PREFACE. xxvii 
 
 Mr. Andersson' s MSS. contained minute descriptions of the 
 plumage of most of the birds of South-west Africa; but to have 
 introduced these into the present volume would have unduly 
 increased its bulk ; and their introduction is the less requisite 
 as, probably, almost all ornithologists who may peruse these 
 pages are possessed of Mr. Layard's most useful ' Catalogue of 
 the Birds of South Africa/ where a sufficient description of each 
 species will readily be found. 
 
 I have, however, transcribed Mr. Andersson's account of the 
 colouring of those parts which fade after death, in all cases where 
 he has recorded these particulars from the examination of freshly 
 killed specimens; and I have also inserted descriptions of 
 plumage in a few instances where it has appeared to me desirable 
 to do so. 
 
 Of the measurements of such newly killed specimens as 
 Mr. Andersson has recorded, I have given examples in the case 
 of all those species in respect of which he has also recorded 
 the sex of the individuals measured. 
 
 For the nomenclature and arrangement of the species con- 
 tained in this volume Mr. Andersson is not answerable; that 
 duty having fallen to my lot as editor, I am responsible for the 
 manner in which it has been carried out. 
 
 The generic and the specific names are, for the most part, 
 those used in Gray's ' Hand-list of Birds/ but I have not scrupled 
 to deviate from that high authority in some cases in which it 
 appeared to me that adequate reasons existed for making such 
 a deviation. 
 
 I have not intercalated in the text the names of the various 
 subfamilies, but such of them as appear to me to have a sound 
 and natural foundation are given in the preliminary table of 
 species at the commencement of the volume. 
 
 I have not attempted to give a full synonymy of each species ; 
 but I have given a reference to Mr. Layard's volume in the case 
 of every bird recorded in that work, and iri the case of other 
 
xxviii EDITOR'S PREFACE. 
 
 species I have referred to such authors as have noticed the 
 occurrence of these additional species in Southern Africa. I 
 have also, in all cases, referred to those authors who have re- 
 corded the occurrence of any of the birds here mentioned in the 
 countries to which the present volume refers, and occasionally to 
 other authors whose works elucidate questions of interest as to 
 the synonymy or economy of various species referred to in the 
 following pages. 
 
 I have also given a reference to a figure of each species in all 
 cases where it was known to me that the species had been figured. 
 
 It may be right to add that certain extracts from Mr. 
 Andersson's ornithological notes have been already published, 
 some having been contributed by Mr. Andersson to the ornitho- 
 logical appendix to Chapman's ' Travels in South Africa/ and 
 others to the ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society' for 1864; 
 but this circumstance, it is apprehended, does not materially 
 diminish the desirableness of preserving in a more complete form 
 the record of the personal observations of so eminent a traveller 
 and so persevering an ornithologist as the late Mr. Andersson 
 unquestionably was. 
 
 At the commencement of this volume will be found a map of 
 Damara Land and the countries adjacent; and at its close a scale 
 of British inches and lines, which latter may be useful to any 
 continental naturalists who have occasion to refer to Mr. 
 Andersson' s measurements ; also lithographs of the sternum 
 and larynx of Macharamphus Anderssoni from Mr. Andersson' s 
 original drawings. These lithographs are not referred to in 
 the article on this very interesting bird of prey, as the original 
 drawings had been accidentally mislaid, and were not found 
 again until after that article had been printed. 
 
 A list of the various works referred to in this volume will be 
 found at the end of this preface, as it is thought that this may 
 prove convenient to readers desirous of consulting any of these 
 authorities. 
 
EDITOR'S PREFACE. xxix 
 
 The following memorandum from the pen of Mr. Andersson is 
 here inserted as giving some interesting information relating 
 to the modification and migration of the birds of Damara Land 
 and the neighbouring countries : 
 
 " The pairing-and-breeding season of birds in Damara, Nama- 
 qua, and parts adjacent depends much, if not entirely, on the 
 falling of the rains ; that is, the breeding-season is late or early 
 according to late or early rains. From November to May is 
 probably the chief period of incubation ; but very many birds 
 pair as early as September : Owls, Bee-eaters, and Grouse are 
 amongst the earliest breeders. 
 
 " Near the sea-coast, or rather those portions of it where the 
 periodical rivers have their embouchures, the breeding-season is 
 somewhat different, or, perhaps it would be more correct to say, 
 occurs later in the year. The cause is simple : rain rarely or 
 never falls in those parts ; and it is not until long after the rivers 
 (having their sources and origin in the distant interior) have 
 subsided that the scanty vegetation recovers from its ' torpor/ 
 and with it returns the insect-life which enables the parent 
 birds to seek and obtain suitable sustenance for their tender 
 broods. 
 
 "The moulting-season begins with the return of the wet 
 season. 
 
 " It is during the rainy time of the year that the greatest 
 variety of birds is to be observed ; for, though all but deserts 
 during the dry season, Damara and Namaqua Land, from their 
 peculiar positions &c., are then a regular paradise to the 
 feathered tribes, the insect- and reptile-life being at that period 
 exceedingly prolific. Swarms of migratory Hawks and Kites 
 may then be observed in pursuit of the myriads of Termites 
 which at this season infest the air, but at the same time brighten 
 it, as it were, with innumerable silvery dots and streaks as their 
 gorgeous wings and white bodies encounter the fiery sunlight. 
 Here and there a flock of Storks may be observed busily 
 
xxx EDITOR'S PREFACE. 
 
 chasing the devastating locusts, or performing graceful gyrations 
 in the air ; and whilst the temporary rain-pools often abound 
 with rare and handsome Waterfowl, the shores are frequented 
 by the elegant Heron, the lively Sandpiper, the graceful Avocet, 
 and the gorgeous Flamingo. The Atlantic on the west, the 
 Orange River to the south, the Okavango River and the Lake 
 Ngami with the watersheds to the north and east, contri- 
 bute chiefly to these large and varied annual incursions and 
 migrations." 
 
 In conclusion it may be desirable to refer to the synonymy of 
 the Plover which is included in the present volume under the 
 name of Eudromias asiaticus (No. 316), in order to add an ob- 
 servation respecting it, which, as the article upon that species 
 is already printed, cannot be inserted in its proper place. In 
 ' The Ibis' for 1872, p. 144, Dr. Finsch gives it as his opinion 
 that this Plover should bear the specific name of " damarensis," 
 proposed for it by Strickland in the ' Contributions to Orni- 
 thology' for 1852, p. 158, it being Dr. Finsch's view that the 
 older specific names of "asiaticus" and "caspius" were intended 
 by their author (Pallas) to apply to the nearly allied species 
 figured by Mr. Harting in ' The Ibis ' for 1870, pi. 6, under the 
 title of Eudromias veredus. The synonymy of both these 
 Plovers is fully discussed in Dr. Finsch' s paper above cited, to 
 which, as well as to Mr. Harting's paper in ' The Ibis' for 1870, 
 
 p. 201, I beg to refer my readers. 
 
 J. H. G. (1872). 
 
 EEEATA. 
 
 Page 13 line 3 for " preceding " read " succeeding." 
 266 ,, 14 for "uncommon" read "not uncommon." 
 ,, 364 7 omit " shading lighter on the inner vanes." 
 
LIST OF WOKKS 
 
 EEFEEEED TO IN THIS VOLUME. 
 
 ALEXANDER, SIR J. E. Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of 
 Africa. Description of New Species of Birds, by G. R. Waterhouse. 
 8vo. London, 1838. (See also letter W.) 
 
 ANDERSSON, C. J. Lake Ngami. 8vo. London, 1856. 
 
 . The Okavango Kiver. 8vo. London, 1861. 
 
 ANNALS AND MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 8vo. London (second 
 series), 1848 to 1857. 
 
 BAINES, T. Explorations in South-west Africa. 8vo. London, 1864. 
 
 BLANFORD, "W. T. Observations on the Geology and Zoology of Abys- 
 sinia. 8vo. London, 1870. 
 
 BONAPARTE, C. L. Conspectus Generum Avium. 8vo. Leyden, 1850. 
 
 . Iconographie des Pigeons. Eol. Paris, 1857. 
 
 BOURJOT ST.-H., A. Collection de Perroquets. Eol. Paris and Stras- 
 bourg, 1835 to 1839. 
 
 BREE, C. R. A History of the Birds of Europe not observed in the 
 British Islands. 8vo. London, 1863 to 1867. 
 
 BUFFON, G. L. L. DE. Planches Enluminees. Eol. Paris, 1770 to 
 1786. 
 
 BFRCHELL, W. J. Travels in the Interior of Southern Africa in 1811 
 to 1815. 4to. London, 1822 to 1824. 
 
 CHAPMAN, J. Travels in the Interior of South Africa. 8vo. London, 
 1868. 
 
 CTJVIER, LE BARON. Le Regne Animal, distribue d'apres son organisa- 
 tion. 8vo. Paris: ed. 1, 1817; ed. 2, 1829. 
 
 DAUDIN, E. M. Traite elementaire et complet d'Ornithologie, ou His- 
 toire Naturelle des Oiseaux. 4to. Paris, 1800. 
 
xxxii LIST OF WORKS REFERRED TO. 
 
 DECKEN, BARON C. C. VON DEB. Reisen in Ost-Afrika. Vol. III. Sauge- 
 thiere, Vogel, Amphibien, Crustaceen, Mollusken, und Echino- 
 dermen. Bearbeitet W. C. H. Peters, J. Cabanis, F. Hilgendorf, 
 
 Ed. Villartens und C. Semper. 8vo. Leipzig, 1869. 
 . Ditto. Vol. IV. Vogel Ost-Afrika's. Von 0. Einsch und 
 
 G. Hartlaub. (See also under letter E.) 8vo. Leipzig, 1870. 
 DES MURS, 0. Iconographie Ornithologique. Eol. Paris, 1849. 
 DES MURS, 0., LEFEBVRE, T., and DILLON, Q. Voyage en Abyssinie par 
 
 une Commission Scientifique composee de M. Lefebvre, Lieutenant 
 
 de Vaisseau, A. Petit et Quartin Dillon, Naturalistes du Museum. 
 
 Zoologie par 0. Des Murs. Text 8vo, Atlas fol. Paris, 1848. 
 EDINBURGH JOURNAL OF NATURAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCE. 8vo. 
 
 Edinburgh, 1819 to 1831. 
 EDWARDS, G. Natural History of Birds. 4to. London, 1743 to 1751. 
 
 . Gleanings of Natural History. 4to. London, 1758 to 1764. 
 
 EYTON, T. C. Monograph of the Anatidae. 4to. London, 1838. 
 EXPLORATION SCIENTIFIQUE DE L'ALGERIE pendant les Annees 1840, 
 
 1841, 1842, publiee par ordre du Gouvernement et avec le concours 
 
 d'une Commission Academique. Sciences Physiques, Zoologie. 
 
 Vol. IV. Eol. Paris, 1849. 
 FINSCH, 0., and HARTLAUB, G. Die Vogel Ost-Afrika's, in Baron Carl 
 
 Claus von der Decken's Reisen in Ost-Afrika, vol. iv. 8vo. Leipzig, 
 
 1870. (See also under letter D.) 
 GMELIN, J. E. Systema Naturae, per Regna tria Naturae secundum 
 
 Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum characteribus, differentiis, 
 
 synonymis, locis. 8vo. Leyden, 1789. 
 GOULD, J. Birds of Australia. Eol. London, 1848. 
 
 . Birds of Europe. Fol. London, 1837. 
 
 . Birds of Great Britain. Eol. London, 1862. 
 
 . Icones Avium. Fol. London, 1837. 
 
 GRAY, G. R. Appendix to Trotter, Allen, and Thomson's Expedition to 
 
 the Niger in the year 1841. 8vo. London, 1841. (See also letter T.) 
 . Genera of Birds, comprising their generic characters, illustrated 
 
 by D. Mitchell. Fol. London, 1844 to 1849. 
 . Hand-list of Genera and Species of Birds, distinguishing those 
 
 contained in the British Museum. 8vo. London, 1869 to 1871. 
 GRAY, J. E. Gleanings from the Menagerie and Aviary at Knowsley 
 
 Hall. Eol. Knowsley, 1846. 
 HARTLAUB, G. Beitrag zur Ornithologie Westafrica's, in ' Abhandlungen 
 
 aus dem Gebiete der Naturwissenschaften.' 4to. Hamburg, 1852. 
 

 LIST OF WORKS REFERRED TO. xxxiii 
 
 HAETLAUB, G. System der Ornithologie Westajfrica's. 8vo. Bremen, 
 
 1857. 
 HEMPBICH, F. G., and EHEENBEBG, C. G. Symbolse Physicae. Fol. 
 
 Berlin, 1828. 
 HEUGLIN, T. VON. Ornithologie Nord-Ost Afrika's. 8vo. Cassel, 1869 
 
 to 1871. 
 . Systematische Uebersicht der Vogel Nord-Ost Afrika's. 8vo. 
 
 Vienna, 1855. 
 IBIS. The Ibis, a Magazine of General Ornithology. 8vo. London, 
 
 1859 to 1872. 
 
 Isis. Isis oder encyclopadisehe Zeitung. 4to. Jena, 1817. 
 JAEDINE, SIE W. Sun-birds, in Jardine's l Naturalist's Library/ 12mo. 
 
 Edinburgh, n. d. 
 JABDINE, SIE W., and SELBY, P. J. Illustrations of Ornithology. Fol. 
 
 Edinburgh, 1826 to 1843. 
 JOBNAL DE SCIENCIAS Mathem. Phys. e Naturaes. Publ. da Academia 
 
 E. de Lisboa. 8vo. Lisbon, 1867 to 1871. 
 JOTJENAL FUE OBNiTHOLOGiE. 8vo. Cassel, 1853 to 1871. 
 LATHAM, J. General Synopsis of Birds. 4to. London, 1781 to 1785. 
 LAYAED, E. L. The Birds of South Africa, a Descriptive Catalogue of 
 
 all the known Species occurring south of the 28th parallel of South 
 
 Latitude. First Edition. 8vo. Cape Town, 1867. 
 LEVAILLANT, F. Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux d'Afrique. Fol. Paris, 
 
 1799 to 1808. 
 . Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux de Paradis et des Eolliers, suivie 
 
 de celle des Toucans et des Barbus. Fol. Paris, 1806 and 1807. 
 . Histoire Naturelle des Promerops et des Guepiers. Fol. Paris, 
 
 1807. 
 
 . Histoire Naturelle des Perroquets. Fol. Paris, 1801 to 1805. 
 
 LICHTENSTEIN, H. Verzeichniss der Doubletten des zoologischen Mu- 
 seums der Konigl. Universitat zu Berlin. 4to. Berlin, 1823. 
 LIVINGSTONE, D. Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa. 
 
 8vo. London, 1857. 
 
 MALHEEBE, A. Monographic des Picidees. Fol. Metz, 1861 to 1863. 
 MABSHALL, C. H. T., and MAESHALL, G. F. L. A Monograph of the 
 
 Capitonidae or Scansorial Barbets. 4to. London, 1870 and 1871. 
 MULLEE, BAEON J. W. DE. Description de nouveaux Oiseaux d'Afrique. 
 
 Fol. Stuttgart, 1853. 
 NAUMANN, J. A. Naturgeschichte der Vogel Deutschlands. 8vo. 
 
 Leipzig, 1822. 
 NEWTON, A. A History of British Birds by the late William Yarrell. 
 
xxxiv LIST OF WORKS REFERRED TO. 
 
 Edited by Alfred Newton. 8vo. London, 1871. (See also 
 
 under Y.) 
 OFVERSIGT af Kongl. Yetenskaps Akademiens Forhandlingar. 8vo. 
 
 Stockholm, 1844 to 1871. 
 PALLAS, P. S. Reise durch verschiedene Provinzen des Russischen 
 
 Reichs. 4to, and Atlas fol. Petersburg, 1771 to 1776. 
 
 . Zoographia Rosso-Asiatica. 4to. Petersburg, 1811. 
 
 RADDE, G. Reisen im Siiden v. Ost-Sibirien in d. J. 1855-59. Sauge- 
 
 thiere u. Yogel. 4to. Petersburg, 1862 and 1863. 
 REICHENBACH, A.B. Praktische Naturgeschichte der Yogel. Leipzig, 1847. 
 REICHENBACH, L. Synopsis Avium. 8vo. Dresden and Leipzig, 1851. 
 REVUE ET MAGASIN DE ZOOLOGIE pure et appliquee. 8vo. Paris, 1849 
 
 to 1870. 
 
 RUPPELL, E. Atlas zu der Reise im nb'rdlichen Afrika. Fol. Frank- 
 furt am Main, 1826. 
 . Monographic der Gattung Otis im Museum Senckenbergianum. 
 
 4to. Frankfurt am Main, 1837. 
 . Neue Wirbelthiere, zu der Fauna von Abyssinien gehorig. Fol. 
 
 Frankfurt am Main, 1835 to 1840. 
 . Systematische Uebersicht der Yogel Nord-Ost Afrika's. 8vo. 
 
 Frankfurt am Main, 1845. 
 SCHLEGEL, H. Museum d'Histoire Naturelle des Pays-Bas. Revue 
 
 Methodique et Critique de la Collection des Oiseaux. Leyden, 
 
 1862 to 1866. 
 SHARPS, R. B. Catalogue of African Birds in the Collection of R. B. 
 
 Sharpe. 8vo. London, 1871. 
 . A Monograph of the Alcedinidae or Kingfishers. 4to. London, 
 
 1868 to 1871. 
 SHARPE, R. B., and DRESSER, H. E. A History of the Birds of Europe, 
 
 including all the Species inhabiting the Western Palaearctic Region. 
 
 Fol. London, 1871. 
 SHAW, G. General Zoology, or Systematic Natural History. 8vo. 
 
 London, 1809 to 1812. 
 SHAW, G., and NODDER, F. P. Naturalist's Miscellany. 8vo. London, 
 
 1790 to 1813. 
 
 SHELLEY, G. E. The Birds of Egypt. 8vo. London, 1872. 
 SMITH, A. Illustrations of the Zoology of South Africa. Aves. 4to. 
 
 London, 1849. 
 
 ' . Report of the Expedition for Exploring Central Africa from the 
 
 Cape of Good Hope. 8vo. Cape Town, 1836. 
 SOUTH- AFRICAN QUARTERLY JOURNAL. 8vo. Cape Town, 1829 to 1835. 
 
LIST OF WORKS REFERRED TO. xxxv 
 
 SOUTH-AFRICAN MUSEUM. Catalogue of the South-African Museum 
 
 now Exhibiting in the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly. 8vo. London, 
 
 1837. 
 
 SPARRMAN, A. Museum Carlsonianum. 4to. Holmiae, 1786 to 1788. 
 STRICKLAND, H. E. Ornithological Synonyms. 8vo. London, 1855. 
 STRICKLAND, H. E., and SCLATER, P. L. List of a Collection of Birds 
 
 procured by C. J. Andersson in the Damara Country, with notes. 
 
 In Jardine's ' Contributions to Ornithology' for 1852. 8vo. Edin- 
 burgh, 1853. 
 SUNDEVALL, C. J. Conspectus Avium Picinarum. 8vo. Stockholm, 
 
 1866. 
 SWAINSON, W. Birds of Western Africa. In Jardine's ' Naturalist's 
 
 Library.' 12mo. Edinburgh, 1837. 
 
 . Zoological Illustrations. 8vo. London, 1820 to 1833. 
 
 TEMMINCK, C. J. Histoire Naturelle Generale des Pigeons et des Gal- 
 
 linaces. 8vo. Amsterdam, 1813 to 1815. 
 
 . Manuel d'Ornithologie. 2nd edition, 8vo. Paris, 1820 to 1835. 
 
 . Histoire Naturelle Generale des Pigeons, avec figures en couleurs 
 
 peintes par Madame Knip, nee Pauline de Courcelles. Le texte 
 
 par C. J. Temminck. Fol. Paris, 1807. 
 TEMMINCK, C. J., and LAUGIER, LE BARON. Nouveau Recueil de Planches 
 
 Coloriees d'Oiseaux. Eol. Paris, 1820 to 1836. 
 TROTTER, H. D., ALLEN, W., and THOMSON, T. E. H. An Expedition to 
 
 the Niger in the year 1841. Appendix by G. R. Gray. 8vo. 
 
 London, 1848. (See also letter G.) 
 
 VIEILLOT, L. P. Galerie des Oiseaux. 4to. Paris, 1825. 
 . Histoire Naturelle des plus beaux Oiseaux Chanteurs de la zone 
 
 torride. Fol. Paris, 1805. 
 . Nouveau Dietionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle. 8vo. Paris, 1816 
 
 to 1819. 
 
 WAGLER, J. C. Systema Avium. 12mo. Stuttgard, 187. 
 WATERHOUSE, G. R. Descriptions of New Species of Birds. In Sir J. E. 
 
 Alexander's ' Expedition of Discovery into the Interior of Africa.' 
 
 8vo. London, 1838. (See also letter A.) 
 YARRELL, W. A History of British Birds. Edited by Alfred Newton. 
 
 8vo. London, 1871. (See also under N.) 
 ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL. 8vo. London, 1824 to 1834. 
 ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Proceedings of the Scientific Meetings of the Zoo- 
 logical Society of London. 8vo. London, 1830 to 1871. 
 . Transactions of the Zoological Society of London. 4to. London, 
 
 1835 to 1871. 
 
TABLE OF SPECIES, 
 
 ACCIPITRES. 
 
 Family YULTURID^E. 
 
 Subfamily NEOPHRONIN-&. 
 No. 
 
 1. Neophron percnopterus. 
 
 2. - pileatus. 
 
 Subfamily 
 
 3. Otogyps auricularis. 
 
 4. Yultur occipitalis. 
 
 5. Gyps Kolbii. 
 
 6. - Buppelli. 
 
 Family FALCONID^E. 
 
 Subfamily AQUILINE. 
 
 7. Aquila vulturina. 
 
 8. - naevioides. 
 
 9. Hieraetus pennatus. 
 
 10. Pseudaetus spilogaster. 
 
 11. - bellicosus. 
 
 12. Haliaetus vocifer. 
 
 13. Circaetus pectoralis. 
 
 14. Helotarsus ecaudatus. 
 
 Subfamily 
 No. 
 
 15. Buteo jackal. 
 
 16. desertorum. 
 
 Subfamily FALCONING. 
 
 17. Falco minor. 
 
 18. cervicalis. 
 
 19. Chicquera ruficollis. 
 
 20. Hypotriorchis subbuteo. 
 
 21. Erythropus vespertinus. 
 
 22. amurensis. 
 
 23. Tinnunculus cenchris. 
 
 24. alaudarius. 
 
 25. rupicolus. 
 
 26. rupieoloides. 
 
 27. Polibierax semitorquatus. 
 
 Subfamily MILVIN^J. 
 
 28. Elanus caeruleus. 
 
 29. Milvus migrans. 
 
 30. Forskabli. 
 
 31. Machaerhamphus Anderssoni, 
 
XXXV111 
 
 TABLE OF SPECIES. 
 
 Subfamily ACCIPITRIN^;. 
 No. 
 
 32. Kaupifalco monogrammicus. 
 
 33. Melierax musicus. 
 
 34. polyzonus. 
 
 35. gabar. 
 
 36. niger. 
 
 37. Accipiter tachiro. 
 
 38. polyzonoides. 
 
 39. minullus. 
 
 40. rufiventris. 
 
 Subfamily CIECIN^. 
 
 41. Circus Swainsoni. 
 
 42. cinerarius. 
 
 43. maurus. 
 
 44. ranivorus. 
 
 Family SERPENT ARIID^E. 
 
 Subfamily SERPENTARIIN.E. 
 45. Sagittarius secretarius. 
 
 Family STRIGID^E. 
 
 Subfamily STRIGIN.E:. 
 
 No. 
 
 46. Strix poensis. 
 
 Subfamily STJRNINJB. 
 
 47. Athene perlata. 
 
 48. Ta3nioglaux capensis. 
 
 Subfamily 
 
 49. Scops capensis. 
 
 50. 
 
 leucotis. 
 
 51. Huhua Verreauxi. 
 
 52. Bubo maculosus. 
 
 Subfamily SYKNIIN^E. 
 
 53. Phasmoptynx capensis. 
 
 PASSEEES. 
 
 Division FISSIROSTMES. 
 Family CAPRIMULGID^E. 
 
 Subfamily CAPRIMULGINJE. 
 54. Caprimulgus rufigena. 
 
 55. 
 
 pectoralis. 
 lentiginosus. 
 
 57. Cosmetornis vexillarius. 
 
 Family CYPSELID^l. 
 
 Subfamily CYPSELIN^:. 
 
 58. Cypselus gutturalis. 
 
 59. Cypselus barbatus. 
 
 60. - parvus. 
 
 Family HIRUKDINID^E. 
 
 Subfamily 
 
 61. Hirundo Monteiri. 
 
 62. - rustica. 
 
 63. - cucullata. 
 
 64. - dimidiata. 
 
 65. Cotile fuligula. 
 
 
TABLE OF SPECIES. 
 
 XXXIX 
 
 Family COEACIAD^E. 
 
 Subfamily COKACIAN^. 
 No. 
 
 66. Coracias caudata. 
 
 67. nsevia. 
 
 68. garrula. 
 
 Family ALCEDINID^E. 
 
 Subfamily DACELONINJE. 
 
 69. Halcyon cyanoleuca. 
 
 - semicserulea, 
 
 - chelicutensis. 
 
 70. - 
 
 71. - 
 
 Subfamily 
 
 72. Alcedo semitorquata. 
 
 73. Ceryle maxima. 
 
 74. rudis. 
 
 75. Corythornis cyanostigma. 
 
 Family MEROPIDJE. 
 Subfamily MEEOPINJE. 
 
 76. Merops apiaster. 
 
 77. superciliosus. 
 
 78. nubicoides. 
 
 79. Melittophagus pusillus. 
 
 80. Dicrocercus hirundinaceus. 
 
 Division TENUIROSTRES. 
 
 Family UPUPID^E. 
 
 Subfamily UPTJPIIOS. 
 
 81. Upupa minor. 
 
 Subfamily IKRISOKIN^;. 
 
 82. Irrisor erythrorhynchos. 
 
 No. 
 
 83. Irrisor cyanomelas. 
 
 84. aterrimus. 
 
 Family PROMEROPID^E. 
 
 Subfamily 
 
 85. Nectarinia famosa. 
 
 86. Cinnyris chalybea. 
 
 87. afra. 
 
 88. bifaseiata. 
 
 89. fusca. 
 
 90. talatala. 
 
 9 1 . Chalcomitra gutturalis . 
 
 92. Anthobaphes violacea. 
 
 Family MELIPHAGID^E. 
 Subfamily MELIPHAGIN^E. 
 
 93. Zosterops eapensis. 
 
 94. senegalensis. 
 
 Family TEOGLODYTID^. 
 
 95. Sylvietta rufescens. 
 
 Division DENTIROSTRES. 
 
 Family PAEID^E. 
 
 Subfamily 
 
 96. Parisoma subcseruleum 
 
 97. Layardi. 
 
 98. Anthoscopus minutus, 
 
 99. - Caroli. 
 
 100. Parus afer. 
 
 101. - niger. 
 
TABLE OF SPECIES. 
 
 Family LUSCINID^E. 
 
 Subfamily CALAMODYTIN^;. 
 No. 
 
 102. Drymoica maculosa. 
 
 103. - affinis. 
 
 104. - flavicans. 
 
 105. - ocularius. 
 
 106. - Smithii. 
 
 107. - chiniana. 
 
 108. - subruficapilla. 
 
 109. - rufilata. 
 
 110. - Levaillantii. 
 
 111. Cisticola terre&tris. 
 
 112. Aedon subcinnamomea. 
 
 113. -- fasciolata. 
 
 114. -- leueophrys. 
 
 115. - paena. 
 
 116. Thamnobia coryphaeus. 
 
 117. Camaroptera olivacea. 
 
 118. Dryodromas damarensis. 
 
 119. - - flavida. 
 
 120. Eremomela flayiventris. 
 
 121. - usticollis. 
 
 122. Calamodyta arundinacea. 
 
 123. - baeticata. 
 
 124. Calamodus schcenobaenus. 
 
 Subfamily 
 
 125. Sylvia hortensis. 
 
 126. Phyllopneuste hypolais. 
 
 127. - - trocbilus. 
 
 Subfamily SAXICOLINJS. 
 
 128. Pratincola torquata. 
 
 129. Saxicola familiaris. 
 
 130. - - Schlegelii. 
 
 131. - Stricklandii. 
 
 No. 
 132. Saxicola infuscata. 
 
 133. 
 134. 
 135. 
 
 pileata. 
 
 leucoinelsena. 
 
 Atmorii. 
 
 136. Myrmecocichla formicivora. 
 
 Family MOTACILUD^E. 
 Subfamily MOTACILLIN^U 
 
 137. Motacilla capensis. 
 
 138. 
 
 Vaillantii. 
 
 139. Budytes flava. 
 
 Subfamily ANTHIN.E. 
 
 140. Anthus Kaalteni. 
 
 141. caffer. 
 
 142. pyrrhonotus. 
 
 143. campestris. 
 
 Family TURDID^E. 
 Subfamily TUBBING. 
 
 144. Turdus letsitsirupa. 
 
 145. libonyanus. 
 
 146. olivaceus. 
 
 147. Montieola brevipes. 
 
 148. Chaetops pycnopygius. 
 
 149. Cossypha caifra. 
 
 150. bicolor. 
 
 Family PYCNONOTULE. 
 Subfamily PYCNONOTIN^. 
 
 151. Pycnonotus nigricans. 
 
 152. 
 
 tricolor. 
 
 Subfamily PHYLLOKNITHIN^:. 
 
 153. Phyllastrephus capensis. 
 
 154. Criniger flaviventris. 
 
TABLE OF SPECIES. 
 
 xli 
 
 Subfamily CRATEROPODIIOS. 
 No. 
 
 155. Crateropus bicolor. 
 
 156. melanops. 
 
 157. Jardinii. 
 
 158. Hartlaubi. 
 
 Family ORIOLID^E. 
 
 Subfamily ORIOLES. 
 
 159. Oriolus galbula. 
 
 160. 
 
 notatus. 
 
 Family 
 
 Subfamily DICRTTRINJE. 
 
 161. Dicrurus musicus. 
 
 Family MUSCICAPIME. 
 
 Subfamily MUSCICAPIN^;. 
 
 162. Melanopepla pammelsena. 
 
 163. Bradornis mariquensis. 
 
 164. Muscicapa griseola. 
 
 165. Tchitrea viridis. 
 
 166. Platysteira print. 
 
 167. affinis. 
 
 168. torquata. 
 
 Subfamily CAMPEPHAGIN^E. 
 
 169. Campephaga nigra. 
 
 170. Ceblepyris pectoralis. 
 
 Family LANIID^E. 
 
 Subfamily LANIIKZE. 
 
 171. Lanius minor. 
 
 172. Enneoctonus eollurio. 
 
 173. Fiscus collaris. 
 
 174. subcoronatus. 
 
 Subfamily MALACONOHNJS. 
 No. 
 
 175. Urolestes melanoleucus. 
 
 176. Nilaus brubru. 
 
 177. Eurocephalus anguitimens. 
 
 178. Prionops talacoma. 
 
 179. - Retzii. 
 
 180. Laniarius atrococcineus. 
 
 181. - major. 
 
 182. - stieturus. 
 
 183. Dryoscopus cubla. 
 
 184. Telophorus gutturalis. 
 
 185. Chlorophoneus similis. 
 
 186. Pomatorhynchus erythro- 
 
 pterus. 
 
 187. - trivirgatus. 
 
 Division CON1ROSTRES. 
 
 Family CORVULE. 
 
 Subfamily CORVIKT^. 
 
 188. Corvultur albicollis. 
 
 189. Corvus scapulatus. 
 
 190. - capensis. 
 
 Family STURNID^E. 
 Subfamily JFIDIILE. 
 
 191. Cinnyricinclus Verreauxi. 
 
 192. Juida australis. 
 
 193. - Mevesii. 
 
 194. Lamprocolius phosnicopterus. 
 
 195. Spreo bicolor. 
 
 196. Amydrus caffer. 
 
 Subfamily 
 197. Dilophus carunculatus. 
 
xlii 
 
 TABLE OF SPECIES. 
 
 Subfamily 
 No. 
 
 198. Buphaga africana. 
 
 Family FRINGILLID.E. 
 
 Subfamily PLOCEIN-E. 
 
 199. Bubalornis erythrorliynchus. 
 
 200. Plocepasser mahali. 
 
 201. Philetserus socius. 
 
 202. Hyphantornis spilonotus. 
 
 203. - velatus. 
 
 204. Euplectes capensis. 
 
 205. - taha. 
 
 206. Pyromelana oryx. 
 
 207. Quelea sanguinirostris. 
 
 Subfamily SPERMESTINJB. 
 
 208. Amadina erythrocephala. 
 
 209. Alario aurantia. 
 
 210. Hypochera ultramarina. 
 
 211. Pytelia melba. 
 
 212. Lagonosticta minima. 
 
 213. Sporopipes squamifrons. 
 
 214. Estrelda astrild. 
 
 215. - erythronota. 
 
 216. Mariposa cyanogastra. 
 
 217. Urseginthus granatinus. 
 
 Subfamily 
 
 218. Vidua regia. 
 
 219. - principalis. 
 
 220. --- paradisea. 
 
 Subfamily 
 
 221. Crithagra angolensis. 
 
 222. chrysopyga. 
 
 223. -- cnloropsis. 
 
 Subfamily FKINGILLIKE. 
 No. 
 
 224. Poliospiza gularis. 
 
 225. - crocopygia. 
 
 226. Petronia petronella. 
 
 227. Passer arcuatus. 
 
 228. - motitensis. 
 
 229. -- diffusus. 
 
 Subfamily 
 
 230. Fringillaria flaviventris. 
 
 231. - impetuani. 
 
 Family ALAUDID^E. 
 Subfamily ALATJDIN^;. 
 
 232. Pyrrhulauda Smithi. 
 
 233. - - verticalis. 
 
 234. - australis. 
 
 235. Alauda conirostris. 
 
 236. - Grayi. 
 
 237. - erythrochlamys. 
 
 238. Calendula crassirostris. 
 
 239. Megalophonus sabota. 
 
 240. -- cinereus. 
 
 241. - Anderssoni. 
 
 242. -- africanoides. 
 
 243. - naevius. 
 
 244. - lagepa. 
 
 245. Certhilauda rufula. 
 
 246. - semitorquata. 
 
 Family MUSOPHAGID^E. 
 Subfamily COLIINJS. 
 
 247. Colius capensis. 
 
 248. - erythromelon. 
 
 Subfamily MTISOPHAGI^JE. 
 
 249. Schizorhis concolor. 
 
TABLE OF SPECIES. 
 
 xliii 
 
 Family BUCEROTID^E. 
 Subfamily BUCEBOTIJOB. 
 
 250. Bucorvus abyssinicus. 
 
 251. Tockus nasutus. 
 
 No. 
 
 No. 
 
 252. Tockus melanoleucus. 
 
 253. Monteiri. 
 
 254. flavirostris. 
 
 255. erythrorhynchus. 
 
 SCANSORES. 
 
 Family PSITTACID.E. 
 
 Subfamily PSITTACINJE. 
 
 256. Poicephalus robustus. 
 
 257. - - Meyeri. 
 
 258. - Riippelli. 
 
 259. Psittacula roseicollis. 
 
 Family CAPITONID^E. 
 
 Subfamily 
 
 260. Pogonorhynchus leucomelas. 
 
 Family PICID^E. 
 
 Subfamily PICIILZB. 
 
 261. Thripias namaquus. 
 
 262. Dendropicus Hartlaubii. 
 
 263. -- cardinalis. 
 
 264. Ipagrus capricorni. 
 
 265. Ipagrus Brucei. 
 
 266. variolosus. 
 
 Family CUCULID^E. 
 
 Subfamily INDICATOKIN^. 
 
 267. Indicator minor. 
 
 Subfamily CENTKOPODIN.E. 
 
 268. Centropus senegalensis. 
 
 Subfamily CUCULIKE. 
 
 269. Coccystes glandarius. 
 
 270. Oxylophus jacobinus. 
 
 271. - - caifer. 
 
 272. serratus. 
 
 273. Cuculus clamosus. 
 
 274. canorus. 
 
 275. gularis. 
 
 276. Chrysococcyx cupreus. 
 
 277. Klaasi. 
 
 Family COLTJMBID^E. 
 
 Subfamily TBERONIN^. 
 
 278. Phalacrotreron calva. 
 
 Subfamily COLUMBINE. 
 
 279. Stictosnas phseonotus. 
 
 280. Turtur senegalensis. 
 
 281. Streptopelia damarensis. 
 
 282. semitorquata. 
 
 283. (Ena capensis. 
 
 284. Chalcopelia afra. 
 
xlii 
 
 TABLE OF SPECIES. 
 
 GALLINJE. 
 
 Family MELEAGRID^E. 
 
 Subfamily NUMIDIITS:. 
 No. 
 
 285. Numida cornuta. 
 
 Family PTEROCLIDJE. 
 
 Subfamily PTEROCLIIOB. 
 
 286. Pterocles bicinctus. 
 
 287. - variegatus. 
 
 288. Pteroclurus namaqua. 
 
 Family TETRAONIILE. 
 
 Subfamily 
 289. Pternises nudicollis. 
 
 No. 
 
 290. Pternises Swainsonii. 
 
 291. Scleroptera gariepensis. 
 
 292. subtorquata. 
 
 293. pileata. 
 
 294. adspersa. 
 
 295. Coturnix communis. 
 
 296. Delegorguei. 
 
 Subfamily TURNICINJJJ. 
 
 297. Turnix lepurana. 
 
 STRUTHIONES. 
 
 Family STRUTHIONIim 
 
 Subfamily STSUTHIONINJB. 
 
 No. 
 
 298. Strathio australis. 
 
 GRALLJE. 
 
 Family OTIDID^E. Family CHARADRIAD^E. 
 
 Subfamily OTTDIIOS. 
 No. 
 
 299. Eupodotis kori. 
 
 300. ruficrista. 
 
 301. Riippellii. 
 
 302. afra. 
 
 303. afroides. 
 
 Subfamily 
 No, 
 
 304. Cursorius senegalensis. 
 
 305. bicinctus. 
 
 306. - - cinctus. 
 
 307. chalcopterus. 
 
TABLE OF SPECIES. 
 
 xlv 
 
 No. 
 308. 
 
 309. 
 
 310 
 31 
 
 312. 
 313. 
 314. 
 315; 
 316. 
 317. 
 318. 
 319. 
 320. 
 321. 
 
 Subfamily GLAREOLIN^:. 
 
 Glareola melanoptera. 
 - pratincola. 
 
 323 
 
 324 
 325 
 326 
 
 327. 
 328. 
 
 Subfamily 
 (Edicnemus capensis. 
 
 - vermiculatus. 
 
 Subfamily CHAKADBINJL 
 Lobivaneilus lateralis. 
 Hoplopterus speciosus. 
 Chettusia coronata. 
 Squatarola varia. 
 Eudromias damarensis *. 
 jJEgialites alexandrinus. 
 
 - marginatus. 
 
 - pecuarius. 
 
 - tricollaris. 
 
 - hiatieula. 
 
 Subfamily CINCLIN^E. 
 Cinclus interpres. 
 
 Subfamily H^MATOPIN^;. 
 Haematopus Moquini. 
 
 Family GRUHLE. 
 
 Subfamily GRUIN.E. 
 Bugeranus carunculatus. 
 Tetrapteryx paradisea. 
 Balearica regulorum. 
 
 Family CICONIID^. 
 
 Subfamily CICONIINJE. 
 Ciconia alba. 
 Sphenorrhynchus Abdimii. 
 
 No. 
 
 329. Ephippiorhynchus senega- 
 
 lensis. 
 
 330. Leptoptilus crumeniferus. 
 
 Family ANASTOMATID^E. 
 
 Subfamily ANASTOMATII^E. 
 
 331. Anastomus lamelligerus. 
 
 Family AEDEID^E. 
 
 Subfamily ARDEINJE. 
 
 332. Ardea cinerea. 
 
 333. melanocephala, 
 
 334. goHat. 
 
 335. purpurea. 
 
 336. rufiventris. 
 
 337. Bubulcus ibis. 
 
 338. Ardeola comata. 
 
 339. Herodias alba. 
 
 340. intermedia. 
 
 341. garzetta. 
 
 342. Ardeiralla Sturmii. 
 
 343. Butorides atricapilla. 
 
 344. Ardetta minuta. 
 
 345. Nyeticorax segyptius. 
 
 Family SCOPID^E. 
 
 Subfamily SCOPINJE. 
 
 346. Scopus umbretta. 
 
 Family PLATALEID^E. 
 
 Subfamily PLATALEIN^;. 
 
 347. Platalea tenuirostris. 
 
 Vide Preface, p. xxx. 
 
xlvi 
 
 TABLE OF SPECIES. 
 
 Family TANTALID^E. 
 
 Subfamily TANTALIN^:. 
 No. 
 
 348. Tantalus ibis. 
 
 Subfamily IBIDIILZ. 
 
 349. Geronticus calvus. 
 
 350. Ibis sethiopica. 
 
 351. Hagedashia caiFrensis. 
 
 Family SCOLOPACDLE. 
 
 Subfamily 
 
 352. Numenius arquatus. 
 
 353. - phseopus. 
 
 Subfamily 
 
 354. Totanus calidris. 
 
 355. - glottis. 
 
 356. - stagnatilis. 
 
 357. - glareola. 
 
 358. Actitis hypoleucus. 
 
 359. Terekia cinerea. 
 
 Subfamily 
 
 360. Philomachus pugnax. 
 
 361. Tringa canutus. 
 
 362. - subarquata. 
 
 363. - Bairdii. 
 
 364. - minuta. 
 
 365. Calidris arenaria. 
 
 Subfamily SCOLOPACIN.E. 
 
 366. Gallinago major. 
 
 367. Rhynchaea capensis. 
 
 Family RECURVIROSTRID^E. 
 
 Subfamily AVOCETTIN^;. 
 No. 
 
 368. Recurvirostra avocetta. 
 
 Subfamily HIMANTOPODIN^E. 
 
 369. Himantopus autumnalis. 
 
 Family RALLID^E. 
 
 Subfamily RALLIN^;. 
 
 370. Rallus cserulescens. 
 
 371. Ortygometra pygmsea. 
 
 372. marginalis. 
 
 373. Alecthelia dimidiata. 
 
 374. Limnoeorax niger. 
 
 FamHy GALLINULID^E. 
 
 Subfamily GALLINULIN^). 
 
 375. Gallinula angulata. 
 
 376. chloropus. 
 
 377. Porphyrio smaragnotus. 
 
 378. Alleni. 
 
 Subfamily FTJLICIN^:. 
 
 379. Fulica cristata. 
 
 Family PARRIU^E. 
 
 Subfamily PARKING. 
 
 380. Parra africana. 
 
 381. capensis. 
 
TABLE OF SPECIES. 
 
 xlvii 
 
 ANSERES. 
 
 Family PHCENICOPTEEID^l. 
 
 Subfamily 
 No. 
 
 382. Phoenicopterus erythraeus. 
 
 383. minor. 
 
 Family ANATID^E. 
 
 Subfamily PLECTROPTERIN^E. 
 
 384. Plectropterus gambensis. 
 
 385. Sarkidiornis melanotus. 
 
 386. Chenalopex aegyptiacus. 
 
 Subfamily 
 
 387. Nettapus auritus. 
 
 Subfamily ANA.TIN-B. 
 
 388. Dendrocygna viduata. 
 
 389. Mareca capensis. 
 
 390. Poecilonetta erythrorhyncha. 
 
 391. Nettion hottentota. 
 
 392. Anas sparsa. 
 
 393. xanthorhyncha. 
 
 394. Spatula capensis 
 
 395. Aythia capensis. 
 
 396. Thalassornis leuconota. 
 
 397. Erismatura maccoa. 
 
 Family PODICIPHLE. 
 
 Subfamily PODICIPINJS. 
 
 398. Podiceps cristatus. 
 
 399. - - nigricollis. 
 
 400. minor. 
 
 Family SPHENISCID^E. 
 
 Subfamily 
 
 No. 
 
 401. Spheniscus demersus. 
 
 Family PEOCELLAEIID^E. 
 
 Subfamily PROCELLARIIN^S. 
 
 402. Puffinus major. 
 
 403. Procellaria pelagica. 
 
 404. - oceanica. 
 
 405. Pseudoprion turtur. 
 
 406. Daption capensis. 
 
 407. Ossifraga gigantea. 
 
 Subfamily DIOMEDEIN.E. 
 
 408. Diomedea exulans. 
 
 409. - melanophrys. 
 
 Family LAEID^E. 
 Subfamily STERCORARIIIOE. 
 
 410. Stercorarius pomarinus. 
 
 411. -- parasiticus. 
 
 Subfamily EARING. 
 
 412. Larus vetula. 
 
 413. Cirrhocephalus poiocephalus. 
 
 Subfamily STERNIN^:. 
 
 414. Sterna caspia. 
 
 415. - Bergii. 
 
 416. - cantiaca. 
 
 417. - fluviatilis. 
 
 418. Sternula balgenarum. 
 
xlviii 
 
 No. 
 
 419. Pelodes hybrida. 
 
 420. Hydrochelidon nigra. 
 
 TABLE OF SPECIES. 
 
 Subfamily 
 
 Subfamily 
 
 421. Rhynehops flavirostris. 
 
 Family PELECANID^E. 
 Subfamily 
 
 422. Sula eapensis. 
 
 No. 
 
 423. Plotus Levaillantii. 
 
 Subfamily GRACULINJE. 
 
 424. Graeulus carbo. 
 
 425. capensis. 
 
 426. neglectus. 
 
 427. africanus. 
 
 Subfamily PELECANIN^;. 
 
 428. Pelecanus minor. 
 
THE 
 
 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND 
 
 AND THE ADJACENT COUNTEIES OF 
 
 SOUTH-WEST AFRICA. 
 
 ACCIPITEES. 
 
 VULTURIME. 
 
 1. Neophron percnopterus (Linn.). Egyptian Vulture. 
 
 Neophron percnopterus, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 3. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 2. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 33. 
 
 This Vulture is not uncommon in Damara Land and 
 Great Namaqua Land and the parts adjacent, more 
 especially in the neighbourhood of the coast. It is 
 usually found in pairs, and is a regular scavenger, being 
 generally seen in search of the filthiest food. 
 
 The irides are reddish yellow; the bill and naked 
 patch on the lower part of the throat are bright orange, 
 darkest above, the tips of both mandibles pale liver- 
 brown ; the feet and legs yellowish white. 
 
2 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson, in a note to p. 22 of his work entitled ( Lake 
 Ngami/ says that he has seen this Vulture feed on the fruit 
 of a wild gourd found near the coast of Damara Land, and 
 called " Naras." 
 
 I have not myself seen a Damara example of this Vulture, 
 but the species is too well known to admit any doubt as to its 
 identification. ED.] 
 
 2. Neophron pileatus (Burch.). Pileated Vulture. 
 
 Cathartes monachus, Temminck's PI. Col. pi. 222. 
 Neophron pileatus, Layard's Cat. No. 3. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 37. 
 
 This species is not so common as the preceding one 
 in Damara Land, but becomes more numerous as one 
 approaches the Orange River. Its habits are similar to 
 those of N. percnopterus, and it is comparatively fearless 
 where it is not disturbed. I have observed it single and 
 also in small families. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson' s identification of this species is confirmed by 
 an excellent coloured drawing from the pencil of Mr. Baines ; 
 but I have not personally had the opportunity of examining 
 a Damara specimen. 
 
 If BurchelFs description of his Vultur pileatus, given in his 
 1 Travels in South Africa/ vol. ii. p. 195, was really intended to 
 apply to this species, it is not very accurate, as has been already 
 pointed out by a subsequent author, vide Blanford's ' Geology 
 and Zoology of Abyssinia/ p. 287, note. ED.] 
 
 3. Otogyps auricularis, Baud. Sociable Vulture. 
 
 Z' Oricou, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 9. 
 Otogyps auricularis, Layard's Cat. No. 5. 
 
 This is the commonest Vulture in Damara and Great 
 Namaqua Land, and is also found in all the parts border- 
 
VULTURIDJZ. 3 
 
 ing on those countries. It is a very powerful bird, and 
 is the first to appear about a carcase. 
 
 I believe naturalists are not quite agreed as to whether i^r 
 Vultures hunt by sight, by scent, or by both faculties 
 combined. I have myself no doubt that they employ 
 the one sense as well as the other in finding their prey, 
 though I feel inclined to give sight the preference; and 
 I had once a very striking proof of how they employ 
 their vision in guiding them to carrion in this instance, 
 however, not so much by the actual sight of the carrion 
 (though the first discovery probably originated in that 
 way) as by another singular contrivance. Early one 
 morning as I was toiling up the ascent of a somewhat 
 elevated ridge of hills, with the view of obtaining bearings 
 for my travelling map, and before arriving at the summit, 
 I observed several Vultures descending near me ; but 
 thinking I had merely disturbed them from their lofty 
 perch, I did not take any particular notice of their 
 appearance, as the event was one of usual occurrence ; 
 but on gaining my destination, I found that the birds 
 were not coming merely from the hill summit, but from 
 an indefinite distance on the other side. This circum- 
 stance, coupled with the recollection that I had wounded 
 a zebra on the preceding day in the direction towards 
 which the Vultures were winging their way, caused me 
 to pay more attention. The flight of the Vultures was 
 low, at least five hundred to a thousand feet below the 
 summit of the mountain ; and on arriving near the base 
 they would abruptly rise without deviating from their 
 direct course ; and no sooner was the obstacle in their 
 
 B2 
 
4 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 way thus surmounted than they again depressed their 
 flight. Those Vultures which I saw could not have 
 themselves seen the carrion, but simply hunted in direct 
 sight of one another. There was a numerous arrival ; 
 and although I could not always detect the next bird as 
 soon as I lost sight of the previous one, yet, when at 
 length it did come into view, it never seemed uncertain 
 about its course. Having finished my observations I 
 descended, and proceeded in the direction which the 
 Vultures had pursued, and after about half an hour's 
 rapid walking I found, as I anticipated, the carcase of a 
 zebra, with a numerous company of Vultures busily 
 discussing it. 
 
 [The drawings of birds from Damara Land and the adjoining 
 countries, which were executed by Mr. Baines for the late 
 Mr. Andersson, include this species. I have not myself had the 
 opportunity of examining a Damara specimen. ED.] 
 
 4. Vllltur OCCipitalis, Burch. White-headed Vulture. 
 
 Vultur eulophus, Hemprich & Ehrenberg's Aves, pi. 14. 
 Vultur occipitalis, Layard's Cat. No. 4. 
 
 I do not remember to have met with this fine Vulture 
 in Damara Land, but have observed it (though only at a 
 distance) on a few occasions in Great Namaqua Land. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson' s collection of ornithological drawings con- 
 tains an excellent portrait, from the pencil of Mr. Baines, of an 
 adult bird of this species, which appears, by a memorandum 
 attached to the drawing, to have been obtained "near Seeo- 
 Kaama Hill, the Koppes, S.W. of Lake Ngami, March 2, 1862." 
 I have not myself seen it from Damara Land. ED.] 
 
 
VULTURID^:. 5 
 
 5. Gyps Kolbii (Daud.). South-African Griffon- Vulture. 
 
 Le Chasse Jiente, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 10. 
 
 Gyps fulvus, Layard's Cat. No. 6. 
 
 Gyps Kolbii, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9. 
 
 Vultur fulvus (part.), Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 1. 
 
 This Vulture is sparingly found in Damara Land. I 
 have chiefly observed it in the vicinity of the sea, above 
 Oosop rocks on the lower course of the Swakop River. 
 
 [I have had some hesitation in treating this Vulture, which is 
 evidently the southern representative of Gyps fulvus, as speci- 
 fically distinct from its more northern congener, from which 
 however, it constantly differs in being less fulvous when in imma- 
 ture plumage, and also in having its head and neck less com- 
 pletely clothed with downy hairs and plumelets differences 
 which may perhaps suffice to constitute a specific distinction. 
 
 I have seen specimens from various parts of South Africa, but 
 have not personally examined one from Damara Land. ED.] 
 
 6. Gyps Riippelli, Bon. RuppelTs Griffon-Vulture. 
 
 Vultur Kolbii, Riippell's Atlas Reise nord. Afr. pi. 32. 
 
 Gyps vulga$is, Layard's Cat. No. 7. 
 
 Gyps Ruppellii, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 12. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained a Vulture of this 
 species shot in Ondonga, Ovampo Land, on the 14th November, 
 
 1866. ED.] 
 
 FALCONmZE. 
 
 7. Aquila Vlllturina, Daud. Verreaux's Eagle. 
 
 Aquila Verreauxii, Des Murs, Zool. de la Voyage en Abyssinie, pi. 6. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 13. 
 
 Pteroaetus vulturina, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 98. 
 
 This Eagle nests in Little Nam aqua Land on lofty 
 
6 BIRDS OF DAM AHA LAND. 
 
 rocks ; but I cannot specify an instance of its occurrence 
 to the northward of the Orange River. It is at once a 
 friend and a foe to the farmer, as, though it occasionally 
 devours the young lambs and kids, it is said to warn 
 the Boer of another enemy, the leopard, to which it 
 attracts notice by its piercing cries and by circling over 
 the spot where the intruder has appeared. It generally 
 selects some projecting inaccessible ledge, on which it 
 constructs a large eyrie composed of sticks. The egg is 
 nearly oval and of a whitish colour, sparsely spotted with 
 brown, more especially towards the thicker end; its 
 length is 3" 8'", and breadth 2" 7'". 
 
 [The identification of this Eagle rests on Mr. Andersson's 
 authority, as his collection did not contain an example of it. 
 ED.] 
 
 8. Aquila nasvioides, Cuv. Tawny Eagle. 
 
 Aquila ntevioides, Cuvier's Regne An. ed. 2, vol. i. p. 326. 
 
 Falco belisarius, Levaillant jeune, in Expl. de^l'Algerie, Ois. pi. 2 
 
 (adult in worn plumage). 
 Aquila ncevioides, Lord Lilford in Ibis, 1865, pi. 5 (adult newly 
 
 moulted, and young in pale plumage). 
 Aquila mogilnik, Alleon in Rev. de Zool. 1866, pi. 20 (young in dark 
 
 plumage). 
 
 Aquila senegalla, Layard s Cat. No. 11. 
 
 Aquila ncevioides, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 389. 
 Elwes & Buckley in Ibis, 1870, p. 67. 
 
 The Tawny Eagle is not uncommon in Damara Land 
 and Great Namaqua Land. It perches usually on the 
 topmost branches of lofty trees, often remaining station- 
 ary for hours together ; it builds on the top of high and 
 generally of inaccessible trees, and constructs a large 
 nest of dry sticks. It is very destructive to the young 
 

 FALCONID^. 7 
 
 of diminutive antelopes, and to hares, bustards, and 
 plovers ; but it also feeds largely (and, I fancy, by choice) 
 on carrion, besides which it devours fish, frogs, and 
 earthworms ; it pursues and plunders other less powerful 
 birds of prey, and also robs the sportsman of wounded 
 game. 
 
 In immature birds the iris is brown, in adults pale 
 yellow freckled with brown, and with a narrow exterior 
 edging of dark brown ; the bill is dark horn-colour, but 
 livid at the base and with the under mandible yellow ; 
 the gape, cere, and feet are also yellow. 
 
 9. Hieraetus pennatus (Gmel.). Booted Eagle. 
 
 Aquila pennata, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 9. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 10. 
 
 Hieraetus pennatus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 100. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained one of these Eagles 
 obtained in Ondonga, Ovampo Land, on 14th November, 1866. 
 ED.] 
 
 10. Pseildaetus spilogaster (Dub.). Spotted-breasted Hawk-Eagle. 
 
 Spiza'etos zonurus, Miiller's Ois. d'Afrique, pi. 1 (adult). 
 Spizaetus Ayresii, Gurney in Ibis, 1862, pi. 4 (immature) . 
 Spizaetus spilogaster, Layard's Cat. No. 17. 
 Aquila Bonellii, Layard's Cat. No. 12. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 389. 
 Aquila fasciata, Gurney in Ibis, 1868, p. 138. 
 Aquila spiloy aster, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 48. 
 
 I have obtained examples of this species at Objim- 
 binque, the mouth of the Onanes River, Bull's Port, the 
 Omaruru Eiver, and Ondonga. Its flight is heavy ; but 
 when it has once risen to a certain height it soars power- 
 
8 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 fully ; it perches on trees and rocks, and is fond of re- 
 turning to the same tree or other post of observation. 
 Its food consists of small quadrupeds and birds of all 
 kinds. 
 
 The hides are yellow, but paler in the immature than 
 in the adult bird ; the toes, cere, and basal part of the 
 mandibles greenish yellow ; the anterior part of the bill 
 dark horn-colour, almost black at the point. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 23 16 
 
 Length of folded wing 15 7 
 
 tarsus 3 10 
 
 middle toe 26 
 
 tail 10 9 
 
 bill 1 10 
 
 [It appears to me that this and the succeeding species be- 
 long most properly to the genus Pseudaetus of Hodgson, of 
 which the type is the Bonellr's Eagle (Aquila fasciata of Vieil- 
 lot), to which the present species, in particular, is very closely 
 allied. 
 
 An individual of this species, which was incorrectly identified 
 by me some years since as Aquila Bonellii (= fasciata), led Mr. 
 Layard into the error of introducing the latter species into his 
 Catalogue of South-African Birds, loc. cit. ED.] 
 
 11. Pseudaetus belllCOSUS (Daud.). Martial Hawk-Eagle. 
 
 Aquila beUicosa, Smith's Zool. of S. Afr. pi. 42. 
 
 Spizaetus betticosus, Layard's Cat. No. 15. 
 
 Aquila bellicosa, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 389. 
 
 I never identified but one pair of these Eagles, which 
 I found close to Objimbinque, and the female of which 
 I killed ; they were both very wild, always perching on 
 the topmost branches of the loftiest trees. 
 
FALCONID^E. 9 
 
 Measurements of the female above referred to : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 32 10 
 
 Length of folded wing 25 
 
 tarsus 55 
 
 middle toe 33 
 
 tail 13 
 
 bill 29 
 
 [The female bird above alluded to, a fine adult specimen, 
 formed a part of Mr. Anders son's collection of specimens ; and 
 his portfolio of coloured drawings comprised one by Mr. Baines 
 of an adult of this species, to which is attached the following 
 note : " Eagle supposed to be living on a brood of young 
 ostriches, having killed one on the morning of this day, March 
 18th, 1862, between Mount Lubels and Mount Nguiba, twenty 
 or twenty-five miles south of Lake Ngami"*. Mr. Andersson 
 states in his notes that he believes that he also observed the 
 Crowned Eagle (Spizaetus coronatus) at least twice during his 
 travels, but, not having succeeded in obtaining a specimen, he 
 was unable to include it as an ascertained Damara-Land species. 
 En.] 
 
 12. HaliaetuS VOcifer (Daud.). African Sea-Eagle. 
 
 Haliaetus vocifer, Des Murs, Icon. Orn. pi. 8. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 21. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 389. 
 
 This very handsome species is not an inhabitant of 
 either Damara or Great Namaqua Land, but is tolerably 
 common in the Lake-region and its watersheds and also 
 along the course of the Okavango. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's portfolio contained a portrait by Mr. 
 Baines of 'an adult Eagle of this species obtained on the 
 Botletle River on 30th April, 1862, but I have not personally 
 examined a Damara specimen. ED.] 
 
 * Conf. Baines, f Explorations in South- West Africa/ pp. 401, 402. 
 
10 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 13. Circaetus pectoralis, Smith. Black-breasted Harrier-Eagle. 
 
 Circaetus pectoralis, Strickland's Orn. Syn. No. 75. 
 thoracicus, Layard's Cat. No. 18. 
 
 On March 1st, 1865, I observed an adult of this 
 species soaring very low, just in front of my window*; 
 and 1 have subsequently killed this bird in Damara 
 Land. 
 
 [I am not aware that any plate of this fine species has as yet 
 been published. Circaetus cinereus of Vieillot, of which C. 
 funereus of Riippell is a synonym, is a somewhat larger species, 
 and is darker in its colouring than the immature bird ot 
 C. pectoralis, with which some naturalists have supposed it to be 
 identical. C. pectoralis has been ascertained by Mr. Ayres to 
 feed chiefly on reptiles. ED.] 
 
 14. HelotarsUS ecaudatus (Baud.). Rufous-backed Bateleur Eagle. 
 
 Le Bateleur, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pis. 7 & 8. 
 Helotarsus ecaudatus, Layard's Cat. No. 23. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Aft., App. p. 361. 
 
 This is probably the most common Eagle in Damara 
 and Great Namaqua Land ; it is usually found in plains, 
 and builds its nest on trees. The nest consists of a large 
 mass of sticks pretty firmly bound together without any 
 kind of lining. Several pairs bred in the neighbourhood 
 of my place at Objimbinque ; but their nests were always 
 exceedingly difficult of access, on account of the terribly 
 thorny nature of the trees on which they constructed 
 their eyries. 
 
 The iris of this species is of a magnificently brilliant 
 and transparent brown ; the legs are a light orange ; the 
 basal part of the bill a rich dark orange, the tip black, 
 and the intermediate part yellow. 
 
 * Probably at Objimbinque. 
 
 
FALCONIDJE. 11 
 
 [The notes of coloration given above by Mr. Andersson have 
 probably been taken from a bird not fully adult, as in old birds 
 the feet and bare skin between the eye and the bill are of a 
 coral-red. It is, however, remarkable (as I am informed by Mr. 
 Bartlett of the Zoological Society's Gardens in the Regent's 
 Park) that, if the bird be irritated, the coral-red of all these 
 parts fades temporarily to an orange-yellow, as he has frequently 
 observed in the case of living specimens which he has had under 
 his care. Mr. Chapman (loc. cit.) states that this species is 
 found at Lake Ngami, and gives a remarkable account of his 
 being fiercely and pertinaciously attacked by one of these birds, 
 at which he had fired as it was sitting on its nest : this nest, like 
 those observed by Mr. Andersson, was on a tree ; but an instance 
 of this Eagle nesting on a rocky cliff is recorded in ' The Ibis/ 
 1868, p. 140. ED.] 
 
 15. Buteo jackal (Daud.). Jackal Buzzard. 
 
 Le Rmmoir, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 16. 
 Buteo jackal, Layard's Cat. No. 8. 
 
 To the best of my belief this Buzzard has never been 
 observed in Damara Land ; and it is scarce in Great 
 Namaqua Land, where, indeed, I have only occasionally 
 observed it in the southern parts, usually in the neigh- 
 bourhood of rocks, on which it perches. 
 
 When hunting, it soars steadily aloft, swooping down 
 suddenly with great force and velocity. 
 
 Its chief food consists of moles, rats, mice, lizards, 
 and insects. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 20 3 21 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 16 17 10 
 
 tarsus 36 36 
 
 ...16 19 
 
 tail 8 6 . . . . 8 5 
 
 bill 19 1 10 
 
12 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 16. Buteo desertorum (Baud.). Desert Buzzard. 
 
 , Falco cirtensis, Levaillant jeune, in Expl. de I'Alge'rie, Ois. pi. 3. 
 Falco tachardus, Bree's Birds of Europe, vol. i. p. 97 (pL). 
 Buteo desertomm, Layard's Cat. No. 9. 
 
 This species is not uncommon in Ondonga, but it is 
 very wary ; the stomach of a female shot by my servant 
 contained two fully fledged Doves (Turtur senegalensis) ; 
 this specimen was excessively fat. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 19 5 
 
 Length of wings when folded . . . 14 2 
 
 tarsus 30 
 
 ,, middle toe 17 
 
 tail 83 
 
 bill 17 
 
 [The only difference which I can detect between the South 
 African and the northern races of this Buzzard is, that in the 
 southern race immature specimens usually have more white 
 mingled with the brown plumage of the abdomen than occurs 
 in young birds from more northern localities ; but this does not 
 seem to me to be an adequate ground for specific distinction, 
 and I therefore consider Daudin^s specific name cited above to 
 be applicable to the northern as well as to the southern examples 
 of this species. ED.] 
 
 17. Falco minor, Bon. South- African Peregrin oid Falcon. 
 Falco minor, Layard's Cat. No. 2o. 
 
 I never observed but one individual of this Falcon, a 
 young female, which I obtained at Objinere, about two 
 days journey from Objimbinque. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained an adult male of 
 this species, obtained in Ondonga on 30th January, 1867, which 
 
FALCONIV&. 18 
 
 was doubtless subsequent to the date of the note above recorded. 
 This species has not as yet been figured. In the English names 
 which I have appended to this and the preceding species, I have 
 aimed at indicating their near affinity to the two more northern 
 Falcons with which they are respectively most closely allied. 
 ED.] 
 
 18. Falco cervicalis, Licht. South-African Lanneroid Falcon. 
 
 Falco biarmicus, Temminck's PI. Col. pi. 324. 
 
 Gurney, Birds Daniar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 2. 
 
 Andersson, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 3. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 27. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 390. 
 
 Falco cervicalis, Gray's Hand -list of Birds, No. 172. 
 
 This Falcon (called in Damara Land "Onikothe") is to 
 be met with from the Cape Colony in the south to the 
 Okavango River in the north, and as far eastward as 
 Lake Ngami; it is particularly numerous in Little 
 Namaqua Land and also in the neighbourhood of the 
 Okavango, and it is occasionally seen along the sea- 
 coast. It preys chiefly on birds and has a very powerful 
 and sweeping flight. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length .16 3 . . . . .18 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 12 3 13 6 
 
 tarsus 20 22 
 
 middle toe .... 1 7 Ill 
 
 tail 6 10 60 
 
 bill 10 13 
 
 The female bird, of which the measurements are here 
 given, flew fiercely above me, and so near that I felt the 
 air driven by its wings against my face. 
 
 [The tail in this female specimen, which formed part of the 
 
14 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 collection left by Mr. Andersson at his decease,, appears to have 
 been recently moulted and not fully re- grown. 
 
 Mr. Andersson mentions another female specimen in which 
 the tail measured 7" 6'". ED.] 
 
 19. Chicquera ruficollis (Swains.). Bufous-necked Falcon. 
 
 Falco ruficollis, Swainson's Birds of West Africa, vol. i. pi. 2. 
 Hypotriorchis ruficollis, Layard's Cat. No. 28. 
 Falco ruficollis, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 390. 
 Chicquera ruficollis, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 196. 
 Falco ruficollis, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 72. 
 
 This beautiful Falcon is rare in Damara and Great 
 Namaqua Land and in all other parts of South Africa 
 which I have traversed ; it is invariably found in pairs, 
 and perches on the tops of trees, from whence it watches 
 by the hour for its prey, which consists of birds and 
 insects. It feeds voraciously on white ants whenever it 
 has the opportunity. 
 
 The iris is a deep brown, the legs, cere, and base of 
 bill bright yellow, point of bill bluish. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 11 11 13 7 
 
 Length of folded wing ...81 91 
 
 tarsus 16 17 
 
 middle toe ....13 14 
 
 tail 54 62 
 
 bill 10 10 
 
 20. Hypotriorchis subbuteo (Linn.). British Hobby. 
 
 Falco subbuteo, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 22. 
 
 Hypotriorchis subbuteo, Layard's Cat. No. 29. 
 
 Falco subbuteo, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 390. 
 
 This handsome species occasionally makes its appear- 
 ance in Damara Land during the rainy season, and is 
 
FALCONID^. 15 
 
 then often found in company with the myriads of 
 Erythropus vespertinus, Tinnunculus rupicolus,Milvus mi- 
 grans, &c. which appear nearly simultaneously. During 
 its temporary visit to Damara Land its chief food con- 
 sists of locusts and white ants, which usually abound 
 during the rainy season. 
 
 The hides are dark brown, the cere greenish yellow, 
 the bare skin round the eye yellowish, the legs and toes 
 clear yellow. 
 
 Average dimensions of two females : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 13 4 
 
 Length of folded wing 10 8 
 
 tarsus 15 
 
 middle toe 15 
 
 tail 5 11 
 
 bill 11 
 
 [The Hobby appears to occur in Ovampo Land as well as 
 in Damara Land, a specimen from Ondonga being comprised in 
 Mr. Andersson's last collection. ED.] 
 
 21. Erythropus vespertiims (Linn.). Western Red-footed Hobby. 
 
 Falco rufipes, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 23. 
 
 Falco vespertinus, Hartlaub's Orn. West- Africa's, No. 738. 
 
 Erythropus vespertinus, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 
 
 p. 2. 
 
 Falco rufipes, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 391. 
 Erythropus vespertinus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 2 13. 
 Falco vespertinus , Sharpe & Dresser's Birds of Europe, pi. 1. 
 
 This pretty Falcon strongly resembles the Hobby both 
 in form and habits, but is much more numerous; it 
 usually arrives in Damara and Great Namaqua Land 
 about the rainy season, and again retires northwards 
 upon the approach of the dry season. During these 
 
16 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 annual visits it is exceedingly abundant and may be 
 counted by hundreds and by thousands; nay, their 
 / numbers at times exceed all belief. On one particular 
 occasion a friend of mine and myself attempted to form 
 a rough approximation to the number of these birds 
 actually within sight, and of the black and yellow-billed 
 Kites with which they appeared to be mixed up in 
 about equal proportions. Taking a small section of the 
 sky, we came to the conclusion, by counting and estima- 
 ting, that there were at least ten thousand individuals ; 
 and as the heavens above and all around us appeared to 
 be darkened by a* living mass of Kites and Hawks, we 
 set down the aggregate number immediately within our 
 view at fifty thousand, feeling at the same time that we 
 were probably below the mark. 
 
 These birds, during their stay in Damara Land, feed 
 
 almost exclusively on white ants, on which they fatten 
 
 / amazingly, as does every other bird and animal that 
 
 diets upon this insect; locusts are another favourite 
 
 kind of food, but less certain. 
 
 The irides in this Falcon are dark brown, the upper 
 part of the base of the bill, the ring round the eyes, the 
 legs and the toes are all reddish orange ; the points of 
 the mandibles are bluish. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained examples of this 
 species obtained in Ovampo Land as well as in Damara Land. 
 ED.] 
 
FALCONID^. 17 
 
 22. Erythropus amurensis (Eadde). Eastern Ked-tboted Hobby. 
 
 Falco vespertinus, var. amurensis, Radde, Sibir. Reise, p. 102, pi. 1. 
 
 fig. 2. 
 
 Falco amurensis, Von Homeyer, in Journal fur Orn. 1868, p. 251. 
 Erythropus amurensis, Gurney, in Ibis, 1868, pi. 2. 
 
 Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 214. 
 
 Falco Raddei, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 74. 
 
 [An example of this species, which was obtained by Mr. 
 Andersson in Damara Land, is recorded in ' The Ibis ' for 
 1868, p. 42. An adult male and an immature male, but both 
 without tickets attached, were comprised in Mr. Andersson's 
 last collection. ED.] 
 
 23. Tinnnnculus cenchris (Frisch). Western Grey-winged 
 Kestrel. 
 
 Falco tinnunculoides, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 27. 
 
 Tinnunculus cenchris, Gurney, Birds Damar., Pr. Zool.Soc.l864,p. 2. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 31. 
 
 Falco cenchris, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 390. 
 Tinnunculus cenchris, Sharpe & Dresser's Birds of Europe, pi. 23. 
 
 This species is rather scarce in Damara Land, and 
 only makes its appearance during the rainy season, when 
 it is found in company with Tinnunculus rupicolus, Ery- 
 thropus vespertinus, Milvus migrans, &c. 
 
 The irides are brown, the basal part of the bill 
 greenish yellow merging into bluish black, bare skin 
 round the eye yellow, legs and toes pale yellow. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. tin. 
 
 Entire length 12 
 
 Length of folded wing 97 
 
 tarsus 15 
 
 middle toe 10 
 
 tail 5 10 
 
 bill 10 
 
18 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 24. Thmunculus alaudarius (Gmel.). British Kestrel. 
 
 Falco tinnunculus, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 26. 
 
 Hartlaub's Orn. West- Africa's, No. 20. 
 
 Tinnunculus alaudarius. Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 203. 
 Falco tinnunculus, Sharpe & Dresser's Birds of Europe, pi. 12. 
 
 [The only South-African example of this Kestrel which has 
 come under my notice is a female killed at Objimbinque, Damara 
 Land, on 1st February, 1865, and comprised in Mr. Andersson's 
 last collection. This specimen, which is preserved in the Nor- 
 wich Museum, is of the ordinary European type. ED.] 
 
 25. Tinnunculus rupicolus (Baud.). Lesser South-African 
 Kestrel. 
 
 Le Montagnard, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 35. 
 
 Tinmmculus rupicolus, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Dam., Cont. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 142. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 32. 
 
 Next to Erythropus vespertinus, this is the commonest 
 species of Falcon in Damara and Great Namaqua Land ; 
 it is one of the few Hawks which remain in Damara 
 Land during the dry season ; bnt its numbers are then 
 lessened by a partial migration to more favoured regions. 
 These Kestrels perch on rocks and trees indiscriminately ; 
 but I have found that, when they have the choice of both, 
 they generally rest on the trees during the heat of the 
 day, but on the least approach of danger retreat to the 
 hills. They usually nest on rocks ; but I have found 
 exceptions to this rule. The nest is composed of sticks, 
 and lined internally with hair and feathers. They lay 
 from six to eight eggs, very similar to those of the 
 European Kestrel. 
 
 This species feeds on mice, lizards, beetles, &c. There 
 does not seem to be any very marked difference in size 
 between the male and female. 
 
FALCONTD^. 19 
 
 The iris is dull brown, the bare skin round the eye 
 and the legs are yellow. 
 
 26, TinnnunculuS nipicoloides (Smith). Greater South- African 
 Kestrel. 
 
 Falco rupicoloides, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 92. 
 
 Tinnunculus rupicoloides, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 
 
 1864, p. 2. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 33. 
 
 Falco rupicoloides, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 390. 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 76. 
 
 This species is very sparingly met with in Damara 
 Land, but is a little more freqtrent as one approaches 
 the Orange Eiver ; it is also found at Lake Ngami. 
 
 The iris is whitish, deeply impregnated with brown ; 
 the eyelid and cere are yellow ; the bare space round the 
 eye and the basal part of the bill livid yellowish, the 
 remainder of the bill horn-colour; the legs and toes 
 bright yellow. 
 
 [In addition to the localities above given, this species occurs 
 in Ondonga, Ovampo Land, Mr. Andersson's last collection 
 having contained specimens from that locality. ED.] 
 
 27. Polihierax Semitorquatns (Smith). African Dwarf Falcon. 
 
 Falco semitorquatus, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 1 (male, adult). 
 Poliohierax semitorquatus, Andersson, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 4. 
 Hypotriorchis castanonotus, Heuglin, in Ibis, 1860, p. 407, and 
 
 Sclater, inlbis, 1861, pi. 12 (female, adult). 
 Falco semitorquatus , Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 391. 
 
 Heuglin 's Orn. Nord-Ost-Afr. pi. 1 (male, im- 
 
 mature). 
 
 Polihierax semitorquatus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 197. 
 Falco semitorquatus, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 77. 
 
 This exquisite little Falcon may be regarded as very 
 
 c 2 
 
20 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 rare in both Great Namaqua and Damara Land, es- 
 pecially in the latter, where I have only seen it once 
 or twice ; altogether I have probably not come across 
 above eight individuals, three-fourths of which I have 
 secured. 
 
 It is always met with in pairs, and usually perches on 
 bushes or on the lower or middle branches of small 
 trees, though I have seen it on the topmost boughs of 
 lofty trees. I never saw it soar like other Falcons ; it is 
 not shy, and when disturbed it never moves further than 
 to the next conspicuous tree or bush. 
 
 It feeds on small birds, mice, lizards, and coleopterous 
 insects, the latter being, I apprehend, its chief food. 
 
 28. Elanus caenileilS (Desfont.). Sonnini's Kite. 
 
 Elanus melanopterus, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 31. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 38. 
 
 Falco melanopterus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 392. 
 
 This is a rare bird in Damara Land, and is only found 
 about the estuaries of some of the large periodical 
 watercourses ; but it is not uncommon at Lake Ngami 
 and its watersheds. It is invariably seen either singly or 
 in pairs, and is usually difficult to approach on account 
 of its watchful habits and from its perching on the tops 
 of trees or lofty bushes. A pair observed in Ondonga 
 were heard to whistle to each other as they flew from 
 tree to tree. This species hunts at a moderate height, 
 but now and then ascends to a considerable elevation, 
 and at such times may be heard to utter a succession of 
 piercing cries. 
 
FALCONID^. 21 
 
 The irides are deep bright orange ; the bill yellow at 
 the base, the remainder being bluish black ; the legs are 
 yellow. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 11 9 12 5 
 
 Length of folded wing ..98 10 9 
 
 tarsus ....10 13 
 
 middle toe ... 1 10 
 
 tail 46 49 
 
 biU 10 11 
 
 29. Milvus migrans (Bodd.). Black Kite. 
 
 Milvus ater, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 29. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 36. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 392. 
 Milvus migrans, Newton's Edition of Yarrell's Br. Birds, vol. i. p. 98. 
 
 The Black Kite appears in Damara and Great Nama- 
 qua Land with the first rains or even before ; the earliest 
 arrival that I have noticed was on the 24th August, or 
 about two months before any rain would fall. Usually 
 it arrives in October and November : at first only a few 
 individuals make their appearance ; but in a few days 
 their name is legion; indeed this Kite and its con- 
 gener, the Yellow-billed Kite, are then more abundant 
 than almost any other species of bird. In 1866 the first 
 Kites were unusually late, and did not appear till the 
 23rd December. The Black Kite is a very bold and 
 fearless bird; it is by no means an uncommon occur- 
 rence for it to swoop down under your very nose and 
 carry off the meat set before you, and I have even 
 known it to snatch a piece of flesh out of a person's 
 
22 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 hand. It attacks birds much its superior in size and 
 strength, either with the view of depriving them of 
 their prey or from sheer pugnacity. The chief food of 
 this species consists of carrion and offals ; hut it devours 
 with equal relish fish, mice, lizards, snakes, insects of 
 all kinds, especially locusts, and not unfrequently it 
 also proves destructive to young poultry. 
 
 The irides are brown, the bill black, the tarsi and 
 feet lemon-yellow. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length ........ 20 3 
 
 Length of folded wing ..... 15 10 
 
 tarsus ....... 20 
 
 middle toe ...... 15 
 
 tail ........ 91 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained specimens of this 
 Kite from Ondonga, in both adult and immature plumage ; the 
 specimens in apparently adult dress did not, however, exhibit the 
 grey tints on the head which distinguish the adult Black Kites of 
 Europe and of Northern Africa, but which I have not yet met 
 with in any South-African specimen. ED.] 
 
 30. MIIVUS Forskahli (Gmel.). Yellow-billed Kite. 
 
 Le Parasite, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 22. 
 
 Milvus parasiticus, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Cont. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 142. 
 
 Milvus Forskahli, Strickland's Ornitholog. Synonyms, No. 226. 
 Milvus parasiticus, Layard's Oat. No. 37. 
 Milvus cegyptius, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 392. 
 Milvus Forskali, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 63. 
 
 What has been said of the Black Kite will equally 
 apply to this species, which, however, is probably the 
 
FALGONIDM. 23 
 
 more common of the two in Damara and Great Namaqua 
 Land. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 Entire length 
 
 in. lin. 
 21 
 
 Length of folded wing . . 
 
 ... 16 6 
 ... 2 
 
 ,7 middle toe 
 
 ... 1 6 
 
 n tail 
 
 . . . 10 4 
 
 bill 
 
 1 7 
 
 [A specimen of this Kite contained in Mr. Andersson's last 
 collection was obtained in Ondonga, Ovampo Land, which must 
 therefore be recorded as an additional locality for this species. 
 
 Mr. Campbell, a gentleman formerly residing at Abeokouta, 
 in West Africa, informed me that this Kite is sometimes ex- 
 tremely common in that locality, but always leaves in the rainy 
 season, which appears to be the time when it makes its migratory 
 appearance further south in Damara Land. ED.] 
 
 31. MachserhamplmS AnderSSOni (Gurney). Andersson's Pern. 
 
 Stringonyx Anderssoni, Gurney, in Proc. of Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 618. 
 Machaerhamphus aldnus, Bartlett, in Proc. of Zool. Soc. 1866, p. 324. 
 Macheirhamphus alcinus, Gurney, in Trans, of Zool. Soc. vol. vi. 
 
 p. 117, pi. 29. 
 Machcerhamphus Anderssoni, Sharpe in Proc. of Zool. Soc. 1871, 
 
 p. 502. 
 
 On the 10th March, 1865, I obtained one specimen, 
 a female, of this singular bird at Objimbinque, Damara 
 Land ; it was shot by my servant, who observed another, 
 probably the male. I imagine that I have myself ob- 
 served it once or twice in the neighbourhood of Objim- 
 binque just before dusk. When brought to me, I 
 instinctively suspected the bird to be a feeder at dusk 
 or at night, and called out " Why, that fellow is likely to 
 feed on bats!" And truly enough, so it turned out; for, 
 
24 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 on dissection, an undigested bat was found in the 
 stomach ; and in another specimen, subsequently killed 
 by Axel, there were several bats in the stomach. 
 
 In this species the irides are bright lemon-yellow, 
 extremities of mandibles black, basal parts and gape 
 bluish lead-colour, tarsi and toes bluish white. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin, 
 
 Entire length 17 8 18 2 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 13 9 13 11 
 
 tarsus 22 25 
 
 middle toe .... 2 21 
 
 tail 73 76 
 
 bill 1 10 19 
 
 [The female specimen above referred to, which was obtained 
 at Objimbinque on the 10th March, 1865, was presented to 
 me by Mr. Andersson, and was added to the collection of Rap- 
 torial birds in the Norwich Museum. Amongst the skins of 
 birds left by Mr. Andersson at his decease was the male specimen 
 which he subsequently obtained ; and this, on the sale of his 
 collection, was secured for the British Museum, in the ornitho- 
 logical gallery of which it is now exhibited. These two specimens 
 only differ from each other in the somewhat smaller dimensions 
 of the male bird. The female example was described by me in 
 the ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society ' for 1865, under the 
 belief that it was both generically and specifically new, and I 
 suggested for it the name of Stringonyx Anderssoni. 
 
 Mr. A. D. Bartlett very obligingly undertook to mount this 
 specimen for the Norwich Museum ; and whilst the bird was thus 
 passing through his hands, it occurred to him that it certainly 
 belonged to the same genus, and probably to the same species, 
 as a bird in the Museum at Ley den, which had been figured and 
 described by Mr. G. F. Westerman, under the name of Machae- 
 rhamphus* alcinus, in the first volume of a scientific work pub- 
 lished at Amsterdam under the title of ' Bijdragen tot de Dier- 
 kunde, &c/ This specimen had been purchased for the Leyden 
 
 * Equivalent to MachcBrhampJnis in the type used by English printers. 
 

 FALCONID^E. 25 
 
 Museum from Mr. Frank, the well-known dealer in birds and 
 animals, and was stated to have been brought from Malacca ; but 
 Mr. Bartlett was of opinion that this locality had been erro- 
 neously assigned to it, and that the bird was really a native of 
 Damara Land, especially as many birds collected by Mr. 
 Andersson in Damara Land had passed through the hands of 
 Mr. Frank about the same date as that at which the Machterham- 
 phuswas acquired for the Ley den Museum; and it was therefore 
 presumed that some accidental confusion of tickets might have 
 caused a mistaken habitat to be asssigned in error to this 
 specimen. Mr. Bartlett's views on this subject were recorded 
 in the ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society ' for 1866, p. 324 ; 
 and as I concurred in his opinion, the female specimen from 
 Damara Land, now in the Norwich Museum, was figured and 
 described under the name of Macheirhamphus alcinus in the 
 ' Transactions of the Zoological Society/ vol. vi. pi. 29. 
 
 This conclusion, however, has proved incorrect two specimens 
 of the true MacTicKrhamphus alcinus, agreeing with that at Ley- 
 den, having subsequently occurred, an examination of which has 
 proved that the Damara-Land bird, though a nearly allied, is 
 yet a distinct species, and therefore entitled to retain the specific 
 name of Anderssoni which I originally proposed for it. 
 
 Of the two additional specimens of M. alcinus above referred 
 to, one is in the possession of Count Turati, of Milan (as I am 
 informed by my friend M. Jules Verreaux) ; but the locality 
 whence it was obtained has not been recorded. 
 
 The second additional specimen, which is now in the collection 
 of Viscount Walden, was obtained by the late Dr. Maingay at 
 Malacca, thus confirming the correctness of the locality originally 
 assigned to the Leyden specimen. 
 
 Mr. R. B. Sharpe in an able paper on this subject, published 
 in the ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society' for 1871, thus 
 sums up the distinctions between these two nearly allied species: 
 " The Malaccan species coincides with the Damara bird in the 
 form and style of plumage, having the white ring round the eye 
 and the stripe down the throat, but differs in its larger bill, 
 darker colours, brown abdomen, and long occipital crest : there 
 seems, however, to be a difference in the white feathers round the 
 eye : M. Anderssoni has a white superciliary line and a white spot 
 
26 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 below the eye ; M. alcinus has the latter plainly mottled, but has 
 no distinct supercilium, though the feathers round the rim of 
 the eye are whitish." ED.] 
 
 32. KaupifalCQ monogrammicilS, Temm. One-streaked Hawk. 
 
 Aster monogrammicus, Swainson's Birds of West Africa, vol. i. pi. 4. 
 Astur monogrammicus, Hartlaub's Birds of West Africa, No. 30. 
 Melierax monogrammicus, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 
 
 1864, p. 2. 
 Kaupifalco monogrammicus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 352. 
 
 [The Norwich Museum contains a male of this species, 
 obtained by Mr. Andersson at Elephant's Vley*, on October 
 26th, 1859, which is the most southern example of this species 
 that has come under my notice. ED.] 
 
 33. Melierax musicus (Baud.). Chanting Hawk. 
 
 Le Faucon chanteur, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 27. 
 
 Melierax musicus, Layard's Cat. No. 46. 
 
 Falco musicus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. 391. 
 
 This handsome species is one of the most common 
 Hawks in Damara and Great Namaqua Land, where it 
 is found throughout the year ; it is particularly abundant 
 about Walvisch Bay, and is usually found in open 
 country. It perches on a dry branch on the top of some 
 low acacia, whence it will watch with the greatest 
 assiduity for hours together. It has a skimming flight, 
 occasionally moving its large wings with a slow and 
 heavy undulation. 
 
 From the contents of the stomachs of those I have 
 
 * [Mr. Andersson appears to have given this name to a locality about six 
 days' journey to the south of the Okavango River, where he remained 
 encamped from about July 20th to November 23rd, 1859, and made a large 
 collection of birds' skins. Vide Andersson's ' Okavango River/ pp. 220, 234, 
 236, 244. ED.] 
 
FALCONID^. 27 
 
 dissected I am inclined to think that the chief food of 
 this species consists of rats, mice, small reptiles, and 
 many kinds of insects ; it also occasionally devours 
 young birds. 
 
 The irides in adult specimens are of a deep reddish 
 brown ; the cere and base of the bill bright brick-red, the 
 rest of the bill dark horn-colour ; the legs and feet 
 vermilion. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 20 6 21 5 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 14 146 
 
 tarsus .....40 45 
 
 middle toe ....17 20 
 
 tail 94 10 1 
 
 bill 1 6 1 7 
 
 34. Melierax polyzoilUS, Bupp. Euppell's many-zoned Hawk. 
 
 Nisus polyzonus, Riippell's Fauna Abyssin. pi. 15. 
 Melierax polyzonus, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 2. 
 Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 354. 
 
 [An adult male of this species was obtained by Mr. Andersson 
 at Elephant's Vley on November 10th, 1859, and is preserved 
 in the Norwich Museum. I know no other instance of this 
 species occurring so far south ; and it is remarkable that it should 
 have been obtained at the same spot, and within fifteen days of 
 the same date, as the specimen of Kaupifalco monogrammicus 
 previously referred to. 
 
 Mr. Andersson, in his notes on some of the Birds of Damara 
 Land, published in the Zoological Society's ' Proceedings ' for 
 1864, p. 4, erroneously gave the name of this species to Accipiter 
 polyzonoides, Smith, the bird to which he then applied the latter 
 name being in reality A. tachiro (Daud.) . ED.] 
 
28 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 35. Melierax gabar (Baud.). Gabar Hawk. 
 
 Le Gabar, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 33. 
 
 Acdpiter gabar, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Cont. Orn. 1852, 
 
 p. 142. 
 
 Andersson in Proc. of Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 4. 
 Melierax gabar, Layard's Cat. No. 44. 
 Accipiter gabar, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 391. 
 Nisus gabar, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 86. 
 
 This is one of the commonest Hawks in Damara and 
 Great Namaqua Land, as well as in the Lake-regions. 
 
 In Damara Land it is partially migratory, arriving 
 with the rain and retiring on the return of the dry 
 season ; nevertheless stragglers remain throughout the 
 year. 
 
 Its favourite resorts are thickly wooded districts, where 
 it hides amongst the foliage, never being seen to perch 
 on the topmost boughs of trees. 
 
 It feeds chiefly on mice, lizards, white ants, locusts, 
 and many coleopterous insects. 
 
 In the adult birds the anterior parts of the bill, 
 together with the legs and toes, are a bright reddish 
 orange, the irides are a brilliant purple. 
 
 Average dimensions of seventeen males and of eleven 
 females : 
 
 Males. Females, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 11 10 13 8 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 7 3 711 
 
 tarsus 20 20 
 
 middle toe ....13 15 
 
 tail 61 68 
 
 bill 09. , 10 
 
FALCONID& 29 
 
 36. Melierax niger (Vieill.). African Black Hawk. 
 
 Sparvius niger , Vieillot's Gal. des Ois. pi. 22. 
 
 Accipiter niger, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Daniar., Contr. to Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 142. 
 
 Melierax niffer, Layard's Cat. No. 45. 
 Nisus niger, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost- Africa's, p. 88. 
 
 This rather scarce Hawk is usually met with either 
 singly or in pairs. I do not recollect having seen it in 
 Great Namaqua Land ; but it is found to the north as 
 far as the Okavango and eastward to the lake, though 
 nowhere numerous. It is not particularly shy ; its food 
 consists of small birds, mice, &c. 
 
 The irides are cherry-colour; the base of the bill 
 yellowish red, the tips of the mandibles black ; the legs 
 and toes vermilion, with the scutellated parts yellowish. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Entire length . . 
 
 Male, 
 in. lin. 
 
 ... 12 9 .. 
 
 Female, 
 in. lin. 
 
 . 13 6 
 
 Length of folded win " 
 
 ...76.. 
 
 8 
 
 tarsus . . 
 
 ... 1 10 .. 
 
 . . . 1 11 
 
 middle toe . 
 
 ...13.. 
 
 ...14 
 
 tail 
 
 ...67.. 
 
 ...70 
 
 biU 
 
 10 , 
 
 10 
 
 37. Accipiter tachiro (Baud.). Tachiro Sparrow-Hawk. 
 
 Falco tachiro, Temminck's PI. Col. pi. 377 & 420. 
 
 Accipiter tachiro, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 
 
 p. 2. 
 
 Accipiter polyzonoides, Andersson in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 4. 
 Accipiter tachiro, Layard's Cat. No. 40. 
 Nisus tachiro, Finsch & Hartlaub, Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 78. 
 
 I only obtained two or three specimens of this Hawk, 
 which is very rare in Damara Land. 
 
30 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 38. Accipiter polyzonoides, Smith. Many-banded Sparrow-Hawk. 
 
 Accipiter polyzonoides, Smith's Zool. of S. Afr. pi. 11. 
 
 Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 
 
 p. 2. 
 
 Metier ax polyzonus, Andersson, ibid. p. 4. 
 Accipiter polyzonoides, Layard's Cat. No. 41. 
 Falco polyzonoides, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 391. 
 Nisus badius (part.),Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 81. 
 
 I think the adult birds of this species are rather rare 
 both in Damara and Great Namaqua Land, as I succeeded 
 in obtaining comparatively few of them ; the young birds, 
 however, are in some years very abundant. It is a 
 migratory species, arriving in Damara Land after the 
 first rains have fallen and retiring again on the approach 
 of the dry season, though a few individuals probably 
 remain throughout the year. The females are the first 
 to arrive, and are followed by the males after a consider- 
 able interval. Both sexes are much emaciated on their 
 first appearance ; during their temporary stay in Damara 
 Land they chiefly feed on white ants ; but their food also 
 includes grasshoppers, lizards, and mice. They are par- 
 tial to well and deeply wooded districts, where they seek 
 shelter amongst the foliage and are never seen to perch 
 in any very conspicuous situations. 
 
 The base of the upper mandible is yellow, that of the 
 lower mandible bluish black, and the remainder of the 
 bill darkish ; the edges of the gape are dusky yellow, the 
 irides bright orange, the legs and toes yellow, 
 
 [Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub, loc. cit., blend in one species 
 Accipiter badius, Gmel. (= A. dussumieri, Temm.), of South- 
 eastern Asia and Ceylon, Accipiter sphenurus, Riipp. (= A. 
 brachydactylus, Swains.), of intertropical Africa, .and Accipiter 
 polyzonoides, Smith, of Southern Africa ; but it appears to me 
 
FALCONIDJS. 31 
 
 that these three local races, though unquestionably very nearly 
 allied, are constantly distinguishable, and may therefore be cor- 
 rectly treated as specifically distinct ; as regards the two former, 
 Mr. Blanford's observations in his ' Geology and Zoology of 
 Abyssinia/ p. 294, may be consulted with advantage*. 
 
 In Mr. Andersson's notes in the ' Proceedings of the Zoological 
 Society' for 1864, there is an accidental error at page 4 as to 
 the nomenclature of this species, which I have already explained 
 under the head of Melierax polyzonus. ED.] 
 
 39. Accipiter minilllus (Baud.). Mimille Sparrow-Hawk. 
 Le Minutte, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 34 (immature). 
 Accipiter mlnullus, Gurney, Birds Damar., Pr. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 2. 
 
 Andersson, ibid. p. 4. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 42. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 392. 
 
 To the best of my recollection I have never met with 
 this bird either in Damara or Great Namaqua Land, 
 though I have observed it sparingly in the Lake-regions 
 and near the river Okavango. Notwithstanding its dimi- 
 nutive size, it is a bold and fearless bird, more especially 
 during the time of incubation, when it will unhesitatingly 
 face enemies more than twice or three times its own 
 size, and is much assisted in its attacks by the swiftness 
 of its flight. A curious incident occurred to myself \/ 
 which will serve to illustrate its daring and recklessness ; 
 I was crouching on the ground near a water-hole in the 
 desert for the purpose of securing such birds as might 
 come there to quench their thirst, when a Hawk of this 
 species perched on a dry tree in my neighbourhood, but 
 out of range of my gun ; suddenly it left its perch and 
 
 * Some valuable remarks on the differences between these three species 
 will be found in Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser's article on Accipiter brevipes in 
 their excellent work on the Birds of Europe. 
 
32 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 flew straight at me, almost sweeping the ground, and 
 with such rapidity that before I could raise myself and 
 point the fowling-piece, I felt the Hawk's wings fanning 
 my face ; and, to save my head from its claws, I had, 
 actually to throw myself on my back, at the same time 
 making a sweep at the bird with my gun ; even after 
 this it hovered over me for a while almost within reach 
 of the gun's muzzle, and evidently only abstained with 
 great reluctance from further attempts at molestation. 
 
 [I am not aware that any figure of this species in its adult 
 plumage has yet heen published. ED.] 
 
 40. Accipiter mfiventris, Smith. Rufous-bellied Sparrow-Hawk. 
 
 Acdpiter rufiventris, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 93. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 43. 
 
 This must be a scarce bird in Damara and Great 
 Namaqua Land, as it has but very rarely come under my 
 notice; it is, however, common to the south of the 
 Orange River and in various parts of the Cape Colony ; 
 Mr. Layard also found it amongst the birds collected 
 by the Messrs. Chapman in the Lake-regions. 
 
 41. Circus SwainSOni, Smith. Swainson's Harrier. 
 
 Circus Swainsonii, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pis. 43 & 44. 
 
 Circus Swainsonij Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 2. 
 
 Andersson, ibid. p. 4. 
 
 Circus Swainsonii, Layard's Cat. No. 49. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 392. 
 
 This bird is migratory, appearing towards the return 
 of the rainy season in Damara and Great Namaqua 
 Land ; I have observed very few adult specimens ; but 
 young and middle-aged birds are pretty numerous. 
 
FAECONIDJE. 33 
 
 This Harrier chiefly haunts the sides of marshes, the 
 banks of rivers, and other humid places, in search of 
 lizards, mice, moths, white ants, &c. ; it usually flies low 
 and straight, and only occasionally in circles. 
 
 [This Harrier also occurs in Ovampo Land, a specimen ob- 
 tained in Ondonga on January 22nd, 1867, having been contained 
 in Mr. Andersson's last collection. In addition to this species, 
 Mr. Andersson states that Circus cyaneus " occurs very sparingly 
 in Damara Land ; " but I suspect that in this remark there has 
 been an error of identification, and that the specimens thus 
 referred to in reality belonged either to the present or to the 
 succeeding species, as I have never seen an example of Circus 
 cyaneus from any locality south of the equator. ED.] 
 
 42. Circus Cinerarius (Mont.). Montagu's Harrier. 
 
 Circus cineraceus, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 35. 
 
 Circus ater, Vieillot's Nouv. Diet. d'Histoire Nat. vol. iv. p. 459 
 
 (melanism). 
 Circus cinerarius, Strickland's Om. Synonyms, No. 247. 
 
 Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 2. 
 
 Circus cinerascens, Layard's Cat. No. 50. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's record of this species is limited to the follow- 
 ing measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 17 
 
 Length of folded wing 13 2 
 
 tarsus 24 
 
 middle toe 15 
 
 tail 83 
 
 bill 12 
 
 I have seen specimens of this Harrier which were obtained 
 by Mr. Andersson at Objimbinque in Damara Land, and in On- 
 donga, Ovampo Land. ED.] 
 
 43. Circus maurilS (Temm.). Fuliginous Harrier. 
 
 Falco maurus, Temrninck's PI. Col. pi. 461 (adult). 
 Circus maurus, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 58 (immature). 
 Layard's Cat. No. 52. 
 
 D 
 
34 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 I have observed this bird in Little Namaqua Land, 
 but am not aware that it is an inhabitant of Great 
 Namaqua or Damara Land ; it frequents the banks of 
 lakes and rivers and marshy places in general, along 
 which it leisurely hunts for birds, mice, lizards, frogs, &c. 
 
 44. Circus ranivorilS (Baud.). Levaillant's Harrier. 
 
 Le Grenouillard, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 23. 
 Circus ranivorus, Layard's Cat. No. 51. 
 
 I do not recollect to have met with this Harrier in 
 Damara or Great Namaqua Land; but Mr. Layard 
 informs me that he received specimens collected in the 
 Lake-country by Mr. James Chapman. 
 
 SERPENTABJIM!. 
 
 45. Sagittarius secretarius (Scop.). Secretary bird. 
 
 Le Mangeur de Serpents, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 25. 
 Sagittarius secretarius, Strickland's Orn. Syn. No. 242. 
 Serpentarius reptilivorus, Layard's Cat. No. 48. 
 Secretarius reptilivorus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 392. 
 
 The Secretary bird is found sparingly in Great Na- 
 maqua and Damara Land and on the plains of Ondonga 
 in the Ovampo country; it also occurs about Lake 
 Ngami. It spends most of its time upon the ground, 
 rarely, if ever, taking to the wing ; and if compelled to 
 do so, it is only for very short flights, as it seems to 
 prefer seeking its safety by means of its long legs, which 
 are admirably adapted for running. Its swiftness is 
 wonderful, and it actually seems to skim the ground 
 
SERPENTAEIID^. 35 
 
 when briskly pursued; sometimes, however, this con- 
 fidence in its legs costs the bird its life, when the well- 
 mounted horseman, aware of its terrestrial propensities, 
 steadily pursues it until it becomes too much exhausted 
 to avail itself of its wings, and ultimately falls a prey to 
 its enemy. When undisturbed, it usually stalks about 
 with considerable ease, grace, and dignity; but it is 
 difficult to approach, as its long legs and neck, and its 
 habit of frequenting open and exposed localities, enable 
 it to espy an enemy at a great distance, and thus to 
 guard against any sudden surprise. When seen making 
 steadily for a particular point, it may sometimes be 
 successfully cut off by pressing forward rapidly across 
 its path, as on such occasions, instead of deviating from 
 its straight course, it trusts to its legs for outstripping 
 its pursuer by holding on at all risks, in this respect 
 resembling the Ostrich. The food of the Secretary bird 
 is very various, consisting of snakes, lizards, tortoises, 
 mice, rats, insects of almost every kind, and even young 
 birds ; but these latter, I believe, it only devours when 
 distressed by hunger ; for amongst the old Dutch colonists -^ 
 it was frequently kept in captivity as an excellent me- 
 diator in the poultry-yard, as well as a protector to the 
 young fowls from the attacks of snakes, rats, &c. 
 
 Many snakes show fight when attacked by the Secre- V 
 tary bird ; and it is a most amusing and ludicrous sight 
 to witness a combat between such different opponents ; 
 the bird, however, invariably comes off victorious after 
 a short but desperate resistance : the reptile hisses and 
 darts at the Secretary, which not only skilfully wards off 
 
 D2 
 
36 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 the attack, but, by a rapid succession of violent blows 
 from its formidably armed wings, generally succeeds, in 
 a short time, in prostrating its wily enemy ; and some- 
 times a well-directed blow on the vertebrae of the snake 
 at once ends the combat. As soon as this is ac- 
 complished the bird dexterously seizes its fallen enemy 
 in its bill, and, after having well tossed it backwards and 
 forwards, finally puts an end to the death-struggle by 
 transfixing the brain with its powerful beak. 
 
 STRIGIDJE. 
 
 46. Strix poensis, Fraser. South- African Screech-Owl. 
 
 Strix poensis, Fraser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1842, p. 189. 
 
 Strix affinis, Layard's Cat. No. 65. 
 
 Strix flammea, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 393. 
 
 South of the Orange River this Owl is exceedingly 
 common ; but north of that river it is a very scarce bird, 
 though widely distributed over all the countries of which 
 these notes treat. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length ..... 13 5 13 8 
 
 Length of folded wing . . 11 4 11 3 
 
 tarsus ....28 26 
 
 middle toe ... 1 3 13 
 
 tail ..... 5 50 
 
 bill 17 17 
 
 [I believe that no figure of this Owl has yet been published. 
 It is very closely allied to Strix flammea of Europe and Northern 
 Africa, from which it appears only to differ in its slightly larger 
 average measurements, in the somewhat deeper colouring of the 
 upper surface generally, and in the under surface being more 
 profusely sprinkled with small dark spots. ED.] 
 
STRIGID& 37 
 
 47. Athene perlata (Vieill.). African Pearl-spotted Owl. 
 
 La Chevechette Perlee, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 284. 
 
 Strix perlata, Vieillot's Nouv. Diet. vol. vii. p. 26. 
 
 Athene licua, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 1852, 
 
 p. 142. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 56. 
 
 Strix senegalensis, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 393. 
 Athene perlata, Finsch, in Trans, of Zool. Soc. vol. vii. p. 209. 
 
 This is the smallest as well as the commonest Owl in 
 Damara Land, Great Namaqua Land, and Ovampo 
 Land. It is met with singly or in pairs, and though 
 nocturnal in its habits it seems nearly as much at home 
 in the daylight as by night, and can see its way perfectly 
 well even in dazzling sunshine. It possesses quite 
 an intelligent look, and hops about on its perch in the 
 liveliest and briskest manner. It is quite tame, allowing 
 a person to approach within a very few paces ; and when 
 at last compelled to retreat it only moves to the next 
 convenient perch. At night it utters a shrill cry very 
 unlike the usual hooting of Owls. It appears to feed 
 largely on insects. 
 
 The sexes in this species are of about the same size. 
 The iris is bright lemon-yellow, the bill and legs greenish 
 yellow. 
 
 [Specimens of this Owl from Damara Land and also from 
 Trans Vaal appear to be identical with those obtained on the 
 Gambia; and I therefore do not here use the specific name of 
 " licua " applied by Lichtenstein to South- African examples of 
 this species under the idea that they could be specifically distin- 
 guished from those which occur to the north of the equator. 
 ED.] 
 
38 BIRDS OF DAM AHA LAND. 
 
 48. TsenioglailX capensis (Smith). African Barred-tail Owl. 
 Athene capensis, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 33. 
 
 )) Layard's Cat. No. 55. 
 
 Tcenioglaux capensis, Gurney, in Ibis, 1868, p. 147. 
 
 This, I apprehend, is a very scarce bird in Damara 
 Land, as I saw but very few specimens in all my travels. 
 I have never observed it in Great Namaqua Land. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's collection contained a pair of these Owls 
 obtained at the river Cunene, and also a specimen from Ovampo 
 Land. ED.] 
 
 49. Scops capensis, Smith. Cape Scops Owl. 
 
 Scops capensis, Smith in South-African Quarterly Journal, 1834, 
 
 p. 314 (sub Scops europeeus). 
 Scops senegalensis, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 142. 
 
 Scops latipennis, Kaup, in Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. iv. p. 223. 
 Ephialtes capensis, Gurney in Ibis, 1859, p. 242. 
 Ephialtes senegalensis, Layard's Cat. No. 60. 
 Strix scops, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 393. 
 Ephialtes senegalensis, Finsch, in Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. vii. p. 210. 
 
 To the best of my belief this is a very rare species in 
 Damara Land ; and I have never met with it elsewhere ; 
 indeed I had been many years in the Damara country 
 before I became aware of its existence, and at last made 
 the discovery in the following rather singular manner : 
 One day, whilst reloading my gun in a wood, my attention 
 was attracted by a noise like that of the gentle and 
 measured tappings of a Woodpecker against the stem of 
 a tree. I approached cautiously the spot from which 
 the sound appeared to proceed ; but, after making several 
 turns round the tree, I could find nothing, and began to 
 doubt whether the sound could have been caused by a 
 
STEIGID^S. 39 
 
 Woodpecker, as it was scarcely jarring or hollow enough ; 
 still there the sound was. At last, when I was on 
 the point of giving up the search. I espied in a small 
 cavity, caused by the breaking off of a branch close to 
 the stem, a small, dark, and all but immovable mass ; I 
 fired at once, and down came one of the prettiest and 
 most perfect little Owls 1 had ever seen. Undoubtedly 
 this was the bird which had attracted my attention in 
 so peculiar a manner ; and the noise was probably caused 
 by the opening and shutting of its bill. At long 
 intervals I obtained three more specimens in the same 
 locality ; and as the four consisted of an adult male and 
 female and two young, I inferred that they all belonged 
 to the same family. 
 
 The iris in this species is bright yellow, darkest on the 
 outer side of the ring ; the bill and toes are a bluish 
 horn-colour. 
 
 Measurements of two specimens, both males : 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length ...... of one 7 .. of the other 6 10 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 54.. 53 
 
 tarsus ..... 11.. 10 
 
 middle toe ... 08.. 08 
 
 tail ...... 27.. 24 
 
 08.. 08 
 
 [I am not aware that any figure of this species has yet been 
 published ; a specimen brought from Abyssinia, by Mr. Jesse, 
 and now in the collection of Viscount Walden, though referred 
 by Dr. Finsch (loc. cit.) to S. senegalensis, appears to me to 
 belong to this species, as it exactly agrees with those obtained in 
 Damara Land by Mr. Andersson. I have seen several Damara 
 specimens of this bird, all of which, as well as the Abyssinian 
 example above referred to, exhibit a much darker tint of grey 
 over the entire plumage than is to be found in any other Old- 
 
40 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 World species of the genus Scops with which I am acquainted. 
 The only other individual of Scops capensis which has come under 
 my notice was obtained in Natal by Mr. Ayres, and is now pre- 
 served in the Norwich Museum ; this is a more rufous specimen, 
 but appears to me to be nevertheless referable to this species. 
 From a recent comparison of specimens I believe Scops capensis 
 to be quite distinct from the West- African S. senegalensis, which 
 I have only seen from Senegal, Bissao, and the Gaboon, and 
 which I consider is also distinct from the more northern S. zorca. 
 This last-named species occurs in Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, and 
 Nubia, which seems to be its most southern limit. ED.] 
 
 50. Scops leilCOtis (Temm.). White-faced Scops Owl. 
 
 Strix leucotis, Temminck's PI. Col. pi. 16. 
 
 Scops leucotis, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 1852, 
 
 p. 142. 
 
 Tufted Owl, Barnes's South-west Africa, woodcut at p. 213. 
 Ephialtes leueotis, Layard's Cat. No 61. 
 Strix leucotis, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 393. 
 ubo leucotis, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 106. 
 
 Next to Athene jperlata, this is about the most com- 
 mon Owl in Damara Land and the parts adjacent to the 
 northward; it is also pretty frequent in the Lake- 
 regions, but is less frequently observed in Great Namaqua 
 Land. 
 
 It is always seen in pairs ; and though strictly a night 
 Owl, its vision by day is by no means bad. 
 
 This Owl lays two or three pure-white eggs, rather 
 smaller than those of Otus vulgaris, very broad, and 
 equally rounded at both ends. 
 
 I found nests of this species on the respective dates 
 of September 18th, October 15th, October 31st, and 
 November 10th. 
 
 The first of these was in the hollow of a tree ; the 
 
41 
 
 female bird and one egg were brought to me ; and she 
 laid a second egg during the ensuing night. The second 
 was in one of the hollows or nests in a mass of nests 
 constructed by Textor erythrorhynchus ; but it appeared 
 as if it had been enlarged by the Owl. The third was a 
 small open stick nest, evidently constructed by the bird 
 itself and composed of a few sticks so loosely put 
 together that the single egg the nest contained could 
 be discerned between the interstices ; the Owl remained 
 upon this nest till the tree began to give way under the 
 strokes of the axe, and did not appear to care for our 
 presence or our shouting. The fourth nest was about 
 twelve feet from the ground, and situated on a branch ; 
 it was composed of only a few straggling sticks, and was 
 probably an abandoned pigeon's nest. 
 
 The iris in this species is bright orange-yellow, and 
 its eyes are exquisitely beautiful ; the bill and feet are 
 of a light bluish white. There does not seem to be any 
 marked difference of size between the sexes. 
 
 51. Huhlia Verreauxi (Bon.). Verreaux's Eagle-Owl. 
 
 Bubo verreauxi) Bonaparte's Consp. Avium, p. 49. 
 
 Bubo lacteus, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 2. 
 
 Bubo verreauxi, Layard's Cat. No. 57. 
 
 Huhua verreauxi, Gurney, in Ibis, 1868, p. 147. 
 
 Nyctaetus verreauxi, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 450. 
 
 Strix lactea, Chapman's Travel's in S. Afr., App. p. 392. 
 
 This is the largest Owl found in Damara Land. It is 
 of not unfrequent occurrence from the Okavango Kiver 
 northward, to the Cape Colony in the south, and it is 
 also met with in the Lake-regions ; it is generally found 
 
42 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 in pairs, and perches on large trees ; it utters at night, 
 and sometimes during the day, a most formidable, 
 hollow, and sepulchral cry or hoot. Its food consists of 
 mice and other small quadrupeds, birds, lizards, and 
 large beetles. The iris is very dark hazel. 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 23 10 
 
 Length of folded wing 16 7 
 
 tarsus 30 
 
 middle toe 23 
 
 tail 98 
 
 bill 20 
 
 [I believe that no figure of this South- African species has yet 
 been published, though the nearly allied but smaller and more 
 northern race, Huhua lacteus (Temm.) is figured in the ' Planches 
 Coloriees/ pi. 4. ED.] 
 
 52. Bubo maculosus (Vieill.). Spotted Eagle-Owl. 
 Stria; africana, Temminck's PL Col. pi. 50. 
 Bubo maculosus, Layard's Cat. No. 59. 
 
 (part.), Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 103. 
 
 This Owl is sparingly met with in Damara and Great 
 Namaqua Land ; its food comprises rats and large beetles. 
 The irides are bright yellow, and the bill black. 
 
 [Some naturalists, including Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub,/oc.ce., 
 have supposed this species to be identical with Bubo cinerascens, 
 of Guerin, from Equatorial Africa, a very distinct species be- 
 longing to the genus Huhua (or Nyctaetus), and having, like the 
 other species of Huhua, dark brown irides, very different from 
 the golden-yellow iris which is universal in the genus Bubo. 
 ED.] 
 
STRIGID^. 43 
 
 53. Phasmaptynx capensis (Smith). African Short-eared Owl. 
 
 Otus capensis, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 67. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 64. 
 Phasmaptynx capensis, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 553. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained examples of this 
 species, one of which was marked as having been obtained in 
 Ondonga, Ovampo Land ED.] 
 
44 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 PASSEEES. 
 
 FISSIROSTRES. 
 CAPRIMULGIDJE. 
 
 54. CaprimulgllS nifigena, Smith. Eufous-cheeked Goatsucker. 
 
 Caprimulgus rufigena, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 100. 
 Caprimulgus damarensis, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 143. 
 
 Caprimulgus rufigena, Layard's Cat. No. 68. 
 Caprimulgus damarensis, Chapman's Travels in S. Air., App. p. 410. 
 
 I have found this bird tolerably common in the 
 southern portion of Damara Land; and it is also an 
 inhabitant of Great Namaqua Land. It is met with 
 singly or in pairs, and frequents moderately dense brush- 
 wood. 
 
 I have, to the best of my recollection, always found 
 these Goatsuckers settled on the ground during the day, 
 and not on the lower branches of small trees as observed 
 by Sir A. Smith. 
 
 They are fond of settling in open spaces, and more 
 especially in roads and footpaths ; they make their ap- 
 pearance a little before dusk, and appear to be partially 
 migratory, as they are much more common in the rainy 
 than during the dry season. 
 
 The irides are very dark brown, the legs and toes 
 bright flesh-colour. 
 
 [I have ascertained the identity of Caprimulgus damarensis 
 of Strickland with this species by examination of the type speci- 
 men preserved in the Museum of Zoology at Cambridge. ED.] 
 
CAPRIMULGID^. 45 
 
 55. Caprimulgus pectoralis, Cuv. Pectoral Goatsucker. 
 
 L ' Engoule-vent a collier, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 49. 
 Caprimulgus pectoralis and C. rujigena, Strickland & Sclater, Birds 
 
 of Damar., Contr. Orn. 1852, p. 143. 
 Caprimulgus atrovarius, Layard's Cat. No. 72. 
 
 This species is tolerably common in the north of 
 Damara Land. It is usually found singly, and is partial 
 to open roads and paths about dusk. Its food consists 
 of beetles and other insects, their eggs, and small seeds. 
 
 The irides are deep dark brown, the bill black, the 
 feet grey. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Entire length . . 
 
 Male, 
 in. lin. 
 
 ...95... 
 
 Female, 
 in. lin. 
 
 ..95 
 
 Length of folded wing 1 
 
 ...66.., 
 
 ,..66 
 
 tarsus 
 
 ... 10 . 
 
 ,..09 
 
 middle toe . 
 
 ... 8 
 
 ..09 
 
 tail 
 
 ...49... 
 
 . . 4 11 
 
 bill 
 
 1 3 
 
 1 3 
 
 56. Caprimulgus lentiginoSUS, Smith. Freckled Goatsucker. 
 
 Caprimulgus lentiginosus, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 101. 
 
 ,, ' Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 143. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 70. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 4. 
 
 I am inclined to think that this is a scarce bird in 
 South Africa, though, at the same time, somewhat widely 
 diffused, as I have obtained specimens in every part 
 traversed by myself. 
 
 57. Cosmetornis vexillarius (Gould). Standard-wing Goatsucker. 
 
 Semeiophorus vexillarius, Gould's Icones Av. pi. 3. 
 Cosmetornis vexillarius, Hartlaub in Ibis, 1862, p. 143. 
 
46 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Cosmetarnis vexillarius, Sclater in Ibis, 1864, pi. 2. 
 
 Finsch and Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 pp. 129, 856. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 11. 
 
 I only observed this singular Nightjar in the large 
 forests about one degree south of the river Okavango ; 
 I never saw many of them; and the few that were 
 observed were all found within from twenty to one hun- 
 dred yards of each other. 
 
 This bird, when seen on the wing at dusk, presents a 
 most singular appearance, giving the idea of a huge 
 double-winged bat. 
 
 [Mr. E. B. Sharpe possesses a specimen of this Goatsucker 
 which was obtained by Mr. Andersson at Elephant's Vley, on 
 October 13th, 1859. ED.] 
 
 CYPSELmffi. 
 
 58. Cypselus gllttliralis, Vieill. White-throated Swift. 
 
 Le Martinet & gorge blanche, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 243. 
 Cypselus gutturalis, Tristram in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 887. 
 Cypselus melba, Layard's Oat. No. 74. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 16. 
 
 On July 8th, 1866, I observed at Objimbinque a 
 large flight of these Swifts, which, to the best of my 
 recollection, were the first I ever saw in Damara Land. 
 
 Subsequently I observed immense numbers in various 
 places, and particularly noted them as very numerous on 
 the Omaruru Kiver on November 2nd. 
 
 The food of this Swift consists of flies and beetles. 
 The iris is brown, the bill black, the legs flesh-coloured, 
 and the toes brownish. 
 
CYPSELID&. 47 
 
 [The Rev. H. B. Tristram, in the ' Proceedings of the Zoolo- 
 gical Society of London' for 1867, p. 887, has recorded his 
 reasons for considering this Swift to be specifically distinct from 
 the more northern but closely allied C. melba. One of the 
 differences which he mentions, the greater breadth of the brown 
 gorget in the South- African bird, is, however, by no means con- 
 stant, and the whole question as to the specific distinctness of 
 the two races can probably only be satisfactorily decided by 
 a comparison of a larger series of northern and southern ex- 
 amples than has hitherto been instituted. Mr. R. B. Sharpe 
 has given it as his opinion, in 'The Ibis/ for 1870, p. 427, 
 that the two supposed species are not in reality distinct ; and it 
 is quite possible that further investigations may confirm this 
 view. ED.] 
 
 59. Cypselus barbatus, Temm. MS. South-African Black Swift. 
 
 Cypselus barbatus, Sclater in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 599 (sub 
 
 Cypselus apus). 
 
 Tristram in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 887. 
 
 Cypselus apus, Layard's Cat. No. 75. 
 
 Finsch in Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. vii. p. 213. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 17. 
 
 I am far from certain that the Black Swift of Damara 
 Land is identical with Cypselus apus, of Europe. The 
 bird found in Damara and Great Namaqua Land is com- 
 mon during the rainy season. Great numbers are often 
 found in the neighbourhood of the sea, near the mouths 
 of periodical watercourses that have a moist bed. 
 
 Measurements of two specimens, both males : 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length of one 7 6 .. of the other 7 4 
 
 Length of folded wing. . . 6 10 . . 67 
 
 tarsus 06.. 05 
 
 middle toe ...,,03.. 03 
 
 tail 30.. 30 
 
 bill 10i . . 09 
 
48 BINDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 [Dr. Tristram, in his paper in the Zoological Society's f Pro- 
 ceedings/ already alluded to under the head of Cypselus gutturalis, 
 also describes the distinguishing differences between the Black 
 Swift of Europe and that of South Africa. These, though 
 slight, appear to be constant ; but at the same time the specific 
 value of the distinction must probably remain in abeyance until 
 a larger number of specimens have been obtained for comparison 
 than have as yet been made available for that purpose. I am 
 not aware that the South-African Black Swift has yet been 
 figured ; and in the opinion of Dr. Finsch, loc. cit., the South- 
 African bird is merely the young of C. apus ; but if so, it seems 
 singular that only the immature birds should migrate so far 
 south. ED.] 
 
 60. Cypselus parvus, Licht. Little African Swift. 
 
 Cypselus ambrosiacus, Temm. in PI. Col. pi. 460. fig. 2. 
 Cypselus parvus, Sclater, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 601. 
 Cotyle ambrosiacuSj Layard's Cat. No. 92. 
 Cypselus parvus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 13. 
 
 I observed this species at Ondonga, where I found it 
 pretty common. At the end of February these Swifts 
 appeared to be nesting, as they were seen in pairs, 
 and a male and female were both shot with feathers 
 in their bills. The flight of this species is generally 
 lofty. 
 
 The iris is dark brown, the legs and feet brown, and 
 the bill black. 
 
 Measurements of two males : 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length of one 6 4 .. of the other 6 3 
 
 Length of folded wing . . . 64.. ,, 64 
 
 tarsus 05.. 04 
 
 middle toe ... 03.. 03 
 
 tail 36.. 36 
 
 bill 07.. 07 
 
CYPSELID^. 49 
 
 Measurements of two females : 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length .... of one 6 3 . . of the other 511 
 
 Length of folded wing .,,54.. 52 
 
 tarsus ... 04.. 05 
 
 middle toe. .,,03.. 03 
 
 tail .... 36.. 34 
 
 bill . .,,07.. 07 
 
 HIRUNDINIDJE. 
 
 61. Himndo MonteM, Hartl. Monteiro's Swallow. 
 
 Hit-undo Monteiri, Hartlaub, in Ibis, 1862, pi. 11. 
 
 Gurney, Birds Damar. , Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 2. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 139. 
 
 Sharpe, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 316. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 437. 
 
 To the best of my knowledge this fine Swallow (of 
 which I first obtained a few individuals on the river 
 Okavango in 1859) never extends its migration so far 
 south as Damara Land proper; and, indeed, very few 
 individuals come much further south than the Okavango. 
 Those that came under my notice were always found in 
 large open forests, flying high above the tree tops in 
 pursuit of their insect prey, or occasionally perching 
 on lofty, isolated, and aged trees, and they were in 
 consequence by no means easy to procure. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 95 93 
 
 Length of folded wing ...59 59 
 
 tarsus 08 08 
 
 middle toe. ...05 06 
 
 tail 4 11 4 10 
 
 bill 09 09 
 
 [A specimen obtained by Mr. Andersson at Elephant's Vley, 
 
 E 
 
50 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 and two others from Ondonga, are in the collection of Mr. R. 
 B. Sharpe. ED.] 
 
 62. Hirimdo mstica, Linn. Chimney-Swallow. 
 Hirundo rustica, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 54. 
 
 ., Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. to Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 144. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 79. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 410. 
 
 (part.), Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 134. 
 Sharpe & Dresser, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 244. 
 
 This well-known species is pretty common in Damara 
 and Great Namaqua Land during the rainy season, and 
 I have found it very numerous at Walvisch Bay and in 
 other localities near the coast. 
 
 In uncivilized parts of Africa these Swallows affix their 
 nests to some projection of a rock or trunk of a tree, or 
 occupy cavities in rocks or banks. 
 
 The iris is dark brown, the bill black, the legs brownish. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 73 68 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 5 410 
 
 tarsus 06 05 
 
 middle toe .... 5 05 
 
 tail 33 30 
 
 bill 08 08 
 
 [Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser, in their paper in the Zoological 
 Society's ' Proceedings ' above referred to, have recorded some 
 interesting facts relative to the changes of plumage which this 
 species undergoes during its migration to Southern Africa. ED.] 
 
 63. Hirundo CUCUllata, Bodd. Eouselline Swallow. 
 
 L'Hirondelle rouselline, Leraillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 245. fig. 1 . 
 
HIRUNDINID^. 51 
 
 Hirundo capensis, Layard's Cat. No. 81. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 410. 
 
 Hirundo cucullata, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 795. 
 
 Sharpe, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 318. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 440. 
 
 This is not a very common Swallow in Damara Land, 
 where it usually arrives later than Hirundo dimidiata ; 
 it courts the society and neighbourhood of man, and, 
 where permitted, will unhesitatingly enter his dwellings 
 and construct its nest and rear its young in the midst of 
 the household duties of the family. The nest is built of 
 clay, and at first resembles in shape that of Hirundo 
 rustica ; but gradually the hollow bowl is narrowed into 
 a tube of some extent. If the nest be destroyed at this 
 stage, the poor bird at once sets about repairing the 
 damage, but generally contents itself with rebuilding 
 the dome, to which a narrow entrance is added. 
 
 1 have known a pair of these Swallows reconstruct 
 their nest three times in one season, the female deposit- 
 ing a nearly full complement of eggs on each occasion. 
 At the Cape this species commences its incubation 
 towards the latter end of September or early in October, 
 but in Damara Land it is somewhat later. The eggs 
 are four or five in number, of a pure white, dotted over 
 with minute brown spots ; the irides are brown. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 76 70 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 4 10 46 
 
 tarsus 07 06 
 
 middle toe .... 7 06 
 
 tail 3 11 38 
 
 bill 7 07 
 
 E 2 
 
52 BIRDS OF SAMARA LAND. 
 
 64. Himndo dimidiata, Sundev. Pearly-breasted Swallow. 
 
 Hirundo dimidiata, Sundevall, Ofvers. 1850, p. 107. 
 
 Hirundo scapularis, Cassin, in Pr. Ac. Phil. 1850, pi. 12. fig. 3. 
 
 Hirundo dimidiata, Layard's Cat. No. 87. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 410. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 133. 
 
 Sharpe, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 310. 
 
 These Swallows are tolerably common in Damara 
 Land, where they arrive about November ; but on the 
 Okavango River I have seen them as early as the 1st of 
 September. They do not stay any great length of time 
 in Damara Land, in fact barely long enough to rear 
 their young. 
 
 In December 1863 a pair of these birds took up their 
 abode in my dining-room at Objimbinque, where they 
 half completed a nest and then abandoned it ; another 
 pair (at least I conjectured that they were not the same) 
 after a time continued the labour ; but finally they also 
 abandoned the nest whilst still incomplete ; the next 
 season, however, it was finished, probably by the original 
 projectors, and the parent birds safely brought up their 
 young. 
 
 The nest of this Swallow is cup-shaped, and the eggs 
 pure white. The irides in this species are dark brown; 
 the bill, legs, and toes are black. 
 
 65. Cotile fuligula, Licht. Fawn-breasted Martin. 
 
 E Hirondelle fauve, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 246. fig. 1. 
 Cotyle fuligula, Layard's Cat. No. 89. 
 
 Hirundo rupestris, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 409. 
 Cotyle fuligula, Sharpe, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 299. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 425. 
 
 This Martin is common in Damara and Great Nam aqua 
 
HIRUNDINID^. 53 
 
 Land, and is the only species of Swallow which remains 
 throughout the year, a few couples being always to be 
 found in suitable localities. I once saw a very large 
 number at Hykomkap on the 20th of May. 
 
 This species breeds in the holes of low rocks and clay- 
 banks. The nest is cup-shaped, and built of the usual 
 clay materials ; the eggs are five or six in number, white, 
 tinged with fawn, and spotted with brown. 
 
 The iris in this species is of a very dark brown ; the 
 bill is brown, the upper mandible being darker than the 
 lower ; the legs and toes are brown. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 58 
 
 Length of folded wing .... 5 
 
 tarsus 06 
 
 middle toe .... 6 
 
 tail 23 
 
 bill 7i 
 
 CORACIARE. 
 
 66. Coradas Caudata, Linn. Green-necked Holler. 
 
 Coracias caudata, Des Murs, Icon. Orn. pi. 28. 
 
 Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Cont. to Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 154. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 96. 
 
 Coracias dbyssinica, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 408. 
 Coracias caudata, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vb'gel Ost-Afrika's, p. 154. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 36. 
 
 Sharpe, in Ibis, 1871, p. 194. 
 
 This species is common in the Lake-regions, and is 
 also pretty common in Damara Land, where, however, I 
 imagine that it must be partially migratory, as during 
 
54 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 the dry season comparatively few individuals are seen. 
 It is more shy and difficult of approach than Coracias 
 pilosa, which it otherwise resembles as to food and habits. 
 The iris is yellowish brown, the ring round the eyes 
 greenish yellow, as are also the legs and toes ; the bill is 
 black. 
 
 [It may be right here to mention that Mr. Layard, in his 
 ( Catalogue of the Birds of South Africa/ p. 60, states that he 
 has received Coracias abyssinica " from the neighbourhood of 
 Springbok Eontein, in Namaqua Land, and from Damara Land;" 
 but it is not referred to in Mr. Andersson's MS. notes, and I 
 have not met with it in any of his collections. 
 
 Possibly some confusion may have arisen between specimens 
 of C. caudata and supposed examples of C. abyssinica, the two 
 species being very nearly related. 
 
 It appears clear from Mr. Andersson's MS. notes that the 
 species referred to in Mr. Chapman's appendix, loc. cit., under 
 the name of C. abyssinica, is in reality C. caudata. ED.] 
 
 67. Coracias nSBVia, Baud. White-naped Roller. 
 
 LeRolliervaritd'Afrique (jeune age), Levaillant's Ois. de Paradis et 
 
 Rolliers, pi. 29. 
 
 Coracias neevia, Daudin's Traite* d'Orn. vol. ii. p. 258. 
 Coracias pilosus, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 2. 
 Coracias nuchalis, Layard's Cat. No. 93. 
 
 Coracias pilosa et nuchalis, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 408. 
 Coracias pilosa, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 898. 
 Coracias ncevia, Sharpe's Cat. No. 34. 
 
 Sharpe, in Ibis, 1871, p. 190. 
 
 This richly coloured and exceedingly handsome though 
 somewhat coarse-looking Roller is not uncommon 
 throughout Damara Land, and it is also found in the 
 Lake-regions ; it is usually met with in pairs, and is not 
 particularly shy. It seldom extends its flight far, but occa- 
 
COEACIAD^. 55 
 
 sionally rises suddenly to a considerable height, rocking 
 violently to and fro, and descending in a similar manner, 
 with a motion resembling that of a boy's kite when 
 falling to the ground on the guiding force being with- 
 drawn. When on the wing it makes a great noise, 
 rapidly uttering harsh and discordant sounds ; its notes 
 are at times not unlike the sound produced by a broad- 
 bladed knife passing through a tough piece of cork, but 
 are in a louder key. This species seeks much of its food 
 on the ground; but sometimes it watches from some 
 elevated position, and, the moment its prey comes within 
 sight, darts upon it with unerring certainty, its habit in 
 this respect being very like that of the Butcher-bird 
 Shrikes. It is a most useful bird, feeding largely on 
 centipedes, scorpions, tarantulas, and other insects, as 
 well as on small snakes and lizards. 
 
 This Roller is one of the earliest breeders in Damara 
 Land, and makes its nest in the hollows of trees, 
 usually such as have been previously occupied by 
 some Woodpecker : the stems of these trees are mostly 
 very tall and straight ; and in consequence of this, and of 
 the smallness of the apertures, the nests are very inac- 
 cessible. I have frequently seen such breeding-places 
 without being able to reach them ; but I believe the eggs 
 are white and two in number, and that both parents 
 assist in their incubation. 
 
 The iris in this species is dark brown, the bill black, 
 the legs and toes greenish brown. 
 
 [Mr. Chapman, who refers to this Boiler in his ' Travels in 
 South Africa/ vol. i. p. 282, and Appendix, p. 386, confirms 
 
56 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Mr. Andersson's belief that the egg of this species is white, and 
 adds the following information respecting its habits : " These 
 birds before they are fledged, as well as the hen while breeding, 
 are fed by the male bird ; the hen never leaves the nest until 
 the brood are fledged. The birds cannot fly well, and if seen in 
 an open field, where an occasional resting-place is not to be 
 found, are easily run down and eaten by the Bushmen." ED.] 
 
 68. Coracias garrula, Linn. European Roller. 
 
 Coracias garrulus^ Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 60. 
 Coracias garrula } Layard's Cat. No. 94. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 33. 
 
 Sharpe & Dresser's Birds of Europe, pi. 5. 
 
 This species is common in Ondonga, but is less so in 
 Damara Land proper, than either C. pilosa or C. caudata. 
 As far as I recollect, it is only seen during the rainy 
 season. 
 
 The iris is dirty brown, the bill black, the legs and 
 toes brownish yellow. 
 
 ALCEDINIDJE. 
 
 69. Halcyon cyanoleiica (Vieffl.). Angola Kingfisher. 
 
 Halcyon senegalensis, Gurney, in Ibis, 1865, p. 265. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 98. 
 
 Halcyon cyanoleuca, Sharpe's Alcedinidse, pi. 69. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 65. 
 
 This species is very abundant in Ondonga. It gene- 
 rally perches on or near the summit of lofty trees, from 
 whence it sends forth a succession of rather pleasant, 
 thrilling or whirring notes. 
 
 The iris is dark brown ; the upper mandible red, the 
 lower black. 
 
ALCEDINIDJG. 57 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 96 99 
 
 Length of folded wing ...47 47 
 
 tarsus 07 07 
 
 middle toe .... 8 ..... 8 
 
 tail 2 10 2 10 
 
 bill 24 24 
 
 70. Halcyon semicserulea (Forsk.). African White-headed King- 
 fisher. 
 
 Halcyon Swainsonii, Layard's Cat. No. 100. 
 Halcyon semiccerulea, Sharpe's Alcedinidae, pi. 63. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 59. 
 
 [This species is not mentioned in Mr. Andersson's MS. notes; 
 but a single immature specimen obtained in Ondonga, Ovampo 
 Land, formed part of his last collection, and is now in the 
 possession of Mr. R. B. Sharpe, who refers to it, in his excellent 
 ' Monograph of the Kingfishers/ as the most southern example 
 of this species with which he is acquainted. ED.] 
 
 71. Halcyon cheliciltensis (Stanl.). Striped Kingfisher. 
 
 Halcyon damarensis, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 153. 
 
 Halcyon striolata, Layard's Cat. No. 102. 
 
 Halcyon damarensis, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 409. 
 Halcyon cheticutensis, Sharpe's Alcedinidse, pi. 67. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 62. 
 
 This Kingfisher is very sparingly met with in Damara 
 Land and the parts adjacent to the northward; it is 
 partial to localities where the vegetation has been de- 
 stroyed or partially injured by fire; and it selects, if 
 possible, a low dry branch on an isolated tree, where it 
 watches by the hour for its prey ; this, as far as I could 
 ascertain, consists of insects, which it generally seizes on 
 the wing. 
 
58 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 It utters loud, sharp, and shrill cries, and is always 
 found either singly or in pairs. 
 
 The irides in this species are claret-coloured, the bill 
 reddish brown on the upper mandible and orange-red 
 on the lower, the lores are dusky, the legs and toes 
 yellowish. 
 
 [Mr. Sharpe, in his ' Monograph of the Alcedinidae/ loc. cit. y 
 makes the following remarks on this species : 
 
 " All the examples of the present species from South Africa 
 are much, larger than those from West Africa and Abyssinia. 
 Strickland separated them under the name of Halcyon dama- 
 rensis on receipt of some specimens collected by Andersson. It 
 is, however, impossible to separate them specifically, as, taking the 
 Abyssinian bird as the type of the species, a regular series of 
 gradations is reached according as specimens from the different 
 parts of Western Africa are examined, those from Angola being 
 intermediate in size and nearly attaining the large form of H. 
 damarensis. 
 
 " I therefore regard these races in a subspecific light only, as 
 in the case of the species of Corythornis." 
 
 I have thought it best to follow the view taken by Mr. Sharpe 
 on this subject, and have accordingly used for this Kingfisher 
 the specific name which he has adopted. ED.] 
 
 72. Alcedo semitorquata, Swains. Half-collared Kingfisher. 
 
 Alcedo semitorquata, Layard's Cat. No. 105. 
 Sharpe's Alcedinidae, pi. 7. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 48. 
 
 [This Kingfisher is not mentioned in Mr. Andersson's MS. 
 notes, neither did I meet with any specimen of it in those 
 of his collections which I had the opportunity of examining ; 
 but Mr. R. B. Sharpe possesses a pair obtained on the Orange 
 River, which probably entitles this species to be included among 
 the birds of Namaqua Land. ED.] 
 
ALCEDINIDAE. 59 
 
 73. Ceryle maxima, Pall. Great African Kingfisher. 
 
 Ceryle maxima, Gurney, in Ibis, 1859, p. 243. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 109. 
 
 Alcedo gigantea, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 409. 
 Ceryle maxima, Sharpe's Alcedinidae, pi. 20. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 47. 
 
 The Great Kingfisher is occasionally found on the 
 Teoughe River and also on the Okavango, but is every- 
 where very shy. 
 
 74. Ceryle rudlS (Linn.). Black-and-white Kingfisher. 
 
 Ceryle rudis, Layard's Cat. No. 110. 
 
 Ceryle bicincta, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 409. 
 Ceryle rudis, Sharpe's Alcedinidae, pi. 19. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 46. 
 
 I do not remember to have seen this bird in Damara 
 Land proper, but have occasionally met with it along 
 the periodical watercourses and temporary rain-pools of 
 Great Namaqua Land ; and I have reason to think that 
 it may be found permanently on the banks of the Great 
 Fish River, where large pools of water, containing fish 
 exist at all times of the year. It frequents both salt and 
 fresh water, and feeds on fish, shrimps, small crabs, &c., 
 for which it watches from some dry branch of a tree 
 immediately overhanging the water. It breeds in the 
 sandy and clayey banks of rivers, and is comparatively 
 tame. The iris is dark brown. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. liii. 
 
 Entire length 10 6 10 
 
 Length of folded wing ..57 56 
 
 tarsus ....05 05 
 
 middle toe ... 6 06 
 
 tail 30 2 11 
 
 bill 2 10 . 27 
 
60 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 75. Corythomis cyanostigma (EUpp.). African Malachite- 
 crested Kingfisher. 
 
 Alcedo cristata, Layard's Cat. No. 106. 
 
 Alcedo cyanostigma, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 409. 
 Corythomis cristata, Sharpe's AlcedinidaB, pi. 11. 
 Corythomis cyanostigma, ibid. (Introduction), p. 6. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 51. 
 
 Probably from want of permanently running rivers, 
 this exquisite little species is not found in Damara or 
 Great Namaqua Land ; but it is common on all the waters 
 north of those countries ; it invariably perches on some 
 low twig or bough almost on a level with the water. 
 
 MEROPID^l. 
 
 76. MeropS apiaster, Linn. European Bee-eater. 
 
 Merops apiaster, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 59. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 111. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 18. 
 
 This species is very common in Ondonga during the 
 rainy season, when it is also not uncommon in Damara 
 Land proper ; but I do not think that it is abundant in 
 Great Namaqua Land. 
 
 These Bee-eaters are observed during their annual 
 migrations in small flocks ; but having arrived at their 
 temporary destination they scatter somewhat over the 
 country, though several may still be seen in close 
 proximity. They seem to live chiefly on a species 
 of red wasp, and sometimes seize their food on the wing 
 like Swallows, though they more frequently watch for it 
 from some elevated perch, whence they suddenly pounce 
 
MEROPIDJE. 61 
 
 upon any prey which may chance to come within their 
 ken, returning invariably to the same spot whether suc- 
 cessful or not. When their capture proves a hee or other 
 stinging insect, it is always seized across the body, when 
 the bird, after giving it a sharp squeeze or two between 
 the mandibles of the bill, quickly swallows it. I have 
 seen lizards pursue exactly the same plan when catching 
 hymenopterous insects. 
 
 When on the wing, this Bee-eater utters a pleasant 
 but rather subdued warbling chirp. 
 
 The iris in this species is red, the legs and toes reddish 
 brown, and the bjill almost black. 
 
 The female bird is not quite so large, nor so brightly 
 coloured, as the male. 
 
 77. Merops SUperciliosllS, Linn. Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. 
 
 Merops Savigni, Swainson's Birds of W. Africa, vol. ii. pi. 7. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 112. 
 
 Merops cpgyptius, ibid. No. 113. 
 Merops superdliosus, Finsch & Hartlaub'sVb'gel Ost-Afrika's, No. 79. 
 
 Sharpe, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 145. 
 
 J. H. Gurney, Jun., Orn. of Algeria, Ibis, 1871, 
 
 p. 75. 
 Merops cegyptius, Sharpe's Cat. 20. 
 
 I have only once observed this species, which I then 
 met with near the river Okavango. 
 
 The iris is reddish brown, the legs and toes brown, 
 and the bill black. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson/s last collection contained several specimens 
 of this Bee-eater obtained in Ondonga in November 1866, 
 no doubt subsequently to the date of the note above recorded. 
 ED.] 
 
62 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 78. Merops nubicoides, Des Murs. Carmine-throated Bee-eater. 
 Merops nubicoides, Des Murs, Icon. Orn. pi. 35. 
 Merops natalensis, Schlegel's Mus. des Pays-Bas, Merops, p. 7. 
 
 I have only once observed this species, when a 
 specimen occurred a few days' journey south of the 
 river Okavango ; its appearance on the wing was beau- 
 tiful. I understand from the hunters that at certain 
 seasons this Bee-eater is common on the Okavango, and 
 breeds in the banks of that river. 
 
 [I have not seen the specimen mentioned in the above note 
 by Mr. Andersson ; but another memorandum left by him de- 
 scribes its plumage in detail, and leaves no doubt of its having 
 been an example of Merops nubicoides, though supposed by Mr. 
 Andersson to be a specimen of the more northern M. nubicus, 
 from which M. nubicoides is chiefly distinguishable by the 
 carmine colouring of the throat, that part being green in M. 
 nubicus. ED.] 
 
 79. MelittophagUS pUSillllS, Mull. Rufous-winged Bee-eater. 
 
 Le Guepier ct cottier bleu, Levaillant's Hist. Nat. des Promerops et 
 
 des Gue*piers, pi. 7. 
 Le Guepier minutte, ibid. pi. 17. 
 Merops erythropterus, Layard's Oat. No. 115. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 409. 
 
 Melittophagus pusillus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 1222. 
 
 This exquisite and diminutive species is common on 
 the banks of the rivers Okavango, Teoughe, and Botletle, 
 as well as on the Lake-watersheds in general, and also 
 about Lake Ngami itself; but I have never observed it so 
 far south as Damara Land proper. It seems to be 
 partial to the immediate neighbourhood of the reedy 
 banks of rivers and of swamps and morasses ; and I have 
 never found it at any distance from water. 
 
MEROPID^. 63 
 
 80. DicrocercUS himndinaceilS (Vieill.). Swallow-tailed Bee- 
 eater. 
 
 Merops hirundinaceus, Swainson's Birds of W. Africa, vol. ii. pi. 10. 
 Melittophagus hirundineus, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar.,Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 154. 
 Merops hirundinaceus, Layard's Cat. No. 117. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 409. 
 
 Dicrocercus hirundinaceus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 1221. 
 Merops hirundineus, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 193. 
 Merops hirundinaceus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 28. 
 
 This is the commonest species of Bee-eater in Damara 
 Land, and it is also found in Great Namaqua Land and 
 in the Lake-country: it chiefly visits Damara Land 
 during the wet season ; but a few may be found through- 
 out the year. 
 
 I took a nest of this Bee-eater on the Omaruru Kiver 
 on 31st October. It was situated in a soft sandy bank, 
 some three feet deep horizontally : the entrance was not 
 above two fingers wide ; but the hole was slightly en- 
 larged where the nest was found. The nest, which had 
 no lining, contained three beautifully white eggs. 
 
 The iris in this species is carmine-red, the bill black, 
 the tarsi and toes brownish. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female. 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 8 10 85 
 
 Length of folded wing ..39 39 
 
 tarsus ....05 04 
 
 middle toe ...05 05 
 
 tail 42 41 
 
 bill 16 13 
 
64 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 TENUIROSTRES. 
 
 81. Upupa minor, Shaw. South-African Hoopoe. 
 
 Upupa cristatella, VieiUot's Gal. des Ois. pi. 184. 
 
 Upupa minor, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Om. 1852, 
 
 p. 155. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 118. 
 
 Upupa africana, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 200. 
 Upupa minor, Sharpe's Cat. No. 80. 
 
 This species is very abundant in Damara Land during 
 the wet season, but gradually disappears with the return 
 of the hot weather, though a few individuals remain 
 throughout the year ; it is also common at Lake Ngami. 
 When it first arrives in Damara Land it is seen in 
 straggling flocks, which soon, more or less, disperse ; yet 
 a number of individuals are often found in close prox- 
 imity, leading a person unacquainted with the habits of 
 the bird to believe that it is really gregarious; it is, 
 however, most frequently found singly. This species, to 
 some extent, seeks its food (which consists of insects) 
 upon the ground ; but, like the Bee-eater, it will also 
 watch for and pounce upon its prey from some com- 
 manding position. Besides frequenting the ground in 
 search of food, it also loves to dust itself in the sand. 
 When in a state of rest the crest of this bird is generally 
 recumbent ; but on the least excitement it is alternately 
 elevated and depressed, not rapidly, but in a graceful 
 manner, with deliberation and ease. 
 
 In Damara Land the Hoopoe is not very difficult to 
 approach within range ; yet there is some difficulty in 
 
UPUPID^. 65 
 
 obtaining specimens, as the bird, the moment it finds 
 itself observed, flits about incessantly amongst the 
 foliage, or is lost to view by gliding rapidly to the 
 opposite side of a tree. Its flight is short, rising and 
 dipping alternately. 
 
 The irides in this species are intensely dark brown, 
 almost black, the legs and toes bluish brown. 
 
 Average dimensions of four males : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 98 
 
 Length of folded wing 54 
 
 tarsus 10 
 
 middle toe .08 
 
 tail 3 8 
 
 bill 21 
 
 82. Irrisor erythrorhynchos (Lath.). Red-billed Irrisor. 
 
 Le Promerops moqueur, Levaillant's Hist. Nat. des Promerops et 
 
 Guepiers, pis. 1, 2, 3. 
 Irrisor erythrorhyncus, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 154. 
 
 Irrisor senegalensis,Gu-mey, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 2. 
 Irrisor erythrorynchos, Layard's Cat. No. 119. 
 Irrisor erythrorhynchus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. pp. 255 
 and 406. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's 
 
 p. 202. 
 
 , , Finsch, in Trans, of Zool. Soc. vol. vii. p. 226. 
 
 ,, Sharpe's Cat. No. 81. 
 
 This species is not uncommon in Damara Land and 
 the parts adjacent to the north and east, extending to 
 Lake Ngami. 
 
 It lives in small flocks, probably consisting of entire 
 families which frequent trees, chiefly of the larger kinds, 
 and examine them most assiduously in search of insects 
 and their larvse, which they extract from crevices in 
 the wood and from beneath the bark. These birds 
 

 66 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 climb like Woodpeckers ; and their long tails come into 
 constant contact with the rough surface of the trees, 
 by which the tail-feathers are much injured. When 
 they have finished their examination of one tree they 
 move to the next convenient one, but not altogether, 
 as a short interval generally elapses after the depar- 
 ture of each individual. The moment flight is decided 
 on, they utter harsh discordant cries or chatterings, 
 which are continued until they are all safely lodged 
 in their new quarters. These harsh notes are also heard 
 when they conceive themselves in danger from either man, 
 beast, or bird ; and they thus often betray their presence. 
 
 The bodies of these birds emit a peculiarly powerful 
 and disagreeable odour. 
 
 The bill in this species is sometimes of a black or of 
 a semidark colour instead of red ; the size and curve of 
 the bill also vary somewhat in diiferent individuals ; and 
 the white spots on the wings are more developed in 
 some than in others. The following note was jotted 
 down by me respecting four individuals which were 
 killed out of a flock of five, and which formed a most in- 
 teresting series. One of the four had the bill almost black ; 
 two had it half black and half red; and the fourth, 
 which I believe to be an adult, had the bill quite red : 
 all had the legs and toes and insides of both mandibles 
 red. In two the oval white spots which often exist on 
 the first three secondaries were present ; in the others 
 (including the red-billed specimen) only one such spot 
 was discernible ; and among the four were distinctly ex- 
 hibited the two kinds of curve shown in the outlines of 
 
UPUPIDJZ. 67 
 
 the bill, as depicted in ' The Naturalist's Library,' vol. xii. 
 p. 119. 
 
 The irides in this species are a deep dark brown. 
 
 Average dimensions of seven males and five females : 
 
 Males. Females, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 16 11 15 
 
 Length of folded wing ..60 5 7 
 
 tarsus .... 11 11 
 
 middle toe ... 11 10 
 
 tail 97 81 
 
 bill 23 1 11 
 
 83. Irrisor Cyanomelas (Vieill.). Namaqua Irrisor. 
 
 Rhinopomastus Smithii, Jardine, in Zool. Journ. vol. iv. pi. 1. 
 Rhinopomastus cyanomelas, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Daniar., 
 
 Contr. Orn. 1852, p. 155. 
 Irrisor cyanomelas, Layard's Cat. No. 120. 
 Promerops niyer, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 407. 
 Irrisor cyanomelas, Finsch & Hartlaub, Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 207. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 83. 
 
 This species is sparingly found throughout Damara 
 and Great Namaqua Land, but more rarely in the latter 
 than in the former country ; it is also met with on the 
 Okavango and Teoughe Rivers and about Lake Ngami. 
 It partakes much of the habits and manners of the true 
 Creepers, attaching itself to trees and examining them 
 in a similar manner, but sometimes with this difference, 
 that, after settling on a tree or stump (which it generally 
 does about halfway up), it carefully examines it in a 
 downward direction, and with its head downwards, thus 
 seeking for its usual food, which consists of ants and 
 other insects with their larvae ; having reached the base 
 of the tree or stump, it moves onwards to another, in a 
 similar manner to that adopted by the preceding species. 
 
 F2 
 
68 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 These birds are usually observed in pairs; but occasionally 
 a solitary individual may be seen perched on the top- 
 most bough of a lofty tree, uttering peculiar and plaintive 
 notes. 
 
 The iris in this species is very dark brown; the bill is 
 yellowish towards the gape, the remainder being of a 
 dark-brown colour ; the legs and feet are dusky black, 
 with a brownish tint on the tarsi anteriorly, and with 
 the soles of the feet olive. 
 
 84. Irrisor aterrinms (Steph.). Black Irrisor. 
 
 Scoptclus aterrimus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 1267. 
 Irrisor aterrimus, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's ; p. 209. 
 
 [Dr. Finsch and Dr. Hartlaub, in their valuable work above 
 cited, on the birds of East Africa, mention a specimen of the 
 Black Irrisor obtained in Damara Land by the late Mr. Anders- 
 son ; but I have no further information respecting its occurrence 
 in that country. It is a species which I believe has not as yet 
 been figured.- ED.] 
 
 PROMEROPID.E. 
 
 85. Nectarinia famosa (Linn.). Malachite Sun-bird. 
 
 Le Sucrier malachitte, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pis. 289 & 290, 
 Nectarinia famosa, Layard's Cat. No. 127. 
 
 This splendid species is exceedingly abundant in Little 
 Namaqua Land, and also occurs, though but rarely, in 
 the southernmost parts of Great Namaqua Land. It is 
 usually found permanently established where it has once 
 taken up its abode. Its food consists of insects and the 
 saccharine juices of flowers, in search of which it flits 
 incessantly from one flowering tree or plant to another, 
 
PEOMEROPID^. 69 
 
 now settling and now hovering, but glittering all the 
 while in the sunshine like some brilliant insect or some 
 precious gem. 
 
 The male bird, in addition to the beauty of its plu- 
 mage, possesses a very pleasant warble. 
 
 The iris in this species is very dark, and the bill, legs, 
 and feet black. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 90 59 
 
 Length of folded wing . . 2 10 28 
 
 tarsus ....07 07 
 
 middle toe ... 5 05 
 
 tail 5 1 ...... 2 
 
 bill 15 13 
 
 86. Cinnyris chalybea (Linn.). Lesser Double-collared Sun-bird. 
 
 Nectarinia chalybea, Jardine's Sun-birds, pi. 1. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 122. 
 
 Cinnyris chalybea, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 1282. 
 
 I do not recollect having observed this species north 
 of the Orange River ; but I have not unfrequently met 
 with it in Little Namaqua Land, and I am informed by 
 Mr. Layard that it was brought by Mr. Chapman from 
 the Lake-regions. It is found both in open and wooded 
 localities, and generally singly. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female. 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length ..... 48 ...... 43 
 
 Length of folded wing ..20 ...... 1 11 
 
 ..08 ...... 08 
 
 ..05 ...... 05 
 
 tail ..... 19 ...... 16 
 
 bill 10 10 
 
70 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 87. Cinnyris afra (Linn.). Greater Donble-coUared Sun-bird. 
 Nectarinia afra, Jardine's Sun-birds, pi. 2. 
 
 Layard's Oat. No. 123. 
 
 Cinnyris afra, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 1281. 
 
 This is another species brought by Mr. Chapman from 
 the Lake-country, as I have been assured by Mr. Layard ; 
 it never came under my personal observation, except in 
 the south-eastern districts of the Cape Colony. 
 
 It frequents forests, but may occasionally be observed 
 in the more open parts during the flowering-season. 
 
 The iris is dark brown, the bill and legs are black. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 56 53 
 
 Length of folded wing ..26 23 
 
 tarsus ....08 08 
 
 middle toe ... 5 05 
 
 tail 19 19 
 
 bill 1 1 
 
 88. Cinnyris bifastiata, Shaw. Bifasciated Sun-bird. 
 
 Nectarinia bifasciata, Jardine's Sun-birds, pi. 4. 
 
 Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 153. 
 
 Layard's Oat. No. 126. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 407. 
 
 Cinnyris bifasciata, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 1283. 
 Nectarinia bifasciata, Sharpe's Cat. No. 359. 
 
 This species is very common in Ondonga, and is not 
 uncommon in Damara Land ; it is also found at Lake 
 Ngami. It is usually seen in pairs, and frequents the 
 banks of periodical streams; I never saw it far away 
 from such localities. 
 
 The iris is 'dark brown. 
 
 
PEOMEEOPID^. 71 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female. 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 
 5 2 ... 
 
 ... 4 9 
 
 Length of folded wing . 
 }) tarsus . . 
 middle toe . 
 tail 
 
 2 7 ... 
 
 ... 2 4 
 
 08 
 
 ..08 
 
 4 
 
 ... 4 
 
 1 11 
 
 ... 1 9 
 
 
 bill 
 
 11 
 
 , 10 
 
 89. Cinnyris fusca (Vieffl.). White-vented Sun-bird. 
 Le Sucrier namaqois, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 296. 
 Nectarinia fusca, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 153. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 131. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 407. 
 
 Cinnyris fusca, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 1284. 
 Nectarinia fusca, Sharpe's Cat. No. 371. 
 
 This is the commonest Sun-bird in Daniara and Great 
 Namaqua Land, where it is really abundant, especially 
 towards the sea-coast. The scantier and more dreary 
 the vegetation the more common is this bird ; and though 
 unattractive in dress, it helps to enliven the monotonous 
 solitudes which it frequents, by its activity and pleasant 
 subdued warbling chirp. 
 
 The male assumes a somewhat more attractive garb 
 during the breeding-season than at other times of the 
 year, when it resembles the female, whose colouring is 
 of the most sombre description. 
 
 Levaillant tells us that this bird nests in the hollows 
 of trees ; but this differs from my experience, as I have 
 always found its nest suspended from the branch of some 
 low acacia. The nest is chiefly composed of soft grasses 
 and the fine inner bark of trees, and is lined with a 
 
72 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 quantity of feathers. I found the young just fledged on 
 April 3rd. 
 
 The iris in this species is very dark brown. 
 
 [Mr. Sharpe possesses a specimen of this Sun-bird, obtained 
 by Mr. Andersson in Little Namaqua Land. ED.] 
 
 90. Cinnyris talatala (Smith). Andersson's Sun-bird. 
 
 Nectarinia talatala, Smith's Report of South Afr. Exp. 1836, p. 58. 
 Nectarinia Anderssoni, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Dainar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 153. 
 
 Cinnyris Anderssonii, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 1285. 
 Nectarinia talatala, Sharpe's Cat. No. 375. 
 
 I only met with this exquisite little species in my 
 journeyings to the Okavango, in the neighbourhood of 
 which river it was very abundant during the rainy season, 
 being a migratory species, and arriving a little before the 
 commencement of the rains. 
 
 I also found it very common, though exceedingly shy, 
 on the edge of the bush in Ondonga, where I obtained 
 its nest on February 19th : the nest was very large and 
 strongly built, and resembled in form and material that 
 of C.fusca; it contained five small, oblong, and pure- 
 white eggs. Another nest, taken on March 27th, also 
 contained five eggs. 
 
 This Sun-bird is exceedingly lively in its habits, and 
 at the approach of the pairing-season it becomes inspired 
 with the most lovely and exquisite melodies ; in fact its 
 voice is then enchanting beyond description, being a 
 concentration of the softest thrilling and melodious 
 notes. I always found it either singly or in pairs. 
 
PEOMEROPIT)^. 73 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 46 
 
 Length of folded wing ..... 2 3 
 
 tarsus 08 
 
 middle toe 04 
 
 ,, tail 16 
 
 bill 10 
 
 [I am not aware that any figure of this beautiful Sun-bird has 
 yet been published ; and as the descriptions which have been 
 given of it are not very generally accessible, I transcribe that 
 drawn up by the late Mr. Strickland from a male in full plu- 
 mage, and inserted in the ' Contributions to Ornithology/ 
 loc. cit. : 
 
 " Head, back, and lesser wing-covers metallic green, the crown 
 with a coppery gloss; upper tail-covers bluish green; greater wing- 
 covers and remiges deep fuscous, margined externally with greyish 
 brown ; chin bluish green ; cheeks and throat bright coppery 
 green ; a broad zone on the breast of violet -purple, followed by 
 a narrow one of dull greyish brown ; axillary tufts gamboge- 
 yellow ; abdomen, sides, and lower tail-covers dirty white ; beak 
 and legs black. " ED.] 
 
 91. Chalcomitra guttliralis (Linn.). Proteus Sun-bird. 
 
 Le Sucrier Protee, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 295. fig. 2. 
 Nectarinia senegalensis, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn, 1852, p. 153. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 133. 
 
 Nectarinia natalensis, Layard's Cat. No. 134. 
 Nectarinia senegalensis, Chapman's Travels in S. Air., App. p. 407. 
 Chalcomitra gutturalis, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 1307* 
 Nectarinia gutturalis, Sharpe's Cat. No. 364. 
 
 This species occurs at Lake Ngami, and is pretty 
 abundant in the neighbourhood of the Okavango. In 
 Damara Land proper it is not common ; but in June 1866 
 I obtained several specimens at Objimbinque, where 
 they seemed chiefly to seek their food amongst the 
 " tobacco" trees now growing so abundantly in the bed and 
 
74 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 on the banks of the Swakop. Can the increase of this 
 tree of late years have brought more of these birds 1 
 I hardly remember to have seen them at Objimbinque 
 previously. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Entire length 
 
 Male, 
 in. lin. 
 
 6 
 
 Female, 
 in. lin. 
 
 5 
 
 Length of folded, winsf 
 
 2 11 
 
 27 
 
 tarsus 
 
 .08... 
 
 ... 8 
 
 middle toe 
 
 .05... 
 
 ... 5 
 
 tail 
 
 .21... 
 
 ... 1 9 
 
 bill 
 
 1 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 92. AnthobapheS violacea (Linn.). Orange-breasted Sun-bird. 
 
 Le Sucrier orange, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 292. 
 
 Nectarinia violacea, Layard's Cat. No. 130. 
 
 Anthobaphes violacea, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 1353. 
 
 I have found this species pretty abundant in Little 
 Namaqua Land ; but to the best of my knowledge it is 
 not an inhabitant of Great Namaqua or Damara Land, 
 though Mr. Layard informs me that Mr. Chapman 
 brought specimens from the Lake-country. It is found 
 singly and in pairs, often also in flocks, frequenting the 
 slopes of hills and mountains, whence it descends to the 
 lower grounds, but only during the flowering season of 
 the garden plants and trees, amongst which it is 
 especially fond of the sweet-scented orange-blossom. 
 With the exception of such excursions, it is not migra- 
 tory. The male bird has a brisk, pleasant song. 
 
 The iris is dark brown, the bill and legs are black. 
 
PROMEROPIDJ3. 75 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Entire len^'th. 
 
 Male, 
 in. lin. 
 
 ..61... 
 
 Female, 
 in. lin. 
 6 
 
 Length of folded wing 
 
 ..21... 
 
 ... 2 
 
 tarsus 
 
 ..07... 
 
 7 
 
 ,, middle toe . 
 
 ..05... 
 
 4 
 
 tail 
 
 ..30.. 
 
 3 
 
 bill 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 MELIPHAGIDJE. 
 
 93. ZosteropS capensis, Sund. Cape White-eye. 
 
 Le Tcheric, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 132. 
 Zoster ops capensis, Layard's Cat. No. 215. 
 
 I have only once or twice observed this species in the 
 southernmost parts of Great Namaqua Land, along the 
 periodical watercourses bordered by Mimosas ; but from 
 thence southwards it becomes more numerous, and at 
 the Cape and in many parts of the Colony it is abundant : 
 a pair or two may be seen any day in most of the gardens 
 in the immediate environs of the Cape. It is met with 
 in small families, probably the entire broods of the 
 season. It feeds on small insects and larvae, for which 
 it searches diligently amongst low bushes and trees. It 
 is quite tame; and it is not very difficult to approach it 
 near enough to distinguish the colour of its eye, beak, 
 &c. It forms its nest on the extremity of some branch 
 of a low tree ; the nest is very prettily shaped, and is 
 composed of loose tendrils interlaced, covered with moss 
 outside, and lined internally with hair &c. The eggs 
 are four or five in number, and are said to be incubated I 
 by both parents. 
 
76 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 The irides are yellowish brown ; the bill bluish black, 
 but lighter on the under mandible ; the legs and feet 
 are lead-colour, with sometimes a tinge of brown. 
 
 The sexes in this species do not differ in their 
 dimensions. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 46 
 
 Length of folded wing 25 
 
 tarsus 09 
 
 middle toe 05 
 
 tail . . 1 10 
 
 bill 07 
 
 94. Zosterops senegalensis, Bon. Yellow White-eye. 
 
 Zosterops jlava, Swainson's Birds of West Africa, vol. ii. pi. 3. 
 Zosterops senegaknsis, Hartlaub's Birds of West Africa, No. 215. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 336. 
 
 I never met with this exquisite little bird in either 
 Great Namaqua or Damara Land ; and it was only as I 
 approached the Okavango that I became aware of its 
 existence. In the thornless forests bordering upon this 
 stream it is not uncommon, but it migrates northwards 
 during the dry season. It is found in small flocks, and 
 diligently explores in search of insects the branches of 
 the smaller trees, and especially the buds and flowers, 
 suspending itself in a variety of positions while it is thus 
 employed. 
 
 [Two specimens, obtained by Mr. Andersson at Elephant's 
 Vley, are in the collection of Mr. R. B. Sharpe. ED.] 
 
TROGLODTTID^. 77 
 
 TROGLODYTIDJE. 
 
 95. Sylvietta mfescens (Yieill.). South- African Crombec. 
 
 Le Crombec, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 135. 
 
 Sylvietta brachyura, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Demar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 148. 
 
 Diceeum rufescens, Layard's Cat. No. 144. 
 Sylvietta rufescens, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 2870. 
 ' Sharpe's Cat. No. 324. 
 
 I have found this species widely distributed in all 
 parts which I have traversed, from the Okavango to 
 Table Mountain, but nowhere very common. 
 
 It frequents dwarf vegetation, which it examines care- 
 fully as it hops and glides quickly onwards. The irides 
 are yellowish brown, the upper mandible dusky, the 
 under mandible a purplish flesh-colour, as also are the 
 legs and toes. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 40 
 
 Length of folded wing .... 2 6 
 
 tarsus 09 
 
 middle toe 4| 
 
 tail 11 
 
 bill ....... 8 
 
 DENTIKOSTRES. 
 
 PARID^J. 
 
 96. Parisoma subcaeruleum (Yieill.). Rufous-vented Grignet. 
 
 Le Grignet, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 126. 
 
 Parisoma subcceruleum, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 Orn. 1852, p. 149. 
 
78 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Parisoma rujiventer, Layard's Cat. No. 213. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr v App. p. 397. 
 
 Parisoma subcceruleum, Sharpe's Cat. No. 390. 
 
 This species is common in Damara and Great Namaqua 
 Land, but, from its small size and secluded habits, often 
 escapes notice ; it is rather a pretty songster, and utters, 
 at times, varied and singular notes, and occasionally also 
 a clear ringing call rapidly repeated. It is very familiar, 
 active but not rapid in its movements, and careful in its 
 examination of the branches of trees and bushes in search 
 of insects ; it is found singly or in pairs. 
 
 A nest of these birds, taken on the 21st of September, 
 was situated in a hedge and composed outside of grass, 
 fine twigs, and tendrils ; internally it was lined with hair, 
 and contained two eggs. A second nest, obtained on 
 the 1st of October, was similarly composed externally, 
 but was lined with the softer tendrils of flexible roots ; 
 it contained two eggs, hard sat upon. A third nest, 
 taken on the 29th of November, also contained two eggs. 
 
 The iris in this species is yellowish white. 
 
 97. Parisoma Layardi, Hartl. Layard's Grignet. 
 
 Parisoma Layardi, Hartlaub, in Ibis, 1862, p. 147. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 214. 
 
 This species greatly resembles the preceding in its 
 habits, but is not so common ; I have observed it, though 
 very sparingly, in Damara and Great Namaqua Land and 
 near the west coast of the Cape Colony. I have also 
 obtained specimens from the Okavango, which are of a 
 darker and richer hue than those from Damara and 
 
PARID& 79 
 
 Great Namaqua Land ; this is also the case with speci- 
 mens from the western parts of the Colony. 
 
 98. Anthoscopus miniltUS (Shaw). Dwarf Blossom-pecker. 
 Le Becque-fleur, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 134. 
 JEgithalus Smtihi, Strickland & Sclater, Oontr. Orn. 1852, p. 149. 
 Paroides capensis, Layard's Cat. No. 212. 
 Anthoscopus minutus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 3417. 
 JEgiihalus capensis, Sharpe's Cat. No. 331. 
 
 This diminutive species is sparingly found from the 
 Okavango River to the neighbourhood of Cape Town, 
 following the line of the coast and occurring in small 
 flocks amongst brushwood, low trees, or flowers ; in such 
 situations it hunts with great assiduity for minute in- 
 sects, in which occupation it strongly reminded me of 
 some of the titmice, which it much resembles in its mode 
 of climbing and feeding. It utters a low and almost in- 
 audible chirp or whistle. 
 
 I once found, in Ondonga, on March 27th, a nest 
 of this species containing one young bird and one egg, 
 the latter being of so extraordinary a size that, had I 
 not shot the old bird at the nest, and had not the iden- 
 tity of the egg been corroborated by the young bird, I 
 should not have believed that it belonged to this species. 
 The nest had been rudely displaced from its original site 
 and was hanging down several inches, very much the 
 worse for its misfortune ; I only wonder the birds stuck 
 so bravely to it. The rim of the nest was composed 
 of very fine twigs of small tender bushes interlaced with 
 decomposed silky grasses ; the rest of the nest was chiefly 
 of the latter material, but lined within with fine tendrils. 
 
80 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 When I first observed the nest there was no bird present ; 
 but after waiting awhile, one appeared and was on the 
 point of entering the nest, when it perceived me and 
 moved slowly out of view. Not feeling quite certain of 
 its identity, I waited for nearly another hour to get a 
 second sight of it, when both parent birds came and 
 settled quite close to the nest, and I killed the male. 
 
 The irides in this species are brownish yellow. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 37 33 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 2 1 11 
 
 tarsus 7 ..... 7 
 
 middle toe ....04 04 
 
 tail 16 14 
 
 bill 05 04 
 
 [The disturbed state of tlie nest above referred to, and the 
 presence in it of only one egg, and that of comparatively large 
 size, suggest the probability of a parasitic intrusion by one of the 
 smaller Cuckoos. 
 
 The male specimen from which Mr. Andersson took the 
 measurements above recorded is now in the collection of Mr. R. 
 B. Sharpe. ED.] 
 
 99. AntllOSCOpUS Carol! (Sharpe). Andersson's Blossom-pecker. 
 
 JEgiihalus minutus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 330. 
 JEgithalm Caroli, Sharpe, in Ibis, 1871, p. 415. 
 
 This species, which, as far as my experience goes, is 
 very rare, resembles the preceding one in its habits and 
 also in its general appearance ; but the lower part of the 
 belly, instead of being light yellow, is yellowish brown. 
 
 [Mr. R. B. Sharpe, who possesses three specimens of this little 
 bird, which were all procured by Mr. Andersson at Ovaquenyama 
 
PARIDM 81 
 
 in May and June 1867, has favoured me with the following 
 description of this species. " The entire throat and upper breast 
 white, the abdomen yellowish rufous, the head and back grey 
 throughout, the lores white, the forehead without spots. " In 
 size this species closely resembles A. minutus. Mr. Sharpe, con- 
 sidering this to be an undescribed species, has assigned to it the 
 specific name of Caroli, in remembrance of its discoverer, Charles 
 James Andersson. It has not been figured. ED.] 
 
 100. Parus afer, Gmel. Grisette Tit. 
 
 La Mesange grisette, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 138. 
 
 Parus cinerascens, Andersson, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 6. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 210. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 398. 
 
 Parus afer, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 3331. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 332. 
 
 This species is found sparingly in all the regions be- 
 tween the Okavango towards the north, Lake Ngami 
 towards the east, and the Orange River towards the 
 south, and it also occurs in some parts of the Cape 
 Colony. 
 
 The irides are dark brown. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female. 
 
 Entire length 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 5 6 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 o 3 
 
 Length of folded wing 
 tarsus . 
 
 ...30... 
 ...09... 
 
 . . 2 11 
 ..09 
 
 ,, middle toe . 
 
 ...06... 
 
 ..05 
 
 tail 
 
 ...23. 
 
 ..23 
 
 bill 
 
 7 
 
 7 
 
 101. ParilS niger, Vieill. Southern Black-and-White Tit. 
 
 La Mesange noire, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 137. 
 Parus niger, Gurney, Birds Damar., in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864. p. 2. 
 Andersson, ibid. p. 6. 
 
 G 
 
82 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Parus kucopterus, Layard's Cat. No. 211. 
 Parus niger, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 398. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 333. 
 
 This Tit is to be met with, though more sparingly 
 than the preceding species, in Damara Land and in the 
 neighbourhood of the Okavango Eiver and of Lake 
 Ngami; it is, however, more frequent in the last two 
 districts than in Damara Land proper, and in Great 
 Namaqua Land I have never observed it. It is generally 
 found in pairs, searching amongst the larger trees for 
 insects and their larvae ; it also feeds on seed. The female 
 is distinguished from the male by her inferior size and 
 duller plumage. The irides are dark brown, the bill 
 dark horn-colour, the legs and toes greenish lead-colour. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 59 66 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 3 2 2 10 
 
 tarsus 09 09 
 
 middle toe .... 6 06 
 
 tail 29 28 
 
 bill 6 ...... 6 
 
 LUSCINIDJE. 
 
 102. Drymoica maculosa (Bodd.). Cape Drymoica. 
 
 Drymoica capensis, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 76. fig. 1. 
 
 Andersson, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 7. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 161. 
 
 Drymoica maculosa, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 2731. 
 Drymceca maculosa, Sharpe's Cat. No. 277. 
 
 I have reason to think that this bird is common in 
 some of the southern parts of Great Namaqua Land ; 
 
83 
 
 further south, on the west coast and within the Cape 
 Colony, I have frequently met with it ; and in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Cape Town it is exceedingly common, a 
 pair or two inhabiting almost every garden. 
 
 It is found singly or in pairs ; and its whereabouts is 
 easily discovered by the harsh querulous notes that it is 
 in the habit of uttering almost incessantly. It builds in 
 low bushes ; and the nest is composed of moss, wool, and 
 other soft material, which is artistically and strongly 
 put together. This species feeds on insects, searching 
 for them either on the ground or amongst the low 
 bushes which form its favourite resort; it runs with 
 great rapidity along the ground, and steals through 
 tangled foliage with equal celerity. The iris is yellow, 
 bill brown, and legs pale flesh-colour. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 50 
 
 Length of folded wing ..... 1 10 
 
 tarsus 10 
 
 middle toe . . . . . . 5 
 
 tail 28 
 
 bill 08 
 
 [Mr. Sharpe possesses a specimen of this Drymoica, obtained 
 by Mr. Andersson in Little Namaqua Land. ED.] 
 
 103. Drymoica affinis, Smith. Allied Drymoica. 
 
 Drymoica affinis, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 77. fig. 1. 
 
 } ) Layard's Cat. No. 154. 
 
 Drymceca affinis, Sharpe 's Cat. No. 276. 
 
 [Specimens of this Drymoica, obtained at Ovaquenyama by 
 Mr. Andersson, are in the possession of Mr. R. B. Sharpe. 
 -ED.] 
 
 G2 
 
84 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 104. Drymoica flavicans (Yieill.). Pectoral Drymoica. 
 
 Le Citrin, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 127. 
 
 Sylvia flavicans, Vieillot's Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. vol. ii. p. 175. 
 
 Drymoica pallida, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 72. fig. 2. 
 
 Drymoica pectoralisj ibid. pi. 75. fig. 2. 
 
 Drym&caflavicans, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 148. 
 
 Drymoica pectoralis, Layard's Cat. No. 146. 
 Drymoica pallida, ibid. No. 147. 
 Drymoica sub/lava, ibid. No. 169. 
 Drymceca Ortleppi, Tristram, in Ibis, 1869, p. 207. 
 Drymcecajlavicans, Sharpe's Cat. No. 275. 
 
 1 have obtained specimens of Drymoica pectoralis 
 both in Damara Land and in the neighbourhood of 
 the Okavango. I am sadly puzzled about specimens of 
 D. jftavicans (as well as about some others) called D. 
 pectoralis ; and sometimes I fancy they are all identical, 
 the difference being merely in age, sex, and colour. The 
 male is evidently both larger and more robust than 
 the female, and the latter has the black on the breast 
 less well defined than the male. I have found the nests 
 of these birds (usually containing three, but sometimes 
 four, eggs) at various dates, extending from December 
 20th to April 1st. The nest is very light and graceful, 
 composed of fine grass both externally and internally, 
 and built on a low bush a few feet above the ground. 
 
 The iris is brownish yellow, the bill jet-black, the legs 
 and toes flesh-colour. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 60 
 
 Length of folded wing 21 
 
 tarsus 09 
 
 middle toe 04 
 
 tail 30 
 
 bill ......... 6* 
 
LU8OINIDM 85 
 
 [The female specimen whose measurements are given above 
 by Mr. Andersson is now in the collection of Mr. E. B. Sharpe, 
 who has a fine series of specimens of this Drymoica and who is 
 of opinion that Mr. Andersson was correct in his views respect- 
 ing this species, and that Drymoica flavicans, pallida, pectoralis, 
 and Ortleppi must be regarded as identical; this opinion is 
 shared by Mr. Jules P. Verreaux, who has recently examined 
 Mr. Sharpens collection ; and a similar examination has led me to 
 concur in the same view. Some specimens show no trace of a 
 black gorget, as in Levaill ant's plate of Le Citrin y fig. 2 ; others 
 show it partially, as in fig. 1 of the same plate ; and others, again, 
 fully, as portrayed in Sir A. Smith's plate of D. pectoralis above 
 referred to. The absence or presence of the black gorget is 
 proved by Mr. Sharpens specimens not to be a sexual diiference ; 
 but the gorget may not improbably be a nuptial dress assumed 
 by both sexes : Sir A. Smith, however, gives it as his opinion 
 that the absence of the gorget is a mark of immaturity, which 
 may perhaps be the correct explanation. ED.] 
 
 105. Drymoica OCulariuS, Smith. Rufous- cheeked Drymoica. 
 
 Drymoica ocularius, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 75. fig. 1. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 150. 
 
 Drymceca ocularius, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 398. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 278. 
 
 This species is very sparingly found in Damara Land, 
 but is more common in some parts of Great Namaqua 
 Land. It is generally met with singly or in pairs ; and 
 it is usual to find it amongst the most arid scenes, hop- 
 ping slowly about amongst the branches of low bushes 
 in search of insects. 
 
 The iris is ochry brown, the bill bluish black, the legs 
 and toes flesh-coloured. 
 
86 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. tin. 
 
 Entire length 66 
 
 Length of folded wing 1 10 
 
 tarsus 09 
 
 middle toe 06 
 
 tail 28 
 
 bill .07 
 
 106. Diymoica Smith!!, Bon. Smith's Drymoica. 
 
 Drymoica rvficapilla, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 73. fig. 1. 
 Drymoica Smithii, Bonaparte's Conspectus, vol. i. p. 283. 
 Drymoica ruficapilla, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 
 
 p. 2. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 156. 
 
 Drymceca Smithii, Sharpe's Cat. No. 294. 
 
 I am not aware that this compact little bird is an 
 inhabitant of either Great Namaqua or Damara Land. 
 I first became acquainted with it on penetrating to the 
 Okavango, but even there I do not remember to have 
 seen much of it. 
 
 [A specimen collected by Mr. Andersson, and now in the 
 possession of the Rev. H. B. Tristram, is ticketed "Elephant 
 Vley, October 12th, 1859 ;" two others in the collection of Mr. 
 Sharpe are from the same locality. ED.] 
 
 107. Drymoica chiniana, Smith. Knrichane Drymoica. 
 Drymoica chiniana, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 79. 
 Drymoica subriificapilla, Gurney, Birds Damar., in Proc. Zool. Soc. 
 
 1864, p. 2. 
 
 Drymoica chiniana, Layard's Cat. No. 158. 
 Drymceca chiniana, Sharpe's Cat. No. 281. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's collections contained examples of this species 
 obtained at Objimbinque, and also two obtained in Oudonga ; 
 but the latter were both of them somewhat smaller than the 
 
LUSCINID^. 87 
 
 usual dimensions of this species., of which they are considered 
 to be " a small variety " by the Rev. H. B. Tristram, who pos- 
 sesses one of these specimens, the other being in the collection 
 of Mr. B. B. Sharpe. ED.] 
 
 108. Drymoica Subrnficapilla, Smith. Tawny-headed Drymoica. 
 Drymoica subrujicapilla, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 76. fig. 2. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 160. 
 
 Drymoeca subriificapilla, Sharpe's Cat. No. 280. 
 
 [Mr. R. B. Sharpe possesses a specimen of this bird obtained 
 by Mr. Andersson in Little Namaqua Land. ED.] 
 
 109. Drymoica mfilata, Hartl. Andersson's Drymoica. 
 
 Drymoica chiniana, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 
 
 p. 2. 
 Drymoica rujilata, Finsch & Hartlaub, Vogel Ost.-Afrika's, p. 238. 
 
 I have a couple of specimens somewhat resembling 
 the figure of Drymoica chiniana as given by Smith (111. 
 of Zool. of S. Afr. Aves, pi. 79) ; they were obtained in 
 the neighbourhood of the Okavango. 
 
 [These remarks of Mr. Andersson's were probably intended 
 to apply to the present species, which is nearly allied to D. 
 chiniana, Smith, but has been recently described as distinct 
 by Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub (loc. cit.) from a pair which were 
 sent to me by Mr. Andersson in 1859, and which are now 
 preserved in the Bremen Museum. This species has not been 
 figured. ED.] 
 
 110. Drymoica Levaillantil, Smith. Levaillant's Drymoica. 
 
 Drymoica Levaillantii, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 73. fig. 2. 
 Drymoeca Levattlantii, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 147. 
 
 Drymoica Levaillantii, Layard's Cat. No. 157. 
 Drymoeca Levaillantii, Sharpe's Cat. No. 279. 
 
88 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 I found this bird by no means uncommon in the neigh- 
 bourhood of the Okavango ; its favourite haunts seem to 
 be along the sedgy streams and amongst the rank vegeta- 
 tion of marshy localities. It flits quickly from reed to reed 
 in quest of insects, and is a comparatively tame species. 
 
 The iris is brown ; the upper mandible black ; the 
 lower reddish, but black at the extremity ; the legs are 
 a pale flesh-colour. 
 
 111. Cisticola terrestris (Smith). Ground-Cisticole. 
 
 Drymoica terrestris, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 74. fig. 2. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 159. 
 
 Cisticola terrestris, Sharpe's Cat. No. 273. 
 
 Gurney, in Ibis, 1871, p. 151. 
 
 This species came under my notice in Great Namaqua 
 Land in about 24 or 25 S. lat. ; I have also met with 
 it abundantly in southern Damara Land, and have 
 obtained it in Ondonga. Specimens from Damara Land 
 are of a lighter tint than those from Ondonga, but I 
 have no doubt they are identical. It is common at some 
 large waters on the Omaruru Eiver, but is most difficult 
 to shoot ; it can generally only be shot on the wing as it 
 rises ; and when shot it invariably falls in the reeds, 
 where its diminutive size easily eludes the eye. It is, 
 however, found in many other situations besides reedy 
 localities, but chiefly amongst tall, coarse grasses growing 
 about small periodical watercourses. When disturbed, 
 it rises almost perpendicularly, descending nearly as 
 abruptly, and either burying itself at once in the rank 
 vegetation or first perching on a grass-stalk and gradually 
 
LU8CINID& 89 
 
 creeping out of view, and also out of reach ; for it is 
 difficult to flush it again. 
 
 The food of this little bird consists of small insects. 
 Its eggs, which are four or, rarely, five in number, are 
 sometimes white, or more frequently white freely 
 sprinkled with minute brown spots; but occasionally 
 they are tinged with green, whilst others are of a reddish 
 colour. The nests also vary in form, material, and con- 
 struction ; some are airy and fragile, like the home of a 
 spider, whilst others are pretty compact and more or 
 less pasted on the outside with decomposed grasses ; and 
 it is a remarkable fact that the eggs in the spider-like 
 nests are always whitish, spotted with brown, whilst those 
 in the more complete nests are of a greenish tint but 
 with the same spotting. The nests, which are sometimes 
 globular, are suspended to the stalks of long grasses 
 about a foot above the ground. I have found them with 
 eggs from the 18th of February to the 31st of March. 
 
 The irides in this species are brownish yellow; the 
 upper mandible is light brown, except the edges, which, 
 with the lower mandible, are of a light flesh-colour, as 
 are also the legs and toes. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 43 42 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 2 1 10 
 
 tarsus 09 09 
 
 middle toe ....05 05 
 
 tail 17 16 
 
 bill ...... 8 07 
 
 [This species is a true Cisticola, and possesses twelve rectrices, 
 being the number characteristic of that genus. ED.] 
 
90 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 112, Aedon Subcinnamomea (Smith). Kamiesberg Aedon. 
 
 Drymoica subcinnamomea, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 111. fig. 1. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 151. 
 
 Drymceca subcinnamomea, Sharpe's Cat. No. 295. 
 
 [Sir A. Smith, in his ' Illustrations of the Zoology of South 
 Africa ' (loc. cit.}, figures a single individual of this species, which 
 he obtained " on the top of one of the mountains of the Ka- 
 miesberg in Little Namaqua Land," a locality which brings the 
 species within the geographical range of the present volume. 
 I believe that this specimen is the same that is preserved in 
 the British Museum; and I only know one other example of 
 this species, which was obtained at Colesburg, and is now in 
 the collection of Mr. R. B. Sharpe, to whom it was sent by 
 Mr. Layard. 
 
 Sir A. Smith has placed this species and the succeeding 
 one, which is very closely allied to it, in the genus Drymoica, 
 but with the following remark in his article on the present 
 species : " In its general aspect this bird has much of what 
 characterizes birds of the group Drymoica ; but when its indi- 
 vidual characters are closely surveyed it is found to want that 
 which would entitle it to be classed among typical species ; or, 
 in other words, it exhibits what requires it to be viewed as an 
 aberrant form/' 
 
 Both this and the succeeding species appear to me to be more 
 nearly allied to the genus Aedon than to Drymoica -, and I have 
 therefore so arranged them, though not without some doubt as 
 to whether they ought not rather to be placed by themselves in 
 a separate and distinct genus. ED.] 
 
 113. Aedon fasdolata (Smith). Easciolated Aedon. 
 
 Drymoica fasciolata, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 111. fig. 2. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 148. 
 
 Drymoeca fasciolata, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 398. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 296. 
 
 Aedon fasciolata, Gurney, in Ibis, 1871, p. 152. 
 
LUSCINIDJE. 91 
 
 This species is common in the neighbourhood of Ob- 
 jimbinque; and I have found a few individuals between 
 that place and Eehoboth ; it greatly reminds me of our 
 Swedish Gardsmygg (the common Wren of England) in 
 its habits, which are somewhat secluded. It frequents 
 dense bush and occasionally trees, searching diligently 
 amongst the branches for insects ; it carries its tail erect 
 when moving about. When disturbed it flies but a short 
 distance at a time, and is easily distinguished by the 
 bright brown on the rump. 
 
 The iris is yellowish brown ; legs pale flesh-colour ; 
 toes the same, but a trifle darker ; upper mandible dark 
 liver-brown, the lower edge and the under mandible 
 dark bluish or purple. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 53 50 
 
 Length of folded wing ...24 22 
 
 tarsus 11 10 
 
 middle toe .... 5 05 
 
 tail 23 20 
 
 bill 08 08 
 
 [Under the head of Aedon subcinnamomea I have explained 
 my reason for assigning that species and the present to the 
 genus Aedon ; and I may remark that the typical species of that 
 genus, the North- African Aedon galactodes (Temm.), has the 
 same habit of carrying its tail raised which Mr. Andersson 
 noticed in Aedon fasciolata (vide J. H. Gurney, Jun., " On the 
 Ornithology of Algeria/' in < The Ibis ' for 1871, p. 83) . ED.] 
 
92 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 114. Aedon leilCOphryS (Vieill.). White-browed Aedon. 
 
 Erythropygia pectoralis, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 49. 
 
 Aedon leucophrys, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 2. 
 
 AZdon leucophrys, Layard's Cat. No. 182. 
 
 Erythropygia pectoralis, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 398. 
 
 Aedon leucophrys, Sharpe's Cat. No. 269. 
 
 This is a pretty common species in the middle and 
 northern parts of Damara Land, and also further to the 
 northward, being very common near Ombongo. During 
 the pairing- and breeding-season it occasionally sings 
 most exquisitely ; and it, moreover, has the power of 
 imitating almost every other bird to be found in its 
 vicinity. It forms its nest, in November and December, 
 on the lower branches of small bushes, rarely more than 
 one or two feet from the ground ; the nest is composed 
 of rough grasses, and is lined with material of the same 
 kind, but of a softer texture. The eggs are two in 
 number. 
 
 115. Aedon paena (Smith). Smith's Aedon. 
 
 Erythropygia paena, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 50. 
 jEdon pcena, Layard's Cat. No. 181. 
 Aedon paena, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 2982. 
 Erythropygia pcena, Chapman's Travels in S. Air., App. p. 398. 
 Aedon pcena, Sharpe's Cat. No. 270. 
 
 This bird is pretty generally distributed over Damara 
 and Great Namaqua Land and the parts adjacent. Its 
 habits are exactly like those of the preceding species ; 
 and I know no birds which they both resemble so greatly 
 in manner, habits, food, &c. as those of the genus Saxi- 
 cola. The present species spends much of its time 
 on the ground and amongst the roots of bushes ; it runs 
 
LU8CINID& 93 
 
 with great swiftness, and raises and droops its tail in 
 quick succession, but does not expand it ; at times it 
 stands quite vertically, with its whole body vibrating 
 with excitement, whilst it rapidly utters a succession of 
 harsh, jarring chirps. 
 
 Two nests of this species, taken on the 5th and 6th of 
 January, contained two eggs each : the nests were com- 
 posed of grass, and lined with fine, soft tendrils ; they 
 were built in thorn-bushes, and placed from twelve to 
 eighteen inches above the ground. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 63 
 
 Length of folded wing 2 10 
 
 tarsus ..10 
 
 middle toe 07 
 
 tail 28 
 
 bill 10 
 
 116. Thamnobia Coryphaeus (Vieill.). Coriphee Bush-creeper. 
 
 Le Coriphee, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 120. 
 Brachypterus coriphceus, Layard's Cat. No. 183. 
 Thamnobia coryphceus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 2990. 
 
 I do not remember to have seen this species in Damara 
 Land ; but I first observed it in the central part of Great 
 Namaqua Land, and from thence southward it became 
 more abundant. It seems partial to low bushes, and may 
 be seen running along the ground from one bush to 
 another with wonderful rapidity ; it also usually adopts 
 this mode of endeavouring to make its escape when 
 pursued. 
 
 The male has a very agreeable song during the 
 
94 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 breeding-season ; it is very brusque in its movements, 
 and frequently utters a chirping noise, at the same time 
 elevating and spreading its tail Peacock-fashion over its 
 back. 
 
 The food of this species consists of insects and berries. 
 The irides are brown, the bill, legs, and toes blackish. 
 
 My specimens are not so dark, especially in the upper 
 parts, as those from the Cape Colony. 
 
 [This species was not contained in Mr. Andersson's Jast 
 collection ; but it was identified in a collection sent by him to 
 England some years previously, as I learn from a memorandum 
 left amongst his papers. ED.] 
 
 117. Camaroptera Olivacea, Sund. Olivaceous Camaroptera. 
 
 Camaroptera olivacea, Sundevall, OfVers. 1850, p 103. 
 
 Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 
 
 p. 2. 
 
 Calamodyta otivacea, Layard's Cat. No. 180. 
 Camaroptera olivacea, Von Heuglin, in Ibis, 1869, p. 140. 
 Camaroptera brevicaudata, Sharpe's Cat. No. 309. 
 
 This species is pretty common in the neighbourhood 
 of the Okavango River, and is also not uncommon in 
 Damara Land proper ; but I did not meet with it in Great 
 Namaqtia Land. It is a very tame bird, and hunts slowly 
 and with great care, examining alike, in quest of insects, 
 both thickets and the largest trees ; it generally carries 
 its wings slightly drooping when thus engaged, and its 
 tail raised at an angle of 45. 
 
 The iris is light brown, the eyelids flesh-coloured, the 
 bill livid horn-colour, and the legs and toes brownish 
 flesh-colour. 
 
LUSCINID^. 95 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 49 46 
 
 Length of folded wing ...23 21 
 
 tarsus 11 10 
 
 middle toe ....06 06 
 
 tail 1 10 19 
 
 bill 09 7i 
 
 [Mr. G. E. Gray in his ' Hand-list of Birds/ No. 2864, and 
 Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub in their work on the f Birds of East 
 Africa/ p. 241, unite this species with its more northern con- 
 gener C. brevicaudata (Riipp.). Notwithstanding the view 
 taken by these high authorities, I am disposed to follow Von 
 Heuglin (loc. cit.) and Blanford (' Geology and Zoology of 
 Abyssinia/ p. 377) in regarding these two nearly allied races as 
 perceptibly and specifically distinct. I am not aware that the 
 southern race has been figured. ED.] 
 
 118. Dryodromas damarensis (Wahl.). Damara Dryodrome. 
 
 Eremomela damarensis, Wahlberg, Ofvers. 1855, p. 213. 
 
 Wahlberg, in Journal fur Orn. 1857, p. 2. 
 
 Dryodromas damarensis, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 2861. 
 
 ,, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 240. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 318. 
 
 I only observed this diminutive species in one locality, 
 a place called Oosoop, on the lower course of the Swakop 
 River ; and even there it was very scarce, so that, though 
 very tame, I have hunted for it whole days unsuccessfully. 
 It is found in small families of from two to six indi- 
 viduals amongst the widely scattered dwarf vegetation ; 
 it hops slowly and systematically amongst the branches, 
 searching diligently for small insects, which constitute its 
 sole food, and uttering all the while a low but distinct 
 chirp. 
 
96 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 The iris is bright yellow ; legs liver-brown ; upper 
 mandible and tip of lower bluish black, remainder of 
 lower mandible bluish brown. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Entire length . . . 
 
 Male, 
 in. lin. 
 
 ...42.. 
 
 . Female. 
 in. lin. 
 40 
 
 Length of folded wing 
 
 ... 1 10 .. 
 
 1 10 
 
 ,, tarsus 
 
 ...08.. 
 
 . 8 
 
 ,, middle toe . 
 
 ...05.. 
 
 ...05 
 
 tail 
 
 1 11 
 
 1 9 
 
 bill 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 [Professor Wahlberg, loc. cit., gives no other locality for this 
 bird than the river Swakop. This species, I believe, has not yet 
 been figured. The following is a copy of Wahlberg' s description 
 of it : " Superne cinereo-olivacea, auchenio capiteque superne 
 et in lateribus cinereis, vertice olivaceo tincto, stria supraoculari 
 vix Tilla. Subtus alba, crisso dilute sulphureo. Cauda rotun- 
 data (rectr. ext. 9 mm. intermedia brevior) fusca, olivaceo 
 tincta. Tectrices alarum inferiores albse, remiges fuscae, extus 
 olivaceo limbatse; l a hrevis ( = J 2 dse ) ; 2 = 7; 3, 4, et 5 jequales, 
 longissimse . . . Femina similis mari sed major et magis olivaceo 
 tincta." ED.] 
 
 119. Dryodromas flavida (Strick.). Black-breasted Dryodrome. 
 
 Drymcecajlawda, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 148 (female). 
 
 Eremomela jftavida, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 
 . p. 2. 
 
 Dryodromasflavida, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 2862. 
 Dryodromasjlavidus, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost- Afrika's, p. 240. 
 Dryodromasflavida, Sharpe's Cat. No. 320. 
 
 It is only in the neighbourhood of the Okavango that 
 I have found this pretty little species at all numerous, 
 and I never saw it either in Damara or in Great Namaqua 
 Land. I generally found it in small flocks, probably 
 
ZU80INIBM 97 
 
 consisting of entire families. It resorts to the denser 
 parts of the forests, and lives entirely on small insects. 
 
 The iris is yellowish brown, the bill almost black, the 
 tarsus flesh-coloured. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 4 10 
 
 Length of folded wing 20 
 
 tarsus 09 
 
 middle toe 05 
 
 tail 20 
 
 bill 7 
 
 [The females of this species are destitute of the black gorget 
 which distinguishes the males ; the type specimen, which is pre- 
 served in the Museum of Zoology, at Cambridge, is a female. 
 Neither sex has as yet been figured. ED.] 
 
 120. Eremomela flaviventris (Burch.). Yellow-bellied Bush- 
 
 chirper. 
 
 Sylvia flaviventris, BurchelTs Travels, vol. i. p. 335 (note). 
 EremomelaflaviventriSj Sundevall, Ofvers. 1850, p. 102. 
 Drymoica brachyura, Layard's Cat. No. 171 (part.). 
 Eremomela flaviventris, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 2849. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 317. 
 
 This little bird is sparingly met with from the Oka- 
 vango River on the north to the Orange Eiver on the 
 south, but, on account of its diminutive size and secluded 
 habits, is probably often overlooked. It is found in 
 small families amongst dwarf vegetation, where it dili- 
 gently searches for small insects and their larvae. It is 
 very tame, and is often found in company with othe 
 small birds. 
 
 The iris is dark brown ; the bill dark horn-colour, but 
 yellow at the angle of the mouth, and livid flesh-colour 
 on the basal part of the lower mandible. 
 
 H 
 
98 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Entire length . . . 
 
 Male. 
 in. lin. 
 
 ...41.. 
 
 Female, 
 in. lin. 
 
 3 9 
 
 Length of folded wing 
 
 ...23. 
 
 21 
 
 
 ...09. 
 
 ...09 
 
 ,, middle toe . 
 
 .05.. 
 
 ..04 
 
 tail 
 
 ...18.., 
 
 ,..16 
 
 bill 
 
 ,06 
 
 . 6 
 
 [This species has not been figured. ED.] 
 
 121. Eremomela USticollis, Sund. Brown-throated Bush-chirper. 
 
 Eremomela usticollis, Sundevall, Ofvers. 1850, p. 102. 
 
 Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 2853. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 316. 
 
 I first obtained an example of this species at Objim- 
 binque, on June 7th, 1866 ; it was shot whilst hopping 
 amongst the branches of a lofty tree ; and I have since 
 obtained several other specimens. 
 
 The iris is lemon-colour, the legs yellowish flesh-colour, 
 the upper mandible brown, the lower brownish flesh- 
 colour. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 47 44 
 
 Length of folded wing ...22 22 
 
 tarsus 10 10 
 
 middle toe .... 5 05 
 
 tail 09 09 
 
 bill 07 07 
 
 [As this species has not been figured,, and as Professor Sunde- 
 valPs description of it (loc. cit.) is not readily accessible in England, 
 I annex a copy of it : " Superne cinerea, subtus tota pallide 
 fulvescens lunulajuguli fusco-rufescente. Ala 55, tars. 21. Ros- 
 trum pallidum culmine fusco, pedes pallidi, alse et cauda cinereo- 
 
99 
 
 fusca, tenuissime pallescenti marginatse. Macula juguli, colore 
 obscuro, maculam adustam refert. Adultse quoque in genis 
 eodem colore tinctae. Penna 1. brevis, 2. = 7.Hab. in Caffraria 
 Superiori (25)." ED.] 
 
 122. Calamodyta anindinacea (Linn.). Thrush-like Keed- 
 
 Warbler. 
 
 Salicaria turdoides, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 106. 
 Calamodyta arundinacea, Layard's Cat. No. 178. 
 
 This bird bears some resemblance to the British 
 species, but seems much larger. I found it plentiful in 
 the reedy marshes at Omanbonde. It was always sing- 
 ing, but on the approach of danger immediately retired 
 to the thickest parts of its reedy resorts. 
 
 [The above note is merely headed by Mr. Andersson " Reed- 
 Warbler ;" but I believe it is intended to apply to this species, 
 as, although I did not meet with any examples of it in Mr. 
 Andersson' s last collection, Mr. Layard writes (loc. cit.) : " Mr. 
 Andersson brought specimens from Damara Land apparently 
 identical with a European bird in the South- African Museum." 
 ED.] 
 
 123. Calamodyta baeticata (Vieill.). Isabelle Eeed- Warbler. 
 
 L'IsdbeUe, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 121. fig. 2. 
 Sylvia bceticata, Vieillot's Nouv. Diet. vol. xi. p. 195. 
 Calamodyta b&ticula, Layard's Cat. No. 175. 
 Calamodyta rufescens, Layard's Cat. No. 176. 
 Calamoherpe rufescens, Gurney in Ibis, 1869, p. 292. 
 Calamodyta baticula, Layard in Ibis, 1869, pp. 365 & 366. 
 Calamodyta bceticata, Ibis, 1869, p. 365 (note). 
 Calamoherpe bczticata, Sharpe's Cat. No. 305. 
 
 I have obtained this bird on a few occasions in 
 Damara Land ; it feeds on small worms, aquatic insects, 
 &c. 
 
 H2 
 
100 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 124. CalamodllS SChcenobsenilS (Linn.). British Sedge-Warbler. 
 
 Salicaria phragmitis, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 110. 
 Calamodus schcenobesnus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 2964. 
 Calamodyta schcenobcenus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 308. 
 
 I obtained two specimens on December 22nd, 1866, 
 at Objimbinque in the bed of the river, amongst some 
 " cotton-plants," on which, and on the ground, they 
 were hopping about in search of insects; they were 
 new to me. 
 
 Iris dark brown ; upper mandible dark horn-colour, 
 lower brownish, but both yellowish at the edge ; gape 
 bright orange-yellow ; legs and toes livid brown. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained the two above- 
 named specimens, which are now in the possession of Mr. B. B. 
 Sharpe, They appear to be identical with examples obtained 
 in England. ED.] 
 
 125. Sylvia hortensis, Gmel. British Garden- Warbler. 
 
 Currtica hortensis, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 121. 
 Sylvia hortensis, Hartlaub's Birds of West Africa, No. 744. 
 
 Malmgren in Ibis, 1869, p. 230. 
 
 Cumica hortensis, Sharpe's Cat. No. 325. 
 
 [Mr. R. B. Sharpe possesses two' specimens of this Warbler, 
 which were obtained in Damara Land by Mr. Andersson. ED.] 
 
 126. Phyllopseuste hypolais (Linn.). European Melodious 
 Warbler. 
 
 Sylvia hypolais, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 133. 
 Sylvia obscura, Smith's Zool of S. Africa, pi. 112. fig. 1. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 190. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 397. 
 
 Ficedula hypolais, Malmgren in Ibis, 1869, p. 230. 
 Phyllopseuste hypolais, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 3042. 
 Hypolais salicaria, Sharpe's Cat. No. 313. 
 
LUSCINID^E. 101 
 
 I observed this Sylvia sparingly in the neighbourhood 
 of the Okavango and in Damara Land ; it is migratory 
 and amongst the earlier arrivals. It sings deliciously, 
 and is found in small flocks hopping about industriously 
 amongst the branches of the smaller trees, preferring 
 such as have a thick tangled foliage, which it slowly 
 examines for small insects and larvse. 
 
 The iris is brown, the legs and toes slate-coloured ; 
 the gape melon-yellow; the upper mandible brownish 
 with yellowish tip and edges, the under mandible yellow 
 tinged with flesh-colour ; the ring round the eyes light 
 yellow. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained specimens of this 
 Warbler, which appeared to be identical with European examples. 
 ED.] 
 
 127. Phyllopseiiste trOChilllS (Linn.). British Willow- Warbler. 
 
 Sylvia trochilus, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 131. fig. 1. 
 Phyllopneuste trochilus, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 
 
 p. 2. 
 
 Sylvia trochilus, Layard's Cat. No. 189. 
 Phylloneuste trochilus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 314. 
 
 I have only observed this species in the neighbour- 
 hood of the Okavango; it is rather lively in its habits, 
 hopping incessantly amongst the foliage, and even 
 suspending itself head downwards from the buds and 
 flowerets of the trees, almost every part of which it 
 explores in search of the small insects which constitute 
 its food. 
 
 The irides are very dark brown, almost black ; the bill 
 brownish, lighter beneath and tinged with yellow ; the 
 
102 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 legs and toes are yellowish brown, but a narrow band at 
 the back of the legs and the soles of the feet are 
 orange-yellow. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length , 4 11 ..... 4 6 
 
 Length of folded wing ...28 25 
 
 tarsus 10 09 
 
 middle toe ....05 05 
 
 tail 21 1 10 
 
 bill 07 0.7 
 
 [Mr. Sharpens collection contains specimens of this species 
 obtained by Mr. Andersson both in Damara Land and in 
 Ovampo Land. ED.] 
 
 128. Pratincola torquata (Linn.). South- African Stoneehat. 
 
 Le Traquet pdtre, Levaillant's Ois. d Afr. pi. 180. 
 Pratincola pastor, Layard's Cat. No. 207. 
 Saxicola rubicola, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 399. 
 Pratincola torquata, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 3276. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 257. 
 
 This bird is common in Little Namaqua Land ; but, to 
 the best of my recollection, I have never seen it either 
 in Great Namaqua or in Damara Land, though it is not 
 infrequent at Lake Ngami. Its habits are solitary, and 
 it is not often that two individuals are seen together. It 
 frequents low bush and marshy ground, perching on the 
 tops of bushes, tall grasses, and reeds, whence it descends 
 in search of insects, which constitute its food, and 
 which it sometimes also captures on the wing, like a Fly- 
 catcher. 
 
 
LUSCINIDJ2. 103 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female. 
 
 in. lin. in lin. 
 
 Entire length 53 4 10 
 
 Length of folded wing ...27 27 
 
 tarsus 10 11 
 
 middle toe .... 6 06 
 
 tail 20 1 10 
 
 bill 09 09 
 
 [The South- African Stonechat appears only to differ from the 
 European Pratincola rubecola in the greater clearness of its 
 general colouring when adult, especially in the males, and in the 
 somewhat greater extent of the white patch on the rump and 
 upper tail-coverts, together with the absence of any rufous tint 
 from the white feathers in the centre of the abdomen and from 
 the under tail-coverts. ED.] 
 
 129. Saxicola familiaris, Steph. Familiar Wheatear. 
 
 Le Traquet familier, Levaillant's Ois.d'Afr. pi. 183. 
 Saxicola familiaris, Stephen's Gen. Zool. vol. xiii. p. 241. 
 Erythropygia Galtoni, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Cont. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 147. 
 
 Saxicola sperata, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 398. 
 Aedon familiaris, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 2980. 
 Aedon Galtoni, ibid., No. 2986. 
 Saxicola familiaris, Sharpe's Cat. No. 249. 
 
 This is the most common Saxicola with which I am 
 acquainted both in Damara and Namaqua Land, from 
 whence it ranges southward along the west coast as far as 
 Table Mountain. It is very familiar in its manners, and 
 will fearlessly approach human habitations, which it not 
 unfrequently enters by the doors and windows. 
 
 It invariably perches on low bushes, whence it watches 
 for passing insects, which it usually seizes on the wing,, 
 though it occasionally descends to the ground for a simi- 
 lar purpose. 
 
104 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Like all the birds of this family it is very restless, 
 now flapping its wings, then raising and expanding the 
 tail or alternately raising and depressing its whole body. 
 It makes its nest on the ground, laying three or four 
 eggs, which are either greenish grey spotted with brown, 
 or nearly white spotted with brown and grey. 
 
 The iris is very dark brown, and the bill, legs, and 
 feet are black. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 62 58 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 3 3 ..... 3 2 
 
 tarsus 1 Oi 11 
 
 middle toe .... 7 ..... 7 
 
 tail 2 7 . . . . 2 6 
 
 bill 10 08 
 
 [I have examined the type specimen of Erythropygia Galtoni, 
 Strickland, which is now preserved in the Museum of Zoology 
 at Cambridge, and which appears to belong to the present 
 species. 
 
 The true Saxicola sperata of Gmelin is quite a distinct 
 species, and may be readily recognized by the whitish colour of 
 the rump, which is rufous in S. familiaris. ED.] 
 
 130. SaxlCOla Schlegelii (Wahl.). Schlegel's Wheatear. 
 
 JErithacus Schkgelii, Wahlberg, Ofvers. 1855, p. 213. 
 
 Wahlberg, Journal fur Orn. 1857, p. 3. 
 
 Saxicola modesta, Tristram, in Ibis, 1869, p. 206. 
 Saxicola Schlegeli, Sharpe's Cat. No. 254. 
 
 This species is very common in Great Namaqua and 
 Damara Land, and frequents alike broken ground, low 
 bush, and old abandoned " werfts ;" it seems to prefer 
 low bushes for perching on, whence it descends to the 
 
LUSCINID^. 105 
 
 ground in search of insects, and runs with great swift- 
 ness in pursuit of its prey. It is tolerably easy of 
 approach. 
 
 Specimens are frequent in Damara Land of a smaller 
 size and paler colour than the ordinary type, which, 
 however, they exactly resemble in habits and manners. 
 
 Measurements of two specimens from Objimbinque, 
 male and female : 
 
 Male. Female. 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 68 60 
 
 Length of folded wing ...38 33 
 
 tarsus 11 10 
 
 middle toe .... 6| 06 
 
 tail 26 26 
 
 bill 09 09 
 
 [This species has not been figured. ED.] 
 
 131. Saxicola Stricklandii, Bon. Strickland's Wheatear. 
 
 Saxicola albicans,- Wahlberg, Ofvers. 1855, p. 213. 
 Saxicola Stricklandii, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 3214. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 253. 
 
 I have only met with this bird in Damara Land, and 
 that at no very great distance from the sea-coast ; it is 
 not uncommon on the extensive plains bordering on 
 Walvisch Bay, and seems to be chiefly confined to such 
 localities. It is of a very friendly, fearless disposition, 
 almost rivalling Saocicola sperata in its familiarity with 
 man ; it will approach a person to within a very short 
 distance, and it is no uncommon thing to see it hopping 
 about amongst the cooking-utensils that may chance to 
 be scattered about a temporary encampment. It spends 
 nearly all its time on the ground, along which it runs 
 
106 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 with great swiftness ; but now and then it may be seen 
 perched on a stone raised a few feet above the level of 
 the plain. Its flight is a kind of alternate dip and rise, 
 and never extends far at a time. 
 
 The food of this species consists of small insects ; its 
 eggs are laid on the ground in a small excavation sheltered 
 by a stone or bush. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 59 
 
 Length of folded wing 38 
 
 tarsus 12 
 
 middle toe 07 
 
 tail 22 
 
 bill 11 
 
 In the adult of this Wheatear the head, auriculars, 
 neck, and back are drab tinted with fawn, the lower part 
 of the back being more strongly tinted than the upper ; 
 a streak over the eye, the chin, throat, breast, belly, 
 under wing-coverts, sides, vent, under and upper tail- 
 coverts, and part of the rump are all more or less white 
 tinted with pale fawn; the wings are grey, with the 
 outer vanes, shafts, and extremities of the primaries 
 brown, and the upper parts narrowly margined with 
 fawn-white, the wing-coverts, secondaries, and tertials 
 being more broadly margined and also tipped with this 
 colour ; the tail is white, with the posterior third brown 
 margined with fawn- white and tipped with grey; the 
 bill is brown, the legs, toes, and claws black. 
 
 The young bird resembles the adult, but the upper 
 parts and sides of the head are mottled with brown ; the 
 breast is also mottled, the rest of the underparts are 
 
LUSCINIDJZ. 107 
 
 white ; the tail is fawn-white for two-thirds of its length, 
 the remainder being less dark and more liberally mar- 
 gined and tipped with fawn-white than in the adult ; 
 the bill, legs, and toes are lighter-coloured than in the 
 adult. 
 
 [As this species has not been figured, and as the descriptions 
 that have been published of it are not very accessible, I have 
 here included that contained in Mr. Andersson's notes. ED.] 
 
 132. Saxicola infuscata, Smith. Great Fuscous Wheatear. 
 
 Saxicola infuscata, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 28. 
 
 Saxicola No. 29, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 146. 
 Saxicola infuscata, Layard's Cat. No. 198. 
 
 Layard, in Ibis, 1869, p. 367. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 252. 
 
 This species is found abundantly in Great Namaqua 
 Land, and also occurs in a few localities in southern 
 Damara Land ; it is found singly or in pairs in open 
 localities interspersed with low bush. It is extremely 
 wary and difficult to approach ; perched on the top of 
 a conspicuous bush it quickly espies the hunter, and 
 immediately takes its departure ; it does not fly far at 
 a time, but always takes care to be beyond the range 
 of the gun. It feeds on insects, which it catches on 
 the wing or on the ground, but it never stays on the 
 ground to search for them there. 
 
 The iris is brown, and the bill, legs, and feet are a 
 very dark brown. 
 
108 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in, lin. 
 
 Entire length 77 
 
 Length of folded wing 44 
 
 tarsus 11 
 
 middle toe 07 
 
 tail 35 
 
 bill 10 
 
 133. Saxicola pileata (Gmel.). Imitative Wheatear. 
 
 Le Traquet imitateur, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pis. 181 & 182. 
 Saxicola hottentotta, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Qrn, 
 
 1852, p. 146. 
 
 Saxicola pikata, Layard's Cat. No. 192. 
 
 Saxicola hottentotta, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 399. 
 Saxicola pileata, Sharpe's Cat. No. 248. 
 
 I have found this species common from Table Moun- 
 tain in the south to the Okavango in the north, in the 
 neighbourhood of which river it may be seen at all 
 times of the year, though in Damara Land proper it 
 only appears during the wet season, and again gradually 
 retreats to more favoured regions as the dry season 
 returns. In the Cape Colony it is one of the best- 
 known birds, and, from its familiar habits and its being 
 frequently seen near cattle and sheep, the Dutch boors 
 have given it the name of " Schaap Wagter " or Shep- 
 herd ; it has also the more local name of " Nagtgaal" and 
 " Eossignol," from a habit it is said to have of singing by 
 night. It is a very tame bird, of a most inquisitive 
 nature, and seems to seek the society of man. 
 \/ The male has a very pleasant and varied song during 
 
 the breeding-season, and is especially remarkable for its 
 strange power of imitating sounds, such as the notes of 
 
LUSCINID^J. 109 
 
 other birds, the barking of a dog, the bleating of a 
 goat, &c. 
 
 The iris in this species is dark brown. 
 
 [Specimens of this bird from Damara Land appear to belong 
 to a race somewhat smaller than that which is found in more 
 southern localities. ED.] 
 
 134. Saxicola leilCOmelsena, Burch. Mountain- Wheatear. 
 
 Saxicola leucomelcena, Burchell's Travels, vol. i. p. 335, note. 
 
 Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 146. 
 
 Saxicola cursoria, Layard's Cat. No. 203. 
 Saxicola alpina, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 399. 
 Saxicola leucomelcena, Sharpe's Cat. No. 241. 
 
 This fine Saxicola is abundantly met with throughout 
 Great Namaqua Land, and also in the south of Damara 
 Land, especially in the valley of the Swakop ; it is 
 partial to localities which abound in rocks, and is found 
 throughout the year in the dreariest and most arid 
 spots, but never at any great distance from the hills, to 
 which it immediately resorts on the least approach of 
 danger. 
 
 Like the rest of its family, this Wheatear is constantly 
 moving about, now fluttering its wings, then rapidly 
 elevating and depressing its tail, and next all at once 
 vibrating in every part of its body with frolic and ex- 
 citement ; it perches on a dry branch, a bush, a stone, 
 or any other spot from which it can obtain a clear 
 view of surrounding objects. It usually seeks its food 
 upon the ground, but will also seize insects on the wing 
 as they happen to pass within its ken and reach ; if not 
 
110 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 disturbed it will return times without number, after 
 such excursions, to the same perch. 
 
 The iris in this species is dark brown. 
 
 [This species has not been figured. ED.] 
 
 135. Saxicola Atmorii, Tristr. Atmore's Wheatear. 
 Saxicola Atmorii, Tristram, in Ibis, 1869, p. 206. 
 
 Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 3235. 
 
 Saxicola Atmorei, Sharpe's Oat. No. 244. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained several specimens 
 of this new Wheatear, obtained at Objimbinque and Hykomkap ; 
 and from these it was described by Mr. Tristram in the ( Ibis ' 
 as cited above, but has not yet been figured. 
 
 Mr. Andersson's notes furnish no account of this species, 
 except the following measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 73 
 
 Length of folded wing 41 
 
 tarsus 12 
 
 ,, middle toe ..... 8 
 
 tail 2 8 
 
 bill 10* ED.] 
 
 136. Myrmecocichla formicivora (Vieill.). Southern Ant-eating 
 Wheatear. 
 
 Le Traquetfourmilier, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pis. 186 & 187. 
 Myrmecocichla formicivora, Layard's Cat. No. 205. 
 Saxicola formicivora, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 399. 
 Myrmecocichla fo?'micivora, Sharpe's Cat. No. 239. 
 
 I have met with this species, though only sparingly, 
 in Damara Land, and in the parts adjacent to the north 
 and east, but I do not recollect having seen it in Great 
 Namaqua Land. It always occurs in pairs in open 
 localities interspersed with bush, on which, or on ant- 
 
LUSCINID^. Ill 
 
 hills, it usually perches. It seeks its food on the 
 ground, watching for insects from its elevated perch ; and 
 when these are observed, descending at once upon them 
 and quickly returning to its post of observation. Its 
 flight is straight, and it moves its short wings with 
 extraordinary rapidity ; but it does not go far at a time, 
 and I never found any difficulty in approaching it. 
 
 [Specimens of this bird from Damara Land were found, on 
 comparison, to be a little smaller than an example obtained in 
 
 Natal. ED.] 
 
 MOTACILLIRE. 
 
 137. Motacilla capensis, Linn. Cape-Wagtail. 
 
 La Lavandi&re brune, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 177. 
 Motacilla capensis, Layard's Cat. No. 219. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 697. 
 
 This is rather a local bird in Damara and Great 
 Namaqua Land, but is found somewhat numerously in 
 moist and humid localities, and is also at times pretty 
 freely met with on the sea-shore. It occurs sometimes 
 in pairs, and sometimes in small flocks. It captures its 
 prey both on the wing and by running along the ground, 
 frequently following in the wake of cattle and picking 
 up such small insects as may chance to be thus dis- 
 turbed. 
 
 The nest of this Wagtail is found in a variety of situa- 
 tions, and is composed of tendrils and soft pliable plants. 
 The eggs are three to four in number, and are generally 
 of a yellow-drab tint, profusely speckled with obscure 
 
112 BIRDS OF DAM AHA LAND. 
 
 spots of pale brown, especially towards the larger end ; 
 but the eggs, even when from the same nest, are subject 
 to some differences, both as regards colour and size. 
 The iris in this species is brown. 
 
 138. Motatilla Vaillantii, Cab. Levaillant's Wagtail. 
 
 L'Aguimp, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 178. 
 
 Motacilla aguimp, Layard's Cat. No. 221. 
 
 Motacilla Vaillantii, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 3572. 
 
 I have only observed this Wagtail on the borders of 
 the Orange Kiver, where it is not uncommon. It is 
 generally to be seen either singly or in pairs, and usually 
 settles on stones or on the ground, along which it runs 
 with great celerity in pursuit of small insects, which 
 constitute its chief food ; and it also skims the surface of 
 the water for the same purpose. 
 
 139. Budytes flava (Linn.). Blue-headed Yellow Wagtail. 
 
 Motacilla neglecta, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 146. 
 
 Motatilla flava, Layard, in Ibis, 1869, p. 73. 
 
 Budytes flavus, Malmgren, in Ibis, 1869, p. 230. 
 
 Budytes Jlava, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 3578. 
 
 Motacilla flava, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 268. 
 
 Finsch, in Trans, of Zool. Soc. vol. vii. p. 239. 
 
 Budytes flava, Sharpe's Cat. No. 702. 
 Ayres, in Ibis, 1871, p. 154. 
 
 I had been fifteen years in Damara Land before I 
 became aware of the existence of this Wagtail, which 
 I first observed at Objimbinque in 1865, when I ob- 
 tained a few specimens, nearly all of which were imma- 
 ture. It is a migratory bird, and appears only in or 
 about the rainy season. 
 
MOTACILLID^. 113 
 
 The irides in this species are an intensely dark brown ; 
 the legs and feet dusky black, as are also the upper 
 mandible and the point of the lower ; the remainder of 
 the lower mandible is a light horn-colour ; in young 
 birds the bill is rather paler. 
 
 140. Anthus Raalteni, Temm. Raalten's Pipit. 
 
 Antlms Raaltenii, Layard's Cat. No. 229. 
 
 Anthus Raalteni, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 361G. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 274. 
 
 [The Rev. H. B. Tristram possesses a specimen of this Pipit 
 obtained in Damara Land by the late Mr. Andersson ; and the 
 same locality is also quoted for this species by Drs. Finsch and 
 Hartlaub, loc. cit. 
 
 This Pipit has not been figured. ED.] 
 
 141. Anthus Caffer, Sund. Caffre Pipit. 
 
 Anthus caffer, Sundevall, Ofvers. 1850, p. 100. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 230. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 691. 
 
 I have found these Pipits common at Objimbinque. 
 Their favourite resorts are open places near moist situa- 
 tions ; a great number are sometimes found together, 
 yet not in flocks ; they mix much with the Wagtails. 
 These birds offer considerable variety of plumage ; some- 
 times they are very light-coloured, and at others their 
 tints are very deep. 
 
 [This species has not been figured. ED.] 
 
 142. Anthus pyrrfionotus (Vieill.). Cinnamon-backed Pipit. 
 
 EAlouette a dos roux, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 197. 
 Alauda pyrrhonota, Vieillot's Nouv. Diet. d'Histoire Nat. vol. i. 
 p. 361. 
 
 I 
 
114 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Alauda erythronota, Stephens's Gen. Zool. vol. xiv. p. 24. 
 Anthus leucophrys, Vieillot's Gal. des Oiseaux, vol. i. p. 262. 
 Anthus sordidus, Riippell's Neue Wirbelth. p. 103, pi. 39. fig. 1. 
 Anthus cinnamomeus, Riippell's Neue Wirbelth. p. 103. 
 Antlms Gouldii, Eraser, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1843, p. 27. 
 
 Gurney, in Ibis, 1860, p. 208. 
 
 Anthus sordidus, Layard's Cat. No. 226. 
 Anthus leucophrys, Layard's Cat. No. 228. 
 Anthus erythronotus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 693. 
 Anthus pyrrhonotus, Gurney, in Ibis, 1871, p. 156. 
 
 Layard, in Ibis, 1871, p. 228. 
 
 This Pipit resembles the foregoing species, but is much 
 larger ; it is widely dispersed over both Damara and 
 Great Namaqua Land. 
 
 143. Anthus campestris, Bechst. Tawny Pipit. 
 
 Anthus rufescens, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 137. 
 Anthus campestris, Layard's Cat. No. 232. 
 
 [Mr. E/. B. Sharpe possesses a single specimen of this Pipit 
 collected in Damara Land by the late Mr. Andersson. ED.] 
 
 TTTEDID2E. 
 
 144. TurduS letsitsimpa, Smith. Ground-scraper Thrush. 
 
 Turdus letsitsirupa, Smith's Append, to Report of Exp. p. 45. 
 Turdus strepitans, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 37. 
 
 Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Oni. 
 
 1852, p. 145. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 237. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 396. 
 
 Turdus letsitsirupa, Sharpe's Cat. No. 183. 
 
 This Thrush is pretty abundant in Damara and Great 
 Namaqua Land, especially the former ; it also occurs 
 in the Lake-regions. It is partially migratory, only a 
 few remaining in Damara Land throughout the year. 
 
115 
 
 It lives chiefly on insects, for which it searches at the 
 roots of trees and amongst low bushes, old leaves, and 
 decayed wood. It scratches somewhat after the manner 
 of a Fowl, and is thence called by the Bechuanas the 
 " Ground-scraper;" it also runs with great celerity. It 
 lives singly or in pairs, and occasionally perches on the 
 topmost branch of some lofty tree. It utters a plaintive 
 half-song, half-call, just as if it were troubled with a bad 
 cold. 
 
 This species breeds about Objimbinque ; and I took a 
 nest containing three young on the 29th of October: it 
 was built on a branch about ten feet from the ground, 
 and was composed exteriorly of grass, the interior being 
 lined with down and feathers. 
 
 The legs in this Thrush are of a light greenish yellow ; 
 the upper mandible of the bill is horn-colour, the lower 
 mandible yellowish. 
 
 There does not appear to be any particular difference 
 in the size of the sexes. 
 
 145. Turdus HbonyanuS, Smith. Knrichane Thrush. 
 
 Turdus libonyana, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 38. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 236. 
 
 Turdus libonyanus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 186. 
 
 In all my wanderings north of the Orange River I 
 have but once met with this Thrush, which I then fell 
 in with in the neighbourhood of the river Okavango. 
 
 [Mr. R. B. Sharpe possesses a specimen of this Thrush ob- 
 tained by Mr. Andersson at Ombongo, Damara Land. ED.] 
 
 I 2 
 
116 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 146. TurduS olivacetlS, Linn. Olivaceous Thrush. 
 
 Le Grivroti, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pis. 98 & 99. 
 Turdus olivaceus, Layard's Oat. No. 240. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 188. 
 
 Messrs. J. and H. Chapman brought away specimens 
 of this Thrush from the Lake-regions ; but I have never 
 met with it to the west of the Lake-country. It is 
 one of the commonest species in the Cape Colony, 
 where it is partially migratory, being found most 
 abundantly at the grape- and fruit-season ; it is fond of 
 almost all kinds of fruit, but when these fail it subsists 
 on beetles and other insects. Its flesh is well-tasted. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female. 
 
 in. tin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 82 8 10 
 
 Length of folded wing ...47 46 
 
 tarsus 1 ..... 1 3 
 
 middle toe ....08 09 
 
 tail 40 35 
 
 bill 10 13 
 
 [Mr. Sharpe possesses a specimen of this Thrush from Lake 
 Ngami, and another from the Orange River. ED.] 
 
 147. MontlCOla brevipes, Waterh. Short-footed Rock-Thrush. 
 
 Monticola brevipes, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 147. 
 
 Petrocincla explorator, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 399. 
 Monticola brevipes, Sharpe's Cat. No. 229. 
 
 This species is not uncommon throughout Great 
 Namaqua Land and the southern parts of Damara 
 Land ; and in one year I found it particularly abundant 
 at Objimbinque. In its habits and manners it resembles 
 Saxicola monticola, and, like it, is partial to localities of 
 
TURDID^. 117 
 
 a rocky nature, as also to abandoned " werfts" and villages. 
 It is rather a voracious feeder, preying on all kinds of 
 insects, from the minutest beetle to the scorpion, of 
 which I have found specimens in its stomach; it also 
 occasionally eats soft seeds. 
 
 The iris is reddish brown ; the legs and toes bluish 
 black, as also is the bill, but with the base of the gape 
 yellow. 
 
 [This species has not yet been figured ; seven specimens 
 obtained at Objimbinque by Mr. Andersson are now in the 
 collection of Mr. R. B. Sharpe. ED.] 
 
 148. Chsetops pycnopyghis (Sclat.). Damara Chaetops. 
 
 Sphenceacus pycnopyyius, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 148, pi. 102. 
 
 Drymceca anchietce, Bocage, in Jorn. Acad. Lisb. 1868, p. 41. 
 Chcetops anchietce, Bocage, in Jorn. Acad. Lisb. 1868, p. 351. 
 Chatops Grayi, Sharpe, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, pi. 14. 
 Chcetops pycnopyyius, Sharpe's Cat. No. 226. 
 
 The only places where I can recollect having caught 
 a glimpse of this rarely seen Rock-Thrush are the Kaaru 
 River, Ongari Ombo, near Jacongana, Okamalute, and, 
 lastly, the Omaruru River, where I obtained one specimen 
 on October 30th, 1866, which I found hopping about 
 amongst some stones thickly overgrown with bush and 
 coarse grass, and strewn with decaying wood. As soon 
 as the bird perceived that it was observed, it imme- 
 diately slipped into the thickest part of this tangled bush, 
 and for some time I thought I had lost it ; but after 
 pelting it with stones it flew out and settled on the lower 
 branch of a small acacia. I found, when shot, that its 
 
118 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 bill was very dirty, from which I infer that it seeks much 
 of its food on the ground ; its stomach contained only 
 small whitish ants (not termites) ; its flesh was light- 
 coloured, and excellently flavoured. The iris was dark 
 brown ; the upper mandible dark horn-colour, the lower 
 livid lead-colour; the tarsi pale brown, the toes a shade 
 or two darker ; there was a space under the eye quite 
 naked; the tail when closed was of equal breadth 
 throughout, but was cuneated when expanded. 
 Measurements of this specimen : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 71 
 
 Length of folded wing 29 
 
 tarsus 10 
 
 middle toe 08 
 
 tail 33 
 
 bill 10i 
 
 [The specimen above referred to is in the collection of Mr. 
 Sharpe, by whom it was figured, loc. cit., under the name of 
 Ch&tops Grayi-, but another example sent home from Mr. 
 Andersson's first journey, and now in the Museum of Zoology at 
 Cambridge, had been previously described by Mr. Sclater, loc. 
 cit., under the name of Sphencsacus pycnopygius. ED.] 
 
 149. CoSSypha caffra (Vieffl.). Jan-fredric Chat-Thrush. 
 
 Le Janfredric, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 111. 
 JBessonornis phatnicurus, Layard's Cat. No. 248. 
 Bessonornis caffra, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 3868. 
 
 This species is sparingly met with on the borders of 
 the Orange River, whence it extends southwards to 
 the Cape, where it is very numerous. It is of a most in- 
 quisitive nature, and seems to court the neighbourhood 
 of man. It is very lively in its movements, either 
 
TUEDID^. 119 
 
 hopping and gliding amongst bushes and plants, or 
 running along the ground with astonishing swiftness, 
 generally accompanying all such movements by rapid 
 expansions and depressions of its tail and wings. The 
 male sings very pleasantly; and his notes have been 
 likened to the following differently intoned syallables, 
 jan-fredric-dric-dric fredric, whence its colonial name 
 of Jan fredric. 
 
 The irides in this species are dark brown, the bill 
 black, the legs and feet livid brown. 
 
 150. Cossypha Mcolor (Sparr.). Vociferous Chat-Thrush. 
 
 Le Reclameur, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 104 
 Bessonornis vociferans, Layard's Cat. No. 245. 
 Cossypha bicolor, Sharpe's Cat. No. 236. 
 
 [Mr. R. B. Sharpe possesses a bird of this species, which was 
 obtained by Mr. Andersson at Objimbinque. ED.] 
 
 PYCNONOTID^]. 
 
 151. PycnonotllS nigricans (Vieill.). Brunoir Bulbul. 
 
 Le Brunoir, LevaiUant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 106. fig. 1. 
 Pycnonotus nigricans , Layard's Cat. No. 261. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlauh's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 297. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 204. 
 
 This bird is found abundantly as far north as the 
 Okavango River, as also in the Lake-regions. It is gre- 
 garious in its habits, often congregating in considerable 
 numbers, and is never found far away from water ; it is 
 active, lively, and noisy, but chatters rather than sings ; 
 its food consists of berries, insects, c. A nest taken in 
 
120 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Damara Land on the llth of October contained two 
 eggs rather hard sat on ; the nest was situated in a 
 dabbe bush, and was composed of twigs and grass exter- 
 nally, lined internally with finer grass. 
 
 The iris in this species is a rather pale yellowish red, 
 and the skin round the eye bright orange ; the bill 
 black, the legs and toes dark shiny brown. 
 
 [Mr. B. B. Sharpe possesses three specimens of this Bulbul, 
 obtained by Mr. Anderssou at Objimbiiique, in Damara Land, 
 in the months of June, July, and September. ED.] 
 
 152. PycnonotllS tricolor, Hartl. Angola Bulbul. 
 
 Pycnonotus capensis, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Om. 
 
 1852, p. 145. 
 
 Lros tricolor, Hartlaub, in Ibis, 1862, p. 341. 
 Pycnonotus tricolor, Sharpe's Cat. No. 211. 
 
 Sharpe, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1871, p. 130, pi. 7. 
 
 fig. 2. 
 
 [Mr. B. B. Sharpe possesses two specimens of this species 
 obtained by Mr. Andersson in January 1867, one at Ova- 
 quenyama, the other in Ondonga. A previous specimen trans- 
 mitted by Mr. Andersson to this country is now in the late 
 Mr. Strickland' s collection at Cambridge, and appears to have 
 been the bird included in Messrs. Strickland and Sclater's 
 Damara list, under the name of Pycnonotus capensis. ED.] 
 
 153. PhyllastrepnUS capensis, Swains. Cape Jaboteur. 
 
 Le Jaboteur, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 112. fig. 1. 
 Phyllastrephus capensis, Layard's Cat. No. 266. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 207. 
 
 This species feeds on seeds. The iris is yellow ; the 
 upper mandible horn-colour, the lower bluish; tarsus 
 bluish. 
 
PYCNONOTID^. 121 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 82 82 
 
 Length of folded wing ...36 35 
 
 tarsus 11 11 
 
 middle toe .... 8 06 
 
 tail 38 37 
 
 bill 10 10 
 
 [Mr. Andersson gives the above particulars from specimens 
 obtained at the Knysna ; but as his last collection contained one 
 example from Lake Ngami, I, on that account, include the 
 species in the present volume. ED.] 
 
 154. Criniger flaviventlis (Smith). Yellow-bellied Criniger. 
 
 Trichophorusjlaviventris, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 59. 
 Criniger jlaviventris, Finsch, in Journ. fiir Orn. 1869, p. 22. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 259. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 196. 
 
 [Mr. Sharpe possesses two specimens of this bird, which were 
 obtained by Mr. Andersson at Ovaquenyama. ED.] 
 
 155. Crateropus bicolor, Jard. Southern Black-and- White 
 Babbler. 
 
 Crateropus bicolor, Jardine, in Edinburgh Journal, pi. 3. 
 
 Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 145. 
 
 Andersson, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 7. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 252. 
 
 ,, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 396. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 216. 
 
 This species is common throughout Damara and Great 
 Namaqua Land, and is also found in the Lake-regions ; 
 it always occurs in flocks of many individuals, and creeps 
 and glides through the mazes of tangled wood and dense 
 thickets with amazing ease and celerity. When alarmed, 
 
122 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 it flies slowly from tree to tree, its flight being feeble. 
 It climbs excellently, and also seems equally at home 
 upon the ground. 
 
 I was fortunate enough to fall in with a nest of this 
 species on the 15th of October, 1866 ; and, considering 
 how common the bird is, I wonder that I have not met 
 with more nests ; this one contained three eggs, in every 
 way very similar to those of Crateropus melanops. The 
 nest was situated in a fork on the very top of a small 
 anna tree, some ten or twelve feet from the ground ; it 
 was composed externally of fine twigs and coarse grasses, 
 and was lined with somewhat finer grass ; it was circular, 
 deep, and very compact. I could both see and hear the 
 parent bird whilst we were robbing the nest ; but it did 
 not come near or appear very solicitous. 
 
 On the llth of December, 1866, I observed a family 
 of these birds, consisting of an old pair and their young, 
 hopping about in an anna wood almost as carelessly and 
 fearlessly as Robins. One of them, evidently the female, 
 led the way, followed by the young, which uttered a 
 querulous, subdued note. In the young birds the tail 
 and wings are of somewhat the same colouring as those 
 of their parents; but the body differs much from the 
 colour of the adult bird, being grey or brownish grey, 
 instead of white. 
 
 The irides in this species are light reddish brown, the 
 bill dark horn-colour, the legs brownish black. 
 
PYCNONOTID^. 123 
 
 156. CrateropUS melanops, Hartl. Dark-faced Babbler. 
 
 Crateropus melanops, Hartlaub in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1866, pi. 37. 
 Sliarpe's Cat. No. 219. 
 
 I have only met with this bird in the northern dis- 
 trict of Damara Land, and in the parts adjacent towards 
 the north and east ; there it is common, and, when not 
 too much disturbed, becomes quite familiar with man. 
 During my encampment in the desert, on my return 
 from the Okavango, there was scarcely a day that a 
 family of these birds did not pay me a visit, coming 
 quite close to my tent, searching for insects amongst the 
 debris, and especially attaching themselves to my cook's 
 establishment. 
 
 The favourite resorts of this species are tangled 
 brakes, where it restlessly hops about amongst the 
 bushes, gradually descending to the ground, exploring 
 on the way, and searching about the roots and amongst 
 the fallen dry leaves for insects and their larvae. It is 
 gregarious in its habits ; and several of its nests are fre- 
 quently found on the same bush or in the immediate 
 neighbourhood of each other. The nest is firmly con- 
 structed of fine twigs lined with some softer materials. 
 The eggs are of a greenish-blue colour, smooth at the 
 extremities, but quite rough on the central parts, with 
 numerous little tubercles. 
 
 157. CrateropUS Jardinii, Smith. Jardine's Babbler. 
 
 Crateropus Jardinii, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 6. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 251. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat, No. 217. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained specimens of both 
 
124 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 this and the preceding species, alike obtained at the river 
 Cunene on the 25th of June, 1867. ED.] 
 
 158. CrateropUS Hartlaubi, Boc. Hartlaub's Babbler. 
 
 Crateropus Hartlaubi, Bocage, Jorn. Acad. Lisboa, 1868, p. 48. 
 Crater opus senex, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 290. 
 Crateropus HartlauU, Sharpe's Cat. No. 220. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection also contained two specimens 
 of this species from the river Cunene, obtained on June 25th, 
 1867, one of which is now in the possession of Mr. E/. B. Sharpe. 
 
 This species has not been figured. ED.] 
 
 OBIOLIDJE. 
 
 159. Oriolus galbula (Linn.). Golden Oriole. 
 
 Oriolus galbula, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 71. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 255. 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 397. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 506. 
 
 The European Golden Oriole arrives in Damara Land 
 with the return of the rainy season ; but it is compara- 
 tively rare, and very few adult birds are seen ; it is exces- 
 sively shy and difficult to approach, both when perched 
 on lofty trees and also when gliding rapidly through 
 the underwood. Its food consists of insects and fruits. 
 
 [Mr. Sharpe possesses an example of this species obtained 
 by Mr. Andersson in Ondonga. ED.] 
 
 160. Oriolus notatus, Peters. Andersson's Oriole. 
 
 Oriolus auratus, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 2. 
 
 Andersson, ibid. p. 6. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 397. 
 
 Oriolus notatus, Peters in Journ. fur Orn. 1868, p. 132. 
 
OEIOLID^. 125 
 
 Oriolm Anderssoni, Bocage in Jorn. Acad. Lisb. 1869, p. 342. 
 Oriolus notatus, Sharpe in Ibis, 1870, pi. 7. fig. 2. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 291. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 508. 
 
 I have only obtained the adult of this splendid Oriole 
 in Damara Land on a few occasions, and that always 
 during the rainy season ; the young, however, are fre- 
 quently met with ; and at the Okavango River the species 
 is more common than in Damara Land proper. The 
 young birds are easily obtained ; but the old are exces- 
 sively shy and difficult to procure, as they always perch 
 on the most elevated and conspicuous trees and retire 
 into the densest parts of tangled brakes and thickets on 
 the least approach of danger. 
 
 The food of this Oriole consists of seeds, berries, and 
 insects. The irides are brown in the young birds and 
 bright red in the adult, the bill is reddish brown, the 
 legs are lead-coloured. 
 
 161. DiCCTims musicus, Vieill. Musical Drongo. 
 
 Le Drongear, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 167. 
 
 Dicrurus divaricatus, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Daniar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, No. 14. 
 
 Dicrurus musicus, Layard's Cat. No. 301. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 446. 
 
 This bird is common in almost all parts of Great 
 Namaqua and Damara Land, and I also found it plenti- 
 ful in Ondonga ; but it is partially migratory. It is an 
 exceedingly fierce bird, and will fearlessly attack any 
 other, the most powerful Falcon not excepted, on which 
 
126 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 occasions its very swift flight and its habit of always 
 keeping above its enemy more than compensates for its 
 inferiority in strength. It is very particular about keep- 
 ing its own locality to itself, and will not rest till it has 
 fairly expelled an intruder, thus becoming a useful ally 
 to the naturalist, to whom it rarely fails to give notice 
 of the presence of a bird of prey, if at all near to its 
 own domain. This species is generally found in pairs ; 
 and at times, especially during the season of incubation, 
 one of these birds may be heard late at night, perched 
 on the top of a tree and uttering the most melodious 
 notes, perhaps rather plaintive, but very soothing and 
 varied ; and again early in the morning, an hour or so 
 before daybreak, he may also be heard carolling to his 
 mate. The song of the Damara Dicrurus is, however, 
 inferior to that of the Dicrurus musicus of the Cape, and 
 its call-note is also not so loud. It breeds in Damara 
 Land, and builds in a fork or branch of a tree. The nest 
 is composed of twigs, and is lined with tendrils or roots 
 of tiny plants, but with no softer lining ; it is so loosely 
 constructed that a person standing underneath it may 
 see the eggs through the bottom of the nest ; these are 
 from two to four in number, of a whitish colour, be- 
 sprinkled with small dark brown spots, which are 
 somewhat clustered at the thicker end. 
 
 These birds feed on insects, and watch for their prey 
 from some elevated perch ; as soon as it is perceived, the 
 bird gives chase, catching it on the wing and nearly 
 always returning to the same perch. This species is 
 said to be particularly destructive to bees. 
 
DICRURID^. 127 
 
 The iris is reddish orange, the legs are brownish black, 
 and the bill is black. 
 
 [The Damara race of Dicrurus musicus appears to be identical 
 with that which occurs in Natal, and slightly smaller than that 
 which inhabits the Cape Colony, from which, however, it does 
 not differ except in its smaller size and inferior song, which 
 latter distinction can, of course, only be appreciated by a 
 naturalist who, like Mr. Andersson, had listened to the notes of 
 both races in a state of nature. 
 
 I am indebted to the kindness of Viscount Walden, who has 
 paid much attention to this group, for the following remarks, 
 and for permission here to quote them : " The Damara 
 Dicrurus is a puzzler : if we take the Cape Dicrurus musicus 
 as our standard, we find that throughout the whole extent 
 of Africa it preserves representative forms; besides these, 
 and coexisting with them, are to be found totally different 
 species, such as D. Ludwiyi, atripenniSj coracinus, modestus, &c. 
 Now the utmost that can be said about the Damara-Land 
 Dicrurus is that it is a representative form of D. musicus, just 
 as D. divaricatus, Licht. (= canipennis, Swains.), is the Sene- 
 gambian representative. The Damara bird is smaller than 
 that of the Cape ; the bill in the Cape bird is longer, and the tail 
 more deeply forked, i. e. the outer tail-feathers are longer than 
 in the Damara bird ; but I do not think that much reliance can 
 be placed on any of these characters ; all that one may assert 
 for certain is that the Damara bird is not so large as that of the 
 Cape, and that it more nearly approaches in size that of the 
 Gambia, namely D. divaricatus, Licht. I cannot detect the 
 least difference between an example from Natal and those from 
 Damara Land ; the Natal specimen is smaller than the Cape D. 
 musicus" The specimens which I have compared from the 
 Cape and from Damara Land quite confirm Lord Walden's 
 observations, except as to the tail in the Cape race being more 
 deeply forked than in birds from Damara Land, a distinction 
 which is barely, if at all, perceptible in the examples which I 
 have examined. The length of the wing from the carpal joint 
 to the tip of the primaries in the Cape race exceeds the cor- 
 
128 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 responding measurement in the Damara bird by about three 
 tenths of an inch ; and the tarsus of the Cape bird is fully one 
 tenth of an inch longer than that of its Damara congener. 
 
 The late Mr. Strickland's collection, now preserved in the 
 Museum of Zoology at Cambridge, contains a Dicrurus from 
 Kordofan, labelled " D. divaricatus-" and to this species Mr. 
 Strickland also referred the Damara race, from which, however, 
 this Kordofan specimen differs in having the secondary wing- 
 feathers about a quarter of an inch shorter, and the bill a little 
 broader at the base. 
 
 For the reasons explained in Lord Walden's remarks, I have 
 not treated the Damara race of this Dicrurus as specifically 
 distinct from that found at the Cape. ED.] 
 
 MUSCICAPIRE. 
 
 162. Melanopepla pammelsena (Stanley). Black Flycatcher. 
 
 Muscicapa lugubris, Miiller's Ois. d'Afrique, pi. 2. 
 Melcenornis ater, Layard's Cat. No. 305. 
 Melanopepla pammelcena, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 4258. 
 JBradyornis pammelcena, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 p. 320. 
 
 [Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub refer (loc. cit.} to two examples of 
 this species obtained in Damara Land, one of which, if not both, 
 was collected by Mr. Andersson. 
 
 A short note in Mr. Andersson's MS., referring to a bird 
 resembling Dicrurus Ludwigi, Smith, and found sparingly near 
 the Okavango River, was probably intended to apply to this 
 species. ED.] 
 
 163. Bradornis mariquensis, Smith. Mariqua Flycatcher. 
 
 Bradornis mariquensis, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 113. 
 JBradyornis mariquensis, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 
 
 1864, p. 2. 
 Andersson, ibid. p. 5. 
 
MUSCICAPID^. 129 
 
 Saxicola mariquensis, Layard's Cat. No. 204. 
 
 Bradornis mariquensis, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 396. 
 
 Bradyornis mariquensis, Sharpe's Cat. No. 262. 
 
 This species is very common throughout Damara and 
 Great Namaqua Land, and is very partial to burnt 
 ground; it usually watches for its prey from some 
 elevated position, whence it pounces on any coming 
 within reach. It appears to me a true Flycatcher in its 
 habits, or a Butcher bird. I have met with its newly 
 fledged young in March and April. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 67 
 
 Length of folded wing 35 
 
 tarsus 10 
 
 middle toe 06 
 
 tail 32 
 
 bill , 9 
 
 164. MllScicapa griseola, Linn. European Spotted Flycatcher. 
 
 Muscicapa grisola, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 65. 
 
 Gurney, Birds Damar. , Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 3. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 281. 
 
 Muscicapa griseola, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 4811. 
 Butalis grisola, Sharpe's Cat. No. 391. 
 
 This species is common in Damara and Great Nama- 
 qua Land, and is found there throughout the year, 
 either singly or in pairs, perching on some low branch 
 of a tree, whence it makes short and rapid excursions in 
 pursuit of such winged insects as may chance to pass 
 within view, frequently returning to the same post of 
 observation, and uttering at intervals a kind of chirping 
 call. The iris is dark brown. 
 
 K 
 
130 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 5 11 
 
 Length of folded wing 35 
 
 tarsus 07 
 
 middle toe 06 
 
 tail 26 
 
 bill 09 
 
 165. Tcllitrea Viridis (Miill.). Tchitrec Flycatcher. 
 
 Le Tchitrec, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 142. 
 
 Tchitrea cristata, Layard's Cat. No. 273. 
 
 Muscipeta cristata (?), Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 396. 
 
 Terpsiphone cristata, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vb'gel Ost-Afrika's, p. 304. 
 
 Terpsiphone viridis, Sharpe's Cat. No. 415. 
 
 I have only observed this very pretty and elegant 
 Flycatcher in the neighbourhood of the Okavango River, 
 where, however, it is scarce ; at Lake Ngami it is less 
 uncommon. The few specimens that I have personally 
 secured were exceedingly wary and difficult to approach. 
 These birds live in pairs and frequent the forests, perch- 
 ing only on the larger trees. The males are said to be 
 very quarrelsome, and to fight with considerable ferocity 
 and tenacity. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 
 Male. 
 in. lin. 
 
 .. 13 3 ... 
 
 Female, 
 in. lin. 
 
 ... 7 3 
 
 Length of folded winsr 
 
 38 
 
 . 3 3 
 
 tarsus 
 
 .09... 
 
 ..08 
 
 middle toe 
 
 .05... 
 
 ... 4 
 
 tail 
 
 .93... 
 
 ... 3 7 
 
 biU 
 
 10 , 
 
 , 10 
 
 [Mr. Sharpe possesses a specimen of this Flycatcher, obtained 
 oy Mr. Andersson at Elephant's Vley. ED.] 
 
MUSCICAPIDJE. 131 
 
 166. Platysteira print (Vieill.). Pririt Flycatcher. 
 
 Le Pririt, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 161. 
 
 Platystira pririt, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Om. 
 
 1852, p. 144. 
 
 Platysteira strepitam, Layard's Cat. No. 271. 
 Platysteira pririt, Sharpe's Cat. No. 410. 
 
 [This species is only doubtfully alluded to in Mr. Andersson's 
 MS. notes ; but his last collection contained some specimens of 
 it, four of which are now in the cabinet of Mr. R. B. Sharpe. 
 Of these, three appear by the tickets to have been obtained at 
 Ovaquenyama in May and June, and the fourth in September 
 at Elephant's Vley. ED.] 
 
 167. Platysteira affinis, Wahl. Wahlberg's Flycatcher. 
 
 Platystira affinis, Wahlberg, OfVers. 1855, p. 214. 
 
 Wahlberg, Journal fur Orn. 1857, p. 3. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 866 
 
 (sub P. pririf). 
 
 Finsch, in Trans, of Zool. Soc. vol. vii. p. 315. 
 
 Platysteira affinis, Sharpe's Cat. No. 408. 
 
 This species is very abundant in the Swakop valley ; 
 it is usually seen in pairs about large trees, which it 
 explores carefully and systematically in search of insects. 
 It has at times a peculiar far-sounding note, which a 
 stranger might imagine to be uttered by a bird at a great 
 distance, whilst, in reality, the bird is near at hand. 
 
 The iris is a light lemon-yellow on the inner edge, 
 shading off into greenish grey on the outer circle. 
 
 [Mr. R. B. Sharpe possesses four examples of this Flycatcher 
 collected by Mr. Andersson, two of which are marked as from 
 the vicinity of the Swakop River, one from Objimbinque, and 
 one " West of Tjobis." This species has not been figured. 
 
 Mr. Layard, at page 143 of his ' Catalogue of the Birds of 
 South Africa/ mentions Platysteira pristinaria as a species 
 which Mr. Andersson " brought from Damara Land ; " but I do 
 
 K2 
 
132 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 not find it noticed as a Damara species in Mr. Andersson's MS. 
 notes, neither have I seen it in any Damara-Land collection. 
 ED.] 
 
 168. Platysteira torquata (Waterh.). White-tailed Flycatcher. 
 
 Platystira albicauda, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 144. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 395. 
 
 Lanioturdus torquatus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 406. 
 
 I met with this fine Flycatcher in the south of 
 Damara Land ; and I also found it very common, and in 
 many cases paired, about the Omaruru River, in October 
 and November. In the latter locality it was very tame, 
 and I could procure almost any number of specimens ; 
 but in the former it was shy and very restless, seek- 
 ing the thickest part of the tree or bush on which it 
 might chance to be perched immediately that it found 
 itself pursued, and making its escape from the side 
 opposite to that on which its pursuer might be watching 
 for it, not, however, flying far, but settling on the nearest 
 tree on which it deemed itself secure. 
 
 This Flycatcher presents a pleasing appearance on the 
 wing, although its flight is slow and apparently laborious ; 
 it is gregarious in its habits, and seeks its food amongst 
 dwarf vegetation and also on the ground. I love this 
 little bird, it is so odd-looking, and often enlivens with 
 its quaint appearance and movements an otherwise 
 dreary and monotonous solitude. It has a very clear 
 plaintive call-note ; but generally its notes are querulous, 
 and at times not unlike the distant call of a Corncrake. 
 
 The tail-feathers in this species are of extraordinary 
 stiffness. The iris is greenish yellow, the bill almost 
 
MUSOIOAPIDM 133 
 
 black, the legs and toes very dark brown, with a whitish 
 or lead-coloured tint about the joints. 
 
 [As the descriptions which have been published of this species 
 are not readily accessible to many ornithologists, I transcribe that 
 drawn up by the late Mr. Strickland in Strickland and Sclater's 
 paper in the ' Contributions to Ornithology,' loc. cit., which may 
 be the more desirable as (so far as I am aware) no figure of 
 this bird has as yet been published : 
 
 " Front pure white, extending laterally as far as the eyes ; 
 crown, lores, and cheeks deep glossy black; a white spot on the 
 nape, surrounded by black ; back slaty grey ; scapulars black 
 externally, slaty grey within, and obscurely tipped with white ; 
 the middle and greater coverts next the body pure white ; basal 
 third of primaries and the extreme tips of the first three white ; 
 secondaries and tertials black, tipped with white ; the four inner 
 secondaries next the tertials white for one-fourth from the base ; 
 rump and upper tail-feathers thick and downy, cinereous like the 
 back, each feather with an elongate subterminal tear-like spot 
 of black, on the median pair nearly bisected longitudinally by 
 the white shaft; chin, throat, and sides of neck pure white, 
 below which is a black pectoral collar ; sides of breast cinereous ; 
 lower wing-covers black ; middle of breast, abdomen, and lower 
 tail-covers pure white ; feathers of the tibiae white at the tips, 
 black at the base ; beak and legs black. 
 
 " Total length 5" 3'" ; beak to front 6V", to gape 9'", wide 2#", 
 high 2'"; wing 3" 5'", median rectrices 1" 8"', external 1" 7'"; 
 tarsus 1" ' /; . 
 
 " This is the largest species of Platystira I have seen ; the 
 beak is stronger and more compressed at the sides than in the 
 other species, the tail shorter in proportion, and the first primary 
 longer, being nearly two-thirds the length of the fourth." ED.] 
 
 169. Campephaga nigra, Vieill. Black Caterpillar-eater. 
 
 L'Echenilleur noir, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 165 (male). 
 L 'Echenilleur jaune^ id. ibid. pi. 164 (female). 
 
 Campephaya niyra, Gurney, Birds Daniar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 3. 
 Andersson, ibid. 1864, p. 6. 
 
134 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 Campephaga niger, Layard's Cat. No. 296. 
 Campephaga nigra, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 5058. 
 Lanicterus niger, Sharpe's Cat. No. 497. 
 
 I first observed this species, though but very sparingly, 
 in the neighbourhood of the Okavango River; but I never 
 saw it in Damara Land proper or in Great Namaqua 
 Land. It is a migratory bird, and I found it exceed- 
 ingly shy and difficult to approach. I generally observed 
 it moving about in the upper parts of large trees. 
 
 [I have followed Mr. Layard and Mr. Gray, loc. cit., in re- 
 ferring Levaillant's Echenilleur jaune to the female of this 
 species ; but it is possible that it ought rather to be referred to 
 the female of C. melanoxantha, which closely resembles the 
 female of C. nigra ; this, however, is a point which must probably 
 remain an open one. Mr. R. B. Sharpe possesses a specimen of 
 this Caterpillar-eater, which was obtained by Mr. Andersson at 
 Elephant's Vley. ED.] 
 
 170. Ceblepyris pectorallS, Jard. & S. Pectoral Caterpillar-eater. 
 Ceblepyris pectoralis, Jardine & Selby, 111. of Orn. pi. 57 (male). 
 Campephaga Anderssoni, Sharpe, in Proc. of Zool. Soc. 1869, pL 4 
 
 (female). 
 
 Ceblepyris perforates, Sharpe, in Ibis, 1870, p. 432. 
 Campephaga pectoralis, Sharpe's Cat. No. 503. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained one specimen 
 of this species, a female, from Ovaquenyama, obtained June 25th, 
 1867, which was described and figured by Mr. Sharpe, loc. cit., 
 under the name of C. Anderssoni, but was subsequently identified 
 as a female example of C. pectoralis. ED.] 
 
 LANIIRflS. 
 
 171. Lanius minor, Gmel. European Lesser Grey Shrike. 
 
 Collurio minor, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 68. 
 Lanius minor) Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 1852, 
 p. 144. 
 
LANIID^. 135 
 
 Lanius excubitor, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 393. 
 Lanius minor, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vb'gel Ost-Afrika's, p. 330. 
 
 Dresser & Sharpe, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 599. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 483. 
 
 This species is very common in Damara Land during 
 the rainy season ; but on the return of the dry weather 
 it mostly disappears, though I believe a few individuals 
 remain throughout the year. These Shrikes usually 
 perch on some conspicuous tree or other elevated object, 
 whence they can obtain a good view of what passes 
 around them ; they feed chiefly on insects, which they 
 catch both on the wing and on the ground. A great 
 number of these birds are often found in a very limited 
 space and not unfrequently on the same tree. 
 
 The iris is brown, the legs and toes bluish black. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 84 
 
 Length of folded wing 46 
 
 tarsus 10 
 
 middle toe 07 
 
 tail 38 
 
 bill 10 
 
 [Mr. Andersson procured specimens of this Shrike, which are 
 now in the collection of Mr. E. B. Sharpe, in Ondonga, at 
 Elephant's Vley, and at Objimbinque. ED.] 
 
 172. EnneOCtonilS COlllirio (Linn.). Red-backed Shrike. 
 
 L'Ecorcheur, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 64. 
 
 Enneoctonus Anderssoni, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 145. 
 Enneoctonus collurio, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 
 
 p. 3. 
 
 Enneoctornis cotturio, Layard's Cat. No. 310. 
 Lanius collurio, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr v App. p. 393. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 475. 
 
136 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 This Shrike is pretty common in Great Namaqua and 
 Damara Land, as also in the Okavango region, where it 
 breeds. It is migratory, and returns to Damara Land 
 at the approach of the rainy season. It watches from 
 some elevated position for its prey, which usually consists 
 of insects. 
 
 The iris is very dark brown. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 75 
 
 Length of folded wing 39 
 
 tarsus 10 
 
 middle toe . ,07 
 
 
 
 tail 32 
 
 bill 10 
 
 [The type specimen of Messrs. Strickland and Sclater's 
 Enneoctonus Anderssoni, which I have examined at the Museum 
 of Zoology at Cambridge, appears to me to be an immature male 
 of the present species, though in an unusual and, probably, 
 exceptional state of plumage. ED.] 
 
 173. FISCUS COllaris (Linn.). Fiskal Shrike. 
 
 Le Fiscal, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pis. 61 & 62. 
 
 Lanius cottaris, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Om. 
 
 1852, p. 144 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 306. 
 
 Fiscus cottaris, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 5942. 
 
 This Shrike is common in the southern and middle 
 parts of Great Namaqua Land, but further north it is 
 replaced by Lanius subcoronatus ; indeed, where the 
 one species ceases, the other may be said to begin, as, to 
 the best of my belief, L. collaris does not exist in any 
 numbers where L. subcoronatus is found. South of 
 Namaqua Land the Fiskal Shrike is very abundant, and 
 
LANIID^. 137 
 
 nowhere more so than in the neighbourhood of Cape 
 Town, where a pair may be seen in almost every garden. 
 It is a bold, fearless, and quarrelsome bird, never allowing 
 any bird of prey to remain long within its particular 
 district. This species has the habit of impaling its prey, 
 immediately after capture, on a thorn or a naturally 
 pointed stick or branch a custom which is said to have 
 earned for it, from the old colonists, the name of Fiskal, 
 derived from the title of the Dutch colonial magistrate 
 of former times. 
 
 The food of this Shrike consists chiefly of various 
 insects; but it will also attack young birds, rats, and 
 mice. It perches on some branch of a tree commanding 
 a good view, whence it precipitates itself upon its prey 
 when perceived, whether on the ground or on the wing. 
 It flies low, alternately rising and dipping, but invariably 
 in a straight line, and does not move far at a time, , 
 generally only to the first convenient tree. During the - 
 breeding-season battles take place between the males ; 
 and it is at this season also that the bird is heard to sing 
 in a strain at once varied and continuous, accompanying 
 his warblings with many different gesticulations. 
 
 This species builds in the forks of trees, and constructs 
 its nest of bark, moss, and flexible roots, lined inside 
 with feathers, wool, &c. The eggs, which both parents 
 assist in incubating, are four or five in number, broad at 
 one end and very short, of a dusky green, with brown 
 spots clustered thickly round the larger end. 
 
 The iris in this Shrike is black, as also is the bill ; the 
 tarsus is greyish black. There is a slight difference in 
 
138 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 the colouring of the plumage between the specimens of 
 this species which I have obtained to the north of the 
 Elephant River and those which I have shot near Cape 
 Town : in the latter all the dark portions of the plumage 
 of the upper parts, wing, and tail are a very dark black- 
 brown, in fact almost black ; whilst in the former these 
 parts are of a very dark ashy brown, as in L. subcoronatus 
 
 174. FlSCUS SllbcoronatuS (Smith). Coronetted Shrike. 
 Lanius subcoronatus, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 68. 
 
 Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 144. 
 
 Andersson, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 8. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 307. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 393. 
 
 Fiscus subcoronatus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 5943. 
 Lanius subcoronatus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 481. 
 
 This Shrike is common in the northern parts of Great 
 Namaqua Land, and also in Damara Land and the parts 
 adjacent to the east and north. Its mode of flight, 
 manners, and habits are identical with those of the pre- 
 ceding species. The irides are dark brown ; the bill 
 brown horn-colour, but livid at the base of the lower 
 mandible ; the legs and toes are blackish brown. 
 
 175. Urolestes melanoleuCUS (Jard.). South-African Long- 
 tailed Shrike. 
 
 Lanius melanokucus, Jardine & Selby's HI. Orn. vol. iii. pi. 115. 
 Lanius cissoides, Layard's Cat. No. 309. 
 
 Lanius melanoleucus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 394. 
 Urolestes melanokucus, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 335. 
 Urolestes cissoides, Sharpe's Cat, No. 486. 
 
LANIIV&. 139 
 
 I did not find this species in Great Namaqua Land, 
 but first met with it in the central parts of Damara Land, 
 from whence to the river Okavango and to Lake Ngami 
 it is not uncommon. It is found in flocks of a few indi- 
 viduals, which at times create a tremendous hubbub 
 amongst themselves, especially on the approach of a bird 
 of prey; and the moment this alarm is sounded, every 
 little bird in the neighbourhood precipitately betakes 
 itself to a place of safety. 
 
 This Shrike usually seeks its food, which consists of 
 insects, amongst the branches of trees and bushes or on 
 the ground ; but it will also watch for its prey from some 
 elevated perch. 
 
 The irides are of a chocolate-colour, and the bill, legs, 
 and toes of a dark horn-colour. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 17 4 
 
 Length of folded wing 53 
 
 tarsus 13 
 
 middle toe 09 
 
 tail 12 3 
 
 bill 11 
 
 176. NilailS bnibni (Lath.). Brubru Shrike. 
 
 Le Brubru, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 71. 
 
 Nilaus brubru, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 145. 
 
 Nilaus capensis, Layard's Cat. No. 312. 
 Lanius brubru, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 394. 
 Nilaus brubnij Sharpe's Cat. No. 456. 
 
 This species is widely distributed, extending from the 
 Okavango River on the north to Lake Ngami on the east 
 
140 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 and the Orange Kiver on the south. It is nowhere 
 numerous, but is scarcer near the last-named river than 
 in the other localities above referred to. Its usual resorts 
 are forests or large trees, amongst which it hops about 
 incessantly in search of insects. I do not think that I 
 have ever seen more than a pair together. 
 
 The iris is a fine rich brown, with a very slight tint 
 of red ; the bill varies somewhat with age ; but in a male 
 in perfect plumage the upper mandible was very dark 
 horn-colour, the under livid blue ; the legs are greenish 
 blue, the toes somewhat darker. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 59 
 
 Length of folded wing 34 
 
 tarsus 10i 
 
 middle toe ..... 7 
 
 tail 24 
 
 bill , 9 
 
 177. EuTOCephaluS angltitimens, Smith. Southern White-headed 
 Shrike. 
 
 Eurocephalus anguitimens. Cat. of South-African Mus. (1837) p. 27. 
 Strickland & Sclater, Birds Darnar., 
 
 Contr. Orn. 1852, p. 145. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 318. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 485. 
 
 This bird is pretty common in Damara Land and in 
 the parts adjacent, including the Lake-regions. In the 
 neighbourhood of the Okavango I observed single indi- 
 viduals perched on the highest and most conspicuous 
 boughs of trees, from whence they would dart on passing 
 winged insects ; but in the other localities where I met 
 with this species I found it associated in considerable 
 
LANIIDJE. 141 
 
 flocks, which, when disturbed, moved leisurely to the 
 nearest tree, rarely all at once, but one or two individuals 
 at a time, chattering incessantly whilst moving. These 
 flocks frequent indiscriminately bush and forest, hopping 
 about amongst the branches and foliage in search of 
 insects. The flight of this species is straight, with a 
 short, rapid, and quivering motion of the wings. 
 
 The iris is brown, the bill black horn-colour, the legs 
 and toes livid brown. 
 
 [In the very rare Catalogue of the South- African Museum, 
 loc. cit. } the following remarks occur with reference to this 
 species : " Owing to this bird being remarkably shy, specimens 
 were at first procured with difficulty by the Expedition, though 
 small flights of them were frequently observed; subsequently, 
 however, it was remarked that where one chanced to fall wounded, 
 its companions continued hovering about and approaching it 
 until it was removed. This suggested the plan of fixing one 
 with a string by way of decoy; and a concealed hunter was thus 
 sometimes enabled to kill ten or twelve in succession without 
 having occasion to move from his hiding-place." ED.] 
 
 178. Prlonops talacoma, Smith. Smith's Helmet-Shrike. 
 
 Prionops talacoma, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 5. 
 Gurney, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 3. 
 
 Andersson, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 5. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 313. 
 
 ,, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 395. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 470. 
 
 I did not observe this interesting bird until I had 
 passed Omanbonde, in the twentieth degree of south 
 latitude. It is always seen in flocks of from half a dozen 
 to a dozen individuals, which frequent secluded spots, 
 
142 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 where they restlessly hop from branch to branch on the 
 bushes and the lower boughs of the trees, never re- 
 maining long on the same tree, but hunting most syste- 
 matically for insects, which, with the occasional addition 
 of young shoots and leaves, form their food. Whilst 
 some individuals of the nock are examining a tree in 
 search of insects, others keep moving slowly on, but 
 rarely going further than the next tree. When the 
 locality is open, those which first reach a tree fix their 
 gaze intently on the ground, and, if any prey be in sight, 
 pounce upon it with great celerity, their companions, 
 whilst the successful foragers are devouring their booty, 
 continuing to move on slowly as before. 
 
 The irides in this species are of a bright lemon-colour, 
 the fringe round the eyes orange, the bill black, and the 
 legs flesh-coloured. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 80 
 
 Length of folded wing 43 
 
 tarsus 11 
 
 middle toe 06 
 
 tail , 3 7 
 
 ", bill 10 
 
 [Mr. Chapman, in his ' Travels in South Africa/ vol. ii. pp. 
 211, 370, calls this species the " Quagga dzerra," and speaks of 
 its '' ' riding on the withers " of the Quagga ; he also states that 
 it "has a soft, sweet, and pleasant note/' ED.] 
 
 179. Prionops Eetzii, Wahl. Eetz's Helmet-Shrike. 
 
 Prionops Retzii, Wahlberg, Ofvers. 1856, p. 174. 
 
 Wahlberg, in Journal fiir Orn. 1857, p. 1. 
 
 Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 3. 
 
LANIID^. 143 
 
 Prionops Retzii, Andersson, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool, Soc. 1864, 
 
 p. 5. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 366. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 471. 
 
 When encamped in the desert, a few days' journey 
 south of the Okavango, I for the first and only time 
 observed this fine Shrike. The flock consisted of six in- 
 dividuals, an adult male and female and four young 
 birds of both sexes, all of which I secured after much 
 running and dodging, as they were exceedingly wary and 
 watchful, always perching on the loftiest and most ex- 
 posed trees, in which respect they differed from the pre- 
 ceding species, though they resembled it in the manner 
 in which they were feeding when I first saw them. 
 
 The iris in the present species is light orange ; in the 
 adults the ring round the eyes is orange-red, and the bill 
 is of the same colour, paling oif towards the extremities ; 
 the legs pale orange ; the toes yellowish. In the imma- 
 ture birds the colours of these parts are similar, but paler. 
 
 The following description of the plumage is taken from 
 an adult female: The entire head and neck, throat, 
 breast, and belly are glossed with dark green ; the auricu- 
 lars are rather brown ; the back, rump, and upper wing- 
 coverts slaty brown, shading into brown-green on the 
 upper tail-coverts ; the tail dark brownish bottle-green, 
 but with the rectrices (except the two centre ones) 
 broadly tipped with white, which extends for about an 
 inch on the outer vanes of the two lateral rectrices. 
 
 The under tail-coverts are white, and so long as nearly 
 to cover the dark portion of the tail; the wings are 
 brown, but some parts of the outer vanes are glossed 
 
144 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 with green; on the inner vane of the second primary 
 begins a broad white band, extending obliquely across 
 the rest of the primaries ; some of the secondaries and 
 tertials are faintly tipped with light grey; the under 
 surface of the wings has the white bar showing through ; 
 the under wing-coverts are dusky greyish brown; the 
 vent is flossy white, tinted or faintly pencilled with grey. 
 In a young male most of the plumage was greyish brown, 
 but the tail and upper and lower tail-coverts were nearly 
 as in the adult. 
 
 [As this species has not been figured, and as the original 
 description is not readily accessible, I have transcribed in full 
 the descriptive particulars contained in Mr. Andersson's notes. 
 
 Mr. R. B. Sharpe possesses two specimens, which were 
 obtained by Mr. Andersson at Elephant's Vley, and are probably 
 two of those above referred to. ED.] 
 
 180. LaniarillS atroCOCCineilS (Burch.). Southern Crimson- 
 breasted Shrike. 
 
 Lanius atrococcineus, Burchell's Travels, vol. i. p. 387 (note). 
 Malaconottis atrococcineus, Swainson's Zool. 111. n. s. pi. 76. 
 Laniarius atrococcineus, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 145. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 321. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 394. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 464. 
 
 This brilliantly coloured Shrike is pretty generally dis- 
 persed over Damara and Great Namaqua Land, and also 
 over the Lake-regions. It is usually found either singly 
 or in pairs, and is a wary bird, frequenting both open 
 woods and dense thickets, but preferring the latter. In 
 such localities it searches industriously for insects and 
 
LANIID^E. 145 
 
 their larvae, and, whilst thus occupied, occasionally utters 
 pleasant, clear, ringing notes, but with the prelude of a 
 harsh guttural sound. 
 
 This species builds its nest in the fork of a tree, con- 
 structing it roughly of the inner bark of trees, with a 
 few grasses interlaced, but without any softer lining. 
 
 I have found the nest in the more northern portion of 
 Damara Land as early as November ; but one which I 
 met with at Omapju contained two fresh eggs on the 8th 
 of January. The eggs are white, spotted with light 
 brown, and sometimes tinged with green. 
 
 The iris is very dark, the bill black, the legs and toes 
 brown. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 91 89 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 3 11 3 10 
 
 tarsus 14 13 
 
 middle toe .... 7 06 
 
 tail 41 42 
 
 bill . 10, 10 
 
 181. Laniarius major, Hartl. Greater White-breasted Shrike. 
 
 Laniarius major, Hartlaub's Beitr. z. Orn. West-Afr. pi. 5. 
 Dryoscopus major, ejusd., Orn. West-Afr. No. 338. 
 Laniarius major, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vo'gel Ost-Afrika's, p. 344. 
 Tchagra major, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 6041. 
 Dryoscopus major, Sharpe's Cat. No. 450. 
 
 I have received several specimens of this Shrike from 
 the Lake-country. Its habits have not come under my 
 personal observation ; but I am told that it frequents 
 secluded, dense, tangled brakes, and, though not par- 
 
146 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 ticularly shy, is somewhat difficult to obtain, from the 
 nature of its resorts also that it utters pleasant ringing 
 notes. 
 
 The bill and claws are black, the legs and feet 
 brownish. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained two examples of 
 this Shrike, one from Lake Ngami, the other from the river 
 Cunene : in the first of these the rectrices were wholly black, as 
 is usual in this species ; in the second (a male, obtained on the 
 25th of June, 1867) they are all black except the exterior pair, 
 which have a very narrow white tip to the outer web, a variation 
 which I have not met with in any other individuals of this 
 species. Both of these specimens are now in the collection of 
 Mr. K. B. Sharpe. ED.] 
 
 182. Laniarius stictlims, Finsch & Hartl. Chapman's Shrike. 
 
 Laniarius sticturus, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vb'gel Ost-Afrika's, p. 342, 
 
 pi. 5. fig. 1. 
 Tchagra sticturus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 6042. 
 
 [As the type specimen of this bird is stated by Drs. Finsch 
 and Hartlaub, loc. cit., to have been brought from Lake Ngami 
 by Mr. Chapman, I here include it ; but I have not found any 
 specimen of it in Mr. Andersson's collections, nor any reference 
 to it in his notes. ED.] 
 
 183. Dryoscopus cubla (Shaw). Cubla Shrike. 
 
 Le Cubla, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 72. 
 
 Dryoscopus cubla, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 145. 
 
 Laniarius cubla, Layard's Cat. No. 320. 
 Dryoscopus cubla, Gray's Hand -list of Birds, No. 6018. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 454. 
 
 I have observed this Shrike very sparingly in Damara 
 Land, where I met with it first at Okamabute, and 
 
LANIID^. 147 
 
 thence northward as far as the Okavango ; but I nowhere 
 found it common. The few that I saw were either single 
 or in pairs, perching on the larger trees and hunting on 
 the branches with great assiduity for larvae and insects, 
 especially beetles and ants. 
 
 The notes of this species are harsh and loud. It is 
 sometimes in the habit of elevating the lax feathers on 
 the back, which, when fully expanded, almost encircle 
 the bird ; this appears to occur under the influence of 
 amorous emotions, and also when the bird is aroused 
 by fear or curiosity. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Entire length 
 Length of foL 
 tarsus 
 mid 
 tail 
 bill 
 
 184. TelophoniS gutturallS (Mull.). Bacbakiri Shrike. 
 
 Le BacbaJciri, Levaillaiit's Ois. d'Afr. pi 67. 
 
 Telophonus bacbakiri, Layard's Cat. No. 317. 
 
 Telophoi-us ffutturalis, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 6043. 
 
 Lanius backbakiri, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 394. 
 
 Laniarius gutturalis, Sharpe's Cat. No. 465. 
 
 This species is sparingly met with in Damara Land, 
 and only in a few localities ; but as the traveller proceeds 
 southward it becomes more numerous, till on reaching 
 Cape Town it is found in every garden. In Damara 
 Land I have usually found it very shy and retired in its 
 habits, quickly escaping, the moment it finds itself ob- 
 served, into the thickest part of the nearest bush, and 
 
 L2 
 
 
 Male, 
 in. lin. 
 
 .70... 
 
 Female. 
 in, lin. 
 
 6 9 
 
 L win or 
 
 3 4 ... 
 
 . 3 2 
 
 
 . 11 . 
 
 11 
 
 e toe . 
 
 .07... 
 . 2 10 ... 
 
 ... 7 
 ... 2 9 
 
 
 10 , 
 
 10 
 
148 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 thence moving hurriedly on as near to the ground as the 
 locality will admit, so that it is often difficult to flush it 
 a second time. At the Cape, on the contrary, it is very 
 familiar, and is frequently seen perched on the garden 
 walls, whilst it utters a succession of ringing calls which 
 the Dutch liken to the word "Bacbakiri;" but its notes 
 and calls are in fact very varied. 
 
 This Shrike feeds chiefly on insects, but is said oc- 
 casionally to kill and devour young birds ; it hunts for 
 its prey amongst low bushes and on the ground, and 
 runs with great swiftness. It is usually found in pairs, 
 but for some time after the breeding-season the parents 
 are accompanied by their families, which they tend with 
 much care. 
 
 This species builds in thick bushes ; and the eggs, 
 which are four or five in number, of a greenish-blue 
 colour spotted with reddish brown, especially round the 
 thicker end, are incubated by both parents. 
 
 The iris is reddish brown, the bill black, the legs and 
 toes dark lead-colour. 
 
 185. ChlorophoneilS similis (Smith). Yellow-browed Shrike. 
 
 Melaconotus* similis, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 46. 
 Laniarius similis, Layard's Cat. No. 322. 
 
 Melaconotus similis, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 395. 
 Laniarius sulfureipectus, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 356. 
 
 Chlorophoneus similis, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 6047. 
 Laniarius sulfureipectus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 462. 
 
 I have obtained several specimens of this species from 
 
 * The correct spelling of this generic name is Malaconotus. ED. 
 
LANIID^. 149 
 
 Lake Ngami, but have never observed it to the west of 
 that locality. 
 
 [Mr. R. B. Sharpe possesses a specimen of this Shrike from 
 Lake Ngami, and another obtained by Mr. Andersson at the 
 river Cunene, no doubt subsequently to the date of his note 
 above transcribed. ED.] 
 
 186. Pomatorhynchus erythropterus (Shaw). Kufous-winged 
 
 Bush-Shrike. 
 
 Pie-grieche rousse a tete noire du Senegal, Buffon's Planches Enl. 
 
 vol. i. pi. 479. fig. 1, p. 242. 
 
 Lanius erythropterus , Shaw's Gen. Zool., Aves, vol. vii. p. 301. 
 Lanius cucullatus, Temminck's Manuel d'Orn. vol. iv. p. 600. 
 Telophonus senegahis, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Dainar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 145. 
 
 Lanius tchagra, Bree's Birds of Europe, p. 171 (plate). 
 Telephonus senegalensis, Andersson, in Proc. of Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 6. 
 Telophonus erytliropterus^ Layard's Cat. No. 315. 
 Telephonus erythropterus, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 336. 
 
 Pomatorhynchus erythropterus. Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 6052. 
 Pomatorhynchus cucullatus, id. ibid. No. 6053. 
 Lanius erythropterus, Blanford's Geol. & Zool. of Abyssinia, p. 343. 
 Telephonus erythropterus, Finsch, Birds of N.E. Abyssinia, in Trans. 
 
 of Zool. Soc. vol. vii. p. 254. 
 
 (part.), Sharpe's Cat. No. 489. 
 
 Gurney, Jun., Birds of Algeria, in Ibis, 
 
 1871, p. 76. 
 
 I only found this species in the northern parts of 
 Damara Land and after I had passed the northern 
 boundary of that country; it was very shy and never 
 plentiful. It hops about amongst the lower branches of 
 thickly foliaged trees, and is especially partial to low 
 tangled brakes, where it searches incessantly for insects, 
 larvae, and caterpillars. 
 
 [Mr. Layard, in the ' Ibis ' for 1870, p. 460, has shown that 
 this species is quite distinct from the longer- billed P. tschagra 
 
150 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 (Vieill.), figured by Levaillant under the name of "Le tchagra" 
 in the ' Oiseaux d'Afrique/ pi. 70, of which P. longirostris 
 (Swains.) is a synonym. 
 
 The question as to whether the present species and P. trivir- 
 gatus (Smith) are really specifically distinct is a much more 
 doubtful one, and some remarks on that subject will be found 
 in a subsequent page under the head of P. trimrgatus. 
 
 Assuming all the black-headed specimens from different 
 localities, which do not differ from each other except in size, to 
 belong to the present species, it must be admitted that the dif- 
 ferences in size which they exhibit is remarkable, as will be per- 
 ceived from the following measurements of several skins, most of 
 which are in the collection of Mr. R. B. Sharpe, and all specimens 
 possessing the entire black hood. 
 
 Length of Length Length 
 wing from of of 
 
 carpal joint, tarsus. tail, 
 
 in. in. in. 
 
 Specimen A, from Algeria 3^ \\ 4% 
 
 B, from Abyssinia 3| 1 3| 
 
 C, from Bijook, N.E. Abyssinia, rf 3 1J 3| 
 
 D, from Bijook, N.E. Abyssinia, rf 3| 1| 4 
 
 E, from River Gambia 3 1 4| 
 
 F, from River Gambia 3| 1| 4| 
 
 G, from River Volta (West Africa) . . 3 H 3| 
 
 H, from West Africa 3| 1 4 
 
 I, from West Africa 3| If 4 
 
 J, from River Cune'ne' 3f 11 4| 
 
 K, from Elephant's Vley, Northern Da- 
 
 mara Land 4 1| 4^ 
 
 L, from Elephant's Vley, Northern Da- im- 
 
 mara Land, rf 3| 1^ perfect. 
 
 M, from Damara Land 3| 1^ 4J 
 
 N, from Natal, J 3f 1^ 4^ 
 
 O, from Natal, $ 3| 1| 4| 
 
 P, from Eland's Post, South Africa . . 3f 1 4| 
 
 ., Q, from Eland's Post, South Africa, $ . 3| 1 4^ 
 
 R, from South Africa 4 1 4 
 
 ED.] 
 
LANIID^. 151 
 
 187. PomatorhynchllS trivirgatus (Smith). Three-streaked 
 Bush-Shrike. 
 
 Telophonus trivirgatus, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 94. 
 Telephonus trivirgatus, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 
 
 1864, p. 3. 
 
 Andersson, ibid. p. 5. 
 
 Telophonus trivirgatm, Layard's Cat. No. 314. 
 Lanius trivirgatus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 394. 
 Telephonus trivirgatus, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 338. 
 
 Pomatorhynchus trivirgatus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 6053. 
 Telephonus erythropterus (part.), Sharpe's Cat. No. 489. 
 
 This species is by no means uncommon in Southern 
 Damara Land, and it also occurs in the parts adjacent ; 
 it confines itself to dense thickets or low bushes, where 
 it hops about incessantly, flitting rapidly from twig to 
 twig, and passing out of sight directly you have caught 
 a glimpse of it. It is generally found either singly or 
 in pairs. 
 
 Two nests of these birds, which I found in the month 
 of January, were composed of stalks of plants loosely 
 put together and lined with stalks of a softer kind. One 
 nest was placed very low in a low bush, the other about 
 5 feet from the ground in a thorn bush ; each nest con- 
 tained three eggs. 
 
 The iris in this species is purplish, with a narrow 
 greyish ring round the pupil ; the bill is black ; the 
 legs and toes brownish lead-colour. . 
 
 [In the present as in the preceding species some differences of 
 size are observable between different individuals ; but the average 
 measurements are decidedly less than those of the preceding 
 species, as will be seen by the following Table, for the materials 
 of which I am again chiefly indebted to the kindness of Mr. R. 
 B. Sharpe. 
 
152 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 Length of Length Length 
 
 wing from of of 
 
 carpal joint, tarsus. tail, 
 
 in. in. in. 
 
 Specimen A, from River Volta, West Africa . . 2f 1 3 
 
 B, from Fantee, West Africa . . . . 2| 1^ 3f 
 
 C, from Elephant's Vley, Northern Da- 
 
 mara Land, $ 2 1| 3 
 
 D, from Elephant's Vley, Northern Da- 
 
 mara Land, $ 3 If 3 
 
 E, from Objimbinque, Southern Damara 
 
 Land 3 ] 3f 
 
 F, from Objimbinque, Southern Damara 
 
 Land, <$ 3 1^ 3| 
 
 G, from Onani's Mouth, Southern Damara 
 
 Land, c? 3 1 3| 
 
 H, from Onani's Mouth, Southern Damara 
 
 Land, $ 2 1 3^ 
 
 I, from Anna's Wood, Southern Damara 
 
 Land 3| 1 4 
 
 J, Sir A. Smith's type, a $ from Kuri- 
 
 chane, as described by him ... 3 1 4 
 
 All the above specimens are brown-headed birds, except the 
 first, from the river Volta, which appears to have been killed 
 whilst the colour of the hood was changing from brown to black. 
 This circumstance induces Mr. Sharpe to think that P. trwirgatus 
 is in reality merely the immature stage of the smaller form of P. 
 erythropterus : whether such is or is not the fact must be decided 
 by future observations, which it is to be hoped will be made by 
 those who may hereafter have the opportunity. ED.] 
 
CORVIDJ4. 153 
 
 CONIROSTRES. 
 CORVID.E. 
 
 188. Corvultur albicollis (Lath.). Southern Corbivau. 
 
 Le Corbivau, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 50. 
 
 Corvus albicollis, Layard's Cat. No. 330. 
 
 Archicorax albicollis, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 371. 
 
 This Raven-like-looking bird is not, to my knowledge, 
 an inhabitant of Damara Land, but is abundant in the 
 southern portion of Great Namaqua Land, where it 
 remains throughout the year. It is generally found 
 singly or in pairs, but sometimes congregates in flocks. 
 It perches indiscriminately on rocks and trees, and may 
 occasionally also be seen perched on the backs of cattle 
 and of many species of wild animals, whose hides it 
 examines in search of parasitic insects; it, however, 
 passes most of its time upon the ground, where it stalks 
 about with ludicrous gravity, uttering at intervals cries 
 not unlike those of a true Raven. Carrion probably 
 constitutes its chief nourishment ; but it is said also to 
 attack with ferocity and success the young of the smaller 
 quadrupeds. The flight of this species is powerful ; and 
 it occasionally rises to a great height. 
 
 The iris is hazel-brown, the bill very dark brown, but 
 with the tips of the mandibles of a white horn-colour ; 
 the legs and toes are brownish black. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection did not contain a specimen of 
 this species ; but there can be no doubt of the correctness of his 
 identification of it. ED.] 
 
154 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 189. CorvUS SCapulatuS, Daud. Scapulary Crow. 
 
 La Corneille & scapulaire blanc, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 53. 
 Corvus scapulatus, Layard's Cat. No. 331. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 404. 
 
 Sliarpe's Cat. No. 541. 
 
 This species is found in Damara and Great Namaqua 
 Land, and also in the Lake-regions, but is rather a local 
 bird. It is a regular scavenger, being always present 
 where offal is to be had, and at times resorting in num- 
 bers to the bays and inlets of the coast in search of 
 carrion thrown up by the waves ; indeed its scent and 
 sight for carrion rival those of the Vultures, and it is 
 not unfrequently seen about a carcass before even a 
 single Vulture has appeared. It is quite fearless, and 
 will approach a person within a few steps, but, if once 
 shot at, displays considerable cunning and caution. 
 From its commonness and sociability its presence is often 
 disregarded ; and it avails itself of such opportunities to 
 carry off any pieces of meat and fat which may chance 
 to be within its reach ; but such little depredations 
 are amply compensated by its usefulness as a scavenger, 
 and also in ridding domestic as well as wild animals 
 from the fearfully bloodthirsty ticks which infest their 
 hides. 
 
 Some of the notes of this Crow, more especially 
 on a raw misty morning, are absurdly singular and 
 ridiculous. 
 
 In the heat of the day nearly all the birds of this 
 kind found in a limited locality will join in circling 
 round and round for hours together, sometimes ascending 
 to a very great height. 
 
COEVID^. 155 
 
 I observed the nests of this species in Ondonga, built 
 on palms and other trees, and looking very like Kites' 
 nests. The eggs are of a drabbish blue spotted with 
 pale brown, chiefly about the thicker end ; but I have 
 seen some nearly white, and with the markings more 
 like streaks and lines than spots ; they are generally of 
 a very elongated form. 
 
 The irides in this Crow are hazel-brown, the bill, legs, 
 and toes are black. 
 
 190. CorVTlS capensis, Licht. South-African Rook. 
 
 Le Corneille du Cap, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 52. 
 Corvus capensis, Liechtenstein's Doubletten, Vogel, No. 199. 
 Corvus segetum, Layard's Cat. No. 332. 
 Corvus capensis, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 404. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 542. 
 
 I found this Crow very common in Ondonga, where it 
 nests. In Damara Land it is very local and nowhere 
 common; but it is more frequent in Great Namaqua 
 Land, especially towards the Orange River ; and in the 
 Cape Colony it abounds. 
 
 In Damara Land, where, till lately, the natives never 
 cultivated the ground, it is a shy bird, and I never saw 
 it there near the native villages ; but in the Cape Colony 
 it is pretty sociable, frequenting the cultivated land, 
 where it resorts to the vicinity of domestic buildings, 
 and sometimes follows in the wake of the plough in 
 search of insects and larvae, which constitute its chief 
 food, though it is said that it will also feast upon carrion, 
 and will sometimes plunder the crops of maize. It is 
 
156 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 usually found in small flocks, and is a clamorous bird, 
 uttering harsh choking sounds, just as though its crop 
 were too full. 
 
 The nests of this species, which I observed in On- 
 donga, were built on palm trees ; the eggs have a buffy 
 ground-colour, and are thickly sprinkled with spots, 
 some of which are reddish and others brown, giving the 
 entire egg more or less of a pinkish hue. 
 
 The irides are dark brown, the bill, legs, and toes 
 dark horn-colour. 
 
 STUKNIDJE. 
 
 191. CmnyricincluS Verreauxi (Bocage). Verreaux's Glossy 
 Starling. 
 
 Pholidauges leucogaster, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 
 p. 3. 
 
 ,, Andersson, ibid. p. 6. 
 
 Juida leucogaster (part.), Layard's Cat. No. 346. 
 Lamprotornis leucogaster, Chapman's Travels in S, Air., App. p. 404. 
 Pholidauges leucogaster (part.), Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost- 
 
 Afrika's, p. 376. 
 
 Pholidauges' Verreauxi^ id. ibid. p. 867. 
 Cinnyricinclus Bocagei, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 6349. 
 Pholidauges Verreauxii, S-harpe's Cat. No. 515. 
 
 This species is common in Damara Land and to the 
 northward, but only as a migratory bird, arriving at the 
 approach of the rainy season, and gradually leaving as 
 the country dries up, though I have observed a few 
 individuals remaining long after the general emigration 
 was over ; and these may probably stay throughout the 
 year. The exquisitely coloured males arrive first, and, 
 so far as I have observed, .associate but little with the 
 
STURNID& 157 
 
 sombre females, from which they differ so marvellously 
 in appearance. 
 
 The following is the description of an adult male and 
 a female : 
 
 Male. Head, neck, back, and scapulars, upper tail- 
 coverts, and the exposed parts of the wings in general, 
 also the chin, throat, and breast of the most beautiful 
 deep blue and violet, with dazzling purple, puce, and 
 bronze shades when exposed to a full light ; primaries 
 dark brown; secondaries and tertials darker brown, 
 broadly margined and glossed with the same colours as 
 the upper part of the plumage ; on the tertials there is 
 also a greenish reflection, which is even more conspicu- 
 ous in the two middle tail-feathers ; the rest of the tail- 
 feathers are brown, with violet and purple reflections, 
 strongest on the outer vanes, except the lateral rectrices, 
 in which the lower portion of the outer web is white ; the 
 belly, flanks, vent, and under tail-coverts are white, the 
 thighs white mottled with fawn. 
 
 Female. The whole of the upper part of the plumage 
 brown, but with a spotted appearance on the head and 
 sides of the neck, caused by the brown feathers being 
 edged on two sides with reddish fawn, which also sur- 
 rounds nearly the whole of the feathers on the back, but 
 is there much paler. The inner vanes of the primaries are 
 cinnamon-coloured, which becomes paler on those of the 
 secondaries and quite obscure on those of the tertials ; 
 the secondary and tertial wing-coverts are broadly mar- 
 gined and edged with fawn. The whole of the under- 
 parts are white, faintly dashed with fawn on the chin 
 
158 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 and throat ; streaked with brown on the breast and legs, 
 closely so on the belly and flanks, the under tail-coverts 
 being marked with a few isolated and very small spots. 
 
 The irides in this species are light chrome-yellow, the 
 bill black, the legs brownish, and the toes the same but 
 darker. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 70 6 11 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 4 3 10 
 
 tarsus 11 10 
 
 middle toe ....07 07 
 
 tail 24 24 
 
 bill 11 10 
 
 [Mr. R. B. Sharpe has called my attention to the circum- 
 stance that the Pholidauges inhabiting Damara Land is not (as, 
 in common with some other ornithologists, including the late 
 Mr. Andersson, I had previously supposed) Pholidauges leuco- 
 gaster, but the nearly related P. Verreauxii, chiefly distinguished 
 from P. leucogaster by the white ending to the external vane of 
 the lateral rectrices in the adult male, and first noticed as a 
 native of Benguela by the learned Portuguese ornithologist 
 Professor Barboza du Bocage. 
 
 As I believe that no English description of this recently 
 observed species has yet been published, I have here given that 
 drawn up by Mr. Andersson and contained in his MS. notes. I 
 am not aware that Pholidauges Verreauxi has yet been figured. 
 
 Mr. Blanford's observations on the generic affinities of the 
 allied species P. leucogaster, as given in his ' Geology and Zoo- 
 logy of Abyssinia/ p. 367, appear to me to be well worthy of 
 consideration . ED.] 
 
 192. Juida australis (Smith). BurchelTs Glossy Starling. 
 
 Lamprotornis Burchellii, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 47. 
 Juida australis, Strickland & Sclater, Birds of Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 1852, p. 149. 
 
STURNID^. 159 
 
 Juida australis, Layard's Cat. No. 335. 
 
 Lamprotornis Burchelli, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 403. 
 
 Lamprotornis australis, Sharpe's Cat. No. 535. 
 
 This very handsome species abounds in the Lake- 
 regions ; in the Damara country it first becomes abun- 
 dant at Schmelen's Hope, on the upper sources of the 
 Swakop. It is found singly or in pairs, and passes most 
 of its time on large trees, but occasionally descends to 
 the ground in search of insects, which, with berries, con- 
 stitute its chief food. It is, however, somewhat omni- 
 vorous in its habits ; and I have observed its stomach to 
 contain much sand. It is a very shy bird, but very 
 lively, jerking its body and tail (the latter of which it 
 can raise quite perpendicularly) and uttering all the 
 while harsh clamorous notes. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 14 3 
 
 Length of folded wing .... 7 7 
 
 tarsus 19 
 
 middle toe 11 
 
 tail 73 
 
 bill 12 
 
 [The only Damara-Land specimen of this bird which has 
 come under my observation is preserved in the late Mr. Strick- 
 land's collection, at the Museum of Zoology at Cambridge. 
 Mr. Andersson's last collection contained an example from Lake 
 Ngami. ED.] 
 
 193. Juida Mevesii (Wahl.). Meve's Glossy Starling. 
 
 Juida Mevesii, Wahlberg, Ofvers. 1856, p. 174. 
 
 Wahlberg, Journal fur Orn. 1857, p. 1. 
 Lamprotornis Mevesi, Sharpe's Cat. No. 533. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson, in his MS. notes, does not allude to this 
 
160 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 species as having come under his personal notice ; but Mr. R. B. 
 Sharpe possesses three specimens obtained by Mr. Andersson at 
 Ovaquenyama in the months of June and July 1867. ED.] 
 
 194. Lamprocolius phcenicopterus (Linn.). Nabirop Glossy 
 
 Starling. 
 
 Le Nabirop, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 89. 
 
 Spreo bispecularis, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Oro. 
 
 1852, p. 149. 
 Lamprocolius phcenicopterus, Andersson, In Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 
 
 p. 7. 
 
 Jutda phcemcoptera, Layard's Cat. No. 339. 
 Juida aurccta, id. iMd. No. 337. 
 Lamprocolius phcenicopterus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 528. 
 
 This bird is found most abundantly throughout 
 Damara and Great Namaqua Land, in the valleys of the 
 Okavango and of the Teoughe, and in the Lake-regions. 
 Like our European Starling, which it very much resembles 
 in manners and habits, it frequently congregates in large 
 flocks ; it is comparatively tame and easy to approach, 
 and is often met with near villages. Its food is very 
 various, consisting of berries, seeds, and insects, and it 
 is very destructive to fruit-gardens ; its flesh is not un- 
 palatable. 
 
 This species forms its nest in the hollows of trees, 
 lining the cavity well with feathers. The eggs are four 
 in number, of a long oval shape, but tapering much more 
 at one end than at the other ; they are of a pale bluish 
 green, spotted all over with small dots of light brown. 
 
 The iris is bright reddish orange, the bill, legs, and 
 toes more or less black. 
 
 [I have examined the type specimen to which Messrs. Strick- 
 land and Sclater (loc. cit.) gave the name of " Spreo bispecularis" 
 
STURNID^E. 161 
 
 and which is now preserved in the Museum of Zoology at Cam- 
 bridge, and I am of opinion that it is certainly referable to the 
 present species. 
 
 Mr. Layard informs me that he believes the bird included in 
 his Catalogue under the name of Juida aurata is also identical 
 with L. phosnicopterus. ED.] 
 
 195. Spreo bicolor (Gmel.). Spreo Glossy Starling. 
 
 Le Spreo, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 88. 
 
 Juida bicolor, Layard's Cat. No. 342. 
 
 Spreo bicolor, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 6352. 
 
 I have not observed this bird to the west of Lake 
 N garni and to the north of the Orange River ; but it was 
 brought from the Lake-regions by Messrs. J. & H. 
 Chapman, and to the south of the Orange River it is 
 common everywhere. 
 
 This species is gregarious in its habits, being often 
 seen in immense flocks and seeking its food on the 
 ground amongst the herds of cattle. During the vin- 
 tage it resorts to the gardens and vineyards, where it 
 commits great ravages among the grapes ; its flesh is 
 much esteemed. Its notes are similar to those of the 
 European Starling. It breeds in a variety of situations, 
 frequently taking forcible possession of the nests of other 
 birds, such as the Woodpecker, Bee-eater, and Swallow, 
 or establishing itself under the roof or in a hole in the 
 wall of some friendly farmer's homestead ; in default of 
 any of these conveniences, it contents itself by deposit- 
 ing its eggs in a hole in the ground. The eggs are five or 
 six in number, and of a greenish-blue colour spotted with 
 brown. 
 
 M 
 
162 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 The iris is hazel ; the bill very dark brown, but yellow 
 posteriorly, especially on the lower mandible ; the gape 
 is also yellow ; the legs and toes are nearly black. 
 
 [As I have not happened to find this species in Mr. Anders- 
 son's collections, its identification as an inhabitant of Little 
 Namaqna Land and of the Lake-regions rests on Mr. Andersson's 
 authority, hut is no doubt perfectly correct. ED.] 
 
 196. AmydniS caffer (Linn.). Caffire Glossy Starling. 
 
 Le Ndbouroup, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 91. 
 
 Spreo nabouroup, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 149. 
 
 Juida fulvipennis, Layard's Cat. No. 344. 
 
 Lamprotornis fulvipennis^ Chapman's Travel's in S. Afr., App. p. 404. 
 Juida (Nabouroupus) cafra, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 6356. 
 Amydrus caffer, Sharpe's Cat. No. 520. 
 
 This is a tolerably common bird in Damara Land and 
 in the adjacent countries to the north and east, as well 
 as in Great and Little Namaqua Land. It is gregarious 
 in its habits, congregating in small flocks, and is partial 
 to rocky localities ; it sometimes flies at a considerable 
 height, and frequents the water morning and evening. It 
 feeds on seeds, berries, insects, &c. 
 
 The irides are bright yellow, the bill, legs, and toes 
 black. 
 
 197. Dilophus camnculatus (Gmel.). Wattled Starling. 
 
 Le Porte-lambeau, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pis. 93 & 94. 
 
 Dilophus carunculatus, Strickland & Sclater, Contr. Orn. 1852, p. 149. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 353. 
 
 Gracula carunculata, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 404. 
 Dilophus carunculatus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 538. 
 
STUBNIDJB. . 163 
 
 These singular birds appear in Damara and Great 
 Namaqua Land about the beginning of the rainy 
 season, and mostly leave again upon the return of the 
 dry ; but I suspect that a few pairs occasionally remain 
 and breed, as young birds are to be found throughout 
 the year. 
 
 This species is always found in flocks, often consisting 
 of a hundred or more individuals, which greatly remind 
 me of a flock of European Starlings, and are rather shy 
 and difficult to approach ; they feed on worms, berries, 
 and insects, chiefly small coleoptera. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Entire length 
 
 Male, 
 in. lin. 
 
 8 
 
 Female. 
 in. lin. 
 79 
 
 Length of folded wing 
 
 4 8 . 
 
 4 8 
 
 tarsus 
 
 1 
 
 1 1 
 
 middle toe 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 tail 
 bill 
 
 . 2 10 . . 
 1 2 
 
 ... 2 10 
 1 1 
 
 198. Buphaga africana, Linn. Greater Oxpecker. 
 
 Le Pique-bceuf, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 97. 
 Buphaga africana, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 1852, p. 149. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 347. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 539. 
 
 I have only observed this species in the middle districts 
 of the Damara country. It is generally met with in small 
 flocks, which visit the cattle in search of the larvae and 
 ticks with which their hides are often abundantly sup- 
 plied ; and, indeed, I never saw these birds, except when 
 they were occupied in thus searching for insects, though 
 
 M2 
 
164 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Livingstone has recorded his having met with flocks 
 of this species and of its congener, B. erytJirorhyncha, 
 "roosting on reeds in spots where neither tame nor 
 wild animals were to be found"*. 
 
 * The arrival of these birds is announced by a sharp cry ; 
 and the next moment they may be seen in a little flock 
 descending fearlessly on and amongst the cattle, which 
 are at first much alarmed, and run about in wild confu- 
 sion just as they do when troubled with gadflies ; but 
 their apprehensions are soon dispelled and exchanged 
 for sensations of evident pleasure as the Oxpeckers run 
 over their backs, sides, and bellies, like Woodpeckers 
 upon trees, except when an ox, by an occasional jerk 
 or sudden twist, appears to indicate that the claws of 
 the bird have caused something like pain by touching 
 some spot where the skin of the animal happens to be 
 tender. 
 
 The iris in this species is orange, but in one specimen 
 which I obtained it was greyish green, and the bill dark 
 horn-colour instead of the usual coloration of yellow 
 tipped with red. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson, in his work entitled " Lake Ngami," refers 
 
 at p. 214 to the habits of this bird as above detailed, and adds 
 
 that it " is also a frequent companion of the rhinoceros, to which, 
 
 * besides being of service in ridding him of many of the insects 
 
 / \/ that infest his hide, it performs the important part of sentinel. 
 
 On many occasions has this watchful bird prevented me from 
 
 getting a shot at that beast : the moment it suspects danger it 
 
 flies almost perpendicularly up into the air, uttering sharp 
 
 shrill notes that never fail to attract the attention of the rhino- 
 
 * Missionary Travels, p. 546. 
 
STURNID^. 165 
 
 ceros, who, without waiting to ascertain the cause, almost in- 
 stantly seeks safety in a precipitate flight/' 
 
 Mr. R. B. Sharpe possesses a specimen of this bird procured 
 by Mr. Andersson at Ovaquenyama. ED.] 
 
 199. Bubalornis erythrorhynchus (Smith). Buffalo Weaver 
 
 bird. 
 
 Textor erythrorhynchus, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 64. 
 
 Textor niger, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 1852, 
 
 p. 150. 
 Textor erythrorhynchus, Layard's Cat. No 354. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 400. 
 
 Bubalornis erythrorhynchus , Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 6554. 
 Textor erythrorhynchus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 547. 
 
 This large finch-like bird is rather common in Damara 
 Land and also in the Lake-regions, where it is known 
 to the natives by the name of " Tsaba Gushoa." It 
 is a noisy species, gregarious in its habits, breeding in 
 colonies, and constructing many nests in the same tree : 
 it seems to prefer the giraife-acacia for the purpose of 
 nidification ; and it is curious that when these birds have 
 used a tree for this purpose it usually withers in a short 
 time after the building of the nest is completed ; but 
 whether the birds instinctively select such trees as have 
 a tendency to decay, I am unable to say. The collective 
 nests consist externally of an immense mass of dry twigs 
 and sticks, in which are to be found from four to six 
 separate nests or holes of an oval form, composed of 
 grass only, but united to each other by intricate masses 
 of sticks, defying the ingress of any intruder except a 
 
 [* I include in this family the Ploceidce of some authors. ED.] 
 
166 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 small snake. In each of these separate holes are laid 
 three or four eggs, exactly resembling Sparrows' eggs, 
 but much larger. I obtained no less than forty of these 
 eggs (all much incubated), on January 29th, from two 
 low trees standing close together, at Amatoni, in lati- 
 tude 18 south ; and on the following day the birds were 
 busy in repairing one of the collective nests, which had 
 been injured during the collection of the eggs which it 
 contained. I believe these nests are annually added to ; 
 for, so far as I have been able to see, the same nest is 
 retained for several consecutive seasons. 
 
 This species is said by Dr. Smith to be a frequent 
 attendant on the buffalo, and to feed on the parasites 
 which infest the hide of that quadruped : I have never 
 observed this in Damara Land, which may be owing to 
 the buffalo being a scarce animal in that country. 
 
 The irides in this species are brown. 
 
 [Sir A. Smith's account of this bird attending on the South- 
 African buffalo is confirmed by Dr. Livingstone, vide ' Mission- 
 ary Travels/ p. 545. ED.] 
 
 200. Plocepasser mahali, Smith. White-browed Weaver bird. 
 
 Plocepasser mahali, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 65. 
 
 Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 150. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 372. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 401. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 578. 
 
 Damara Land proper would seem to be the stronghold 
 of this species ; but I have also found it abundant at Lake 
 Ngami and in the neighbourhood of the Okavango, and it 
 
FRINGILLID^. 167 
 
 likewise occurs, through less frequently, in Great Namaqua 
 Land. It is gregarious in its habits and may occasionally 
 be seen in large flocks ; it usually frequents the wildest 
 and most desolate spots, far away from either fountain 
 or stream. It feeds chiefly on seeds and insects, which it 
 seeks for on the ground, and, if disturbed, usually takes 
 refuge in the nearest tree, remaining there till the sup- 
 posed danger is passed, when it resumes its previous 
 occupation. At the beginning of the rainy season this 
 bird occasionally, though rarely, sings so melodiously 
 that I have seldom heard any thing more exquisite. 
 Several pairs of these birds build on the same tree, con- 
 structing large rambling nests of coarse grass near the 
 extremities of the boughs: each nest contains two or, 
 rarely, three eggs ; and I have observed that all the 
 old nests have two entrances. 
 
 The bill, legs, and toes in this species are yellowish 
 red. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 70 
 
 Length of folded wing .... 4 1 
 
 tarsus 10 
 
 middle toe .... 8 
 
 tail ..29 
 
 bill , 9 
 
 201. PhiletaerilS SOCius (Lath.). Social Weaver bird. 
 
 Philetcerus kpidus, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 8. 
 
 Philetcerus socius, Layard's Cat. No. 371. 
 
 Euplectes lepidus, Chapman's Travels in S. Air., App. p. 401. 
 
 Great Namaqua Land is the headquarters of this 
 species, and the Orange River is its southern limit ; in 
 
168 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Damara Land proper it is of somewhat rare occurrence. 
 It congregates in large flocks ; and when breeding, many 
 pairs incubate their eggs under the same roof, which is 
 composed by these birds of whole cartloads of grass 
 piled on a branch of some kamel-thorn tree in one 
 enormous mass of an irregular umbrella-shape, looking 
 like a miniature haystack, and almost solid, but with the 
 under surface, which is nearly flat, honeycombed all 
 over with little cavities, which serve not only as places 
 for incubation but also as a refuge against rain and 
 wind. The eggs of this species are three or four in 
 number, of a drab colour, closely speckled with minute 
 spots of purple grey; the eggs, however, vary in the 
 intensity of their ground-colour, and also in the degree 
 to which they are spotted, as well as in their shape, 
 which is in some cases very round, and in others more 
 elongated. 
 
 The irides are dark brown, the bill pale livid horn- 
 colour, the legs and toes light brownish horn-colour. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. tin. 
 
 Entire length 52 
 
 Length of folded wing 29 
 
 tarsus ....... 10 
 
 middle toe 07 
 
 tail 1 7 
 
 bill 8 
 
 [Mr. Anderssoir's collections did not contain a specimen of 
 this well-known Grosbeak; but there can be no doubt of the 
 correctness of his identification, which is confirmed by Mr. 
 LayarcTs statement (loc. cit.) as to the countries which this 
 species inhabits. ED.] 
 
FRINGILLID^. 169 
 
 
 
 202. Hyphantornis spilonotus (Vig.). Spotted-backed Weaver 
 bird. 
 
 Ploceus spilonotus, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 66. fig. 1. 
 Hyphantornis spilonotus, Layard's Cat. No. 360. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 393. 
 
 I am not aware that this species is an inhabitant of 
 either Damara or Great Namaqua Land; but I have 
 received specimens from the Lake-country. 
 
 203. Hyphantornis velatus (Yieill.). Damara Weaver bird. 
 
 Ploceus velatus, Vieillot's Tableau Encyclopedique, p. 702. 
 
 Ploceus mariquensis, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 
 
 p. 3. 
 
 Andersson, ibid. p. 6. 
 
 Hyphantornis capitalis (part.), Layard's Cat. No. 359. 
 Hyphantornis mariquensis (part.), Layard's Cat. No. 364. 
 Hyphantornis Cabanisi, Sharpe's Cat. No. 553. 
 Hyphantornis velatus, Gurney, in Ibis, 1871, p. 254. 
 
 This species is common in Damara Land and the parts 
 adjacent; it is partial to the neighbourhood of water, 
 where it nests, sometimes amongst reeds, and at others 
 on the extremities of the boughs of trees overhanging 
 permanent or temporary waters, many nests being built 
 on the same tree. The nest is firmly composed of strong 
 grasses ; the number of eggs laid in each nest is three ; 
 and the variation of the eggs in colour, shape, and size 
 is astonishing. 
 
 [This Weaver bird does not appear to have been figured ; 
 the male in breeding-dress closely resembles the species which 
 I have figured (in < The Ibis ' for 1868, pi. 10) as the male in 
 breeding-plumage of H. mariquensis, Smith, but is somewhat 
 smaller, and the yellow tints are brighter and more conspicuous. 
 
170 
 
 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 The female resembles in coloration Sir A. Smith's plate of H. 
 mariquensis. 
 
 The following measurements of H. velatus are taken from 
 three specimens now in the collection of Mr. R. B. Sharpe, which 
 were obtained by Mr. Andersson, who recorded the sexes of 
 each : 
 
 Male in full 
 breeding-dress, 
 obtained in On- 
 donga, January 
 22nd, 1867. 
 in. 
 
 51- , 
 
 Male in full 
 breeding- dress, 
 obtained in On- 
 donga, January 
 25th, 1867. 
 in. 
 
 6* , 
 
 Female ob- 
 tained at Ob- 
 jimbinque, 
 Feb. 16th, 1865. 
 
 in. 
 
 Bill from gape |f . 
 
 Wing from carpal joint ... 3 
 
 Tarsus -ft . 
 
 Tail . 2A 
 
 3 
 if 
 
 IH 
 
 u 
 MI 
 
 Two others of Mr. Andersson's skins of this species, which 
 are also now in Mr. Sharpens collection, are evidently changing 
 from a plumage resembling that of the female bird into the male 
 breeding- dress. From these specimens it seems probable that 
 the males of H. velatus, when not in breeding-dress, resemble 
 the females; but, unfortunately, neither the sex of these two 
 specimens is recorded nor the dates at which they were obtained ; 
 one of them, however, is marked as having been procured in 
 Damara Land. ED.] 
 
 204. Euplectes capensis (Linn.). Fellow-Fink Bishop bird. 
 
 Le Grosbec du Coromandel, Buffon's PI. Enl. vol. iv. p. 165, pi. 101. 
 
 fig. 1 (male in breeding-dress). 
 Le Grosbec tachete du Cap, Buffon's PI. Enl. vol. iv. p. 179, pi. 659. 
 
 fig. 1 (male not in breeding-dress). 
 
 Euplectes capensis, Swainson's Birds of West Afr. vol. i. p. 180. 
 Ploceus capensis , Layard's Cat. No. 368. 
 
 This is a comparatively scarce bird in Damara and 
 Great Namaqua Land, but is very abundant at Lake 
 Ngami; it sometimes occurs in large flocks in the 
 open country, and is also found in small communities 
 
FRINGILLID^. 171 
 
 in the neighbourhood of water and in humid situations, 
 where it breeds, constructing its nest of strong grasses 
 and suspending it between the stalks of two or three 
 reeds. 
 
 The iris in this species is dark brown ; the legs and 
 toes straw-brown ; the upper mandible of the bill dark 
 horn-colour, the lower in some specimens of the same 
 colour as the upper, in others of a yellowish-white horn- 
 colour. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Entire length 
 Length of folded 
 tarsus 
 middle 
 tail 
 
 bill 
 
 
 Male, 
 in. lin. 
 ..67... 
 
 Female, 
 in. lin. 
 
 ... 5 9 
 
 winof 
 
 ..37... 
 
 ... 3 
 
 
 . . 11 . . . 
 
 ... 10 
 
 3 toe . 
 
 .. 11 ... 
 
 ... 9 
 
 
 ..28... 
 
 ... 2 
 
 
 , 9 
 
 , 8 
 
 [I have not seen a Damara example of this species ; but, from 
 the measurements above cited and a description contained in 
 Mr. Andersson's MS., I have no doubt his identification of it is 
 correct. With reference to the variation of the colouring of the 
 under mandible in this species remarked by Mr. Andersson, it 
 would appear, from the account given by Mr. Layard (loc. cit.), 
 that it is black during the breeding-season, and horn-coloured 
 at other times. ED.] 
 
 205. Euplectes taha, Smith. Taha Bishop bird. 
 
 Euplectes taha, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 7. 
 
 Ploceus abyssinicus, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 150. 
 
 Ploceus taha, Layard's Cat. No. 367. 
 Euplectes taha, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 401. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 592. 
 
 I do not recollect having met with this bird in Great 
 
172 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Namaqua Land or in southern Damara Land; but it 
 breeds in great abundance in Ondonga, and I have also 
 seen specimens from Lake Ngami. It is found in flocks 
 amongst trees, as well as on the reedy banks of rivers 
 and in marshes, where it suspends its nest amongst the 
 tall stalks of reeds and coarse grasses. The nest is com- 
 posed of fine grass woven somewhat closely together ; 
 the eggs are six or seven in number, white, but 
 sprinkled all over with minute brown specks. 
 
 The iris is brown, and also the bill ; the legs and toes 
 are yellowish brown. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 46 
 
 Length of folded wing 25 
 
 08 
 
 middle toe 06 
 
 tail 16 
 
 bill , ,06 
 
 206. Pyromelana Oryx (Linn.). Ked-Fink Bishop bird. 
 
 Loxia om 1 , Shaw's Nat. Misc. pi. 240 (male in breeding-dress). 
 Ploceus oryx, Layard's Cat. No. 369. 
 
 Pyromelana oryx, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 410. 
 Euplectes oryx, Sharpe's Oat. No. 590. 
 
 This very handsome bird is abundant at Lake Ngami 
 and in Ondonga, and though rarer in Damara and Great 
 Namaqua Land, it is found in those countries also, con- 
 gregating in small communities and frequenting moist 
 situations, where it breeds in January and February. 
 
 In Ondonga its nest may be found in those months in 
 almost every palm bush ; the nest is very pretty, airy, 
 
FRINGILLIDJZ. 173 
 
 and graceful, somewhat oval in form, and composed of 
 threads torn from the edges of the branches of young 
 palms. Some nests are thickly lined, whilst others are 
 quite bare within : in the latter the eggs may be seen 
 from the outside; but notwithstanding the seeming 
 looseness with which the threads are interwoven, the 
 apparently frail structure is in reality very strong. 
 The eggs are of a bluish colour, and from three to four 
 in number. 
 
 The iris in this species is dark brown, as also is the 
 bill ; the tarsus is brownish. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 54 
 
 Length of folded wing 2 10 
 
 tarsus 10 
 
 middle toe 08 
 
 tail 18 
 
 bill 07 
 
 The female is a little smaller. 
 
 207. Quelea Sangllinirostris (Linn.). Latham's Pinch. 
 
 Fringilla quelea, Vieillot's Ois. Chant, pis. 22, 23, & 24. 
 Quelea sanguinirostris, Bonaparte's Conspectus, vol. i. p. 445. 
 Ploceus sanguinirostris, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 150. 
 
 Ploceus Lathamii, Layard's Cat. No. 370 (female). 
 Ploceus sanguinirostris, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 407. 
 
 Quelea sanguinirostris. Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 6618. 
 Ploceus sanguinirostris, Sharpe's Cat. No. 585. 
 
 This is a very common species in Damara Land, where 
 it congregates in immense flocks after the breeding- 
 season ; and it is also common in the Lake-regions. 
 
174 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 The iris is brown, the ring round the eyes reddish 
 orange ; the bill scarlet, merging into vermilion at the 
 base and at the corner of the mouth ; the legs and toes 
 are flesh-coloured. 
 
 Average measurements of four males and two 
 females : 
 
 Males. Females, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 47 47 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 2 7 ..... 2 6 
 
 tarsus 8 ...... 8 
 
 middle toe .... 7 07 
 
 tail 16 15 
 
 bill 06 06 
 
 208. Amadina erythrocephala (Linn.). Red-headed Finch. 
 
 Loxia erythrocephala, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 69. 
 Amadina erythrocephala, Andersson, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 7. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 397. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 402. 
 
 This pretty bird occurs in Great Namaqua Land 
 and at Lake Ngami, also in Damara Land, where, how- 
 ever, it is far from common, except in places, being, in 
 fact, quite a local species. I found it congregated in 
 large flocks on the Omaruru Eiver at the end of October ; 
 and it was also pretty numerous at Objimbinque, where 
 it nested under the eaves of my house and in the adjacent 
 trees in company with the South-African Sparrow (Passer 
 arcuatus), which it exactly resembles in its manners and 
 habits; and I have found the nests of these two species 
 on the same tree, and even on the same bough, as well 
 as side by side under my eaves. The present species 
 forms its nest of small sticks, slender roots, &c., and lines 
 
FRINGILLID^, 175 
 
 it with wool, feathers, or other soft and warm material. 
 The young are fledged in June and July. It seeks its 
 food upon the ground, usually in small flocks, and, when 
 disturbed, takes refuge in the nearest tree or hedge ; it 
 occasionally utters a kind of chirping twitter. 
 
 The bill is pale yellowish brown, the legs and toes 
 bright straw-yellow. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 5 10 
 
 Length of folded wing 30 
 
 tarsus ..08 
 
 middle toe 07 
 
 tail 20 
 
 bill 07 
 
 The female is somewhat smaller. 
 
 209. Alario aurantia (Gmel.). Berg Canarie Finch. 
 
 Le Bouvreuil du Cap de Bonne Esperance, Buffon's PI. Enl. vol. v. 
 
 pi. 204. fig. 2 (male). 
 Amadina alario, Layard's Cat. No. 396. 
 Alario alario, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 7285. 
 
 I only met with this pretty Finch in Great Namaqua 
 Land, where it occurred in small flocks at the water. 
 
 210. Hypochera ultramarina (Gmel.). Ultramarine Finch. 
 
 Fringilla miens, Vieillot's Ois. Chant, pi. 21. 
 
 Amadina nitens, Layard's Cat. No. 398. 
 
 Hypochera nitens, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vb'gel Ost-Afrika's ; p. 430. 
 
 Hypochera ultramarina, Sharpe's Cat. No. 603. 
 
 [This species is not referred to in Mr. Andersson's notes ; but 
 his last collection contained a specimen obtained in Ondonga on 
 January 22nd, 1867. ED.] 
 
176 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 211. Pytelia melba (Linn.). Southern Bed-faced Finch. 
 
 Fringilla elegans, Vieillot's Ois. Chant, pi. 25. 
 
 Pytelia melba, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 1852, 
 
 p. 150. 
 
 Estrelda melba, Layard's Cat. No. 392. 
 Pytelia melba, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 402. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 632. 
 
 This Finch is found sparingly in Damara and Great 
 Namaqua Land, and usually occurs in pairs ; its favourite 
 resort is low bush and old abandoned village fences, 
 whence the Damaras call it the " Kraal bird." Its food 
 consists of seed and insects. 
 
 The iris is orange-brown, the legs and toes purplish. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Lensrth 
 
 of folded winsr 
 
 2 4 
 
 2 4 
 
 
 tarsus 
 
 ..07... 
 
 ... 8 
 
 
 middle toe 
 
 6 
 
 5 
 
 
 tail 
 
 1 11 . 
 
 20 
 
 
 bill 
 
 ,06 
 
 6 
 
 212. Lagonosticta minima (Vieill.). Amadavat Finch. 
 
 Fringilla minima, Vieillot's Ois. Chant, pi. 10. 
 
 Estrelda minima, Layard's Cat. No. 387. 
 
 Pytelia minima, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 444. 
 
 Lag&nosticta minima, Sharpe's Cat. No. 631. 
 
 I never saw but one individual of this diminutive 
 Finch a male obtained at Ondonga, Nov. 25th, 1866. 
 Measurements of this specimen : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 41 
 
 Length of folded wing 1 11 
 
 tarsus 05 
 
 middle toe 05 
 
 tail 16 
 
 bill 4 
 
FRINOILLTDM 177 
 
 [The specimen above mentioned is now in the collection of 
 Mr. R. B. Sharpe, and also a female subsequently obtained by 
 Mr. Andersson at Ovaquenyama on May 25th, 1867. ED.] 
 
 213. Sporopipes squamifrons (Smith). Scutellated Finch. 
 
 Amadina squamifrons, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 95. 
 Phileteerw squamifrons, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 150. 
 
 Estrelda squamifrons, Layard's Cat. No. 393. 
 Amadina squamifrons, Chapman's Travels in S. Air., App. p. 402. 
 Sporopipes squamifrons, Sharpe's Cat. No. 584. 
 
 This species is widely and commonly diffused over 
 the middle and southern portion of Damara Land; it is 
 also pretty common in Great Namaqua Land, in the 
 Lake-regions, and at the river Okavango. It is a 
 gregarious species, and is comparatively tame, often 
 taking up its abode close to man. It feeds on grass- 
 seeds and insects, which it chiefly seeks on the ground 
 amongst the grass, resorting in small flocks to open 
 localities thinly covered with dwarf vegetation. 
 
 This Finch is a very late breeder, and builds a large 
 grass nest, which is usually placed in " hakisdom " 
 bushes, and has the appearance externally of a bundle 
 of grass accidentally pitched into a bush or tree, the 
 entrance to the nest being nearly hidden by the manner 
 in which the grass is arranged. Internally the nest is 
 beautifully lined or, rather, padded with the softest 
 materials, and especially with the feathers of the 
 Guinea-fowl, and not only serves for the purpose of 
 incubation but also as a roosting-place in the cold 
 season, when several individuals, probably of the same 
 brood, may be found thus snugly housed, 
 
 H 
 
178 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 The female lays several eggs, of an oval form, and of 
 a greyish or pale bluish white, thickly blotched with 
 brown, especially at the thicker end. 
 
 The irides are dark brown; the bill yellow horn- 
 colour, darkest above ; the legs and toes yellow-brown. 
 
 214. Estrelda astrild (Linn.). Waxbill Finch. 
 
 FrincjiUa astrild, Vieillot's Ois. Chant, pi. 13. 
 
 Estrilda astrild, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 150. 
 Estrelda astrild; Layard's Cat. No. 381. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 402. 
 
 Habropyga astrild, Finsch & Ilartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 439. 
 Estrelda astrild, Sharpe's Cat. No. 620. 
 
 This pretty little species is common in the southern 
 districts of Damara Land and in some parts of Great 
 Namaqua Land, as well as at Lake Ngami. It lives 
 in flocks, and is generally found upon the ground, 
 where it seeks its food, which consists of seeds, 
 insects, &c. 
 
 The iris is brown, the bill bright red, the legs and feet 
 liver-brown. 
 
 215. Estrelda erythronota (Vieill.). Black-cheeked Finch. 
 
 Estrelda erythronota, Gray's Genera of Birds, pi. 90. fig. 1. 
 Estrelda lipiniana, Strickland & Sclater. Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 150. 
 
 Estrelda erythronota, Layard's Cat. No. 389. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 613. 
 
 This species is generally distributed over Damara 
 and Great Namaqua Land, and is also found at Lake 
 
FRINGILLID^E. 179 
 
 Ngami. It resembles its congeners in manners and 
 habits. 
 
 The iris is bright wine-coloured red; the legs and 
 toes black, as is also the bill, except near the base, 
 where it is whitish blue. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 
 
 5 ... 
 
 ... 4 11 
 
 Length of folded, winsr 
 
 22 
 
 ... 2 2 
 
 tarsus 
 
 7 
 
 ... 7 
 
 middle tos 
 
 5 
 
 ... 5 
 
 tail 
 
 2 6 
 
 2 5 
 
 bill 
 
 , 4 
 
 4 
 
 216. MaripOSa Cyanogastra (Baud.). Southern Benghala Finch. 
 
 Loxia cyanogastra, Daudin's Tr. d'Orn. vol. ii. p. 436. 
 
 Estrelda benghala, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 3. 
 
 Layard's Oat. No. 391. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App, p. 402. 
 
 Estrelda cyanogastra, Sharpe's Cat. No. 616. 
 
 This pretty little Finch is common at Lake Ngami 
 and in the neighbourhood of the Okavango River ; but 
 I do not think that it is found either in Damara or 
 Great Namaqua Land. 
 
 I have heard occasionally of immense gatherings of 
 these birds ; but usually they are found in small flocks 
 seeking on the ground for their food, which consists 
 almost entirely of the seeds of grasses. 
 
 On the 2nd of February, 1867, I found in Ondonga a 
 nest of this species in a palm bush about six feet from 
 the ground ; it was constructed of grass, and had no 
 internal lining ; the eggs were five in number. 
 
 The iris is cherry-colour. 
 
180 BIRDS OF DAM AE A LAND. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 4 10 47 
 
 Length of folded wing ..22 22 
 
 tarsus ....07 07 
 
 tail 20 1 11 
 
 bill 04 04 
 
 [Mariposa cyanogastra is the southern form of the equatorial 
 M. phvenicotis, from which, according to the testimony of M. 
 Jules Verreaux, it is always distinguished by the absence of the 
 purple ear-coverts in the male bird. The southern race, I 
 believe, has not been figured. ED.] 
 
 217. Urseginthus granatinus (Linn.). Grenadin Finch. 
 
 Fringilla granatina, Vieillot's Ois. Chant, pis. 17 & 18. 
 Estrclda granatina, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 1852, p. 150. 
 
 Hartlaub's Orn. Westafrica's, No. 438. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 394. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 402. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 618. 
 
 This species is not uncommon in Damara Land, but 
 is more abundant further north, and also at Lake 
 Ngami. It congregates in small flocks, and feeds on 
 little seeds, which it seeks upon the ground. 
 
 The iris is red ; and the naked ring round the eye is 
 usually red also, but sometimes of a greyish drab ; the 
 bill purplish, but red at the extremity ; the legs are 
 purplish grey. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female. 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 5 11 57 
 
 Length of folded wing ...24.. ...21 
 
 tarsus 07 07 
 
 middle toe 05 05 
 
 tail 3 2 ..... 2 9 
 
 bill 05, ..05 
 
FRINGILLID^. 181 
 
 218. Vidua regia (Linn.). Shaft-tailed "Widow bird. 
 
 Emberiza regia, Vieillot's Ois. Chant, pis. 34 & 35. 
 
 Vidua regia, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 1852, 
 
 p. 150. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 374. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 601. 
 
 This species visits Damara Land and the parts ad- 
 jacent during the wet season, and is then by no means 
 uncommon. 
 
 219. Vidua principalis (Linn.). Dominican Widow bird. 
 
 Vidua erythrorhyncha, Swainson's Birds of West Africa, vol. i. pi. 12 
 
 (male). 
 
 Vidua principalis, Layard's Cat. No. 375. 
 Estrelda carmelita, Hartlaub, in Ibis, 1868, p. 46 (immature). 
 Vidua principalis, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 428. 
 
 Finsch, in Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. vii. p. 265. 
 
 Sharpe, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, pp. 144, 149. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 600. 
 
 This is rather a scarce species in Damara and Great 
 Namaqua Land, much more so than Vidua regia. It 
 only occurs during the rainy season, and is generally 
 seen in pairs or in very small flocks. Its food consists 
 of the seeds of grass. 
 
 The iris is dark brown, the bill red, the legs light 
 reddish brown. 
 
 220. Vidua paradisea (Linn.). Paradise Widow bird. 
 
 La grande Veuve d 1 Angola, Buffon's PI. Enl. vol. iv. p. 343, pi. 104 
 
 (male, in spring and change). 
 Vidua paradisea, Swainson's Birds of West Africa, vol. i. pi. 11 
 
 (male, in spring). 
 Steganura paradisea, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Dainar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 157. 
 Vidua paradisea, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Alrika's, p. 424. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 602. 
 
182 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 This species occurs in Damara Land in the wet 
 season, but is even scarcer than Vidua principalis in 
 that country, though not unfrequent at Lake Ngami. 
 
 The bill is black, the legs and toes brown. 
 
 221. Crithagra angolensis (Gmel.). Black-throated Bullfinch. 
 
 Linnets from Angola, Edwards's Birds, pi. 129 (male and female). 
 
 Fringilla angolensis, Gmelin's Syst. Nat. p. 918. 
 
 Poliospiza angolensis^ Hartlaub's Orn. "VVestafrica's, No. 456. 
 
 Fringilla angolensis, Layard's Cat. No. 404. 
 
 Crithagra angolensis, Sharpe's Cat. No. 637. 
 
 I have met with this species both in Damara Land 
 and further northward; it congregates in large flocks, 
 and often associates with C. cJirysopyga. 
 
 The iris is brown, the upper mandible flesh-coloured, 
 the lower mandible and also the legs and toes of a dirty 
 flesh-colour. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 48 43 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 2 8 2 7 
 
 tarsus 06 6 
 
 middle toe ....05 06 
 
 tail 1 11 ...... 1 9 
 
 bill 04 04 
 
 [The male specimen of which Mr. Aiidersson here records 
 the measurements is now in the collection of Mr. R. B. Sharpe. 
 ED.] 
 
 222, Crithagra chrysopyga, Swains. Golden-rumped Bullfinch. 
 
 Crithagra chrysopyga, Swainsou's Birds of W. Afr. vol. i. pi. 17. 
 Crithagra Hartlaiibii, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 
 p. 3. 
 
FRINGILLID^E. 183 
 
 Crithagra chrysopyga, Layard's Cat. No. 444. 
 
 Crithayra butyracea (part.), Finscli & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 455. 
 Crithagra chrysopyga, Sharpe's Cat. No. 638. 
 
 This species is common in the neighbourhood of 
 the Okavango, and is also found in Damara Land, ex- 
 tending to the south of that country. On January 5th, 
 1867, I found a nest of this Finch at Omapju ; it 
 was situated in a kamel-thorn bush, about four feet 
 above the ground, and was composed of grass, lined 
 with softer grass internally; it contained three eggs 
 much incubated. 
 
 223. Crithagra chloropsis, Cab. Decken's Bullfinch. 
 
 Crithagra chloropsis, Cabanis in Decken's Reisen, vol. iii. pi. 9. 
 
 Fiusch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 454. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 642. 
 
 [Mr. K. B. Sharpe possesses a specimen of this Finch, ob- 
 tained by Mr. Andersson hi Damara Land ; but unfortunately 
 no record has been preserved of the exact locality where it was 
 obtained, and I do not find any reference to it in Mr. Andersson's 
 MS. notes. ED.] 
 
 224. Poliospiza gularis (Smith). Streaky-headed Grosbeak. 
 
 Crithagra gularis^ Catalogue of South- Afr. Mus. 1837, p. 32. 
 Linaria gularis, Smith's Append, to Report of Exp. p. 49. 
 Fringilla gularis, Layard's Cat. No. 402. 
 Fringitta striaticeps, Layard's Cat. No. 403. 
 Poliospiza gularis, Sharpe's Cat. No. 645. 
 
 I have only observed this species in Great Namaqua 
 Land, and there very sparingly. 
 
184 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 6 Of 
 
 Length of folded wing ...... 3 
 
 tarsus 09 
 
 middle toe 06 
 
 tail 26 
 
 bm 07 
 
 [The specimen from which the above measurements were 
 taken by Mr. Andersson is now in the collection of Mr. R. B. 
 Sharpe. 
 
 This species has not been figured. ED.] 
 
 225. Poliospiza crocopygia, Sharpe. Damara YeUow-rumped 
 Grosbeak. 
 
 Poliospiza crocopygia, Sharpe, in Ibis, 1871, p. 101. 
 Sharpe's Cat. no. 646. 
 
 This species is sparingly met with in Damara and 
 Great Namaqua Land ; it is generally seen about rocks 
 in the immediate neighbourhood of water, to which it 
 resorts in small flocks in the morning and evening 
 to quench its thirst. Its food consists of seeds and 
 berries. 
 
 The iris is dark brown ; the upper mandible very pale 
 brown, and the lower still paler ; the legs and toes 
 slaty brown. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female: 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 60 60 
 
 Length of folded wing ...34 32 
 
 tarsus 10 09 
 
 middle toe .... 7 07 
 
 tail 23 23 
 
 bill ,07 ,07 
 
FRINGILLID^E. 185 
 
 [The female specimen from which Mr. Andersson took the 
 measurements above recorded is now, together with two other 
 Damara examples, in the collection of Mr. E/. B. Sharpe. This 
 species has not been figured. ED.] 
 
 226. Petronia petronella (Licht.). Southern Yellow-throated 
 Grosbeak. 
 
 Xanthodiraflavigula, Sundevall, Ofvers. 1850, p. 98. 
 
 Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864. 
 
 p. 3. 
 
 Layard in Ibis, 1869, p. 371. 
 
 Petronia petronella, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 7244. 
 
 I have only met with this species near the river 
 Okavango, where I obtained a few specimens. 
 
 [As this species has not been figured, I here transcribe Pro- 
 fessor SundevalFs description of it, which is not very generally 
 accessible, and may therefore here be useful : " Grisescens, 
 dorso fusco-maculato, vitta superciliari lata albida, macula juguli 
 flava. Capillities fusca, alarum tectrices limbo pallescente, non 
 albido : gastrseum pallidum, ventre in mare pure albo. 3 et $ 
 in ceteris similes. 6-pollicaris. Ala 92 mm., tars. 21 : tomia 
 superiora medio obsolete angulata." ED.] 
 
 227. Passer arciiatllS, Gmel. Cape Sparrow. 
 
 Le Moineau du Cap de Bonne Esperance, BufFon's PI. Enl. vol. iv. 
 
 p. 204, pi. 230. fig. 1. 
 Passer arcuatus, Layard's Cat. No. 408. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 657. 
 
 This Sparrow is very abundant all over Damara and 
 Great Namaqua Land, and extends as far south as the 
 Cape, where, however, it seems to be a trifle larger than 
 in Damara Land ; it takes up its abode near to man, and 
 in all its habits exactly resembles the House-Sparrow of 
 Europe. It makes a large rambling nest of grass and 
 
186 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 sticks, lined with feathers, down, &c., and placed either 
 on a tree or bush or under the eaves of thatched roofs ; 
 the eggs vary wonderfully in size and colour. The male 
 bird is rather larger than the female. The bill is black 
 in the male, and livid brown in the female ; the legs and 
 toes are olive-brown, darker in the male than in the 
 female ; the iris a very dark brown. 
 
 228. Passer motitensis, Smith. Greater South- African Sparrow. 
 
 Passer motitensis, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi, 114. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 406. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 658. 
 
 This species is found at Lake Ngami ; and I also met 
 with it at Objimbinque, at Omapju, and near Otaiovapa. 
 I first met with its nest at Omapju, on January 5th, 1867 ; 
 it was placed on the top of a thorn bush, about seven 
 feet from the ground; and I subsequently met with 
 several other nests during the same month. The nest is 
 large, and is composed of coarse grass outside, and fine 
 grass within, and has an additional lining of feathers 
 and other soft and warm materials ; it is furnished with 
 a long entrance, sometimes a foot or more in length, 
 which ends in a deep and wide hollow. The eggs are 
 from three to six; but the most frequent number is 
 four; they are larger than the eggs of P. arcuatus, 
 and are invariably covered with a glutinous matter 
 which it is difficult to remove, even with the help of 
 water. 
 
 The iris is dark brown, the bill liver-brown ; the legs 
 and toes resembling the bill in colour, but paler. 
 
FRINGILL1DJZ. 187 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Entire length . 
 
 Male, 
 in. lin. 
 
 .63... 
 
 Female. 
 in. lin. 
 ..63 
 
 Lensrth of folded win * 
 
 . . 3 3| . . . 
 
 ..32 
 
 tarsus 
 
 ...09... 
 
 . . 10 
 
 middle toe 
 
 ..07... 
 
 . 8 
 
 tail 
 
 .26. 
 
 . . 2 3| 
 
 bill 
 
 7* . 
 
 8 
 
 229. Passer diffllSUS, Smith. Southern Grey-headed Sparrow. 
 
 Passer diffusus, Smith's Append, to Keport of Exp. p. 50. 
 
 ' Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 3. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 407. 
 
 Passer simplex, ibid. No. 409. 
 Passer Swainsoni (part.), Finsch and Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 450. 
 Passer diffusus, Sharpe, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 143. 
 
 Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 7283. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 655. 
 
 I met with this species very sparingly in Damara 
 Land, but found it pretty common on approaching the 
 river Okavango ; it frequents the water in the morning 
 and evening, and feeds on seeds and berries. 
 
 In some specimens of this bird the bill is quite black, 
 in others pale greyish brown with yellow near the base 
 of the lower mandible ; the legs and toes are pale 
 greyish brown. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 66 63 
 
 Length of folded wing ...34 31 
 
 tarsus 09 09 
 
 middle toe ....05 06 
 
 tail 2 10 27 
 
 bill 6 6 
 
188 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 [Mr. Layard (loc. cit.) mentions having seen Passer simplex, 
 which is a West-African race, from Damara Land ; but it seems 
 probable, as suggested by Mr. Sharpe (loc. cit.) , that in this 
 instance P. diffusus may have been mistaken for P. simplex. 
 These two Sparrows are in fact very nearly allied ; and Drs. 
 Finsch and Hartlaub (loc. cit.) refer them both, and also the 
 Abyssinian P. Swainsoni, to one and the same species. I, how- 
 ever, agree with Mr. Sharpe in considering P. Swainsoni, P. sim- 
 plex, and P. diffusus as forming three specifically distinct local 
 races, though the differences between them are but slight. 
 ED.] 
 
 230. Fringillaria flaviventris (Vieill.). Southern Yellow- 
 bellied Bunting. 
 
 Eniberizaflavig aster, Riippell's Atlas, pi. 25. 
 
 Fringillaria Jlaoiventris, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 
 
 p. 3. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 410. 
 
 Emberizaflavig aster ) Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 403. 
 Emberiza Jlaviventris, Finsch & Hartlaub, Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 458. 
 Fringillaria Jlaviventris, Sharpe's Cat. No. 667. 
 
 This very handsome bird is pretty common in 
 northern Damara Land and thence onward to the 
 Okavango. I have usually met with it in well- wooded 
 localities ; and I obtained my specimens by quietly 
 awaiting their arrival at some small water, which they 
 were sure to visit in the morning and evening, especially 
 the former; they are fearless birds, and consequently 
 easy to secure. 
 
 The upper mandible is dark liver-brown, the under 
 mandible salmon-yellow ; the legs yellowish brown, and 
 the toes also, but more dusky. 
 
FRINGILLID^. 189 
 
 231. Fringillaria impetuani (Smith). Lark-like Bunting. 
 
 Fringillaria impetuani, Hartlaub's Orn. Westafrica's, No. 463. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 412. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 668. 
 
 This species is common in Damara and Great Nama- 
 qua Land ; but as it frequently resorts to the ground in 
 search of seeds and insects, it often thus escapes obser- 
 vation ; it is gregarious, and is partial to broken ground 
 or its immediate vicinity, and also to the neighbourhood 
 of water, which it appears to require pretty constantly. 
 
 The hides are dark brown ; the legs, toes, and upper 
 mandible of the bill a dusky flesh-colour, the lower 
 mandible livid horn-colour. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 59 54 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 3 2 10 
 
 tarsus 07 08 
 
 middle toe .... 6 6 
 
 tail 26 23 
 
 bill 05 4| 
 
 [The male specimen of which the measurements are given 
 above by Mr. Andersson is now preserved in the collection of 
 the Rev. H. B. Tristram. ED.] 
 
 ALAUDID^S. 
 232. Pyrrhulauda Smithi, Bon. Smith's Finch Lark. 
 
 Pyrrhulauda leucotis, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 26. 
 Pyrrhulauda Smithi, Bonaparte's Conspectus, vol. i. p. 512. 
 Pyrrhulauda leucotis, Layard's Oat. No. 420. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 400. 
 
190 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Coraphites Smithi, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 468. 
 Pyrrhulauda Smithii, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 7833. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 666. 
 
 I have observed this species, though very sparingly, in 
 Damara Land, and also to the northward, but not in 
 Great Namaqua Land ; it is seen in small flocks, which 
 frequent the ground in open localities covered with 
 grass and scanty dwarf vegetation, amongst which they 
 run with great rapidity, taking flight for a short distance 
 only when disturbed. 
 
 The iris is dark brown, the legs and toes flesh-brown. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female. 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length ......50 49 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 3 5 3 
 
 tarsus 8| 7 
 
 middle toe .... 6 5| 
 
 tail 22 1 10 
 
 bill 06 06 
 
 [I have not seen a Damara example of this species ; but, from 
 the description preserved in Mr. Andersson's notes, I have no 
 doubt that his identification of it is correct, except that he was 
 not aware of the distinction between the southern P. Smithii 
 and the true P. leucotis of northern Tropical Africa. ED.] 
 
 233. Pyrrhulauda verticalis, Smith. Grey-backed Finch Lark. 
 
 Pyrrhulauda verticalis, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 25. 
 ., Layard's Cat. No. 421. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 400. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 665. 
 
 This species is pretty commonly diffused over Damara 
 and Great Namaqua Land, especially in the latter 
 country; and I generally observed it abundant in the 
 
ALAUDID^. 191 
 
 rainy season at Objimbinque, during my residence there. 
 It congregates in large flocks, and is always found on the 
 ground, unless disturbed, when it flies but a short dis- 
 tance before it again alights, scattering widely amongst 
 the grass in search of its food, which consists almost 
 entirely of seeds. Its flight is undulating ; and occasion- 
 ally an individual may be seen to soar above the rest, 
 descending again very abruptly ; it may sometimes be 
 heard to utter a shrill chirping cry. The nest is con- 
 structed on the ground, under a tuft of grass. 
 
 The iris is dark brown, the legs and toes purplish 
 flesh-colour. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 4 10 
 
 Length of folded wing 32 
 
 tarsus 09 
 
 middle toe 05 
 
 tail 1 11 
 
 bill , 6 
 
 234. Pyrrhulaucla australis, Smith. Dark-naped Finch Lark. 
 
 Pyrrhulauda australis, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 24. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 422. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S, Afr., App. p. 400. 
 
 This species is not uncommon in Damara and Great 
 Namaqua Land, where it occurs in small flocks during 
 the rainy season. Its habits are similar to those of 
 P. verticalis. 
 
 The bill is light horn-colour, darkest above ; the legs 
 and toes are light flesh-colour. 
 
192 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 46 
 
 Length of folded wing 30 
 
 tarsus 08 
 
 middle toe 04 
 
 tail 1 10 
 
 bill 06 
 
 [As I have not seen a specimen of this bird from Damara 
 Land, its identification rests on Mr. Andersson's authority ; but, 
 from the description left in his MS. notes, I have no doubt that 
 the identification is correct. ED.] 
 
 235. Alauda COnirOStris, Sund. Pink-billed Lark. 
 
 Alauda conirostris, Sundevall, Ofvers. 1850, p. 99. 
 . Sharpe's Cat. No. 689. 
 
 This Lark is not uncommon in Ondonga ; before the 
 breeding-season they are seen in small flocks, but are 
 less observable after they are paired. 
 
 A pair which I watched occupied about eight days 
 in constructing their nest and in the female bird laying 
 her eggs, which I took on the 31st of March, after they 
 had been incubated about three days. The nest is 
 formed in a hole excavated to the depth of about two and 
 a half inches and thickly lined with decomposed grasses. 
 
 The iris in this species is brown, the legs and bill 
 flesh-coloured, but the lower mandible paler and more 
 livid than the upper. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 44 
 
 Length of folded wing 2 10 
 
 tarsus 09 
 
 middle toe 06 
 
 tail 16 
 
 bill . , 5 
 
ALAUDIDJZ. 193 
 
 [This species has not been figured ; Professor Sundevall's 
 description of it is as follows : " Subtus fulva, superne pectore- 
 que antico nigro-maculata ; rostro crassiore, rubro, parvo, 4J 
 poll.; ala 74 mm.; tars. 20; d. m. 11, c. u. 15. Unguis post, 
 subrectus, digito vix longior. Nares setulis tectse. Ala brevis, 
 remigibus intus fulvis. Penna spuria in nostris (ob mutationem 
 pennarum ?) deest ; 2 da extus albo-marginata. Lora et gula alba, 
 striis malaribus, utrinque 2, striaque lori nigris. Cauda brevior, 
 subsequalis, pennis utrinque 2 extus late albis. 3 superne 
 rufescenti-varius, alias similis feminse. In Caffraria superiore 
 campestri." 
 
 The female specimen of which Mr. Andersson gives the 
 dimensions, as above quoted, is now in the collection of Mr. R. B. 
 Sharpe, who also possesses a male obtained by Mr. Andersson 
 at Objimbinque. This male specimen only differs from the 
 female in having no black malar stripe, and in the bill being 
 about one third longer than that of the female and less decidedly 
 red, the colour of the bill in this male bird being tawny instead 
 of a pinkish red as in the female specimen. The two specimens 
 have been carefully compared by M. Verreaux, who assures me 
 that he feels confident that they are male and female of the same 
 species, of which I had previously some doubts, owing to the 
 differences above mentioned. ED.] 
 
 236. Alauda Grayi, Wahl. Gray's Lark. 
 
 Alauda Grayi, Wahlberg, Ofvers. 1855, p. 213. 
 
 Wahlberg, Journal fur Orn. 1857, p. 2. 
 Alauda ncema, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr v App. p. 400. 
 Alauda Grayi, Sharpe's Cat. No. 683. 
 
 This Lark is found on the barren plains in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Walwich Bay, as well as some distance 
 inland ; but I have not observed it so far east as Objim- 
 binque. It feeds on seeds and insects, and is com- 
 paratively tame, but where grass abounds it is difficult 
 to secure. A few individuals are usually found together. 
 
 o 
 
194 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 5 7 ..... 6 4 
 
 Length of folded wing ...32 31 
 
 tarsus 10 10 
 
 middle toe .... 6 6 
 
 bill 08 7f 
 
 [As this species has not been figured, and as Professor 
 Wahlberg's description of it will not be readily accessible to 
 many readers, I have here transcribed it : 
 
 " Griseo-isabellina (immaculata) , subtus cum fronte lorisque 
 albida. Latera juguli fusco-maculata. Remiges pallide fuscae, 
 limbis externis isabellinis (l a et 2 a exceptis) l a -6 m apicem 
 versus saturations; 7 a et seqq. apicibus subcordatis, albidis. 
 Rectrices 2 intermediae isabellinae ; laterales nigro-fuscae, basi, 
 margine exteriore apiceque albidae. Rem. l a spuria; 2 a -5 m fere 
 sequales. 6 . Rostr. a fr. 13*5 millim. ; alt. rostri ante nares 5 ; 
 ala 84; cauda 50; tars. 21; dig. med. c. ungue 15'5; pollex c. 
 ungue 14*5. $ . R. a fr. 12 mm.; alt. rostri ante nares 4; ala 
 78; cauda 50; tars. 20; dig. med. p. u. 15; poll. c. u. 12." 
 ED.] 
 
 237. Alauda erythrochlamys, Strickl. Rufous-mantled Lark. 
 
 Alauda erythrochlamys, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 151. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 685. 
 
 [I am uncertain whether Mr. Andersson's note under the 
 head of f ' Alauda erythrochlamys " really refers to that species ; 
 and as he appears himself to have been doubtful on the point, 
 I have not transcribed it. I have only seen two examples of 
 this Lark, one of them being Mr. Strickland's type specimen, 
 now preserved in the Museum of Zoology at Cambridge, and 
 the other a specimen which was also obtained by Mr. Andersson 
 in Damara Land, and is now in the possession of Mr. R. B. 
 Sharpe. 
 
 As this species has not been figured, and Messrs. Strickland 
 
 
ALAUDID^. 195 
 
 and Sclater's description of it (loc. cit.) is not very easy of 
 access, I here transcribe it : " Whole upper parts and wings 
 nearly uniform ferruginous, becoming paler on the upper tail- 
 covers and medial pair of rectrices; all the wing-feathers 
 narrowly margined with cream-colour externally; the remiges 
 light fuscous on their shafts and inner webs ; a streak above and 
 a spot below the eye pale cream-colour ; ear- covers pale rufous ; 
 chin white; breast and lower parts pale cream- colour ; beak 
 long; gonys nearly straight, flesh-coloured; legs apparently 
 flesh-coloured ; hind claw short, straight. Total length 6" 5'" ; 
 beak to front 7'", to gape 8'", high 2"' ; wing 3" 7"', rectrices 
 2" 8'" ; tarsus 1" 1'", hind claw 2i w ." ED.] 
 
 238. Calendula crassirostris (Vieill.). South-African Thick- 
 billed Lark. 
 
 HAlouette a gros bee, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 193. 
 Alauda crassirostris, Layard's Cat. No. 208. 
 Calendula crassirostris, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 7773. 
 Alauda crassirostris, Sharpe's Cat. No. 679. 
 
 This species is pretty generally diffused over Damara 
 and Great Namaqua Land; it frequents localities 
 covered with grass and dwarf vegetation, and frequently 
 those which are of a rocky character. 
 
 [A specimen of this Lark from Komaggos, in Little Namaqua 
 Land, was contained in Mr. Andersson's last collection, and is 
 now in the possession of Mr. R. B. Sharpe. ED.] 
 
 239. Megalophonus sabota (Smith). Sabota Lark. 
 
 Mirafra sabota, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 89. fig. 2. 
 Megalophonus sabota, Layard's Cat. No. 429. 
 Alauda sabota, Sharpe's Cat. No. 687. 
 
 I met with this Lark at various places north of the 
 Omaruru River, where, although rather local, it is 
 abundant in some localities, and especially in Ondonga. 
 
 " 
 
196 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 On the 25th of April I found its nest in the last-named 
 locality, containing three eggs of a very elongated form 
 and much pointed at one end. Other nests which I 
 met with on various occasions were either empty or 
 contained young birds. 
 
 The nest is composed of fine grasses, and is built 
 upon the ground, into which the lower portion of it 
 is sunk to the depth of two or three inches ; it is placed 
 between and resting against two stout plants, and is 
 round and dome-shaped, with one large opening to the 
 southward, the side freest from the wind and rain. 
 
 I am always delighted to hear this bird as it makes 
 the welkin ring with its sonorous song and call, com- 
 posed of a series of notes, which it utters either when 
 perched on a tree or when moving from one spot to 
 another. Whilst thus flying and singing it may be seen 
 alternately to open and close its wings, sometimes almost 
 bringing them to meet over its back, when it appears 
 for the moment to be suspended in the air. 
 
 The iris in this species is brown; the legs and toes 
 pale flesh-colour ; the bill horn-colour, but more or 
 less brown along the edges of the upper and at the 
 point of the lower mandible ; the gape and corner of 
 the mouth are pale yellow. 
 
 Measurements of a male obtained in Ondonga : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 66 
 
 Length of folded wing 35 
 
 tarsus 11 
 
 middle toe 06 
 
 tail .22 
 
 bill 09 
 
ALAUDID^. 197 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained specimens of this 
 Lark, including two from Ondonga, which are now in the 
 possession of Mr. R. B. Sharpe, and from one of which the 
 above measurements, given by Mr. Andersson, were taken. 
 Both of these examples are much greyer and less rufous in their 
 general colouring than other specimens with which they have 
 been compared, from Damara Land proper and also from 
 Trans Vaal ; but, notwithstanding this difference, they do not 
 appear to be specifically distinct. 
 
 Sir A. Smith figures this species and M. cheniana on the same 
 plate ; but M. sabota is incorrectly referred to figure no. 1 and 
 M. cheniana to figure no. 2. It will be seen by a reference to the 
 descriptive letterpress that this is an error, the upper and smaller 
 figure, marked no. 1, representing M. cheniana, whilst the lower 
 and larger one, marked no. 2, represents M. sabota. ED.] 
 
 240. MegalophonilS cinereus (Vieill.). South-African Rufous- 
 capped Lark. 
 
 La petite Alouette a tete rousse, Levaillant's Ois. dAfr. pi. 199. 
 Alauda spleniata, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 152. 
 
 Megalophonus cinereus, Layard's Cat. No. 426. 
 Alauda spleniata, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 400. 
 Alauda cinerea, Sharpe's Cat. No. 682. 
 
 This Lark is very abundant in some parts of Damara 
 and Great Namaqua Land. I have observed that it uses 
 much gravel with its food. 
 
 The irides are dark brown, the bill yellowish brown, 
 the legs and toes brownish or reddish brown. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Entire length 
 Length of folded wing 
 tarsus 
 uiiddL 
 tail 
 bill 
 
 
 Male, 
 in. lin. 
 
 .63.... 
 
 Female. 
 in. lin. 
 ..61 
 
 win 01 
 
 .37.... 
 
 3 4 
 
 
 10 .... 
 
 10 
 
 s toe 
 
 7 .... 
 
 6 
 
 
 2 6 
 
 2 4 
 
 
 , 7 
 
 , 7 
 
198 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 [I have ascertained the identity of Strickland's Alauda spleniata 
 with the present species by examination of the type specimen 
 of the former at the Museum of Zoology, Cambridge. ED.] 
 
 241. MegalophomiS AnderSSOni, Tristr. Andersson's Lark. 
 Megalophonus Anderssoni, Tristram, in Ibis, 1869, p. 434. 
 Calandretta Anderssoni, Blanford's Geol. & Zool. of Abyssinia, p. 389. 
 Megalophonus Anderssoni, Tristram, in Ibis, 1870, p. 444. 
 Alauda Anderssoni, Finsch, in Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. vii. p. 237. 
 
 [This small Lark has been recently described by Mr. Tristram 
 in the f Ibis ' for 1869, from a single female specimen contained 
 in Mr. Andersson's last collection and labelled as having been 
 obtained at Objimbinque on March 13th, 1865. Mr. Andersson 
 does not allude to this species in his MS. notes; but Mr. Blanford, 
 who met with it in Abyssinia, states (loc. cit.) that he found it 
 t( abundant on stony ground near Senafe, keeping much in large 
 communities, and highly social, precisely like Calendrella brachy- 
 dactyla." This species, which has not been figured, is very nearly 
 allied to M. cinerea, but is decidedly smaller. Mr. Tristram's 
 notice of it in the ( Ibis ' for 1869 includes a description of its 
 nest and eggs, which accompanied the type specimen. ED.] 
 
 242. Megalophonus africanoides (Smith). Objimbinque Lark. 
 
 Mirafra africanoides, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 88. fig. 2. 
 Megalophonus africanoides^ Layard's Cat. No. 430. 
 Alauda africanoides, Sharpe's Cat. No. 681. 
 
 This bird is very frequent in the neighbourhood of 
 Objimbinque, and is not uncommon in various other 
 parts of Damara and Great Namaqua Land. It is easily 
 distinguished from most of the other Larks by its reddish 
 appearance. It is found in pairs, and is comparatively 
 tame, flying but a short distance when disturbed, and 
 settling on the ground or on a bush or tree; it has a 
 kind of chirping song. 
 
ALAUDID^. 199 
 
 The iris is brown; the upper mandible of the bill 
 and the point of the lower are dark brown, the remainder 
 of the lower mandible is horn-colour ; the legs and toes 
 are pale straw-colour, with a faint purple blush. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 65 
 
 Length of folded wing 38 
 
 tarsus 11 
 
 middle toe 05 
 
 tail 28 
 
 bill 08 
 
 [The specimen of which the measurements are given above 
 by Mr. Andersson is now in the collection of Mr. R. B. Sharpe. 
 
 ED.] 
 
 243. MegalophonilS nsevius (Strickl.). Dark-lined Lark. 
 
 Alauda ncevia, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Oontr. Orn. 1852, 
 
 p. 152. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 688. 
 
 This is a very common bird about Objimbinque ; it is 
 by no means timid, and settles on trees and bushes as 
 well as on the ground. Its food consists of seeds and 
 insects. 
 
 The iris is light brown; the upper mandible horn- 
 coloured, fading into white on the edges and on the 
 lower mandible ; legs and toes pale straw-colour, with a 
 tint of pale flesh-colour on the toes. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Entire length 
 
 Male, 
 in. lin. 
 
 .66. 
 
 Female. 
 in. lin. 
 
 ... 6 4 
 
 Length of folded wing 
 tarsus . . 
 middle toe . 
 tail 
 
 36 
 
 ... 3 5 
 
 10 
 
 . 1 
 
 7 ... 
 
 06 
 
 2 3 
 
 2 3 
 
200 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 [The type specimen of Messrs. Strickland and Sclater's 
 Alauda ncevia, which I have examined at the Museum of Zoology 
 at Cambridge, appears to me to be identical with specimens 
 contained in Mr. Andersson's last collection, from two of which, 
 now in the collection of Mr. R. B. Sharpe, Mr. Andersson's 
 measurements, above quoted, were taken. 
 
 As this Lark has not been figured, it may be desirable to add 
 the following copy of the description given of it by Messrs. 
 Strickland and Sclater (loc. cit.) : " Crown greyish brown ; back 
 of neck paler; back and wing-covers fulvous; the feathers of 
 all these parts with a broad, distinct longitudinal fuscous streak 
 on each; remiges fuscous, margined externally and internally 
 towards the base with pale fulvous ; upper tail-covers rufo- 
 fulvous ; rectrices deep fuscous ; the middle and external pairs 
 broadly, the rest narrowly, margined with fulvous ; a whitish 
 streak above and below the eye; cheeks and ear-covers light 
 brown; chin whitish; breast pale cream-colour, with a small 
 longitudinal fuscous streak on each feather ; belly and vent 
 pale cream-colour; beak corneous, paler towards the base; 
 margin nearly straight, gonys curved upwards, and culmen 
 equally so downwards; feet and claws flesh-coloured, tinged 
 with light brown ; hind claw short, slightly curved. 
 
 " Total length 6" ; beak to front 6'", to gape 7'", high 2", 
 broad 2 l:i ; wing 3" 4'", all the rectrices 2" 3'"; tarsus 9'", hind 
 claw 3'". '' ED.] 
 
 244. MegalophoilUS lagepa (Smith). Lagepa Lark. 
 
 Alauda lagepa, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 87. fig. 2. 
 Megalophonus lagepa, Laj'ard's Cat. No. 432. 
 
 I observed this species pretty frequently in Little 
 Namaqua Land, but not to the north of the Orange 
 River ; it perches on bushes as well as on the ground. 
 
 [This species, during Mr. Andersson's residence at the Cape, 
 was labelled in the Cape Museum as Megalophonus guttatus, on 
 which account Mr. Andersson alludes to it in his MS. under 
 
ALAUDIDJE. 201 
 
 that name ; but having, through the kindness of Mr. Layard, 
 had the opportunity of examining specimens of it from the Cape 
 Museum, I have no doubt that the species alluded to by Mr. 
 Andersson under the name of M . guttatus is in reality M. lagepa, 
 although I have not seen an example actually obtained by 
 him. ED.] 
 
 245. Certhilauda rufula (Yieill.). Garrulous Lark. 
 
 Antlius rufulus, Vieillot's Gal. des Ois. pi. 161. 
 Certhilauda garrula, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 106. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 435. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Aff ., App. p. 400. 
 
 Certhilauda rufula, Sharpe's Cat. No. 675. 
 
 I have not observed this species in Damara Land ; but 
 it is common in some parts of Great Namaqua Land, 
 frequenting very open localities covered with grass and 
 bush, where it runs about with great swiftness. 
 
 [Specimens of this Lark obtained by Mr. Andersson in Great 
 Namaqua Land are smaller than examples procured at Colesburg, 
 but agree in size with a specimen obtained by Mr. Ayres in the 
 neighbourhood of Potchefstroora. ED.] 
 
 246. Certhilauda semitorquata, Smith. Grey-collared Lark. 
 
 Certhilauda semitorquata, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 106. fig. 2. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 436. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 400. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 677. 
 
 These Larks are not uncommon in the middle and 
 southern parts of Great Namaqua Land ; and I have also 
 observed a considerable number of them together, be- 
 tween Wilson's Fountain and Tjobis, in Damara Land. 
 
 This species feeds on insects, seeds, &c. The legs are 
 flesh-coloured grey, the toes horn-colour ; the bill horn- 
 colour, tinged with a livid hue on the lower mandible. 
 
202 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 81 
 
 Length of folded wing 43 
 
 tarsus 11 
 
 middle toe 08 
 
 tail 33 
 
 bill 10 
 
 [The specimen of which the measurements are given above 
 by Mr. Andersson is now in the collection of Mr. B. B. Sharpe. 
 Certhilauda subcoronata, of Smith's Zool. pi. 90. fig. 2, is pro- 
 bably not distinct from this species, with which Messrs. Verreaux, 
 Layard, and Sharpe inform me that they identify it. ED.] 
 
 MUSOPHAGID^]. 
 
 247. ColillS capensis, Gmel. White-backed Coly. 
 
 Le Coliou a dos blanc, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 257. 
 
 Colius erythropus, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn- 
 
 1852, p. 151. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 447. 
 
 Colius capensis, Sharpe's Cat. No. 97. 
 
 This species is somewhat widely diffused over Great 
 Namaqua Land and Southern Damara Land, through a 
 portion of the Lake-country, and in the valley of the 
 river Okavango. It is gregarious in its habits, being 
 found in flocks by day and also when roosting at night. 
 Its flight is short and feeble, seldom extending beyond 
 the nearest bush or tree, on reaching which it usually 
 perches on one of the lower branches and then gradually 
 glides and creeps upwards through the foliage, using 
 both bill and feet for that purpose. It is essentially 
 a fruit-eating bird ; but I believe, when hard pressed for 
 its regular food, it does not despise insects and the young 
 
MUSOPHAGIDJE. 203 
 
 shoots of plants. Its flesh is palatable. On September 
 26th, 1866, I obtained three eggs of this Coly from a 
 nest built in a small bush, and composed externally of 
 grass and twigs, lined internally with softer grass ; the 
 eggs were white, but dull. On October 16th I met with 
 several nests of this bird on the same tree ; but all con- 
 tained young, invariably three in number. On December 
 29th I obtained a nest with three eggs. 
 
 The iris in this species is intensely dark brown ; the 
 bill bluish white, except the tip of the upper mandible, 
 which is bluish black ; the lower mandible is lighter 
 than the upper ; the legs are bright red. 
 
 248. Colius erythromelon, Vieill. Quiriwa Coly. 
 
 Le Coliou Quiriwa, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 258. 
 
 Colius erythromelon, Vieillot's Nouv. Diet. vol. vii. p. 378. 
 
 Colius macrurus and senegalensis, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., 
 
 Contr. Orn., 1852, p. 151. 
 Colius capensis, Layard's Cat. No. 448. 
 
 Colius erythromelas, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 469. 
 Colius macrurus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 403. 
 Colius erythromelon, Sharpe's Cat. No. 100. 
 
 This species is scarce in Damara Land ; but I met 
 with it about the Swakop River, and also near Okambute, 
 at Objimbinque, and near Ojipatera. It lives principally 
 on the shoots and fruit of a bush of a yellowish-green 
 colour bearing red berries, and resembles in its habits 
 the preceding species. The males are larger and hand- 
 somer than the females. The bill is black anteriorly, 
 and posteriorly red, which is also the colour of the lore 
 and naked space about the eye. 
 
204 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female. 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Length of folded wing 1 
 
 ..38. 
 
 3 7 
 
 tarsus 
 
 ..09. 
 
 9 
 
 j, middle toe . 
 
 ..08... 
 
 7 
 
 tail 
 
 ..90'. 
 
 ..87 
 
 bill 
 
 ,08, 
 
 , 8 
 
 [I have examined, at the Museum of Zoology at Cambridge, 
 the Coly from Damara Land cited by Messrs. Strickland and 
 Sclater (loc. cit.), and find that it unquestionably belongs to this 
 species ; probably it was in consequence of this example having 
 been misnamed that Dr. Hartlaub quotes Damara Land as a 
 locality for Colius senegalensis, in his ' Ornithologie West- 
 afrikaV P- 155. ED.] 
 
 249. Schizorhis COIlCOlor (Smith). Whole-coloured Plantain- 
 eater. 
 
 Chizcerhis concolor, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 2. 
 Schizorhis concolor, Layard's Cat. No. 452. 
 Chizcerhis concolor, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 403. 
 Schizorhis concolor, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 479. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 94. 
 
 This is one of the commonest birds in Damara Land ; 
 and it is also found abundantly in the Lake-regions and 
 at the river Okavango. It is partial to localities abound- 
 ing in large trees ; and when prominently perched, with 
 crest erect, it is not unlike a gigantic Coly; it also 
 climbs and flies like the Colies, which it strongly re- 
 sembles in its general habits. It is usually found in 
 small flocks and feeds on berries and seeds, especially 
 those of a mistletoe and of other parasitical plants, 
 and also on fruits, young shoots, and insects. The 
 Damaras call this species " Ongoro-oroquena," from the 
 
MUSOPHAGID^. 205 
 
 extraordinary and almost human cry with which it fre- 
 quently startles the traveller who is passing near its 
 perch. It is sometimes very easy to approach these 
 birds, whilst at other times they are so shy that they 
 will defy the utmost exertions which may be made to 
 obtain them. 
 
 On January 5th, 1867, I obtained three eggs of this 
 species, of a dull bluish- white colour, at Omapju, from a 
 boy, who told me that the nest which contained them 
 was composed of sticks roughly put together, and situ- 
 ated in a tree at some distance from the ground ; and 
 on March 1st I met with a nest in Ondonga placed in 
 a tree, but at no great elevation, which also contained 
 three eggs, but much incubated. 
 
 The iris is brown, the legs are purplish black. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 19 2 
 
 Length of folded wing 85 
 
 tarsus 18 
 
 middle toe 16 
 
 tail 99 
 
 bm 12 
 
 I think I have seen another species of this genus to 
 the north of Damara Land, in Ondonga, and near the 
 river Okavango. 
 
 250. BllCOrvUS abyssmicus (Gmcl.). Ground-Hornbill. 
 
 Le Calao caroncule, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pis. 230, 231, 232. 
 Bucwvus abyssinicus, Layard's Cat. No. 458. 
 
206 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 Tmetoceros (ibyssinicus, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 480. 
 Bucorvus abyssinicus, Blanford's Geol. & Zool. of Abyssinia, p. 330. 
 
 4 
 
 This species is common in Ondonga, but very wild ; 
 and I have also observed it sparingly in the desert near 
 the Okavango. 
 
 The ground seems to be the chief resort of these 
 birds, and I have seen them running at a tremendous 
 rate ; but they also perch on trees when flushed. They 
 utter at times an incessant kind of booming cry, which 
 may be heard a long way off. They are generally 
 seen in small flocks of from three to six individuals. 
 
 The Ovampos seem to have a superstition about this 
 curious bird, which I cannot fathom. Oil asking Chij- 
 kongo, for instance, to get me the eggs, he said it was 
 not to be done, as they were soft to the touch, and 
 would fall in pieces on the least handling ! 
 
 [Professor Schlegel, in his f Museum des Pays-Bas/ Buceros, 
 p. 19, expresses his opinion that the Abyssinian, the West- 
 African, and the South- African races of this bird are always 
 distinguishable from each other; but Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub 
 (loc. cit.) maintain the contrary view. I have not had the 
 opportunity of comparing a sufficient number of specimens from 
 these various quarters to enable me satisfactorily to offer an 
 opinion on the subject. Mr. Layard (loc. cit.} refers to a native 
 superstition respecting this bird, probably somewhat similar to 
 that alluded to by Mr. Andersson. ED.] 
 
 251. TockTIS nasutus (Linn.). Took Hornbill. 
 
 Le Calao nasique, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pis. 236 & 237. 
 
 Buceros nasuttis, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 p. 155. 
 Buceros epirhinus, Sundevall ; Ofvers. 1850, p. 108. 
 
BUCEEOTID^. 207 
 
 Hvoerof nasutus, Layard's Cat. No. 457. 
 
 Buceros hastatus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 405. 
 
 Buceros nasutus, Finscli & HartlauVs Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 486. 
 
 Finsch, in Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. vii. p. 277. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 73. 
 
 This species does not occur in Great Namaqua Land, 
 but is found in Southern Damara Land, where, however, 
 it is far from common, and excessively shy ; in the 
 northern parts of Damara Land it is less shy and very 
 common ; and it is also to be met with in the Lake- 
 regions. It is seen in small families, rarely exceeding- 
 half a dozen individuals. It roosts on large trees if 
 such be within reach, generally returning nightly to a 
 fixed roosting-place ; it usually perches upon trees about 
 halfway up, and, unlike T. melanoleucus and T. flam- 
 rostris, rarely alights on the topmost boughs. In com- 
 mon with the rest of the genus it appears to suffer 
 very much from the heat during the most trying season 
 of the year, when it may be found perched at noon 
 in the shadiest part of the forest, gasping as if for 
 breath, and may then be approached and shot much 
 more easily than at other times. When on the wing 
 it occasionally utters short piercing cries. 
 
 This Hornbill is almost omnivorous ; but its principal 
 food consists of berries, young shoots, and insects. 
 
 The irides are reddish brown; the legs brownish 
 black; the bill in the adult bird black, with a large 
 triangular yellowish-white patch on the upper mandible, 
 and a few narrow transverse bars of the same colour on 
 the lower. In the young bird these transverse bars are 
 also visible, and the bill is more or less black, with the 
 
208 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 basal part yellowish white, and the tips of both mandi- 
 bles reddish. 
 
 252. TockllS melanoleuCUS (Licht.). Crowned Hornbill. 
 
 Le Calao couronne, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pis. 234 & 235. 
 Buceros coronatus, Layard's Cat. No. 453. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 405. 
 
 Buceros melanoleucus, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 485. 
 Tockus melanoleucus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 78. 
 
 The food of this Hornbill consists of beetles and 
 lizards. 
 
 The iris is yellow, the tarsus brown, the bill reddish 
 yellow. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 21 
 
 Length of folded wing 10 9 
 
 tarsus 16 
 
 middle toe 10 
 
 tail . . 93 
 
 bill along the curve ... 3 5 
 
 [Mr. Andersson has not recorded in his MS. the localities 
 in which he met with this species; but in the appendix to 
 Mr. Chapman's Travels (loc. cit.) it is spoken of as " not very 
 abundant in Damara Land." An example from Ovampo Land 
 was contained in Mr. Andersson's last collection. ED.] 
 
 253. Tockus Monteiri, Hard. Monteiro's Hornbill. 
 
 Toccus Monteiri, Hartlaub, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, pi. 5. 
 Z'ockus Monteiri, Sharpe's Cat. No. 76. 
 
 This Hornbill is not very abundant in Damara Land; 
 it is usually seen in pairs ; but occasionally half a dozen 
 individuals may be found in close proximity to one 
 
BUQEROTIDJE. 209 
 
 another. It is a shy and wary bird, and difficult to 
 approach, except on hot days, when it appears to suffer 
 a good deal from the heat. About 8 or 9 o'clock in 
 the morning it may often be observed quietly resting on 
 the top of a tree ; and it will also perch in such situa- 
 tions at other times when alarmed, but takes its de- 
 parture again on the least sign of danger. It seldom 
 flies far at a time, but if closely pursued extends its 
 flight each time it is dislodged, and thus soon distances 
 its enemy. The flight of this and other Hornbills is 
 not unlike that of a Woodpecker, dipping and rising 
 alternately. 
 
 The present species feeds on flowers, young shoots, 
 berries, birds' eggs, and insects; and, in fact, little comes 
 amiss to it. I have found much gravel in its stomach, 
 and have often flushed it from the ground, to which it 
 resorts for the purpose of picking up sand as well as food. 
 
 The irides are nut-brown ; the legs and toes brown 
 horn-colour; the bill, which is much longer, broader, 
 and stronger in the male than in the female bird, is 
 yellowish red, darkest towards the extremities of the 
 mandibles, which are dark purple, that tint being also 
 sometimes apparent on other parts of the bill as well. 
 
 Average dimensions of fourteen males and of seven 
 females : 
 
 Males. Females, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 23 3 21 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 8 10 78 
 
 tarsus 21 20 
 
 middle toe .... 1 8 16 
 
 tail ......94 88 
 
 bill ... 4 10 3 10 
 
210 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 254. Tockus flavirostris, Eupp. Yellow-billed Hornbill. 
 Buceros flavirostris, Riippell, Neue Wirbelth. pi. 2. fig. 1. 
 Toccus elegans, Hartlaub, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, pi. 4. 
 Bucerosjlavirostris, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 405. 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 490. 
 
 Finsch, in Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. vii. p. 279. 
 
 Tockus flavirostris, Sharpe's Cat. No. 77. 
 
 This species is the most common of the Hornbills in 
 the middle and southern parts of Damara Land. It is 
 found singly or in pairs, and, being a comparatively 
 fearless bird, is easily killed, especially during the heat 
 of the day, when it invariably perches on or near the 
 top of a lofty tree (where such are to be found), and 
 will remain for hours in this situation, keeping up, with 
 short intermissions, a kind of subdued chattering note 
 of Toe Toe Toe Tocke Tocke Tocke Toe, in a tone not 
 unlike the quick yelpings of young puppies, and ac- 
 companied at intervals by a flapping and raising of 
 its wings and an alternate lowering and erecting of its 
 head . 
 
 There is a considerable difference in the size of adult 
 birds of this species. 
 
 The irides are yellow ; the legs and toes are very 
 dark brown ; the colour of the bill approaches orange - 
 yellow, with the exception of the edges, upper ridge, 
 and the tips of the mandibles, which are reddish 
 brown ; in the young bird the bill is sometimes very 
 dark-coloured. 
 
 
BUCEEOTID^. 211 
 
 255. TockllS erythrorhynchus (Gmel.). Red-billed Hornbill. 
 
 Le Calao Toe, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 238. 
 Buceros riifirostris, Sundevall, Ofvers. 1850, p. 108. 
 Buceros erythrorhynchus, Sundevall, Ofvers. 1850, p. 130. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 456. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 406. 
 
 Gurney, in Ibis, 1869, p. 296. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 491. 
 
 Tockus erythrorynchus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 7893. 
 Tockus leucomelas, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 7895. 
 Tockus erythrorhynchus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 75. 
 
 This species is common in Ondonga, at the Okavango 
 River, and for some distance to the south of that stream ; 
 and I have obtained specimens from Lake Ngami. I 
 have also met with it in Damara Land proper, at Objim- 
 binque and Schmelen's Hope ; but specimens from these 
 two last-named localities differ considerably from those 
 found in more northern parts. Thus in the former the 
 whole of the underparts, the forehead, a broad band 
 above the eyes continued down the sides of the neck, 
 the ears, cheeks, chin, and throat are of a uniform silky 
 white ; whilst in the more northern bird the colour of 
 these parts, as well as of the breast, is mingled with 
 blackish grey, and there is also less white about the 
 wings and tail. 
 
 This Hornbill is frequently seen searching for food 
 upon the ground; and the way in which it swallows 
 some kinds of food is peculiar, raising its head and 
 pitching the morsel into the air, receiving it again into 
 its bill, and repeating the process several times, perhaps 
 with the object of softening the food or reducing it to a 
 pulp. 
 
 p2 
 
212 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 As regards the breeding-habits of this species, my own 
 experience fully agrees with the very interesting account 
 given by Dr. Livingstone in ' Missionary Travels,' p. 613. 
 
 [With regard to the difference between the white-cheeked 
 and grey-cheeked specimens of this Hornbill, the examples 
 contained in Mr. Andersson's collection fully hear out his 
 remarks above recorded. Two of these examples (a white- 
 cheeked bird from Objimbinque, and a grey-cheeked one from 
 Ovampo Land) are preserved in the collection of Mr. R. B. 
 Sharpe ; and as both of these were marked as males by Mr. 
 Andersson (no doubt from dissection), and as both of them, 
 from the character of their bills, are evidently adult birds, it 
 follows that the difference is not due either to age or to sex. 
 
 Professor Sundevall, from his remarks at p. 130 of the ' Ofver- 
 sigt' for 1850, appears to consider the grey plumage of the 
 cheeks to be especially characteristic of what he considers the 
 distinct Caffrarian race, for which he has proposed the specific 
 name of " rufirostris" On the other hand, M. Jules P. Verreaux 
 informs me that he considers that both birds are of one and the 
 same species, and that the pure white on the cheeks and the 
 parts adjacent is a nuptial dress annually assumed and lost by 
 a double seasonal change. 
 
 Which of these opinions is the correct one can probably be 
 only ascertained by further observations on these birds in a state 
 of nature than have yet been made; and it is to be hoped that 
 those who may have the opportunity of making the requisite 
 investigations will give their attention to the elucidation of this 
 somewhat obscure variation. ED.] 
 
 
PSITTACID& 213 
 
 SCANSOKES, 
 
 PSITTACIRE. 
 
 256. PoicephalllS robustus (Gmel.). LevaiUant's Parrot. 
 
 Le Perroquet & /ranges sougi, LevaiUant's Perroquets, pi. 130. 
 Psittacus Levaillantii, Layard's Cat. No. 459. 
 Poicephahis robustus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 8282. 
 Psittacus robustus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 173. 
 
 I have only met with this Parrot in the country of 
 Ovaquenyama, where it is very abundant, but very wild 
 and difficult to approach; and in fact it is only to be 
 obtained in the morning and evening, when it comes to 
 the water during the dry season. 
 
 The iris is dark brown ; the bill livid, but brown at 
 the extremity ; the tarsi are lead-coloured. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 12 9 12 
 
 Length of folded wing ...90 86 
 
 tarsus 10 ..... 9 
 
 middle toe .... 2 10 2 10 
 
 tail 41 38 
 
 [Mr. B,. B. Sharpe possesses two specimens of this Parrot 
 obtained by Mr. Andersson, one in Damara Land and one in 
 Ondonga. ED.] 
 
 257. Poicephahis Meyeri (Hupp.). Meyer's Parrot. 
 
 Psittacus Meyeri, RiippelPs Atlas, pi. 11. 
 
 Pvocephalus Meyeri, Strickland & Sclater, Oontr. Orn. 1852, p. 156. 
 Psittacus Meyeri, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 406. 
 Pionias Meyeri, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 500. 
 Poicephahcs Meyeri, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 8284. 
 Psittacus Meyeri, Sharpe's Cat. No. 170. 
 
214 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 This Parrot is a rare bird in the middle portion of 
 Damara Land ; but further north, at Okamabute, it is 
 common, and also in the Lake-regions; with the occa- 
 sional exception of a few stray individuals, it does not 
 occur further south than Omabonde, which may be said 
 to constitute its usual southern limit. Its habits and 
 notes closely resemble those of the succeeding species, 
 P. Euppelli. 
 
 The irides are deep bright red-orange ; the bare skin 
 surrounding the eye is black ; the bill darkish horn- 
 colour, with a tinge of green ; the legs and toes greenish 
 black. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 94 90 
 
 Length of folded wing ..61 61 
 
 tarsus ....08 09 
 
 middle toe ... 1 7 19 
 
 tail 30 30 
 
 biU 09 09 
 
 [This species is subject, in both sexes, to a variation of colour 
 in the plumage of the head, an irregular bar of pale yellow, 
 which transversely crosses the crown, being present in some 
 specimens and entirely absent in others. ED.] 
 
 258. PoicephalllS Ruppelli (Gray). RuppelTs Parrot. 
 Psittacus Ruppelli, Gray, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1848, pi. 5. 
 Pceocephalus Riippetti, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 156. 
 
 Psittacus Ruppelli, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 406. 
 Phaocephalus Riippettii, Hartl. Orn. West- Africa's, No. 503. 
 Poicephalus RuppeUii, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 8286. 
 Psittacus Rueppelli, Sharpe's Cat. No. 169. 
 
 This species is common in Damara Land, but is 
 
PSITTACID^. 215 
 
 chiefly found in the middle and southern parts of that 
 country ; it is always met with in small flocks of about 
 half a dozen individuals, and seems to prefer the larger 
 kinds of trees. It is rather shy, and when quietly perched 
 amongst the branches is very difficult to perceive, until 
 its presence is betrayed by the cries it utters as soon as 
 it conceives itself to be in danger ; these are at first shrill 
 and isolated, but increase in strength and frequency till 
 it leaves its perch, and are usually continued during its 
 flight, which is generally short, but very rapid. It is 
 rarely found far from water, which it usually frequents 
 twice a day. It feeds on seeds and berries, sometimes 
 also on the young shoots of trees and plants. 
 
 Messrs. Strickland and Sclater state that the blue on 
 the upper and under tail-coverts is wanting in the 
 female ; but I have now lying before me more than one 
 individual of that sex in which this blue plumage is 
 present. I have, however, examined others in which it 
 was absent, but which, in all other respects, appeared to 
 be adult ; whilst in other quite young specimens I have 
 found the rump and the upper tail-coverts nearly as blue 
 as in the adult ; and I have also specimens in which the 
 blue is present both above and below, but which have 
 none of the usual orange-yellow on the elbow or on the 
 thigh, but only on the under wing-coverts. Whether or 
 not these variations are merely accidental, I have been 
 unable to decide. 
 
 The iris in this species is orange, the bill, feet, and 
 toes dark horn-colour. 
 
216 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 90 
 
 Length of folded wing 57 
 
 tarsus 07 
 
 tail 2 10 
 
 bill . ,09 
 
 259. Psittacula roseicollis (Vieill.). Kosy-necked Love-bird. 
 
 Psittacula roseicollis, Bourjot's Perr. pi. 91. 
 
 Agapornis roseicollis, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar v Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 156. 
 
 Psittacula roseicollis, Layard's Cat. No. 461. 
 Agapornis roseicollis, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 406. 
 Psittacula roseicollis, Finsch & Haitlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 501. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 177. 
 
 This pretty little species is very generally distributed 
 over Damara and Great Namaqua Land, and is also 
 found on the Okavango and at Lake Ngami. It is 
 always observed in small flocks, and seldom far from 
 water, to which it resorts at least once in the day, 
 and is consequently not a bad guide to a thirsty 
 traveller; though, if he be inexperienced, it would 
 hardly avail him much, as it frequently happens that 
 the drinking-places resorted to by this and other 
 water-loving birds are of but small compass and 
 strangely situated. 
 
 This species is very swift of flight, and the little flocks 
 in which it is observed seem to flash upon the sight 
 as they change their feeding-grounds or pass to or from 
 their drinking-places; their flight, however, is only for 
 a comparatively short distance at a time. They utter 
 rapid and shrill notes when on the wing, or when sud- 
 
PSITTACIDJZ. 
 
 217 
 
 denly disturbed or alarmed. Their food consists of 
 berries and large berry-like seeds. 
 
 This bird does not make any nest of its own, but 
 takes possession of nests belonging to other birds, es- 
 pecially Philetcerus socius and Plocepasser mahali. I 
 cannot say whether it forcibly ejects the rightful owners 
 of these nests, or merely occupies such as they have 
 abandoned ; but in the case of the first-named species, I 
 have seen the Parrots and the Grosbeaks incubating in 
 about equal numbers under the shelter of the same 
 friendly roof. The egg is pure white, not unlike a 
 Woodpecker's, but more elongated. The irides are of 
 an intensely dark brown ; the legs blue, with the faintest 
 tint of green ; the bill is greenish white. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male, 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 6 10 . 
 
 Length of folded wing ...41. 
 
 tarsus 07. 
 
 middle toe . . . Not recorded. 
 
 tail 20. 
 
 bill 6 , 
 
 Female, 
 in. lin. 
 
 CAPITONID^E. 
 260. Pogonorhynchus leucomelas (Bodd.). Black-throated 
 
 Barbican. 
 
 Laimodon leucomelas, Layard's Cat. No. 463. 
 
 Laimodon unidentatus, Layard's Cat. No. 464. 
 
 Poyonias leucomelas, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 405. 
 
 Pogonorhynchus leucomelas, Sharpe's Cat. No. 135. 
 
 Marshalls' Mon. of the Capitonidtc, 
 
 pi. 62. 
 
218 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 This peculiar but prettily marked bird is found from 
 the northern border of Great Namaqua Land (south of 
 which I did not meet with it) as far north as the river 
 Okavango; and it also occurs at Lake N garni. In the 
 neighbourhood of Objimbinque it is rather abundant. 
 It is found singly or in pairs, and is remarkable for its 
 clear, ringing and far-sounding notes, which, though 
 heard at all hours of the day, are most frequent in the 
 early morning. Its food consists chiefly of fruit and 
 seeds ; but it will, to some extent, accommodate itself, as 
 regards food, to the produce of the locality in which it 
 happens to be located. It is rather a lively bird, and 
 sometimes suspends itself below the fruit on which it is 
 feeding, and makes its repast whilst hanging in that 
 position. 
 
 The iris is umber-brown, the bill dark brownish horn- 
 colour, the feet and toes slaty brown. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 66 65 
 
 Length of folded wing ..32 31 
 
 tarsus .... 11 10 
 
 middle toe . . Not recorded 13 
 
 tail 20 1 11 
 
 bill , 11 , 10 
 
PICIDA. 219 
 
 PICIDJE. 
 
 261. Thripias namaqUUS (Licht.). Bearded Woodpecker. 
 
 Le Pic a double moustache, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 251 (male) & 
 
 252 (female). 
 Dendrobates namaquus, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 155. 
 Dendropicus Uarmicus, Malherbe's Monographic des Picidees, pi. 42. 
 
 figs. 4, 5, & 6. 
 
 Dendrobates namaquus, Layard's Cat. No. 471. 
 Picus namaquus, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 507. 
 Thripias namaquus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 8664. 
 Dendropicus namaquus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 160. 
 
 I have scarcely ever seen this Woodpecker in Great 
 Namaqua Land, but have found it (very sparingly) 
 throughout Damara Land, and as far north as the river 
 Okavango, where, and at Lake Ngami, it is more 
 numerous than in Damara Land, though no species of 
 Woodpecker can be said to be common in any of the 
 countries the ornithology of which is described in these 
 pages. 
 
 The iris is of a red wine-colour, the bill greenish 
 grey, and the legs and toes greyish olive. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 95 
 
 Length of folded wing 55 
 
 tarsus 11 
 
 middle toe 16 
 
 tail 31 
 
 biU , 18 
 
 262. Dendropicus Hartlaubii, Malh. Hartlaub's Woodpecker. 
 
 Dendropicus Hartlaubii, Malherbe's Monographic des Picide"es, pi. 44. 
 
 figs. 1 & 2. 
 Picus Hartlaubi, Sundevall's Consp. Av. Pic. p. 43. 
 
220 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Picm HartlauU, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 512. 
 Dendropicus Hartlaubii, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 8651. 
 
 [I have not found this species amongst those collections of 
 Mr. Andersson^s which have come under my notice; nor do I 
 find that it is mentioned in Mr. Andersson's MS. notes ; but 
 Professor Sundevall (loc. cit.) mentions a specimen obtained by 
 the late Professor Wahlberg, at Walwich Bay, on the 27th of 
 April, 1854 ; and Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub (loc. cit.) refer to 
 a specimen procured in Damara Land by Mr. Andersson, and 
 now preserved in the Museum at Bremen. ED.] 
 
 263. Dendropicns Cardinalis (Gmel.). Cardinal Woodpecker. 
 
 Le petit Pic d, baguettes d'or, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 253. 
 Dendrobates fuscescens, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 155. 
 Dendropicus fulviscapus, Malherbe's Monographic des Picidees, 
 
 pi. 43. figs. 1, 2, 3. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 472. 
 
 Picusfulviscapus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 405. 
 Dendropicus cardinalis, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 8649. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 164. 
 
 This pretty little Woodpecker, though it cannot be 
 said to be abundant, is the commonest of all those found 
 in Damara and Great Namaqua Land, and is also toler- 
 ably numerous at Lake Ngami. It is a comparatively 
 tame species, and is sometimes found singly, but more 
 often in pairs ; it usually frequents trees of moderate 
 size, situated in the more scanty woods or on the banks 
 of the periodical watercourses. 
 
 The sexes in this species do not differ in size. The 
 iris is red; the bill greenish slaty; the legs and toes 
 green, tinged with slate-colour. 
 
 [A specimen of this Woodpecker, procured by Mr. Anderssou 
 at Objimbinque, is in the collection of Mr. R,. B. Sharpe. ED.] 
 
PICIDM. 221 
 
 264. Ipagrus capricorni, Strickl. Capricorn- Woodpecker. 
 
 Campethera capricorni, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 155 (male). 
 
 Newton, in Ibis, 1869, pi. 9 (male). 
 
 Dendrobates nigrogularis, Bocage, Jorn. Acad. Lisb. 1867, p. 336 
 
 (female). 
 
 Ipagrus capricorni, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 8700. 
 Campethera capricorni, Sharpe's Cat. No. 149. 
 
 I never met with this species in Great Namaqua Land ; 
 and in Damara Land proper it is scarce. I do not 
 remember to have seen it much south of Omanbonde ; 
 but on my journey to the Okavango I found it more 
 frequent in the neighbourhood of that river, though even 
 there it was of comparatively rare occurrence. It appears 
 to be a migratory bird, as I never saw it during the dry 
 season. 
 
 The iris is claret-coloured, the bill a brown slate-colour, 
 the legs and toes lead-coloured. 
 
 [A specimen obtained by Mr. Andersson at the river Cunene 
 is in the collection of Mr. R. B. Sharpe; this example is a 
 female, which, in this species, resembles the male, with the 
 following exceptions, viz. : only the occiput is scarlet, the re- 
 mainder of the upper part of the head being black, very thickly 
 interspersed with large white spots ; a brownish-black stripe 
 runs from the gape under the eye and ear, down the side of the 
 neck, where it becomes intermingled with white, this stripe is 
 broadest below the ear ; lastly, the space between the rami of 
 the lower mandible is also brownish black, which colour extends 
 from the chin for about an inch down the throat. ED.] 
 
 265. Ipagrus Brucei (Malh.). Bruce's Woodpecker. 
 
 Campethera Abingoni, , Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr, 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 156. 
 Chrysopicus Brucei, Malherbe's Monographic des Picide'es, pi. 93. 
 
 fig. 1 (male). 
 
222 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Ipagrus Brucei, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 8696. 
 Campethera Brucii, Sharpe's Cat. No. 153. 
 
 This species is not unfrequent in Damara Land. 
 The iris is a pink wine-colour, the bill bluish brown, 
 the legs and toes greyish green. 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 8 10 
 
 Length of folded wing 55 
 
 tarsus 09 
 
 middle toe 16 
 
 tail 30 
 
 bill 16 
 
 [Specimens of this Woodpecker were more numerous in Mr. 
 Andersson's collections than those of any other species. It 
 appears to me that the female of this species agrees more ac- 
 curately than any other with that described by Messrs. Strickland 
 and Sclater (loc. cit.), under the designation of "Campethera 
 Abingoni, Smith, $/' which name, however, is in reality a 
 synonym of the succeeding species, and therefore not correctly 
 applied to the present bird. 
 
 I endeavoured to refer to Mr. Strickland's original specimen 
 when I visited the Museum of Zoology at Cambridge, in which 
 his collection is now preserved, but I did not succeed in dis- 
 covering it there. ED.] 
 
 266. Ipagrus variolosilS (Licht.). Bennett's Woodpecker. 
 
 Chrysopicus Abingoni, Malherbe's Monographic des Picidees, pi. 95. 
 
 figs. 1 & 2. 
 
 Picus Bennetti, Sundevall's Consp. Av. Pic. p. 63. 
 Campethera chrysura, Layard's Cat. No. 474. 
 Chrysoptilus Bennetti, Gurney, in Ibis, 1869, p. 296. 
 Ipagrus variolosa, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 8693. 
 Campethera Bennetti, Sharpe's Cat. No. 154. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson does not mention this Woodpecker in his 
 notes; but a specimen, marked as being from the "Lake- 
 
PICIDJE. 223 
 
 regions/' was contained in his last collection, and is the most 
 westerly example which I have seen of this species. This speci- 
 men is now in the collection of Mr. R. B. Sharpe. ED.] 
 
 267. Indicator minor, Steph. Little Honey-Guide. 
 
 Le petit Indicateur, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 242. 
 Indicator minor, Layard's Cat. No. 480. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 515. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 126. 
 
 This species is met with sparingly in Damara Land 
 throughout the year; and I have also observed it in 
 Great Namaqua Land. It occurs either singly or in 
 pairs, and feeds on small bees, ants, &c. The stomach 
 also invariably contains a white substance surrounding 
 the other food; but what this substance is I cannot 
 make out. 
 
 The iris is very dark brown ; the upper mandible and 
 the extremity of the lower are dark horn-colour, the 
 rest of the lower mandible is livid ; the legs and toes 
 are lead- coloured, tinged with green in front. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 64 
 
 Length of folded wing 38 
 
 tarsus 07 
 
 middle toe 07 
 
 tail 26 
 
 bill 07 
 
 [According to Mr. Layard and Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub 
 (loc. cit.), the Honey-Guides, like the Cuckoos, lay their eggs in 
 the nests of other birds a circumstance which confirms the 
 
224 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 correctness of the arrangement by which they are classified 
 as an aberrant family of the Cuculida, from the other 
 divisions of which they, however, in some respects differ 
 materially. 
 
 The white substance found by Mr. Andersson in the stomach 
 of the Little Honey-Guide appears, from the information given 
 by Mr. Layard (loc. cit.}, to have been due to the pollen col- 
 lected by the bees on which the birds had fed. 
 
 Mr. Andersson alludes to the allied species, Indicator major, 
 as not uncommon in the eastern portion of the Cape Colony, 
 arid states that it sometimes falls a prey to the attacks of the 
 bees whose nests it seeks, in consequence of these insects 
 " fastening on and about the eyes of the bird." ED.] 
 
 268. Centropus senegalensis(Linn.). Senegal Spur-heeled Cuckoo. 
 
 Le Coucal Houhou, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 219. 
 Centropus Burchellii, Layard's Cat. No. 487. 
 
 Centropus senegalensis, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vb'gel Ost-Afrika's, 
 p. 526. 
 
 This species is found abundantly at Lake Ngami, but 
 I have observed it nowhere else. It occurs singly or in 
 pairs, and perches on lofty trees but also frequents 
 reedy thickets, to the interior of which it usually retreats 
 when alarmed or pursued. Its flight is heavy and clumsy. 
 Its food consists of insects; and it is partial to locusts 
 and grasshoppers. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson identified the Centropus to which the above 
 remarks refer with C. Burchellii of Swainson, which, according 
 to Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub (loc. cit.), is not specifically 
 separable from C. senegalensis. I am unable to confirm this 
 identification from personal observations, as no specimens of 
 the bird were contained in Mr. Andersson's last collection, 
 neither have I had the opportunity of comparing a sufficient 
 number of specimens from other sources to be able to satisfy 
 
CUCULIDJE. 225 
 
 myself as to whether or not C. Burchellii is really distinct from 
 C. senegalensis ; and as this is the case, I have here followed the 
 nomenclature adopted by Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub, as above 
 referred to. ED.] 
 
 269. Coccystes glandarius (Linn.). Great Crested Cuckoo. 
 
 Oxylophus glandarius, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 241. 
 
 Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 
 
 p. 3. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 496. 
 
 Coccystes glandarius, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vb'gel Ost-Afrika's, p. 518. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 108. 
 
 This species is not uncommon during the wet season in 
 Damara Land, and also about the river Okavango. 
 
 The iris is pale brown ; the bill brown, tinged with 
 yellow on the posterior portion of the lower mandible ; 
 the legs and toes bluish, with a shade of brown. 
 
 270. Oxylophus jacobinus (Bodd.). Black-and- White Cuckoo. 
 
 Le Coucou edolio (femelle), Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 208. 
 Oxylophus melanoleucus, Layard's Cat. No. 499. 
 Oxylophus jacobinus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9062. 
 Coccystes jacobinus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 109. 
 
 This is about the most common Cuckoo in Damara 
 Land, and the first to arrive with the rainy season ; I 
 also received several specimens of it from Lake Ngami. 
 I believe it breeds in Damara Land, having seen young 
 birds barely able to fly. 
 
 This species has a true Cuckoo's note, and is very 
 swift of flight and quick in its movements. 
 
 271. Oxylophus caffer (Licht.). Levaillant's Cuckoo. 
 Le Coucou edolio, var., Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 209. 
 Coccyzus Vaillantii, Swainson's Zool. 111. 2nd ser. pi. 13. 
 Oxylophus afer, Layard's Cat. No. 500. 
 
 Q 
 
226 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Oxylophus afer, Finsch, in Trans, of Zool. Soc. vol. vii. p. 285. 
 Oxylophus caffer, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9066. 
 Coccystes coffer, Sharpe's -Cat. No. 110. 
 
 Like the rest of the Cuckoos found in Damara Land, 
 this species is only a periodical visitant during the rainy 
 season, and takes its departure long before the return of 
 the dry weather. I have heard its note on the river 
 Okavango as early as September ; but it is a scarce bird 
 in that district, and very rare in Damara Land. It 
 always appears in pairs, and is of a rather shy and re- 
 tiring disposition. 
 
 The iris is dark olive-brown ; the bill black ; the legs 
 and toes brown tinged with lead-colour. 
 
 272. Oxylophus serratus (Sparrm.). Edolio Cuckoo. 
 
 Le Coucou edolio (male), Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 207. 
 Oxylophus edoliuSj Layard's Cat. No. 498. 
 Oxylophus serratus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9064. 
 Coccystes serratus, Sharpe's Cat. No. 111. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's MS. notes do not refer to this species as 
 inhabiting Damara Land; but two examples of it, obtained by 
 him in that country, are in the collection of Mr. E. B. Sharpe. 
 
 ED.] 
 
 273. CuCllluS clamoSUS, Cuv. Noisy Cuckoo. 
 
 Le Coucou criard, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pis. 204 & 205. 
 
 Cuculus clamosuSy Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 3. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 492. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 408. 
 
 I first observed this species in the neighbourhood of 
 the river Okavango, but only very sparingly; and the 
 few individuals which there came under my notice were 
 so excessively wild and wary that I only succeeded in 
 
OUOULID^J. 227 
 
 bagging some after an immense deal of trouble and 
 smart shooting. They were invariably perched on lofty 
 trees, where they uttered loud cries, which were my only 
 guide to their whereabouts ; and before I got near they 
 would leave their perches and dart with lightning speed 
 through the neighbouring thickets. They were wild 
 shots these! On a subsequent occasion I observed a 
 flock of fully a dozen of these Cuckoos, creating a 
 desperate hubbub, on the 21st of December, at Ob- 
 jimbinque. I have also obtained specimens of this 
 Cuckoo from Lake Ngami. 
 
 274. CuCUlllS CanoniS, Linn. European Cuckoo. 
 
 Cuculus canorus, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 240. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 407. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 520. 
 
 Gurney, in Ibis, 1871, p. 103. 
 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 103. 
 
 This species is occasionally observed in Damara Land, 
 but from its great general resemblance to the following 
 species (C.gularis) may beeasily confounded with that bird*. 
 
 The iris is yellow ; the bill bluish black, except at the 
 base, where it is yellowish brown ; the legs and toes are 
 bright yellow. 
 
 [Mr. R. B. Sharpe possesses two specimens of the true 
 Cuculus canorus> which were both obtained by Mr. Andersson 
 at Objimbinque, Damara Land. One of these is a male bird 
 which has nearly attained the adult dress,, but shows some 
 remains of immature plumage on the wing- coverts and on the 
 crown of head. This specimen was killed on the 6th of February, 
 1865 ; the other example is a fully adult female obtained on the 
 1st of April, 1864. ED.] 
 
 * See note under Cuculus gularis at page 228. 
 
 Q2 
 
228 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 275. CuClllllS gularis, Steph. Lineated Cuckoo. 
 
 Le Coucou vulgaire tfAfrique, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pis. 200 & 201. 
 Cuculus lineatus, Swainson's Birds of West Afr. ? vol. ii. pi. 18. 
 Cuculus gularis, Layard's Cat. No. 491. 
 Cucuhis lineatus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 407. 
 Cuculus gularis, Sharpe's Cat. No. 104. 
 
 This Cuckoo is pretty common in the rainy season 
 throughout Damara Land and in some parts of Great 
 Namaqua Land. Its flight is very rapid and zig-zag ; 
 but it does not move far at a time, usually taking refuge, 
 after being disturbed, in the nearest convenient tree. 
 
 The iris is yellowish brown ; the tips of the mandibles 
 dark brown, their base yellowish, shading into greenish 
 yellow in the intermediate parts. 
 
 [The yellow or " yellowish " base of the upper mandible in 
 this species, above referred to by Mr. Andersson, is perhaps the 
 readiest criterion by which it may be distinguished from Cuculus 
 canorus, in which the whole upper mandible is of a black horn- 
 colour, except a very narrow yellow margin below each nostril. 
 
 Mr. R. B. Sharpe possesses a specimen of Cuculus gularis, 
 obtained by Mr. Andersson at Objimbinque, and another pro- 
 cured by him in Ondonga. ED.] 
 
 276. Chrysococcyx cupreus (Bodd.). Didric Cuckoo. 
 
 Le Coucou didric, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pis. 210 & 211. 
 Chalcites auratus, Layard's Cat. No. 493. 
 
 Chrysococcyx cupreus, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 522. 
 Sharpe's Cat. No. 113. 
 
 This beautiful species is by no means uncommon in 
 Little Namaqua Land ; but to the north of the Orange 
 Kiver I have only met with it in the neighbourhood of 
 the river Okavango, where it is both scarce and shy, 
 

 Male, 
 in. lin. 
 
 .. 7 11 ... 
 
 Female, 
 in. lin. 
 
 ... 7 11 
 
 L wins' 
 
 ..48... 
 
 4 10 
 
 
 ..09... 
 
 ... 9 
 
 B toe . 
 
 
 ... 1 4 
 
 
 ...35.. 
 
 3 6 
 
 
 1 , 
 
 1 3 
 
 CUCULID^E. 229 
 
 and near Otniovapa, where I observed two of these birds 
 pairing on the llth of January. 
 
 This Cuckoo feeds on larvae. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Entire length 
 Length of foldec 
 tarsus 
 middl 
 taH 
 bill 
 
 277. Chrysococcyx Klaasi (Steph.). Klaas's Cuckoo. 
 
 Le Coitcou de Klaas, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 212. 
 
 CJialcites Klaasii, Layard's Cat. No. 494. 
 
 Chrysococcyx Klaasi, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 520. 
 
 I shot on the Swakop River (a day's journey from 
 Objimbinque) a single individual of this species, which 
 was the only one that I procured in any of the countries 
 to the ornithology of which these pages refer. 
 
 [The specimen above referred to not having been comprised 
 in Mr. Andersson's last collection, I am unable to confirm by 
 personal observation his identification of it, which, however, 
 from the detailed description contained in his MS. notes, I have 
 no doubt is correct. 
 
 Mr. Andersson also records in his notes his belief that 
 C. splendidus (smaragdineus of Layard's Catalogue) occurs in 
 Damara Land during the rainy season, although he did not 
 succeed in procuring a specimen of it in that country. ED.] 
 
230 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 COLUMB-33. 
 
 COLUMBIDJE. 
 
 278. Phalacrotreron Calva (Temm.). Bald-fronted Pigeon. 
 Le Pigeon d, front nu, Temminck & Knip's Pigeons, pi. 7. 
 Phalacrotreron calva, Bonaparte's Icon, des Pigeons, pi. 3. fig. A 
 
 (head). 
 
 Treron australis, Lay aid's Cat. No. 503. 
 Phalacrotreron calva, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9111. 
 
 Iris light blue ; basal half of bill red, the remainder 
 livid ; feet and toes yellow. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 10 10 ..... 10 3 
 
 Length of folded wing ...67 64 
 
 tarsus 11 11 
 
 middle toe .... 11 11 
 
 tail 40 38 
 
 bill 11 09 
 
 [The specimens of this species from which the above measure- 
 ments were taken by Mr. Anderssoii were obtained in Ondonga, 
 in November 1866, together with several other examples, one of 
 which is now in the British Museum. 
 
 These Ondonga specimens only differ from West-African 
 examples in having the bill very slightly more robust, and in the 
 yellow tints of the plumage being throughout somewhat brighter. 
 
 Mr. Layard informs me that he considers the Treron recorded 
 in his Catalogue (loc. cit.} as having been obtained in Damara 
 Land by Mr. Kisch to be referable to this species, and not to 
 T. nudirostris, as cited by Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub in their 
 work on the birds of East Africa, p. 539. ED.] 
 
COLUMBID^. 231 
 
 279. Stictcenas phseonotllS, Gray. Roussard Pigeon. 
 
 Le Ramier roussard, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 265. 
 
 Columba guinea, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 156. 
 
 Columba guinea, Layard's Cat. No. 505. 
 Columba guinea, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 411. 
 Columba trigonigera, Gurney, in Ibis, 1868, p. 164. 
 Columba guineensis (part.), Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 539. 
 Stictcenas phceonotus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9262. 
 
 This Pigeon is common throughout Damara and 
 Great Namaqua Land, and congregates in immense 
 flocks about March, April, and May, after the breeding- 
 season, and may then be obtained in any quantity at 
 the expense of a little powder and shot, which these 
 birds are well worth, as their flesh is well-tasted and 
 gamy. 
 
 Bonaparte has endeavoured to separate the South- 
 African bird from that of the west coast on the ground 
 that the spots on the wings are smaller, and the colour 
 of the lower part of the back resembles that of the head ; 
 but are these differences sufficient to warrant the esta- 
 blishment of two distinct species ] I must say that for 
 my own part I do not think they are. 
 
 In this Pigeon the inner ring of the iris is yellow, the 
 outer yellowish red ; the large naked spaces round the 
 eyes, the lores, and corners of the mouth are deep red ; 
 the cere is whitish horn-colour ; the bill is dark horn- 
 colour, except the base of the lower mandible, which is 
 livid. 
 
232 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 12 10 
 
 Length of folded wing 9 10 
 
 tarsus 10 
 
 middle toe 11 
 
 tail 48 
 
 bill 10 
 
 [I am disposed to differ from Mr. Andersson's opinion as to 
 the propriety of uniting this Pigeon with the S. guinea of equa- 
 torial Africa ; but at the same time I have not had the oppor- 
 tunity of examining a sufficient series of specimens to enable me 
 to form a very decided opinion on the subject. 
 
 The examples contained in Mr. Andersson's last collection 
 appeared decidedly to belong to the southern race ; but I have 
 not been able to trace the exact locality in which they were 
 obtained, neither have I been able to identify with certainty, 
 at the Cambridge Museum, the Damara specimen referred to 
 by Strickland and Sclater (loc. cit.). ED.] 
 
 280. Turtur senegalensis (Linn.). Senegal Dove. 
 
 La Tourterelle maillee, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 270. 
 Columba cambayensis, Temminck & Knip's Pigeons, pi. 45. 
 Turtur senegalensis, Layard's Cat. No. 511. 
 
 Columba cambayensis, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 411. 
 Turtur senegalensis, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vdgel Ost-Afrika's ; p. 551. 
 Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9317. 
 
 This species is found abundantly from the Okavango 
 River southwards throughout Damara Land and Great 
 and Little Nam aqua Land, as also at Lake Ngami. 
 
 In its habits, manners, and nidincation it resembles 
 the succeeding species ; but its eggs are a trine smaller. 
 
COLUMBIDJ3. 233 
 
 281. Streptopelia damarensis (Finsch & Hartl.). Damara Dove. 
 
 La Tourterelle blonde a collier, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 268. 
 Turtur vinaceus, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 157. 
 
 Columba risorius (?), Chapman's Travels in S. Afr v App. p. 410. 
 Turtur semitorquatus, Layard, in Ibis, 1869, p. 374. 
 Turtur damarensis^ Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 550. 
 Streptopelia damarensis, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9335. 
 
 Levaillant's figure of this Dove is very good, but the 
 artist has evidently omitted the black streak which runs 
 from the corner of the mouth to the eyes ; the white on 
 the under tail-coverts and tail is also scarcely enough 
 distinguished. Levaillant considers this and another 
 Ringdove found abundantly in the Cape Colony * as 
 distinct, but I cannot agree with him ; the size and dis- 
 tribution of colouring is just the same, only the colours 
 in the Damara bird are a few shades lighter ; but as this 
 is always the case in all the land birds of the interior 
 indigenous to that country, it cannot be admitted as a 
 sufficient characteristic to separate species, unless ex- 
 tended to all others which stand in the same relation to 
 each other. 
 
 This is the most abundant species of Dove in Damara 
 Land and the parts adjacent. It cannot be strictly said 
 to be a gregarious species ; yet numbers are often found 
 in close proximity both on trees and on the ground, and 
 rise in one flock when flushed, producing a great noise 
 by the rapid concussion of their wings above their 
 backs. 
 
 They seek on the ground for their food, which consists 
 almost exclusively of seeds. They build in small trees, 
 
 * S. capicola (Sundev.). 
 
234 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 generally at the extremity of a bough, constructing a 
 rough nest of a few twigs, with no lining of any kind. 
 The eggs are two in number, of a pure white. 
 
 I have observed these Doves building on August 20th, 
 and have found their eggs abundantly at the end of 
 December ; so that it is probable that they produce two 
 broods in the year. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained specimens of this 
 Dove, one of which was procured as far north as the river 
 Cunene. I have not had the opportunity of examining a sufficient 
 series of specimens to enable me to form a confident opinion as 
 to the propriety of separating the Damara race from the more 
 southern S. capicola ; but it would appear from Mr. Andersson's 
 remarks that the difference of tint, though not great, is yet both 
 constant and perceptible. ED.] 
 
 282. Streptopelia semitorquata (Eupp.). Bed-eyed Dove. 
 
 Columba semitorquata, Kiippell, Neue Wirbelth. pi. 23. fig. 2. 
 Turtur erythrophrys, Swainson's Birds of West Africa, vol. ii. 
 pi. 22. 
 
 w Bonaparte's Oonsp. Av. vol. ii. p. 63. 
 
 Turtur vinaceus, Layard's Cat. No. 509. 
 
 Turtur erythrophrys (?), Chapman's Travels in S. Air., App. p. 411. 
 Turtur semitorquatus, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vo'gel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 541. 
 Streptopelia semitorquata, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9325. 
 
 I have obtained specimens of a large Dove from Lake 
 Ngami, where it seems to be common, which agrees 
 very nearly with Swainson's description of his " Red- 
 eyed Dove." 
 
 This Dove is not found either in Damara or Great 
 Namaqua Land; neither do I remember to have met 
 with it on the Okavango. 
 
COLUMBID^. 235 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained a specimen of 
 Streptopelia semitorquata, obtained at the river Cunene on 
 June 25, 1867. ED.] 
 
 283, (Ena capensis (Linn.). Black-throated Dove. 
 
 La Tourterelle a cravatte noire, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pis. 273, 274, 
 
 275. 
 (Ena capensis, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 3. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 508. 
 Columba capensis, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 411. 
 
 This exquisite little Dove inhabits most parts of 
 Ovampo, Damara, and Great Namaqua Land, but is 
 most abundant in the latter country, and is known by 
 the name of " Namaqua Dove " to the Dutch Cape- 
 colonists. 
 
 This species occurs in pairs, and is chiefly found 
 frequenting the ground ; and when disturbed, it seeks 
 shelter in low trees or bushes, but rarely in the larger 
 trees. It feeds on seeds ; and its flesh is very palatable. 
 It constructs its nest on a low bush of similar materials 
 to those employed by its congeners, but with rather 
 more care. Its two white eggs have a rosy tint, from 
 the thinness and semitransparency of the shell. 
 
 The irides are dark brown, legs and toes light purple ; 
 the basal parts of the bill purple, the anterior parts yellow. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 99 94 
 
 Length of folded wing ...44 42 
 
 tarsus 07 06 
 
 middle toe ....06 06 
 
 tail 57 52 
 
 bill 07 07 
 
236 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 284. Chalcopelia afra (Linn.). Emerald-spotted Dove. 
 
 La Tourterelle 6meraudine, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 271. 
 Peristera afra, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 157. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 513. 
 
 Columba afra, Chapman's Travels in S. Air., App. p. 411. 
 Chalcopeleia afra, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika ; s, p. 554. 
 Chalcopelia chalcospilos, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9409. 
 
 Some naturalists are for separating the South- African 
 race of this bird from that of Western and Northern 
 Africa, giving to the former the specific name of chalco- 
 spilos and to the latter of afro,, and grounding the di- 
 stinction chiefly on the colour, or rather shading, of the 
 metallic spots on the wing-coverts. These, they main- 
 tain, are in the northern race more or less of a steel- 
 blue passing into strong green on the borders, whilst in 
 the southern race the green extends all over the spot 
 and is of a clear and uniform tint. But I cannot help 
 thinking that this distinction is too trivial to constitute 
 a diagnostic character, especially as, according to my 
 experience, there is a difference between the sexes of 
 the South-African bird in this respect, the colour of the 
 spots being in the male of a beautiful duck-green, with 
 bronze reflections in a few individuals ; in the female the 
 spots are smaller, less bright, and with more of a 
 purplish hue. 
 
 I have never observed this pretty Dove in Great 
 Namaqua Land, nor in Southern Damara Land. I con- 
 sider Omanbonde its southerly limit ; and in travelling 
 northwards I did not find it abundant till I reached 
 Okamabuti, some miles to the north of Omanbonde ; 
 from thence to the Okavango River it was common. 
 
COLUMBIDJE. 237 
 
 This Dove constructs a nest of a few rough sticks in 
 a bush or at the extremity of a bough of some low 
 stunted tree. The sticks composing the nest are so 
 loosely put together that a person looking at it from 
 below may see the two white eggs through the nest. 
 It is seldom that more than one egg is hatched. The 
 young are usually fledged by the middle of January. 
 
 The iris in this species is dark brown, the bill black, 
 the legs bluish flesh-colour. 
 
 [I incline to the opinion expressed by Mr. Andersson, that the 
 South-African race of this Dove is not specifically distinct from 
 that found to the north of the equator ; but I have not examined 
 a sufficient number of specimens to enable me to speak confi- 
 dently on the subject. ED.] 
 
238 BItiDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 GALLIKE. 
 
 MELEAGBIDJE*. 
 
 285. Numida COlHuta, Finsch & Hartl. Cape Guinea-fowl. 
 
 Numida mitrata, Layard's Cat. No. 519. 
 
 Numida cornuta, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 569. 
 Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9630. 
 
 This Guinea-fowl is the commonest game bird in 
 Damara and Great Namaqua Land, being most abun- 
 dant from the Orange River in the south to the Okavango 
 in the north of those countries ; and it is also very com- 
 mon in the Lake-regions. It is a highly gregarious bird, 
 especially during the dry season, when it is not uncom- 
 monly found in flocks of several hundred individuals ; 
 and on one occasion I saw upwards of a thousand 
 collected in one spot, which was one of the prettiest 
 sights I have had the good fortune to witness. These 
 wonderful congregations usually occur in the immediate 
 neighbourhood of waters of small extent ; and it is quite 
 evident that were such a mass of birds to make a simul- 
 taneous rush for the precious liquid, there would be 
 much confusion, and comparatively few would be enabled 
 to have their fill. But, on the contrary, they go to work 
 most economically and judiciously, and it is very interest- 
 ing to watch the process. The first comers enter the 
 well or hole, as the case may be, and, rapidly and dexter- 
 
 * [I have followed Doctors Finsch and Hartlaub (Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 p. 568) in treating the Meleagridss as a distinct family, and not merely as a 
 subfamily of the Phasianidae. ED.] 
 
MELEAGRID^. 239 
 
 ously taking their fill, they make their exit in a different 
 direction, if possible, from that by which they entered ; 
 in the meanwhile the outsiders gradually and evenly 
 approach, and the ring is gradually narrowed by a steady 
 progressive movement of the whole. A batch of fresh 
 comers never attempt to force their way amongst those 
 which had previously arrived, but remain quietly on the 
 outside of the ring until their turn comes. 
 
 I may add that I have observed the same habit 
 amongst the Sand-Grouse. 
 
 The Guinea-fowl feeds on grass, seeds, and insects, 
 but chiefly on a small bulb which is also eagerly 
 sought for by all gallinaceous birds, as well as by man, 
 and which grows very abundantly throughout the 
 country. 
 
 These birds are great travellers, often going over 
 fifteen or twenty miles in the course of the day, but 
 always returning, if possible, to the water at night; 
 so that by judiciously dodging their steps a thirsty 
 traveller may find the desired pool, though implicit 
 reliance should never be placed on this mode of ob- 
 taining water. 
 
 The Guinea-fowls usually rest during the heat of the 
 day under some mimosa, resuming their journeyings 
 when the greatest heat is passed. 
 
 A flock of these birds is in general easily discovered 
 by their sharp, discordant, and metallic cries, something 
 like a rapid succession of blows struck upon iron. They 
 have many enemies, and seek security at night by roost- 
 ing in tall mimosas. 
 
240 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 The flesh of the young Guinea-fowl is very white, 
 tender, and well flavoured, but that of the old birds is 
 far from tempting. 
 
 The eggs of the wild Guinea-fowls are often hatched 
 under domestic Fowls, and the young are not difficult to 
 rear ; but as they grow their propensity for roosting on 
 high trees is rapidly developed, much to the distress of 
 their foster-mother, which is usually unable to follow 
 them to their lofty perch. 
 
 I have also known young chicks of this species suc- 
 cessfully reared when captured in a wild state; but I 
 have never known an instance of one of these birds, when 
 tamed, having reared a brood of its own young. 
 
 The nests of this species consist of slight rounded 
 depressions in the ground, and may be found from the 
 end of December to May, containing from fifteen to 
 twenty eggs, of a buffy-white or pale-buff colour, some- 
 times obscurely speckled with pale grey. 
 
 [I have not seen a specimen of the Damara-Land Guinea- 
 fowl; and as Mr. Andersson appears to have been doubtful 
 to what species it belonged, I forwarded a copy of a full descrip- 
 tion of it, contained in his MS. notes, to Mr. G. R. Gray, 
 requesting his opinion as to the species to which the description 
 applied. Mr. Gray has been so good as to write me in reply as 
 follows: "The description which you have sent me seems to 
 agree with Numida cornuta, No. 9630 of my Hand-list." This 
 identification is confirmed by Mr. Layard (loc. cit.). ED.] 
 
PTEEOCLID^E. 241 
 
 PTEEOCLID^]. 
 
 286. Pterocles bicinctus, Temm. Double-banded Sand-Grouse. 
 
 Pterocles bicinctus, Temminck's Hist. Nat. des Pigeons et Gallinaces, 
 
 vol. iii. p. 247. 
 Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 157. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 530. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 411. 
 
 Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9460. 
 
 This is perhaps the most common species of Sand 
 Grouse in Damara and Great Namaqua Land, where con- 
 siderable numbers may be seen, during the dry season, 
 at any of the few permanent waters which exist in those 
 countries, and which these birds frequent in large flocks 
 about dusk and during the early part of the night, as 
 well as sometimes also at early dawn ; they remain only 
 a short time at the water, and announce their arrival and 
 departure by incessant sharp cries. When dispersed on 
 their feeding-grounds, they are generally found in pairs, 
 or at most two or three together. They feed chiefly on 
 the seeds of grass, as well as on other seeds and berries, 
 and mingle with their food considerable quantities of 
 coarse sand. Their flesh is very white but excessively 
 tough; it may, however, be somewhat improved by 
 divesting the bird of its skin before cooking it. The 
 eggs of this species are from two to three in number, 
 laid upon the bare sand, and of a pinkish-yellow colour, 
 spotted with grey and reddish brown. 
 
 The iris is deep red, the skin round the eye chrome- 
 yellow, the bill yellowish brown, the legs and toes pale 
 dull yellow. 
 
 R 
 
242 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 [This fine Sand- Grouse is at present unfigured. I have not 
 personally examined a Damara example of this species ; but a 
 characteristic portrait of it by Mr. Baines was included in Mr. 
 Andersson's collection of drawings of Damara birds. ED.] 
 
 287. Pterocles vaiiegatus, Burch. Variegated Sand-Grouse. 
 
 Pterocles varieyatus, Burchell's Travels in S. Africa, vol. ii. p. 345. 
 Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 10 (male). 
 Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Cont. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 157. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 538. 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 412. 
 Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9465. 
 
 This species is not uncommon in the northern and 
 middle parts of Damara Land, as well as in the Lake- 
 regions ; but I do not recollect having met with it further 
 to the south. It feeds on seeds, berries, and roots, and 
 frequents its drinking-places early in the morning. Its 
 flesh is tough like that of its congeners. 
 
 The mode of drinking adopted by this and by other 
 South-African Sand-Grouse resembles, as has been 
 already mentioned, that which I have described in the 
 case of the wild Guinea-fowl. 
 
 [I have not seen an example of this species from Damara 
 Land ; but Mr. Andersson's identification of it is confirmed by 
 Messrs. Strickland and Sclater (loc. cit.). ED.] 
 
 288. PteroclimiS namaqua (Gmel.). Namaqtta Sand-Grouse. 
 
 Pterocles tachypetes, Layard's Cat. No. 535. 
 
 Pteroclurus namaqua, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9468. 
 
 This Sand-Grouse is very abundant in some parts 
 of Damara Land, where these birds may be observed 
 
PTEROCLID^. 243 
 
 to make their appearance at the water about eight or 
 nine o'clock in the morning in immense flocks, circling 
 round the water at a considerable height before they 
 descend, and adding to their numbers at almost every 
 turn they take. Frequently they make no attempt at a 
 descent until they are directly over the spot they intend 
 to visit, when they suddenly descend with great velocity, 
 at the same time describing more or less of a semicircle 
 before they alight. 
 
 This species feeds on seeds, berries, and small bulbs, 
 and swallows gravel freely to assist its digestion. 
 
 Its eggs are deposited on the sand, and are of a 
 drabbish colour closely spotted with grey and brown ; 
 they are oval and less elongated than those of P. 
 ticinctus. 
 
 The iris is very dark brown ; the skin round the eye is 
 a somewhat pale yellow ; the bill is bluish, tinged with 
 white on the lower mandible. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 11 
 
 Length of folded wing .... 6 5 
 
 tarsus 11 
 
 middle toe 09 
 
 tail 36 
 
 bill 07 
 
 [Mr. Andersson does not allude to the occurrence of this 
 species in Great and Little Namaqua Land; but Mr. Layard 
 (loc. cit.) speaks of it as " very abundant on the arid karroo 
 plains throughout the Colony and Namaqua Land." 
 
 This Sand-Grouse has not been figured. ED.] 
 
 K 2 
 
244 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 TETRAONIRffi. 
 
 289. PterniseS nudicollis (Gmel.). Crimson-throated Francolin. 
 
 Francolinus nudicollis, Layard's Cat. No. 522. 
 
 Pternises nudicollis, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9647. 
 
 [A Damara-Land specimen of this Francolin was contained in 
 Mr. Andersson's last collection; but I have been unable to 
 trace the exact locality where it was obtained, and the species is 
 not referred to in Mr. Andersson's MS. notes. This fine Fran- 
 colin has not been figured. ED.] 
 
 290. Pternises Swainsonii (Smith). Swainson's Francolin. 
 
 Francolinus Swainsonii, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 12. 
 Francolinus Swainsoni, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Conlr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 157. 
 Francolinus Swainsonii) Layard's Cat. No. 524. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 412. 
 
 Pternises Swainsoni, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9650. 
 
 In travelling northwards through Damara Land I first 
 met with this powerful and somewhat coarse-looking 
 Francolin at the southern extremity of Omuveroom, where 
 it occurred sparingly ; but it became more common as I 
 proceeded further north, till, on the banks of the 
 Okavango River, I found it quite abundant. It frequents 
 grassy localities sprinkled with brushwood generally, 
 but not always, selecting the neighbourhood of springs, 
 streams, or marshes. It feeds in open spots, but retires 
 to the jungle on the first approach of danger, chiefly 
 trusting to its legs to effect its retreat. It always roosts 
 on trees by night, and occasionally perches on them by 
 day; in the early morning and at evening it utters 
 frequent harsh cries. 
 
TETltAONIDJE. 245 
 
 This species feeds chiefly on small bulbs, but also eats 
 seeds, berries, and insects. 
 
 The young of this Francolin are strong on the wing 
 about the month of May. 
 
 The iris in this species is dark brown ; the lore and 
 the bare skin round the eyes and on the chin and throat 
 is pale red, and the same colour tinges the lower man- 
 dible of the bill and the base of the upper, the remainder 
 of the latter being a dark horn-colour, lightest at the tip. 
 
 [I have not seen a Damara-Laiid specimen of this Francolin, 
 but Mr. Andersson's identification of it is confirmed by Messrs. 
 Strickland and Sclater (loc. cit.}. ED.] 
 
 291. Scleroptera gariepenSlS (Smith). Orange-River Francolin. 
 
 Francolinus f/ariepetisis, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pis. 83 (male) 
 
 and 84 (female). 
 Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 157. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 527. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 412. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 582. 
 Scleroptera gariepensis, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9G57. 
 
 I only met with this beautiful Francolin on the high 
 tablelands of Damara and Great Namaqua Land ; but 
 there it is frequently very abundant, in coveys usually of 
 about six or eight individuals, though sometimes as few 
 as three birds, and at others as many as fourteen compose 
 the covey. 
 
 These Francolins invariably frequent grassy slopes 
 sprinkled with dwarf bush ; they lie very close, and, 
 after having been once or twice flushed, are not easily 
 
246 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 found again, even with the assistance of dogs. They 
 feed on bulbs, grass, berries, and seeds ; and their flesh 
 is very good for the table. 
 
 The iris is brown; the bill horn-colour, except near 
 the base, where it is yellowish. 
 
 Dr. Smith's figure of the female of this species is 
 altogether too dull, as, though the tints in the female 
 are not so deep as in the male, they are still exceedingly 
 rich and bright. 
 
 292. Scleroptera Sllbtorquata (Smith). Coqui Francolin. 
 
 Francolinus suUorquatus, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 15 (old 
 
 female). 
 
 Gurney, in Ibis, 1860, p. 215. 
 
 ,, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 
 
 1864, p. 3. 
 ,, Andersson, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. 
 
 Soc. 1864, p. 6. 
 
 Layard's Oat. No. 530. 
 
 Scleroptera subtorquata, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9658. 
 
 I only met with this species in the neighbourhood of 
 the river Okavango, where it is found in coveys on grassy 
 plains interspersed with large trees and brushwood. 
 This Francolin lies very close and is exceedingly difficult 
 to flush without the assistance of dogs. It roosts on the 
 ground, and utters a shrill but not unpleasant call-note 
 in the early morning, and also towards evening. It 
 feeds on small bulbous roots, seeds, berries, and insects ; 
 its flesh is very good. 
 
 The iris is reddish brown ; the bill dark horn-colour ; 
 the angle of the mouth lemon-colour, which is also the 
 colour of the tarsus. 
 
TETRAONID^E. 247 
 
 293. Scleroptera pileata (Smith). Pileated Francolin. 
 
 Francolinus pileatus, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 14. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 528. 
 
 Scleroptera pileata, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9667. 
 
 In travelling northward I first met with this Francolin 
 on the stony and wooded slopes above Okamabute in 
 Northern Damara Land, and subsequently observed it to 
 the north of that locality. It occurs in coveys, and 
 feeds on small bulbs, seeds, and berries ; its flesh is very 
 palatable. 
 
 The iris is brownish. 
 
 294. Scleroptera adspersa (Water-house). Bed-billed Francolin. 
 
 Francolinus adspersus, Waterhouse, in Alexander's Exp. vol. ii. 
 
 p. 267. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 523. 
 
 Scleroptera adspersa, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9669. 
 
 This is the most common and abundant Francolin 
 indigenous to Damara and Great Namaqua Land, where 
 it is found in coveys which, in favourable seasons, not 
 uncommonly consist of from ten to fourteen individuals. 
 This species is seldom found at any great distance from 
 the banks of the periodical streams, and on the least 
 approach of danger seeks shelter in the trees and 
 bushes with which these banks are generally studded. 
 It lives much on trees, roosting amongst the branches by 
 night, and also resting there during the heat of the day 
 
 These Francolins run with extraordinary swiftness, 
 and will not use their wings unless very hard pressed ; 
 and when they do so, it is with the view of concealing 
 themselves amongst the thickest of the branches of some 
 
243 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 convenient tree, where they remain perfectly motionless ; 
 and it requires an exceedingly good and practised eye to 
 detect one of these birds after it has taken refuge in a 
 full-foliaged tree ; when the danger is passed they 
 generally again seek the ground. 
 
 Their feeding-time is in the early morning and the 
 cool of the evening ; and their food consists of seeds, 
 berries, and insects. The notes of these birds are harsh, 
 and so loud that they may be heard at a great distance ; 
 they resemble a succession of hysterical laughs, at first 
 slow, but increasing in rapidity and strength till they 
 suddenly cease. 
 
 This species deposits its eggMn a hollow in the ground, 
 without any lining. 
 
 The iris is dark brown, the bare skin round the eye 
 pale yellow, the bill and legs in the adult bird are a rich 
 warm red, the toes and the spurs of the male bird are 
 purple. In very young birds the bill is dark purple, and 
 the colour of the legs is much paler than in the adult. 
 
 The female birds are somewhat smaller and less robust 
 than the males. 
 
 [This Francolin has not been figured ; its geographical range 
 appears to extend to Lake Ngami, as a specimen from thence was 
 contained in Mr. Andersson's last collection. ED.] 
 
 295. Cotumix COmmimis, Bonn. European Quail. 
 
 Coiurnix dactylisonans, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 263. 
 
 Coturnix dactylisonans ?, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 157. 
 
 Coturnix dactylisonans, Layard's Cat. No. 531. 
 Cotumix comtmmis, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 0705. 
 
TETRAONID^l. 249 
 
 This species is not uncommon in Middle and Southern 
 Damara Land. 
 
 During the year 1865 countless numbers of these 
 Quails arrived in the neighbourhood of Cape Town ; 
 whilst much of the rest of the- Colony, which had suffered 
 severely from drought, was nearly denuded of these birds. 
 
 296. CoturniX Delegorgliei, Deleg. Harlequin Quail. 
 
 Coturnix histrionica, Hartlaub's Beitr. z. Orn. Westafr. pi. 11. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 532. 
 
 Coturnix Dekgorguei, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 p. 591. 
 
 I killed this bird for the first time at Ondonga on 
 the 30th of March, 1867 ; Mr. Chapman obtained it at 
 Lake Ngami. 
 
 The iris in this species is the colour of new leather 
 when well browned by exposure ; the bill is nearly black, 
 but the point of the upper mandible is light horn- 
 colour ; the legs and toes are dusky. 
 
 297. Turnix lepurana (Smith). Kurichane Hemipode. 
 
 Hemipodius lepurana, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 16. 
 Turnix lepurana, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Om. 
 1852, p. 158. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 534. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 593. 
 
 This species is not uncommon in Great Namaqua 
 Land during the rainy season ; but I have never found 
 many of these birds near together, and it is rarely that 
 more than one of them is flushed at a time. Their 
 favourite resorts are rank grassy spots in the neighbour- 
 
250 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 hood of temporary rain-pools and periodical water- 
 courses; here they run about with great celerity, and, 
 when hard pressed, lie so close as almost to allow them- 
 selves to be trodden on before they take wing, after 
 which it is nearly impossible to flush them a second 
 time. They feed on insects and seeds. 
 
 The iris is lemon-coloured ; the bill blue, with the tip 
 of the upper mandible dark horn-colour ; the tarsi and 
 feet flesh-coloured white. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 58 
 
 Length of folded wing 2 10 
 
 tarsus 10 
 
 middle toe 06 
 
 tail 15 
 
 bill , 08 
 
STRUTHIONID^E. 251 
 
 STRUTHIONES. 
 
 STRUTHIONmE. 
 
 298. Struthio australis, Gurney. South-African Ostrich. 
 
 The Ostrich, Andersson's Lake Ngami, pi. 7. 
 Struthio camelus, Layard's Cat. No. 539. 
 Struthio australis, Gurney, in Ibis, 1868, p. 253. 
 Struthio camelus (part.), Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 p. 597. 
 
 Many naturalists are of opinion that the North- 
 African Ostrich is distinct from that of South Africa ; but, 
 from an early date in my wanderings, I suspected that 
 there was more than one species of Ostrich indigenous 
 to Southern Africa, though it was only in 1866 that I 
 had the means and the necessary time to verify my 
 surmises. 
 
 I am now able to state that there are two distinct 
 kinds of Ostrich in Damara Land. The first species is 
 that which is so well known throughout Southern Africa, 
 in which the male bird is black with white tail and 
 wings, whilst the female is of a greyish colour. Of the 
 second species, which is quite new to science, I have 
 not an entire specimen by me so as to enable me to 
 produce an accurate description of the whole bird : still 
 I possess sufficient data to be able to vouch for the 
 correctness of my statement ; for, as I write, three skins 
 (or rather portions of skins) are lying before me, con- 
 
252 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 sisting of two adults, male and female, and a young 
 bird apparently about half-grown. The male bird does 
 not appear to differ from the well-known South- African 
 species, except in size, being larger ; but the greatest 
 specific difference lies with the female and the young, 
 and more especially with the former, which is jet-black 
 like the cock bird. The young is of a sooty brown, the 
 feathers, which are narrow and come to an acute point, 
 being tipped with light brown ; the tail similar, but 
 interspersed with a few grey or greyish-white feathers ; 
 the wings like the tail, but of a softer texture; the 
 thighs and neck white. The egg of this species is said 
 to be larger than that of the ordinary one. This bird 
 seems to be pretty commonly distributed over the 
 boundless wastes and plains of both Great Namaqua 
 and Damara Land, and herds with the common species 
 as well as in separate flocks. 
 
 Many of the native hunters also speak of a third 
 species of Ostrich, which they characterize by some very 
 marked distinctions; thus, for instance, I am assured 
 that it has a narrow but conspicuous bar across the 
 back or rump, and a double row of quills on each wing, 
 also that the colour is brownish grey in both sexes : 
 nevertheless I mention it here more for the purpose of 
 drawing the attention of naturalists to the subject than 
 from any personal belief in its existence as a third 
 distinct South-African species. 
 
 In my first publication, ' Lake Ngami,' I have devoted 
 a chapter to the history of the Ostrich ; but the following 
 are devices for its capture which I have not previously 
 
STRUTHIONID^E. 253 
 
 described, and which the Namaquas pursue with con- 
 siderable success. A troop of Ostriches being espied, a 
 number of men unite and surround them ; but the in- 
 terval between the hunters is great, the cordon being 
 drawn at such a distance beyond the birds (in fact 
 out of their sight) as not to arouse their suspicions. 
 When a sufficient time has been allowed to enable the 
 hunters to complete the circle, a general advance is 
 commenced, the men taking care not to appear to 
 direct their attentions to the birds, but merely showing 
 themselves in such a manner as to force them to 
 give way. 
 
 As a matter of course the Ostriches make off from the 
 supposed danger, but only to encounter a fresh one, 
 and thus rapidly become exhausted by a constant 
 flight from one human being to another, whilst the 
 hunters, as soon as they perceive that the chances of 
 escape for the Ostriches are at an end, take care to 
 keep them moving at a rapid pace by shouting, yelling, 
 and gesticulating violently. A very short time usually 
 suffices to bring the exciting scene to a close by a 
 general slaughter of the entrapped birds; and with 
 experienced hunters this plan rarely fails to ensure 
 success. The same people employ another method 
 with even greater success : a whole tribe will join, 
 mounted if possible on horseback ; and the locality to 
 be " drawn " having been decided on, the body of the 
 horsemen station themselves across some pass, defile, or 
 narrow part of a plain ; whilst a few are dispatched in 
 search of the Ostriches, and, on their way, station a 
 
254 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 comrade here and there at convenient intervals, and, 
 having found their destined victims, the favourite haunts 
 of which are well known to them, gradually and cau- 
 tiously begin to drive the unsuspecting birds towards 
 their passive confederates. As soon as they have fairly 
 succeeded in directing the course of the Ostriches 
 towards the desired quarter, they urge them on at a 
 steady telling pace ; and as the birds pass the mounted 
 men, who had been left behind at intervals, each of 
 these successively takes up the pursuit, enabling the 
 previous pursuer to drop behind and to allow his horse 
 to recover its wind, whilst the Ostriches, on the con- 
 trary, are never for a moment allowed to slacken their 
 pace in their now headlong flight. The relieved hunters 
 follow leisurely in an extended line or semicircle as the 
 occasion may require, thus forming an effectual barrier 
 to the retreat of the birds should they attempt such a 
 course ; whilst the Ostriches, by the time they reach 
 the main body of horsemen, or even sooner, become 
 so exhausted as to come to a dead halt or to fall help- 
 lessly to the ground, when the hunters slaughter them 
 at leisure. It has happened that so great a number of 
 Ostriches have thus been entrapped and completely 
 tired out, that after as many had been killed as were 
 required for food, the remainder, after being despoiled 
 of their valuable wing- and tail-feathers, were suffered to 
 depart without further injury. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's work on Lake Ngami contains, at page 253, 
 a spirited representation and description of the capture of some 
 young Ostriches by Mr. Galton and himself; and the latter may 
 
STRUTHIONIDJ2. 255 
 
 here be quoted as an interesting addendum to the foregoing 
 observations : 
 
 "Ostriches are at all times more or less numerous on the 
 Naarip Plain, but more particularly so at this season, on account 
 of the Naras **** being now ripef * * * * ; and in a 
 part of the plain entirely destitute of vegetation we discovered 
 a male and female Ostrich with a brood of young ones about 
 the size of ordinary barn-door fowls. This was a sight we had 
 long been looking for, as Galton had been requested by Professor 
 Owen to procure a few craniums of the young of this bird in 
 order to settle certain anatomical questions; accordingly we 
 forthwith dismounted from our oxen and gave chase, which 
 proved of no ordinary interest. 
 
 " The moment the parent birds became aware of our intention 
 they set off at full speed, the female leading the way, the young 
 following in her wake, and the cock, though at some little dis- 
 tance, bringing up the rear of the family party. It was very 
 touching to observe the anxiety the old birds evinced for the 
 safety of their progeny. Finding that we were quickly gaining 
 upon them, the male at once slackened his pace and diverged 
 somewhat from his course ; but seeing that we were not to be 
 diverted from our purpose, he again increased his speed, and 
 with wings drooping so as almost to touch the ground, he 
 hovered round us, now in wide circles and then decreasing the 
 circumference till he came almost within pistol-shot, when 
 he abruptly threw himself on the ground and struggled des- 
 perately to regain his legs, like a bird that has been badly 
 wounded : having previously fired at him, I really thought he 
 was disabled, and made quickly towards him ; but this was 
 only a ruse on his part ; for on my nearer approach he slowly 
 rose and began to run in an opposite direction to that of the 
 female, who, by this time, was considerably ahead with her 
 charge. 
 
 " After about an hour's severe chase, we secured nine of 
 the brood ; and though it consisted of about double that num- 
 
 t The fruit of a creeping desert plant, described by Mr. Andersson in his 
 work on Lake Ngami, p. 21. 
 
256 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 ber, we found it necessary to be contented with what we had 
 bagged. 
 
 " On returning to the bay, however, the next morning in a 
 mule-cart, Mr. Galton again encountered the same birds with 
 the remainder of the family, and, after a short race, captured six 
 more of the chicks/' 
 
 I am not able to offer any opinion as to how far Mr. Andersson 
 was correct in believing that more than one race of Ostrich 
 exists in Southern Africa; but that the ordinary South- African 
 Ostrich, for which I proposed the specific name of australis in 
 the f lbis' for 1868, p. 253, differs from the true Struthio 
 camelus of North Africa, I cannot doubt. 
 
 Mr. A. D. Bartlett, the experienced and observant superinten- 
 dent of the Gardens of the Zoological Society of London, 
 informs me that the skin which is visible on the thighs and 
 other bare parts of the northern Ostrich is always flesh- 
 coloured, whilst in the southern Ostrich it is invariably bluish, 
 excepting the angle of the gape, which is flesh-coloured, as are 
 also the cere and the scutellations of the tarsi and feet. 
 
 Mr. Bartlett is also of opinion that the average height of the 
 southern is somewhat greater than that of the northern Ostrich, 
 and that in the male of the southern race the black portions of 
 the plumage are deeper in colour than in the male of the 
 northern bird. 
 
 The Rev. H. B. Tristram, in a paper on the ornithology of 
 Northern Africa, published in the ' Ibis ' for 1860, thus describes, 
 at p. 74, the differences between the eggs of the northern and 
 southern Ostrich : " I may remark that the egg of the North- 
 African Ostrich seems to differ decidedly from that of the Cape 
 bird. I have seen hundreds of specimens, and always found 
 them rather larger than the southern eggs which we generally 
 see in England, and quite smooth, with an ivory -polished sur- 
 face and free from any punctures. Until I found the eggs 
 myself, I was under the impression that they might be polished 
 by the Arabs ; but this is a mistake/'' 
 
 Mr. P. L. Sclater, in his paper on the Struthious birds living, 
 in 1860, in the menagerie of the Zoological Society, published 
 in the Society's ' Transactions/ vol. iv., speaks, at p. 354, of the 
 
STRUTHIONIDJU. 257 
 
 eggs of the southern Ostrich as being smoother than those of 
 the northern bird ; but I believe this to be a lapsus calami, as 
 the series of eggs on which the observation was founded, and 
 which are still in the possession of Mr. Bartlett, show that the 
 contrary is the fact, and that Mr. Tristram's statement is 
 correct. 
 
 Mr. Sclater's paper is accompanied by a fine plate of the male 
 of Struthio camelus ; and it is to be regretted that no equally 
 satisfactory representation of Struthio australis has yet been 
 published. ED.] 
 
258 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 GRALL-2E. 
 
 OTIDID^I. 
 
 299. Eupodotis kori (Burch.). Kori Bustard. 
 
 Otis kori, Burchell's Travels in Southern Afr. vol. i. p. 393 (descr.), 
 p. 402 (head). 
 
 Riippell's Mon. der Gatt. Otis, Mus. Senck. vol. ii. pi. 13. 
 Eupodotis cristata, Layard's Oat. No. 540. 
 Otis kori, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 413. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 611. 
 
 This splendid bird is found throughout the year in 
 Damara and Great Namaqua Land, and is common as 
 far as Ondonga, but is partially migratory. 
 
 Personally I have never seen one beyond thirty 
 pounds weight ; but I have been assured on good 
 authority that in some parts of the Free States and the 
 Trans- Vaal districts individuals are sometimes shot 
 weighing from sixty to seventy pounds. The spread of 
 the wings is eight feet four inches. The flesh is ex- 
 cellent eating. 
 
 This Bustard is usually found in pairs ; but sometimes 
 three or four are to be found together. Its flight is 
 heavy, but is nevertheless very rapid ; and at night, 
 when changing its feeding-ground, it may be seen 
 flying at a very great height. It feeds on insects, 
 berries, &c., and is very partial to the sweet gummy 
 exudations of the low mimosa thorn so abundant in 
 Damara Land. 
 
OTIDID3Z. 259 
 
 300. Eupodotis ruficrista (Smith). Eufous-crested Bustard. 
 
 Otis rujicrista, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 4. 
 Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn . 
 
 1852, p. 158. 
 
 Eupodotis ruficrista, Layard's Cat. No. 546. 
 Otis rujicrista, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 414. 
 
 I have met with this species pretty frequently in 
 Great Namaqua Land, and also, but less frequently, in 
 Southern Damara Land, to the north of which I believe 
 it does not extend. It is usually found on open ground 
 thinly covered with dwarf bush. 
 
 The irides are greyish brown with a whitish-yellow 
 ring next the pupil ; this ring is sometimes tinged with 
 orange. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 17 9 
 
 Length of folded wing 10 8 
 
 tarsus 32 
 
 middle toe 16 
 
 tail 69 
 
 bill 1 11 
 
 301. Eupodotis Riippellil (Wahl.). Riippell's Bustard. 
 
 Otis Ruppettii, Wahlberg, in Journ. fur Orn. 1857, p. 1. 
 Otis picturata, Hartlaub, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, pi. 6. 
 Otis Ruppelli, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 619. 
 
 This species is plentiful in Great Namaqua Land and 
 is not uncommon in some of the more open parts of 
 Southern Damara Land ; it is partial to slightly undula- 
 ting ground abounding in boulders and loose stones, and 
 is usually found in pairs. When disturbed it utters a 
 succession of quick harsh notes, and crows not unlike a 
 Corncrake on taking wing, but in a much louder strain. 
 
 s2 
 
260 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 The irides are pale transparent grey, more or less 
 variegated with dark brown ; the legs and toes are dirty 
 yellow. 
 
 302. EupodotlS afra (Gmel.). Cape Knorhaan Bustard. 
 
 White-eared Bustard, Latham's General Synopsis of Birds, pi. 69. 
 Eupodotis afra, Layard's Cat. No. 548. 
 
 I have frequently met with this bird to the south of 
 the Orange River, and at no great distance from it ; but 
 I have never met with it to the north of that stream. 
 
 The eggs of this Bustard are of a dark greenish drab, 
 more or less profusely spotted and blotched with brown. 
 
 [As Mr. Andersson's last collection did not contain specimens 
 of this Bustard, its identification rests upon his authority. ED.] 
 
 303. Eupodotis afroides (Smith). Black-and-white-winged 
 Bustard*. 
 
 Otis afroides, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 19. 
 
 Eupodotis afroides, Layard's Cat. No. 549. 
 
 Otis afroides, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr v App. p. 414. 
 
 This is perhaps the most common Bustard in both 
 Great Namaqua and Damara Land. On taking wing 
 or when disturbed the male becomes outrageously noisy 
 and will rise vertically and to a great height, often de- 
 scending as abruptly. This is a great nuisance to the 
 hunter, who is frequently done out of his quarry by the 
 Bustard's sudden and noisy apparition. 
 
 * [In addition to the Bustards enumerated in the text, Mr. Andersson's last 
 collection contained a specimen of Eupodotis Colei (Smith) = E. Ludwigii, 
 Riippell j but I have not been able to ascertain whether this specimen was 
 procured within the geographical limits to which the present volume is con- 
 fined, and I have therefore not included it. ED.] 
 
OTIDID^E. 261 
 
 The irides are brown ; the upper mandible horn-colour, 
 except the edges, which, with the under mandible, are 
 bluish white, as also are the legs. 
 
 Two nests of this Bustard, found by me at Omapju 
 in January 1867, each contained two eggs. 
 
 CHARADEIARE. 
 304. Cursorius senegalensis (Licht.). Senegal Courser. 
 
 Tachydromus senegalensis, Swainson's Birds of W. Afr. vol. ii. pi. 24. 
 Cursorius senegalensis, Schlegel's Mus. des Pays-Bas, Cursores, p. 13. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 553. 
 
 [This species is not referred to in Mr. Andersson's notes ; but 
 a male specimen obtained by him at Ondonga, on November 22nd, 
 1866, is in the collection of Mr. J. E. Harting. 
 
 This Courser is to be distinguished from its near ally C. rufus, 
 Gould (C. Burchellii, Swains.), by its slightly smaller dimensions, 
 by the somewhat brighter tints of the rufous portions of its 
 plumage, by the greater size and intensity of the blackish abdo- 
 minal patch, by the absence of grey from the occiput, and by 
 the less extended white tipping of the secondary feathers of the 
 wing. ED.] 
 
 - 305. Cursorius bicinctllS, Temm. South-African Double-collared 
 Courser. 
 
 Cursorius bicinctus, Temminck's Manuel d'Orn. vol. ii. p. 515. 
 Jardine & Selby's 111. Orn. pi. 48. 
 
 Andersson, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864 ; p. 8. 
 
 Hartlaub, in Proc Zool. Soc. 1866, p. 61. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 552. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 414. 
 
 This Courser is not uncommon in various parts of 
 Great Namaqua and Damara Land, chiefly during the 
 
262 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 wet season. I frequently found it plentiful in the 
 neighbourhood of Objimbinque, and comparatively tame. 
 It sometimes occurs singly, at others in pairs, and occa- 
 sionally in small flocks, each flock probably consisting of 
 an entire family. 
 
 This species runs with considerable celerity. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 87 
 
 Length of folded wing .... 6 1 
 
 tarsus 24 
 
 middle toe .... 10 
 
 tail ....... 2 8 
 
 bill 10 
 
 [It appears that this species also inhabits Ovampo Land, as 
 the male specimen of which the dimensions are given above by 
 Mr. Andersson was ticketed as having been obtained in Ondonga 
 on January 22nd, 1867. ED.] 
 
 306. CursorillS CinctUS, Heuglin. Heuglin's Courser. 
 
 Cursorius cinctus, Heuglin's Systematische Uebersicht, No. 555. 
 Hemerodromus cinctus, Heuglin, in Journ. fur Orn. 1863, p. 25. 
 Heuglin, in Ibis, 1863, pi. 1. 
 
 [No mention is made of this species in Mr. Andersson's notes ; 
 but his last collection contained two examples, a male and a 
 female, obtained in Ondonga on January 22nd and 25th, 1867. 
 
 Both these specimens now form part of the collection of Mr. 
 J. E. Harting, who has favoured me with the following remarks, 
 relating to this Courser : " This appears to be an extremely rare 
 species. Von Heuglin described and figured it in 'The Ibis' 
 (1863, p. 31, pi. 1) from a specimen which he considered unique, 
 and which was obtained at Gondokoro on the White Nile, in 
 the Bari Country, in 5 N. lat. I cannot see that it is generi- 
 cally distinct from Cursorius, any more than the better-known 
 C. chalccpterus " 
 
CHARADRIADJE. 263 
 
 Mr. Andersson's specimens agree exceedingly well with the 
 figure in f The Ibis' above referred to ; and from examining them, 
 I am led to the opinion that the natural position of this species 
 is intermediate between Cursorius chalcopterus and C. bicinctus. 
 
 So far as I am aware, the type specimen and the pair in Mr. 
 Har ting's collection are the only examples known ; there is no 
 perceptible difference between the sexes. ED.] 
 
 307. Cursorius chalcopterus, Temm. Violet-winged Courser. 
 
 Cursorius chalcopterus, Gray's Genera of Birds, vol. iii. p. 537, 
 
 pi. 143. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 554. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S, Afr., App. p. 414. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 629. 
 
 The Violet-winged Courser arrives in Damara Land 
 in small flocks at the beginning of the rainy season. 
 On their first arrival they keep exclusively to the bush, 
 but later disperse themselves more over the open. The 
 cause of their first seeking cover is explained by the 
 circumstance of their reaching Damara Land in a moult- 
 ing condition, or about to change their plumage, when 
 of course the bush affords them better chance of escape 
 and concealment from their natural enemies. They are 
 not particularly wild, yet often very difficult to obtain, 
 as they stick to the cover with great tenacity, and 
 when suddenly flushed the bird just darts behind the 
 nearest bush or tree, when it alights and continues its 
 flight by hard running, only using its wings in its utmost 
 need. During the heat of the day they remain nearly 
 stationary. This species feeds on insects of various 
 kinds. The flesh is very dark-coloured but excellent 
 eating. 
 
264 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 The hides are dark brown, the ring round the eyes 
 reddish yellow, the legs bright red, and the front of the 
 toes bluish purple. 
 
 308. Glareola melanoptera, Nordm. Nordmann's Pratincole. 
 
 Glareola Nordmanni, Layard's Cat. No. 555. 
 
 Gurney, in Ibis, 1868, pi. 8. 
 
 Glareola melanoptera, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 p. 633. 
 
 [Mr. J. E. Harting possesses a pair of these birds obtained 
 by Mr. Andersson at Objimbinque; and Drs. Finsch and 
 Hartlaub (loc. cit.} refer to this species as occurring in Great 
 and Little Namaqua Land. 
 
 As Mr. Andersson's notes do not contain any remarks on the 
 habits of this Pratincole, I may here quote the following inter- 
 esting account of the manner in which these birds attack the 
 swarms of locusts which are so destructive in South Africa, com- 
 municated to ' The Field' newspaper of February 26th, 1870, 
 by a gentleman who was engaged in a survey near the Fish 
 River under the Colonial Engineering Department : " The prin- 
 cipal enemy of these great swarms (of locusts), and the valued 
 friend of the Cape farmer, is the small locust-bird, Glareola 
 Nordmanni. ***,*,'* These birds come, I may say, in 
 millions, attendant on the flying swarms of locusts ; indeed the 
 appearance of a few of them is looked upon as a sure presage of 
 the locust-swarms being at hand. Their mode of operation, as 
 I saw it, was as follows : They intercept a portion of the swarm 
 and form themselves into a ring of considerable height, regularly 
 widening towards the top, so as to present the appearance of a 
 revolving balloon or huge spinning-top. They thus fly one over 
 the other, and, hawking at the locusts, gradually contract their 
 circle and speedily demolish the locusts within its limits. As 
 their digestion, like that of all insectivorous birds, is very rapid, 
 the form in which they thus enclose their prey is admirably 
 adapted to enable the lower to escape the droppings of the upper 
 birds. When they have consumed this portion of the swarm, 
 
CHARADRIAD.E. 265 
 
 they follow up the main body and commence another attack, and 
 so on, until night sets in and the birds happen to lose the swarm 
 or the locusts are all devoured. I should not forget to mention 
 that the beak of these birds is exactly of such a shape and such 
 dimensions that when they seize the locust the snap cuts off the 
 four wings, and a passer-by sees a continual shower of locusts' 
 wings falling on the ground. At another time, when I was 
 stationed at Fort Peddie, and the country was suffering from the 
 effects of a long drought and was overrun with unusual quan- 
 tities of ants and grasshoppers, we were visited by thousands of 
 these birds, which remained many days devouring these pests. 
 Though the locust-birds are excellent eating, no one ever thinks 
 of destroying them, and they were so fearless that though I often 
 rode or ran amongst them to test their tameness, only a few in 
 my immediate vicinity would rise, the rest continuing to feed ; 
 but every ten minutes or so the whole mass would rise of their 
 own accord and fly, first a few yards to the right, and then to 
 the left, in a slanting direction, presenting alternately a black 
 and white wave of birds some miles in length, a sight never to 
 be forgotten by the spectator." ED.] 
 
 309. Glareola pratincola (Linn.). . Collared Pratincole. 
 
 Glareola torquata, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 265. 
 
 Gurney, in Ibis, 1863, p. 329. 
 
 Glareola pratincola, Finsch and Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 p. 630. 
 
 [I have not seen a Damara specimen of this Pratincole ; but I 
 find, by one of the MS S. left by Mr. Andersson, that of two Pra- 
 tincoles contained in a collection of Damara birds sent by him 
 to London for identification, one was ascertained to be an example 
 of Glareola- Nordmanni, and the other an adult of the present 
 species. 
 
 This and an example received by myself from Natal are the 
 only two well- authenticated instances of the occurrence of this 
 Pratincole in Southern Africa which have come to my know- 
 ledge. 
 
 Mr. Andersson alludes to this species in his MS. notes, and 
 
266 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 also in his notes contributed to the Appendix to Chapman's 
 f Travels/ p. 415, as being not uncommon at Lake Ngami ; but I 
 believe he intended to apply these remarks to the preceding 
 species, as at the time he made them he seems not to have been 
 aware of the distinction between these two nearly allied Pratin- 
 coles, although he subsequently became acquainted with the 
 differences between them. ED.] 
 
 310. (Edicnenms Capensis, Licht. Spotted Thicknee. 
 
 CEdicnemus capensis, Liechtenstein's Doubletten, p. 69. 
 (Edicnemus maculosus, Temminck's PI. Col. pi. 292. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 550. 
 
 (Edicnemus capensis, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost- Afrika's, p. 624, 
 
 This bird is partially migratory in Great Namaqua 
 and Damara Land and though uncommon, is neverthe- 
 less very local, so that numbers of them may be found 
 in one small spot, whilst the country far and wide 
 around does not produce a single individual. 
 
 This species prefers broken ground sparingly covered 
 with dwarf bush ; it is comparatively tame and easy of 
 approach, and seems to be chiefly on the move after dusk. 
 
 311. (Edicnemus vermiculatus, Cab. Yermiculated Thicknee. 
 
 (Edicnemus senegalensis, Gurney, in Ibis, 1865, p. 270. 
 
 CEdicnemus vermiculatus, Cabanis in Decken's Reisen, vol. iii. pi. 16. 
 
 ,, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's 7 
 
 p. 622. 
 
 Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 9942. 
 
 [I have not met with this species in Mr. Andersson's notes 
 or collections, but introduce it here on the authority of a speci- 
 men from the Orange River referred to by Drs. Finsch and 
 Hartlaub (loc. tit.) as forming part of the ornithological col- 
 lection at the Stuttgard Museum. 
 
 The same authors also cite Namaqua Land as a locality for this 
 Thicknee, on the authority of M. Jules Verreaux. ED.] 
 
CHARADRIAD^. 267 
 
 312. Lobivanellus lateralis (Smith). South-African Wattled 
 Plover. 
 
 Vanellus lateralis, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 23. 
 
 CheUusia lateralis, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 
 
 p. 3. 
 
 Layard's Oat. No. 557. 
 
 Lobivanellus lateralis, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 p. 643. 
 
 I have met with this large Plover on the rivers 
 Okavango and Teoughe, at Lake Ngami, and in Ondonga 
 in the rainy season, when it is occasionally to be found in 
 small flocks, though more frequently in pairs or singly. 
 
 It frequents the banks of streams and the sides of 
 marshy places; but though it appears to find its food, 
 consisting of insects and small mollusca, in the imme- 
 diate neighbourhood of such localities, I have never 
 observed that it approaches the water very closely. 
 
 The iris is yellowish white, the legs and lower part of 
 the wattles lemon-yellow, the upper part of the wattles 
 red. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Entir6 length 
 
 Male, 
 in. lin. 
 
 . 13 . . 
 
 Female, 
 in. lin. 
 
 . . . 13 4 
 
 Lengrth of folded win * 
 
 89.. 
 
 ...94 
 
 tarsus 
 
 35.. 
 
 . . . 3 11 
 
 middle toe 
 
 1 7 
 
 ...16 
 
 tail 
 
 .41.. 
 
 ...44 
 
 bill 
 
 1 4 
 
 1 4 
 
 313. HoplopterilS SpeciOSUS (Licht.). Blacksmith Plover. 
 
 Pluvianus armatus, Jardine & Selby's 111. of Orn. vol. ii. pi. 54. 
 Charadrius albiceps, Temminck's PI. Col. pi. 526. 
 Hoplopterus armatus, Layard's Cat. No. 558. 
 
268 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 Hoplopterus albiceps, Layard's Cat. No. 559. 
 Charadrius armatus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 415. 
 Hoplopterus speciosusj Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 p. 639. 
 
 This is a common Plover in Damara and Great 
 Namaqua Land, at Lake Ngami, and on the rivers 
 Teoughe and Okavango. It is a somewhat local bird in 
 Damara Land on account of its partiality for water; 
 indeed I have never seen it far from the water, but 
 generally in the immediate neighbourhood of springs, 
 marshes, lakes, and streams. It is always found in small 
 flocks, and, where not disturbed, is comparatively tame ; 
 when flushed it rises with short rapid jerks of the wings, 
 but never flies far at a time. It is very noisy when on 
 the wing ; and hence probably is derived its Sichuana 
 name of " Setula tsipi," i. e. "iron-hammer " or " black- 
 smith ;" for its cries have a peculiarly metallic, ringing 
 sound. 
 
 This Plover feeds on insects and worms ; and its flesh 
 is palatable. It breeds in Damara Land, as, although I 
 have not met with its nest myself, one of my friends dis- 
 covered one at Omanbonde, and presented the two eggs 
 which it contained to the Cape museum. These eggs are 
 buff-coloured, profusely spotted with dark brown ; their 
 length is 1" 6'", and their breadth 1" 1'". 
 
 The iris is red ; the bill, legs, and toes are black. 
 
 314. Chettusia COronata (Gmel.). Wreathed Plover. 
 
 Pluvier du Cap de Bonne Esperance, Buftbn's PI. Enl. pi. 800 7 
 
 vol. ix. p. 23. 
 Hoplopterus coronatus, Strickland Sclater, Birds Damar., Coutr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 159. 
 
CHARADRIAD^!. 269 
 
 Hoplopterus coronatus, Layard's Cat. No. 560. 
 CJiettusia coronata, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vb'gel Ost-Afrika's, 
 p. 636. 
 
 This handsome species is widely diffused throughout 
 Damara and Great Namaqua Land, in the Lake-regions, 
 and on the river Okavango ; it was very plentiful at my 
 late residence at Objimbinque, where a flock or two 
 were generally to be found throughout the year ; and I 
 have no doubt that it breeds there, as I have found 
 young birds in almost every stage of plumage. It is 
 a gregarious species, not unusually associating in flocks 
 of from thirty to forty individuals, sometimes frequent- 
 ing the moist beds of periodical streams, but more often 
 haunting districts away from the water, and of the driest 
 and most arid character. I have often been charmed 
 with the presence of these birds in such localities, where 
 there was nothing else to break the monotony and the 
 dreariness of the desolate scene. 
 
 The long stilt-like legs of this species enable it to run 
 with great celerity; and if pursued, it invariably trusts 
 to its legs for safety, and only takes to the wing as a last 
 alternative : but this is not from any want of power of 
 wing, for it flies well ; and its flight is very similar to that 
 of the European Lapwing. 
 
 These Plovers fly by moonlight as well as by 
 day ; and when flapping about either by day or night, 
 they utter shrill cries which may be heard at a great 
 distance. 
 
 The food of this species consists of insects ; and its 
 flesh is excellent eating. 
 
 The iris is yellow ; the bill is bright red, except the 
 
270 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 points of the mandibles, which are horn-coloured; the 
 legs are bright red, but the toes are tinged with dark 
 purple on their upper surface. 
 
 315. Squatarola varia (Linn.). Grey Plover. 
 
 Squatarola cinerea, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 290. 
 
 Squatarola helvetica, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 158. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 562. 
 
 Tringa squataroki, Chapman's Travels in S. Air., App. p. 416. 
 Charadrius varius, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 644. 
 Squatarola helvetica, Sharpe & Dresser's Birds of Europe, pi. 46. 
 fig. 2 & pi. 49. fig. 2. 
 
 This Plover is rarely seen inland in Damara or Great 
 Namaqua Land, but is very common on the coast. It is 
 found singly or in small flocks, searching for its food 
 (which consists of small Crustacea, insects, and worms) 
 where the tide has receded, and sometimes wading in 
 the water up to its belly. It runs with very great 
 rapidity, and is of a wary and suspicious disposition, 
 becoming extremely difficult to obtain if at all pursued. 
 Its flesh is palatable. 
 
 This species takes its departure on the approach of 
 the breeding-season ; and I have never seen it in such 
 dark plumage as it is represented as attaining in Europe 
 at that season. The iris is dark brown, the bill, legs, 
 and toes bluish black. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 10 10 
 
 Length of folded wing 75 
 
 tarsus . 1 10 
 
 middle toe 13 
 
 tail 30 
 
 bill 1 5 
 
CHARADRIAD^. 271 
 
 [One of the specimens of this Plover obtained by Mr. 
 Andersson in Damara Land was partly in breeding dress ; but 
 South-African examples of this species are usually in full winter 
 plumage. ED.] 
 
 316. Eudromias asiaticus (Pall.). Caspian Plover. 
 
 Charadrius asiaticus, Pallas's Reise, vol. ii. p. 715. 
 Charadrius caspius, Pallas, Zoogr. R.-A. vol. ii. pi. 58.. 
 Charadrius damarensis, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 158. 
 
 Charadrius asiaticus, Layard's Cat. No. 570. 
 Eudromias asiaticus, Harting, in Ibis, 1870, pi. 5. 
 
 Small flocks of this Plover may at times be seen in 
 Damara Land ; but it is never common, and very shy. 
 All my Damara specimens were procured at Objimbinque, 
 in the moist bed of the river Swakop. 
 
 The iris is very dark brown, the ring round the eyes 
 black, the legs yellow, and the toes dusky. 
 
 Individual specimens differ a good deal in size ; but 
 there is no marked distinction in the dimensions of the 
 sexes. 
 
 The largest adult specimen I obtained measured 
 8" 4#" in length, the smallest 7". 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 80 81 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 5 10 57 
 
 tarsus 1 10 17 
 
 middle toe ....09 09 
 
 tail 23 23 
 
 bill 10 11 
 
 [Mr. Harting possesses two specimens obtained at the Knysna 
 in the month of January, which are in breeding dress ; but this 
 species usually occurs in South Africa in non-breeding plumage. 
 
272 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Mr. Andersson obtained specimens in the latter plumage in 
 Ondonga, in November 1866, no doubt subsequently to the 
 date of his note transcribed above. 
 
 Mr. Harting (loc. cit.) also gives the Orange River as a locality 
 for this species, on the authority of M. Jules Verreaux. ED.] 
 
 317. JEgialites alexandrinus (Linn.). Kentish Plover. 
 
 Charadrius alexandrinus, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. p. 253. 
 JtEgialites cantianus, Bole, in Tsis, 1822, p. 558. 
 Charadrius cantianus y Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 298. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 564. 
 
 Charadrius littoralis, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 652. 
 
 This is rather a scarce bird in Damara Land, and 
 hardly to be found except on the sea-coast, in the neigh- 
 bourhood of which it seeks its food on open ground 
 slightly interspersed with grass and aquatic herbage. 
 It feeds on worms and insects, and also on the sand- 
 hoppers which abound on the beach at Walwich Bay, 
 and of which it seems to be particularly fond. 
 
 I have invariably found it in pairs, but have never 
 met with its nest. 
 
 [I have not seen a Damara-Land example of this Plover ; but 
 a specimen from that country is mentioned by Drs. Finsch and 
 Hartlaub (loc. cit.) as forming part of the collection in the 
 Bremen Museum. ED.] 
 
 318. -ZEgialites marginatus (Vieill.). Heywood's Plover. 
 
 Charadrius marginatus, Vieillot's Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. vol. xxvii. 
 
 p. 138. 
 
 Charadrius leucopolius, Wagler's Syst. Av. sp. 28. 
 Charadrius heywoodi, Gray, in Exp. to Niger, vol. ii. p. 50. 
 Charadrius pallidus, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 158. 
 Charadrius nivifrons, id. ibid. p. 159. 
 
CHAEADRIAVJE. 273 
 
 Charadrius marginatus, Layard's Cat. No. 568. 
 Charadrim nivifrons. Chapman's Travel's in S. Afr., App. p. 415. 
 Charadrius marginatus, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 p. 654. 
 
 This species is very numerous at Walwich Bay and 
 at many intervening points of the coast between that 
 locality and the Cape, but I do not recollect having 
 seen it inland. It can hardly be said to go in flocks, 
 although a considerable number .of individuals may be 
 found scattered over a small extent of beach in close 
 proximity to each other. It runs along the sand with 
 great swiftness ; and, unless very hard pressed, it prefers 
 making its escape, when pursued, by trusting to its legs 
 rather than by taking wing ; when it has not been pre- 
 viously disturbed it is easy of approach. It utters a 
 a low plaintive cry, and feeds on small sandflies and 
 other minute insects, which it generally catches by run- 
 ning rapidly in pursuit of its prey. Its flesh is very 
 palatable. 
 
 This Plover breeds sparingly at Walwich Bay, scooping 
 a small round hole in the sand, but without any lining. 
 The female lays 'two eggs in the month of April or 
 early in May ; these are of the usual Plover shape, 
 but sometimes rather blunt at the smaller end ; they 
 are of a yellowish-brown colour, prettily variegated with 
 numerous irregular spots and streaks of a dark liver- 
 brown. 
 
 The iris is deep dark brown, the bill black, the legs 
 and toes bluish grey. 
 
 [This Plover appears never to have been figured. The type 
 specimen of Mr. Strickland's Charadrius pallidus, which is now 
 
 T 
 
274 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 preserved in the Museum of Zoology at Cambridge, seems to me 
 to belong to this species, but to be a very small specimen and 
 unusually pale and grey in its coloration. ED.] 
 
 319. JEgialites pecuarius (Temm.). Kittlitz's Plover. 
 
 Charadrius pecuarius, Temminck's PI. Col. pi. 183. 
 
 Charadrius Kittlitzi, Reich enbach's Syn. Av. pi. 105. fig. 1063. 
 
 ^Egialites Kittlitzi, Editorial Note in Ibis, 1867, p. 251. 
 
 Charadrius Kittlitzi, Layard's Oat. No. 566. 
 
 Charadrius pecuarius, Finsch, in Trans. Zool. Soc. vol. vii. p. 297. 
 
 This pretty little Plover is not uncommon in Damara 
 Land ; but I do not think that it breeds there. It is to 
 be seen in flocks, often composed of a considerable num- 
 ber of individuals, and feeds on the small insects which 
 are to be found in the moist and humid localities to 
 which it is partial. At some seasons I found it very 
 abundant at Objimbinque, but I do not recollect having 
 ever observed it on the sea-shore. 
 
 The iris is very dark brown, the tibia and toes bluish 
 black, the tarsus greyish. 
 
 [Mr. Layard (loc. cit.) is of opinion that this Plover should 
 bear the specific name of " Kittlitzi" and that the appellation 
 of "pecuarius " should be restricted to the nearly allied but some- 
 what larger race which inhabits the island of St. Helena ; and 
 this view is also taken by Professor Newton in ' The Ibis' (loc. cit.). 
 But it seems to me to be more probable that it is the South - 
 African bird to which the name of "pecuarius " was originally 
 applied, and therefore that the St.-Helena race, if specifically 
 distinct, is at present unnamed. ED.] 
 
 320. ^Egialites tricollaris (Vieill.). Treble-collared Plover. 
 
 Charadrius tricollaris, Vieillot's Nouv. Diet. p. 147. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 565. 
 
 
CHARADJilAD^E, 275 
 
 Sea-cow Bird, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 371. 
 Charadrius tricollaris, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 655. 
 jEgialitis tricollaris, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10002. 
 
 This species is pretty commonly dispersed over 
 Damara and Great Namaqua Land, both on the coast 
 and at inland waters. 
 
 It is generally seen in small flocks, and exhibits com- 
 paratively little fear of man. It feeds chiefly on small 
 insects, and also, at the inland rills in Damara Land, on 
 a species of aquatic worm. Its flesh is palatable. 
 
 In the egg of this Plover the ground-colour is almost 
 hidden by a profusion of thickly clustering spots and 
 fine eccentric lines of grey-brown and sepia-brown; in 
 some instances these markings are arranged in a ring 
 round the thicker end of the egg. 
 
 The irides are very dark brown ; the legs are straw- 
 yellow with a tinge of blue throughout, deepest at the 
 joints; the upper mandible is bluish black, and the 
 lower also, except near the base, where it is pale salmon- 
 colour ; the fringe round the eyes is bright brick-red. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 70 
 
 Length of folded wing 44 
 
 tarsus 10 
 
 middle toe 08 
 
 tail 28 
 
 bill 08 
 
 [I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. Layard for the infor- 
 mation that this Plover is the bird alluded to by Mr. Chapman 
 (loc. tit.}, under the name of " Sea-cow Bird/' as being found in 
 apparent attendance on the Hippopotamus. 
 
 I believe that this species has. not been figured. ED.] 
 
 T2 
 
276 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 321. -ffigialites hiaticilla, Linn. Ringed Plover. 
 
 Charadrius hiaticula, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 296. 
 
 Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 90. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 567. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 415. 
 
 This Plover occurs at certain seasons at Walwich Bay, 
 but only very sparingly elsewhere. 
 
 The hides are intensely dark brown; the legs yellowish ; 
 the bill black, except the base, which is yellowish, espe- 
 cially on the under mandible. 
 
 [The collection of Mr. J. E. Harting comprises a specimen of 
 this Plover, obtained by Mr. Andersson at Walwich Bay, 
 October 22nd, 1863. ED.] 
 
 322. CincluS interpres (Linn.). Common Turnstone. 
 
 Strepsilas collaris, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 318. 
 
 Strepsilas interpres, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 159. 
 
 Cinclus interpres, Layard's Cat. No. 572. 
 Tringa interpres, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 416. 
 Strepsilas interpres, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vb'gel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 662. 
 Cinclus interpres, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10068. 
 
 The Turnstone is pretty common all along the South- 
 west coast of Africa, and is found either in pairs or in 
 small flocks. 
 
 I never met with the nest of this species in Africa, 
 although I was acquainted with its mode of nidification 
 from having seen its nests on the coast of Sweden. 
 
 The irides are dark brown, the bill black, the legs 
 and toes yellow, with a purple tint about the joints. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained a male Turnstone 
 
CHARADRIAD^. 277 
 
 in full breeding dress, obtained at Walwich Bay on April 8th, 
 1863. The other Damara-Land examples of this species which 
 I have seen have been in winter plumage. ED.] 
 
 323. HaematopUS Moquini, Bon. Moquin's Oystercatcher. 
 
 Hcematopus Moquini, Layard's Cat. No. 571. 
 
 Hcematopus niyer, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 416. 
 
 Hcematopus Moquini, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10064. 
 
 This species is not uncommon on the mainland of the 
 South-west African coast, as well as on the adjacent 
 islands, in which latter localities it breeds. It is usually 
 observed in pairs ; but I have seen it in considerable flocks 
 at Walwich Bay late in October and early in November : 
 the birds composing these flocks are always too shy to be 
 approached within gunshot; they rise with a shrill cry, 
 which is continued during their flight ; and they generally 
 soar to a great height before realighting, sometimes, 
 indeed, taking their departure altogether, on which 
 occasions they usually steer to the northward. 
 
 This species feeds on worms, insects, and mollusca, 
 searching for the latter in crevices and under stones ; and 
 whilst thus engaged it sometimes swims a short distance 
 from rock to rock. 
 
 It makes no nest, but deposits its eggs on the shingle 
 of the beach ; these are four in number, of a drab colour, 
 with eccentric streaks and spots of very dark brown. 
 
 I have been told that the flesh of this Oystercatcher 
 is excellent, but have not myself tasted it. 
 
 The irides are bright red, the ring round the eyes and 
 the bill are orange-red, the legs are carmine red. 
 
 [I have not seen a Damara-Land specimen of this Oyster- 
 
278 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 catcher; but Mr. Layard refers to it (loc. cit,} as an inhabitant of 
 the coasts of that country, thus confirming Mr. Andersson's 
 identification of the species. The Black Oystercatcher of South 
 Africa has, I believe, not yet been figured. ED.] 
 
 GRUIDJE. 
 
 324. BugeranuS carunCUlatllS (GmeL). Wattled Crane. 
 
 Grus carunculata, Gray's Genera of Birds, pi. 148. 
 
 Layard's Oat. No. 573. 
 
 Wattled Crane, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 417. 
 Bugeranus carunculatus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10087. 
 
 This Crane is found very sparingly in Damara Land 
 during the rainy season ; I have also observed it on the 
 rivers Okavango, Teoughe, and Dzonga, as well as at 
 Lake Ngami. 
 
 325. Tetrapteryx paradisea (Licht.). Stanley Crane. 
 
 Scops paradisea, Gray's Knowsley Menagerie, pi. 14. 
 Anthropoides Stanleyanus, Layard's Cat. No. 574. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 417. 
 
 Grus paradisea, Finsch & HartlauVs Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 671. 
 Tetrapteryx paradisea, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10093. 
 
 This very graceful Crane is not uncommon in Damara 
 and Great Narnaqua Land during the rainy season, but 
 migrates on the return of the dry. It is found in the 
 open country, as well as in the moist beds of periodical 
 streams, and always in pairs. It is a rather timid bird, 
 and is rarely to be obtained, except by the rifle. The 
 stomachs of the few individuals which I have opened 
 
GRUID^E. 279 
 
 contained nothing but insects and a large quantity of 
 gravel. 
 
 [I have not seen a Damara-Land example of this Crane ; but 
 a description of it which is contained in Mr. Andersson's memo- 
 randa leaves no doubt of his having identified the species cor- 
 rectly. ED.] 
 
 326. Balearica regulorum (Licht.). Southern Crowned Crane. 
 
 Balearica regulorum, Gray's Knowsley Menagerie, pi. 13. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 575. 
 
 Ardea pavonia, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 417. 
 Grus regulorum, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 669. 
 Balearica regulorum, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10095. 
 
 I have never observed this handsome bird in Great 
 Namaqua or Damara land ; but I have met with it at 
 Lake Ngami, and also on the rivers Botletle, Teoughe, 
 and Okavango. In Ondonga it is very common during 
 the dry season, but leaves the open plains when the wet 
 season returns. It is met with singly or in pairs, and 
 sometimes in small flocks, and presents a very graceful 
 appearance as it stalks leisurely about in search of its 
 food, which consists of various insects, of the smaller 
 reptiles, and, it is said, of fish also. 
 
 The yellow bristles of the crown of this Crane are 
 used by the inhabitants of Ovampo Land as ornaments 
 for their heads. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 40 6 
 
 Length of folded wing 22 6 
 
 tarsus 79 
 
 middle toe 40 
 
 tail 10 6 
 
 bill ... . . 2 11 
 
280 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 CICONIID^E. 
 327. Ciconia alba, Linn. White Stork. 
 
 Ciconia alba, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 283. 
 
 Layard's*Cat. No. 595. 
 Ardea cicoma, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 418. 
 
 This Stork is abundant at Lake Ngami and in many 
 localities of the Lake-regions ; it is also quite common 
 during the wet season in Ondonga and in Northern 
 Damara Land, sometimes occurring in large flocks ; and 
 it is seen occasionally during the same season in Southern 
 Damara Land. 
 
 The iris is brown, the bill yellowish red, and the legs 
 and toes light red. 
 
 328. Sphenorrhynchus Abdimii (Licht.). Abdim's Stork. 
 
 Ciconia Abdimii, Hemprich & Ehrenberg's Symb. Phys. pi. 2. 
 Sphenorrhynchus Abdimii, ibid., letterpress to plate. 
 Ciconia Abdimii, Riippell's Atlas, pi. 8. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 597. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 418. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 721. 
 
 This somewhat coarse but handsome Stork arrives in 
 Damara Land during the rainy season, leaving it again 
 on the approach of the dry. The more plentiful the 
 rain the more abundant the birds, the cause being simply 
 the greater abundance of food. This species feeds 
 largely on locusts, but devours with equal gusto beetles 
 of all kinds, many hundreds of which I have taken from 
 the stomach of a single bird ; it also devours small 
 
CICONIID^. 281 
 
 reptiles, water-rats, fish, and frogs, but appears to pre- 
 fer locusts when these are to be had, chasing them on 
 the ground as well as in the air. On such occasions these 
 Storks may be seen in thousands gyrating in immense 
 circles and, as it were, in different strata, the lower 
 frequently flying within range of the fowling-piece 
 whilst the eye rests painfully on the higher as mere 
 specks in the air. 
 
 The iris is greyish brown, the brown predominating 
 next the pupil ; a small patch in front of the eyes, a streak 
 above the eye and halfway from the front, a minute spot 
 on the lower eyelid, the chin, and the inside of the ears 
 are all vermilion-red ; the front of the head is light flesh- 
 colour, the remainder of the naked parts bluish purple ; 
 the legs greenish merging into vermilion at the joints, 
 the toes dusky both above and below. 
 
 [A coloured drawing of this Stork, by Mr. Baines, in Mr. 
 Andersson's collection, has the following note appended to it : 
 1 ' Flocks of this Stork wander about the flats of Lake Ngami, 
 picking up snails and insects." ED.] 
 
 329. Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis, Bon. Saddle-billed Stork. 
 
 Ciconia ephippiorhyncha, Temminck's PI. Col. pi. 64. 
 
 Riippell's Atlas, pi. 3. 
 
 Ephiptnorhynchus senegalensis, Ayres and Gurney, Ibis, 1862, p. 34. 
 Mycteria senegalensis, Layard's Cat. No. 600. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 723. 
 Ephippiorhynchus seneyalensis, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10193. 
 
 This curious-looking Stork occurs occasionally both 
 in Damara Land and in Ondonga ; but I have only once 
 personally obtained a specimen, which I met with in 
 
282 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Damara Land amongst the long rank grasses growing 
 about a temporary rain-pool. I have more than once 
 received the bill of this species from my hunting friends, 
 several of whom have told me that they occasionally 
 meet with these birds; and the Rev. C. H. Hahn, a 
 most excellent authority, informs me that, when sta- 
 tioned at New Barmen, he twice saw this species in that 
 locality. 
 
 [I have noticed, in ' The Ibis ' for 1862 (loc. cit.), the singular 
 fact that in this Stork and in its eastern congener, Xenorhynchus 
 indicus, the colour of the iris differs in the two sexes, just as it 
 does in the Harriers amongst the birds of prey, being pale 
 yellow in the male bird and dark brown in the female. ED.] 
 
 330. LeptoptilllS cnimenifeniS, Cuv. African Marabou Stork. 
 
 Ciconia argala, Temminck's PI. Col. pi. 301. 
 
 Adjutant, Baines's South-west Africa, p. 337, pi. 
 
 Leptoptilus crumeniferus, Layard's Cat. No. 599. 
 
 Ciconia marabou, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 418. 
 
 Leptoptilos crumeniferus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10194. 
 
 This species is met with in Damara Land during the 
 rainy months, at which season it is also frequent in 
 Ondonga ; and it is abundant at Lake Ngami throughout 
 the year. It is usually seen in flocks, sometimes upon 
 the ground, and at others perched on trees. It will 
 remain for hours in the same position, with one foot 
 drawn up under its body ; and a number of individuals 
 seen in this attitude through the fantastic medium of a 
 mirage present a singular and ludicrous appearance. 
 
 It is a true scavenger bird, feeding on carrion, as well 
 as on the most offensive offal ; but it also captures living 
 prey, such as fish, tortoises, and snakes. 
 
OICONIID^E. 283 
 
 [I have not met with this bird in Mr. Andersson's collections ; 
 but a characteristic drawing of it from the pencil of Mr. Baines 
 was comprised in the portfolio of South-west African ornitho- 
 logical sketches which Mr. Andersson possessed at the time of 
 his decease. ED.] 
 
 ANASTOMATIME*. 
 
 331. AnastomilS lamelligeniS, Temm. African Snail-eater f. 
 
 Anastomus lamelUgerm, Temminck's PI. Col. pi. 236. 
 
 Livingstone's Missionary Travels, pp. 252 
 
 &494. 
 Layard's Oat. No. 601. 
 
 This singular-looking bird is not uncommon in the 
 Lake-regions, and it is also common in Ondonga, where 
 it is found throughout the year. It roosts on trees, and 
 is sometimes found solitary, but more often in large 
 flocks. It feeds on fish, frogs, shells, &c. ; and I have 
 often found its crop and stomach crammed full of the 
 bodies of shells in the driest time of the year ; where 
 does it get them ] It may be seen poking about on per- 
 fectly arid spots ; but neither there nor in moister places 
 have I been able to obtain a single shell by the closest 
 observation, or even by digging. 
 
 The iris and also the bill are dark brown. 
 
 * [Mr. G. R. Gray, in his < Hand-list of Birds/ pt. iii. p. 36, and other high 
 authorities regard the two species of Anastomus as forming a subfamily of 
 the Ciconiidce ; but they seem to me to be sufficiently isolated and distinct 
 to form a separate family ; and I have therefore treated them as such. ED.] 
 
 t [The name of " Snail-eater," or, rather, its Cingalese equivalent, is applied 
 in Ceylon to the allied eastern species Anastomus oscitans (vide Layard on the 
 Ornithology of Ceylon, in the * Annals of Natural History ' for 1854, vol. xiv. 
 p. 115) j and I have considered the appellation appropriate for the African 
 species also (vide Livingstone, loc. cit.). ED.] 
 
284 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 332. Ardea cinerea, Linn. Common Heron. 
 
 Ardea cinerea, Gould's Birds of Europe ; pi. 273. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 577. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr. ; App. p. 417. 
 
 This species is rather common on and near the sea- 
 shore, from the mouth of the Orange River to Walwich 
 Bay, wherever suitable localities occur; but I have 
 seldom seen it inland, except in Ondonga, where it 
 makes its appearance in December ; but the natives say 
 that it does not breed there, and I think they are right. 
 
 These Herons usually occur singly or in pairs ; but I 
 have counted as many as twenty in one small spot (not 
 extending more than two hundred yards in any direction). 
 They will remain motionless sometimes for hours, but in 
 the f mornings and towards evening are usually on the 
 move in search of their food, which consists in great 
 part of fish, though they also feed on rats, mice, and 
 reptiles. 
 
 The iris is bright yellow ; the bill golden or orange 
 yellow, except on the ridge and at the base, where it is 
 somewhat dusky ; a patch on each side of the bill in 
 front of the lore is pale yellow, with a tinge of green ; 
 the lore and the space round the eye are brownish slate- 
 colour, the legs and feet a dusky greenish yellow. 
 
 333. Ardea melanocephala, Vig. & Chil. Black-throated Heron. 
 Ardea atricollis, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 86. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 579. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 417. 
 
ARDEIDJS. 285 
 
 Ardea melanocephala, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10100. 
 Sharpe & Dresser's Birds of Europe, pi. 17. 
 
 This Heron is found sparingly about humid places in 
 Great Namaqua and Damara Land, and in the lagoons 
 on the south-west coast. Axel also found it common in 
 Ondonga on his arrival there in the month of November : 
 there was then no water in the vleys ; and these birds 
 were feeding exclusively in the fields, and chiefly on grass- 
 hoppers ; but the ordinary food of this species also com- 
 prises fish, reptiles, rats, and mice. 
 
 These Herons perch upon trees when there are any 
 within reach. 
 
 The irides are yellow, as is also the bare space round 
 the eyes ; the upper mandible of the bill is liver-brown ; 
 the lower mandible is of a dark horn-colour at the edges, 
 the point is greenish, and the remainder of the mandible 
 yellowish ; the legs and toes are dark blue-black, the 
 latter being greenish on the under surface. 
 
 334. Ardea goliat, Temm. Goliath Heron. 
 
 Ardea goliat, Temminck's PI. Col. pi. 474. 
 Ardea goliath, Layard's Cat. No. 576. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 418. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 674. 
 
 Ardea goliat, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10107. 
 
 These fine Herons are not uncommon in the Lake- 
 regions, from whence they make temporary and solitary 
 excursions into Damara Land during the wet season. 
 I have met with them on the rivers Okavango and 
 Teoughe, at Lake Ngami, and thence eastward along the 
 river Botletle. 
 
286 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 They are generally seen singly or in pairs, and are shy 
 and wary birds, usually able, from their great stature, to 
 espy any threatened danger from a considerable distance, 
 and thus to make their escape in safety. They utter a 
 strong, hoarse, croaking sound, not unlike the bark of 
 a dog. I believe these Herons feed almost entirely upon 
 fish, which they transfix with great celerity and swallow 
 entire; it is said that a half-pound fish is thus easily 
 disposed of. 
 
 The irides are yellow; the bill black, shading into 
 dusky yellow towards the base and on the lore ; the legs 
 and toes are black. 
 
 [I have not seen a Damara-Land specimen of this Heron; 
 but it is mentioned by Mr. Layard (loc. tit.) as found in that 
 country, which confirms Mr. Andersson's identification of the 
 species. 
 
 These Herons sometimes transfix and swallow fish of con- 
 siderably larger weight than those mentioned by Mr. Andersson, 
 as one shot by Mr. Ayres near Potchefstroom contained a " cat- 
 fish " of two pounds weight, and with a head " as broad as a man's 
 hand." ED.] 
 
 335. Ardea purplirea, Linn. Purple Heron. 
 
 Ardea purpurea^ Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 274. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 579. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 676. 
 
 I have not unfrequently shot this bird on the rivers 
 Okavango and Teoughe, and at Lake Ngami, and I 
 believe it also visits Damara Land during the rainy 
 season ; but the specimens which I obtained in the latter 
 country were not preserved, and I am therefore unable 
 positively to identify them. 
 
ARDEID^E. 287 
 
 These birds live in small flocks or societies, and 
 frequent marshy ground and the sides of running 
 streams; they make daily excursions from some fixed 
 point, to which they return at nightfall. 
 
 The food of this species consists of fish, rats, mice, 
 reptiles, and insects. 
 
 Its nest is formed on the ground, at the roots of reeds, 
 in some swamp or dense reed-bed. 
 
 The irides are yellow; a naked narrow space from 
 under the eyes to past the angle of the mouth is brown ; 
 a portion of the lore and a narrow space on the edges of 
 the upper mandible near the gape are light yellow, the 
 remainder of the upper mandible and of the lore are 
 brown ; the lower mandible is brownish yellow ; the legs 
 and toes brown. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 34 
 
 Length of folded wing 120 
 
 tarsus 47 
 
 middle toe 45 
 
 bill 5 8 
 
 336. Ardea rnfiventris, Sund. Rufous-bellied Heron. 
 
 Ardea rwfiventris, Sundevall, in Ofvers. 1850, p. 110. 
 Ayres, in Ibis, 1871, pi. 9. 
 
 I have shot several individuals of this very handsome 
 Heron both on the river Okavango and on the river 
 Teoughe, as well as in the neighbourhood of Lake 
 Ngami; but I do not recollect having met with it in 
 Damara Land. 
 
288 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 337. BublllcilS ibis (Hasselq.). Buff-backed Heron. 
 
 Bubulcus russatus, Gould's Birds of Great Britain, pt. xx. pi. 
 Ardea bubulcus, Layard's Oat. No. 581. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 694. 
 
 Bubulcus ibis, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10132. 
 
 This species is exceedingly common in Ondonga, and 
 quite tame; it perches on trees, and may be seen in 
 flocks of from ten to fifty, frequently in company with 
 cattle. 
 
 The iris is lemon-colour, the bill yellow, tarsus 
 brownish yellow, toes brown above and yellow beneath. 
 
 [The Orange River is quoted by Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub 
 (loc. cit.), on the authority of M. Jules Verreaux, as a locality for 
 this species. ED.] 
 
 338. Ardeola COmata (Pall.). Squacco Heron. 
 
 Ardea comata, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 275. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 585. 
 
 Ardeola leucoptera, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 418. 
 Ardea comata, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 697. 
 Ardeola comata, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10134. 
 
 This species of Heron is found in Damara and Great 
 Namaqua Land throughout the year, but is more 
 numerous in those countries during the rainy season 
 than at other times. It is very abundant in the Lake- 
 regions, and on the rivers Botletle, Teoughe, and Oka- 
 vango. It feeds on insects, frogs, &c. 
 
 The iris is pale yellow ; the bill is of a transparent 
 whitish horn-colour at the tip ; the base of the upper 
 mandible is bright greenish yellow, and this colour 
 extends to the base of the nostrils ; the under mandible 
 is also greenish yellow; the tibia, tarsus, and toes are 
 
AEDEID^. 289 
 
 dusky green, lightest on the tibia and the upper part of 
 the tarsus ; the under surface of the toes is yellowish. 
 
 339. Herodias alba (Linn.). European Greater Egret. 
 
 Ardea alba, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 276. 
 Herodias melanorhyncha, Hartlaub's Orn. Westafr. No. 630. 
 Ardea alia, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 683. 
 Herodias alba, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10108. 
 
 Iris reddish yellow, bill black, naked part round the 
 eyes light green, tarsus black. 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 36 
 
 Length of folded wing 15 6 
 
 tarsus 66 
 
 middle toe 44 
 
 tail 6 10 
 
 bill 60 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained a single specimen 
 of this species, which, I infer from his notes, was killed either in 
 Damara or in Ovampo Land, probably the latter ; but I have been 
 unable to ascertain the exact locality in which it was obtained. 
 The bill in this example was black, as described in the note above 
 quoted, indicating that the bird was killed in the breeding- 
 season, the bill being black in this species at that period, and 
 yellow in winter. ED.] 
 
 340. Herodias intermedia (Wagl.). Short-billed Egret. 
 
 Ardea intermedia, Wagler, in Isis, 1829, p. 659. 
 
 Herodias plumiferus, Gould's Birds of Australia, vol. vi. pi. 57. 
 
 Herodias brachyrhynchos, A. Brehm, in Journal fur Orn. 1858 r p, 471. 
 
 Egrettaflavirostris, Bonaparte's Consp. Av. vol. ii. p. 116. 
 
 Ardea egretta, Layard's Oat. No. 583. 
 
 Ardea intermedia, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 686. 
 
 Herodias intermedia, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10110. 
 
 I obtained these Herons both at Lake Ngami and at 
 
 u 
 
290 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 Objimbinque in Damara Land; on one occasion (on 
 February 2nd, 1865) I killed three out of a flock of four. 
 Their flight is heavy, and at a distance they look larger 
 than they really are. 
 
 The iris is pale transparent yellow; the bill yellow, 
 with tints of green in some places ; lores and bare spaces 
 about the eyes greenish ; tibia yellowish flesh-colour ; 
 tarsus and toes bluish black. 
 
 Average measurements of two females : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 27 3 
 
 Length of folded wing 12 7 
 
 tarsus 46 
 
 middle toe 35 
 
 tail 4 10 
 
 bill 3 9 
 
 341. Herodias garzetta (Linn.). European Lesser Egret. 
 
 Herodias garzetta, Boie, in Isis ; 1822, p. 559. 
 Ardea garzetta, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 277. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 584. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 417. 
 
 This is a scarce bird in Damara and Great Namaqua 
 Land, and very local; but it is pretty common on the 
 rivers flowing into and out of Lake Ngami, and it also 
 occurs on the Orange Eiver. 
 
 It associates in small flocks, and feeds on fish, lizards, 
 frogs, Crustacea, and aquatic insects. 
 
 The iris is yellow ; the upper mandible almost black ; 
 the lower mandible black near the extremity, the re- 
 mainder being livid, with a slight greenish tinge; the 
 bare space round the eye is lead-coloured, the cere 
 
 
ARDEIDJE. 291 
 
 greenish yellow; tibia and tarsus black; toes yellowish 
 green above, and yellow below. 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 27 
 
 Length of folded wing 124 
 
 tarsus 3 10 
 
 middle toe 24 
 
 tail 41 
 
 bill , 4 
 
 342. Ardeiralla Sturmii (Wagl.). Sturm's Dwarf Heron. 
 Ardea gutturalis, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 91. 
 Ardetta Sturmii, Gray's Genera of Birds, pi. 150. 
 Ardea gutturalis, Layard's Cat. No. 590. 
 Ardeiralla Sturmii, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10145. 
 
 I observed several of these birds in Damara Land, and 
 found them very common in Ondonga. Axel also found 
 them exceedingly abundant between Ondonga and Ova- 
 quenyama, as well as at Ovagandyaro. 
 
 The favourite haunts of this species are vleys sur- 
 rounded with trees and bushes, on which it perches ; and 
 it is rarely met with at a distance from trees. It feeds 
 on insects and the smaller Crustacea, but seems to be 
 somewhat omnivorous in its diet. I am inclined to think 
 that it feeds by night. 
 
 It breeds in Ondonga, usually placing its nest in the 
 lower branches of palm bushes which are partly immersed 
 in water, a few feet above which the nest is situated ; 
 it is composed of stalks of coarse grass or of small twigs 
 laid across each other without much care or strength, 
 and with hardly any depression for the reception of the 
 eggs, which are four in number. 
 
 u2 
 
292 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 The male bird only differs from the female in its 
 darker tints. 
 
 The iris is red or reddish brown in adult, and yellowish 
 in immature birds ; the bill in adult birds is almost black, 
 shading at the base into bluish green, which is the colour 
 of the skin surrounding the eyes and at the corners of 
 the mouth ; in younger birds the bill is greenish yellow. 
 
 The tibia, the front of the tarsus, and the upper surface 
 of the toes are yellowish brown, with a greenish tinge on 
 the tibia ; the back of the tarsus and the soles of the 
 toes are bright yellow. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 13 9 13 
 
 Length of folded wing ..61 60 
 
 tarsus ....19 19 
 
 middle toe ... 1 8 1 10 
 
 tail 21 22 
 
 bill ...... 2 2 22 
 
 343. Butorides atricapilla (Afzel.). Black-headed Dwarf Heron. 
 
 Ardea atricapilla, Layard's Cat. No. 587. 
 Butorides atricapilla, Gurney, in Ibis, 1870, p. 151. 
 
 Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10158. 
 
 This Heron is not uncommon at Lake Ngami and its 
 watersheds, and also on the Okavango. 
 [This species has not heen figured. ED.] 
 
 344. Ardetta minuta (Linn.). European Little Bittern. 
 
 Ardea minuta, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 282. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 588. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 418. 
 
 Ardetta minuta, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10148. 
 
ARDEID&. 293 
 
 I never met with this species in Damara or Great 
 Namaqua Land ; but it is not uncommon on the rivers 
 Okavango and Teoughe, and also at Lake Ngami. It 
 inhabits marshy districts, where it hides closely, coming 
 out on the approach of night to feed on small fish and 
 reptiles, and also on insects and mollusca. It is found 
 singly or in pairs. 
 
 The iris is yellow*, as is also the lore; the bill is yellow, 
 but with a tinge of brownish on the upper mandible ; 
 the legs and toes are greenish yellow. 
 
 [I have not seen any examples of this bird from South-western 
 Africa; but Mr. Andersson's memoranda contain a carefully 
 worded description of this species, which appears to confirm 
 the correctness of his identification, if it was taken from a 
 specimen of his own procuring. 
 
 It is, however, very easy to mistake for this species, on a super- 
 ficial examination, its nearly allied South-African congener 
 Ardetta podiceps (Bon.) . ED.] 
 
 345. NyctlCOrax aegyptlUS (Hasselq.). European Night Heron. 
 
 Ardea nycticorax, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 279. 
 Nycticorax griseus, Layard's Cat. No. 592. 
 
 This species is pretty frequent in the Lake-country; 
 it occurs in Ondonga in the wet season, and is recorded 
 as having been obtained on the Orange River. In 
 Damara Land I have only observed it very rarely, and 
 always in immature plumage. It feeds on fish, reptiles, 
 aquatic insects, slugs, &c. 
 
 In the adult bird the iris is crimson-red ; the ex- 
 
 * [In another of Mr. Andersson's MS. notes he speaks of the iris of this 
 species as being cherry-coloured j but there is no doubt that its usual colour 
 is yellow.- ED.] 
 
294 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 tremity of the bill is black, as is also the upper portion 
 of the upper mandible, the remainder of the bill is 
 yellowish green ; the lore and skin round the eyes are 
 greenish ; the legs and toes a light lemon-colour ; in 
 immature birds the iris is a deep reddish orange. 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 23 
 
 Length of folded wing 11 2 
 
 tarsus 30 
 
 middle toe 2 11 
 
 tail 46 
 
 bill , 4 
 
 SCOPHXE*. 
 
 346. Scopus umbretta, Gmel. Tufted Umbrette. 
 
 L'Ombrette du Senegal, Buffon's Planches Enl. pi. 796, vol. viii. 
 
 p. 266. 
 Scopus umbretta, Layard's Oat. No. 593. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 418. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 727. 
 
 This queer and sombre-looking bird is pretty generally 
 diffused over Damara and Great Namaqua Land during 
 the rainy season, but is nowhere numerous, and moves to 
 permanent waters as the rainpools dry up. It feeds 
 much on frogs and also upon fish. It is generally ob- 
 served singly or in pairs, and is of a fearless disposition, 
 allowing a person to approach within range without 
 difficulty. 
 
 * [Mr. G. R. Gray, in his ' Hand-list of Birds/ vol. iii. p. 34, treats the 
 Umbrette as forming a subfamily of the Ardeidce ; but it appears to me to be 
 so very distinct a form, that I have here treated it as the type of a separate 
 group, of which, however, it is the only member. ED.] 
 
SCOPIDJS. 295 
 
 The iris is brown ; the bill, legs, and toes black, with 
 a slight tinge of grey. 
 
 PLATALEIDJE. 
 
 347. Platalea tenuirostris (Temm.). Slender-billed Spoonbill. 
 
 Leueorodia tenuirostris, Reichenbach's Prakt. Nat. Vog. pis. 435 
 
 &437. 
 
 Platalea tenuirostris, Layard's Cat. No. 594. 
 Platalea leucorodia, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 419. 
 Platalea tenuirostris, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vb'gel Ost-Afrika's, p. 718. 
 
 This species occasionally visits Damara Land, chiefly 
 during the rainy season, when I have reason to believe 
 that it also occurs, though less frequently, in Great 
 Namaqua Land. At Lake Ngami and its watersheds it 
 is by no means an uncommon bird. 
 
 It is generally observed in small flocks; and where 
 not much disturbed, it is not particularly shy. It feeds 
 on fish, shrimps, small mollusca, &c. ; and the stomach 
 of one which I dissected contained a large number of 
 beetles, chiefly aquatic. 
 
 In the adult of this species the forehead and chin are 
 naked and smooth ; the former is bright red, merging on 
 the sides of the gape into yellow, which is also the colour 
 of the chin; the upper mandible of the bill is livid, 
 except the base and a narrow space along the edges, 
 which are reddish ; the lower mandible is a slaty black, 
 with small yellow spots and yellow edges ; the legs and 
 toes are bright scarlet. 
 
 In the immature bird the iris is greyish ; the bill bluish 
 
296 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 red, except towards the base, where it is yellowish red 
 on the upper and slaty on the lower mandible ; the lore 
 and bare space about the eyes and forehead bright bluish 
 red. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 33 6 
 
 Length of folded wing 15 6 
 
 tarsus 63 
 
 middle toe 43 
 
 tail 56 
 
 bill , 8 9 
 
 TANTALISE. 
 
 348. Tantalus ibis, Linn. African Roseate Ibis. 
 
 L'ibis Wane tfEgypte, Buffon's Planches Enl. pi. 389, vol. viii. 
 
 p. 370. 
 Tantalus ibis, Layard's Cat. No. 602. 
 
 Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10208. 
 
 I have once or twice observed this singular-looking 
 Ibis in Damara Land, but I do not recollect to have met 
 with it in Great Namaqua Land. In the Lake-regions 
 it is not uncommon at all seasons. 
 
 It is generally seen in small flocks, either wading 
 about in shallow water or stalking leisurely on the adja- 
 cent mud or sand-banks, in search of insects, larvae, &c. 
 When not molested it is comparatively tame. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 35 
 
 Length of folded wing 17 9 
 
 tarsus 84 
 
 middle toe 46 
 
 tail 73 
 
 bill 88 
 
TANTALID^. 297 
 
 349. Geronticus calvus (Bodd.). Bald Ibis. 
 
 Courly a tete nue, Buffon's Planches Enl. pi. 867, vol. viii. p. 381. 
 Geronticus calvus, Layard's Cat. No. 606. 
 
 Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10218. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson refers to this species in his notes as found on 
 the Orange River ; but he does not give any details respecting it, 
 and I did not meet with it in any of his collections. ED.] 
 
 350. Ibis SBthiopica (Lath.). Sacred Ibis. 
 
 Ibis religiosa, Savigny's Hist. Nat. de 1'Ibis, pi. 4. 
 
 Hemprich & Ehrenberg, Sym. Phys. pi. 17. 
 
 Bree's Birds of Europe, vol. iv. p. 45, plate (bird), 
 
 p. 49, plate, fig. 1 (egg). 
 Geronticus cethiopicus, Layard's Cat. No. 320. 
 Ibis cethiopica, Gurney, in Ibis, 1868, p. 259. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 733. 
 
 Sclater, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 382, fig 2 (head). 
 
 I have never observed this species in Damara or Great 
 Namaqua Land ; but it is not uncommon in the Lake- 
 regions, and is extremely abundant in Ondonga, espe- 
 cially during the rainy season, when it is comparatively 
 tame, though wild at other times. It is sometimes met 
 with in flocks of from fifty to a hundred individuals ; it 
 is a heavy bird, and its flesh is good eating. 
 
 The iris is dark brown, but with an outer ring which 
 is reddish in adult and whitish in young birds ; the bill 
 is very dark brown ; the bare skin of the head and neck 
 is black, but with a pink spot under the eye in adult 
 birds, which is almost livid in younger specimens. 
 
 A naked space under the wings is bright brick-red in 
 adult birds, but paler in those which are immature ; the 
 legs are black. 
 
298 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 26 9 
 
 Length of folded wing 14 
 
 tarsus 40 
 
 middle toe 36 
 
 tail 60 
 
 bill . 6 9 
 
 351. Hagedashia caffrensis (Licht.). Hagedash Ibis. 
 
 Ibis chalcoptera, Vieillot's Gal. des Ois. pi. 246. 
 Gerotiticus hagedash, Layard's Cat. No. 605. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 419. 
 
 Hagedashia hagedasli, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10228. 
 
 This Ibis is found abundantly in the Lake-regions and 
 on the rivers Teoughe and Botletle. It feeds on insects, 
 but does not despise other kinds of food ; it is always 
 observed in flocks, which vary from a few individuals to a 
 dozen or two in number. 
 
 These birds roost at night on trees in the immediate 
 neighbourhood of water, which they leave at daybreak 
 for their favourite feeding-grounds ; these are sometimes 
 situate in dense forest bush, sometimes in reedy thickets, 
 and sometimes amongst rocks. They always return to 
 the same tree at night, and thus often fall an easy prey 
 to the marksman, who conceals himself in ambush within 
 a convenient distance of their favourite perch, birds of 
 this species being much sought after for their flesh, which 
 is very palatable. 
 
 When suddenly disturbed, or when straggling back to 
 their nightly quarters, these birds scream most vocife- 
 rously ; and during my arduous and tortuous ascent and 
 descent of the Teoughe, I was not unfrequently quite 
 
TANTALIDJE. 299 
 
 startled by their dinning noise as we surprised them in 
 their reedy resorts, or as we passed, at a sudden turn of 
 the river, under one of their roosting-places, which had 
 been previously hidden from our view. 
 
 This Ibis builds on trees overhanging the water ; the 
 nest is constructed of rough sticks, superficially lined 
 with fibrous roots, tendrils, and grasses, and is so slightly 
 depressed above that the hollow is barely sufficient to 
 admit the eggs and to prevent them from falling out. 
 
 It is said that these birds, when not disturbed, will 
 nest in the same tree for several successive seasons. 
 
 The iris is dark brown ; the bill black, except on the 
 ridge and along the lateral depression, which are bright 
 carmine ; the legs and toes are dull red. 
 
 SCOLOPACID^l 
 352. Numenius arquatus (Linn.). Common Curlew. 
 
 Numenius arquatus, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 302. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 607. 
 
 Numenius arquata. Chapman's Travels in S. Afr v App. p. 419. 
 
 The Common Curlew is sparingly met with in the 
 interior of Damara and Great Namaqua Land, but is 
 more frequent along the coast and on the islands. It is 
 most commonly seen in pairs, but at times in small 
 flocks. It is an exceedingly wary bird, and, from the 
 open character of the localities it frequents, often defies 
 the efforts of the sportsman. 
 
 It loves flat marshy lands and the open sea-beach, 
 
300 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 where it searches for its food, which consists of small 
 marine insects, Crustacea, worms, &c. 
 
 At some seasons these birds grow very fat, and they 
 are palatable as food, especially when they have not 
 frequented the sea-shore for too long a period. 
 
 The Curlew swims with considerable ease, but appears 
 not to take to the water by choice. 
 
 The iris is dark brown ; the bill brown, with a tinge 
 of ochry yellow on the basal half of the lower mandible. 
 
 353. Numenius phseopus (Linn.). British Whimbrel. 
 
 Numeniiis phceopus, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 303. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 608. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 419. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 739. 
 
 So far as my observation goes, the Whimbrel is less 
 common in Damara and Great Namaqua Land than the 
 Curlew, and, in fact, is but rarely met with. Its food 
 consists of snails, shells, crabs, insects, &c. 
 
 The iris is dark brown ; the upper mandible of the 
 bill and the extremity of the lower are brown; the 
 remainder of the lower mandible is livid ; the legs and 
 toes are greenish blue. 
 
 354. TotanilS calidris (Linn.). Common Eedshank. 
 
 Totanus calidris, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 310. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 611. 
 
 [This species did not occur in Mr. Andersson's last collection ; 
 and his notes do not refer to it; but it is included by Mr. 
 Layard (loc. cit.) amongst the species obtained at Lake Ngami, 
 and Mr. J. E. Harting informs me that he has seen a specimen 
 from Walwich Bay. ED.] 
 
SCOLOPACID;. 301 
 
 355. Totanus glottis (Linn.). Greenshank. 
 
 Totanus glottis, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 312. 
 
 Glottis canescem, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 159. 
 Totanus glottis, Layard's Cat. No. 613. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 419. 
 
 Totanus canescens, Finsch and Hartlaub's Vb'gel Ost-Afrika's, p. 745. 
 
 Sharpe & Dresser's Birds of Europe, pi. 42. 
 
 The Greenshank is pretty common in Damara and 
 Great Namaqua Land, in all suitable localities ; and I 
 have reason to believe that it is abundant in the Lake- 
 regions and on the river Okavango. It frequents, when 
 inland, springs and small running streams, but is more 
 common along the coast. It does not appear to breed 
 in Damara Land, at least not in its middle and southern 
 portion; from the sea-coast it generally disappears 
 about December, reappearing in March and April. It 
 is most commonly found in small flocks, but sometimes 
 singly or in pairs. It is a shy and wary bird, and fre- 
 quently most difficult to obtain. It runs with great 
 celerity, and is very powerful on the wing, frequently 
 flying at a great height ; when, rising it utters shrill 
 cries, which may be heard at a very great distance. 
 
 This species feeds on the fry of fish, worms, insects, 
 crustaceans, and molluscous animals, in search of which 
 it may frequently be seen wading up to its belly in the 
 water. 
 
 The flesh of the Greenshank is very palatable. 
 
 The iris is a very dark claret-colour ; the bill purplish, 
 merging into bluish black towards the point, and 
 bluish grey on the upper ridge ; the legs are yellowish 
 blue, but bluer in some specimens than in others. 
 
302 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 [The Damara-Land specimens of the Greenshank which have 
 come under my notice have been in winter plumage. Mr. 
 J. E. Harting's collection contains a male from Walwich Bay, 
 obtained in October, a male from Objimbinque, shot the 
 30th November, and a male and female, also from Damara 
 Land, obtained the llth January. ED.] 
 
 356. TotanilS stagnatilis, Bechst. Marsh Sandpiper. 
 
 Totanus stagnatilis, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 314. 
 Layard's Oat. No. 610. 
 
 Sharpe & Dresser's Birds of Europe, pi. 6. 
 
 This species is nowhere common in Damara Land; 
 but I have occasionally shot it in the valley of the 
 Swakop, and pretty frequently at Objimbinque. It 
 frequents small streamlets and freshwater springs, and 
 is found singly or in pairs. 
 
 The hides are intensely dark brown ; the bill black, 
 except at the base of both mandibles, where it is dusky 
 green ; the legs and toes are dusky yellowish green. 
 
 [The specimens of this Sandpiper contained in Mr. Andersson's 
 last collection were in winter plumage ; one of these was pro- 
 cured at Omanbonde, another at Hykomkap, on 3rd December, 
 and a third at Objimbinque, on 2nd January. ED.] 
 
 357. Totanus glareola (Linn.). Wood Sandpiper. 
 
 Totanus glareola^ Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 315. fig. 1. 
 
 Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Oru. 
 
 1852, p. 159. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 610. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr v App. p. 419. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 750. 
 
 This is not a common bird in Damara and Great 
 
SCOLOPACID^E. 303 
 
 Namaqua Land ; but now and then small flocks are to be 
 met with at inland springs, streams, and marshes; in 
 some seasons it was frequently obtained at Objimbinque, 
 and I also found it not uncommon in Ondonga. 
 
 It occurs singly and in pairs as well as in small flocks, 
 and, unless much disturbed, it is quite tame. Its flesh 
 is very palatable. 
 
 The food of this species consists of worms and insects. 
 I have never found the nest of the Wood Sandpiper in 
 Damara Land, but have reason to think that it breeds 
 there occasionally. 
 
 The iris is dark brown ; the bill greenish black, 
 darkest towards the point ; the legs and toes are dark 
 green. 
 
 358. Actitis hypoleilCUS (Linn.). Common Sandpiper. 
 
 Totanus hypoleucus, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 316. 
 
 Tringoides hypoleucus, Layard's Cat. No. 327. 
 
 Actitis hypoleucus, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's ; p. 752. 
 
 I obtained several specimens of this bird in Damara 
 Land. It feeds on small snails, shells, &c. 
 
 The iris is dark brown ; the bill brownish, tinged 
 with yellow on the lower mandible ; the legs dusky 
 green, tinged with flesh-colour. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 77 
 
 Length of folded wing 43 
 
 tarsus 11 
 
 middle toe 11 
 
 tail 22 
 
 bill . 11 
 
304 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 359. Terekia cinerea, Guldenst. Terek Sandpiper. 
 
 Limosa terek, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 307 (winter dress). 
 Terekia cinerea, Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 3. 
 Limosa cinerea, Layard's Cat. No. 609. 
 
 Sharpe & Dresser's Birds of Europe, pi. 32 (breed- 
 
 ing dress and young). 
 
 I have obtained very few specimens of this bird in 
 Damara Land, the only places where I remember to 
 have met with this species being Omanbonde, Objim- 
 binque, and Hykomkap on the river Swakop ; those 
 which I have observed were always solitary and were 
 feeding on the sedgy borders of marshy places or 
 sluggish streamlets. 
 
 Their food consists of small insects. 
 
 The iris is dark brown, the legs and toes yellow. 
 
 [Mr. J. E. Harting possesses a female of this species obtained 
 by Mr. Andersson at Walwich Bay,, in October 1863. ED.] 
 
 360. Philomachus pugnax (Linn.). Buff. 
 
 Machetes puff nax, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 325. 
 
 Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 159. 
 Philomachus pugnax, Layard's Cat. No. 619. 
 
 This bird generally appears in Damara Land with the 
 return of the rainy season, when it is not uncommon, 
 and leaves again before the ruff of the male bird is put 
 forth ; but I have reason to believe that it is to be met 
 with in the Lake-regions during the intervening period. 
 It is chiefly found inland and but rarely on the coast. 
 It feeds on insects and worms, for which it seeks in 
 moist and humid situations ; but during the rainy season, 
 when food is abundant, it may be found almost every- 
 
SCOLOPACID^. 305 
 
 where. It is a comparatively tame bird, and is generally 
 to be observed in small flocks of from three to a dozen 
 individuals such flocks generally consisting of females 
 with perhaps now and then a male, which is easily di- 
 stinguished by its greater size. 
 
 This species when on the wing resembles Iringa 
 subarquata, but is larger and swifter. 
 
 The iris is dark brown, the bill dark with a dull olive 
 tint near the base ; the legs are slate-coloured in some 
 specimens, and yellowish green in others, the green tinge 
 being especially perceptible on the bare part of the 
 tibia. 
 
 Average dimensions of two males : 
 
 Entire length 
 
 in. lin. 
 . 11 1 
 
 Length of folded wing .... 
 
 . 7 
 
 tarsus 
 
 . 2 
 
 middle toe 
 
 . 1 5 
 
 tail 
 
 . 2 8 
 
 bill 
 
 1 6 
 
 Average dimensions of twenty-four 
 
 females : 
 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 
 
 . 9 3 
 
 Length of folded wing .... 
 
 . 5 9 
 
 tarsus 
 
 . 1 7 
 
 middle toe .... 
 
 . 1 2 
 
 tail 
 
 . 2 3 
 
 bill 
 
 . 1 3 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained several examples 
 of this species, but none in nuptial dress, though some remains 
 of it were visible on three females killed at Objimbinque on 
 the 12th, 15th, and 25th of August. ED.] 
 
306 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 361. Tringa canutus (Linn.). Knot. 
 
 Calidris canutus, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 324. 
 Tringa canutus, Layard's Cat. No. 620. 
 
 This species is of rather rare occurrence on the coast 
 of Damara Land ; the few that I observed there were 
 generally associating with flocks of Sanderlings, Curlew 
 Sandpipers, and Little Stints along the shallows in 
 Walwich Bay. The Knot feeds on aquatic insects, in 
 search of which it will wade knee-deep in the water. 
 Its flesh is good eating. One of my specimens has the 
 breast and part of the belly rufous. 
 
 The iris is dark, the bill very dark olive, the legs of a 
 somewhat similar hue but more or less tinged with 
 yellow. 
 
 [I examined two specimens of the Knot obtained by Mr. 
 Andersson in Walwich Bay : one of them, killed on October 20th, 
 retained some remains of the breeding dress ; the other, which 
 was obtained on November 4th, showed scarcely any. ED.] 
 
 362. Tringa subarquata, Gtiia. Curlew Sandpiper. 
 
 Tringa subarquata, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 328. 
 
 Pelidna subarquata, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 159. 
 
 Tringa subarquata, Layard's Cat. No. 621. 
 Numenius pygmceus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 420. 
 Tringa subarcuata, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vb'gel Ost-Afrika's, p. 761. 
 
 The Curlew Sandpiper is the commonest Tringa at 
 Walwich Bay and all along the lagoons and shallows 
 of the south-west coast, where it ranges southward to 
 Table Bay. It congregates in flocks, often of many 
 hundreds, and not unfrequently in company with the 
 Little Stint and the Sanderling. 
 
SCOLOPACID^. 307 
 
 At some hours of the day, probably when changing 
 their feeding-ground, and chiefly in the early morning, 
 these birds are more on the move than at other times ; 
 and the air over the lagoon seems then literally to teem 
 with their myriads, presenting a most animated picture 
 as the white portions of their plumage flash with almost 
 dazzling effect in the early tropical sunlight, especially 
 when the brightness of the scene is enhanced by the 
 presence in the flock of a large reinforcement of San- 
 derlings. 
 
 In the afternoon, if, as is the case five days out of 
 seven at Walwich Bay, the wind blows strongly from the 
 south-east, these birds generally retire to some little 
 distance from the water and seek a large open flat in the 
 immediate neighbourhood. Whilst there they are ex- 
 cessively shy and difficult to approach ; and I may add 
 that I have observed that this temporary wildness is 
 common to most water-birds on the Damara coast when- 
 ever a high wind arises. On ordinary occasions the 
 Curlew Sandpiper is comparatively tame, and numbers 
 may be bagged without difficulty. Considerable varia- 
 tions of plumage are to be met with, as I have shot 
 at the same time specimens in the grey dress and 
 others in which the plumage has been almost of a 
 rusty red. 
 
 These Sandpipers grow enormously fat, but are not 
 desirable birds for the table, as their flavour is excessively 
 fishy. 
 
 The iris is very dark brown ; the bill, legs, and toes 
 
 shining black. I have, however, seen some adult speci- 
 
 x2 
 
308 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 mens in which the bill was of a dark flesh-grey, and 
 others in which it was deep greenish black. 
 
 [Mr. J. E. Harting possesses a specimen of the Curlew Sand- 
 piper obtained by Mr. Andersson in Walwich Bay on April 15th, 
 and two others from the same locality, obtained on October 15th 
 and 24th. ED.] 
 
 363. Tringa Bairdii (Coues). Baird's Sandpiper. 
 
 Actodromas Bairdii, Coues, in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1861, 
 
 p. 194 
 Tringa Bairdi, Harting, in Ibis, 1870, p. 151. 
 
 [Mr. J. E. Harting possesses a male specimen of this American 
 Sandpiper, obtained by Mr. Andersson in Walwich Bay on 
 October 24th, 1863, being the only instance with which I am 
 acquainted of the occurrence of this species in the Old World. 
 Mr. Andersson probably did not particularly observe this spe- 
 cimen, as I do not find any reference to it in his notes. 
 Mr. Harting has favoured me with the following remarks on this 
 interesting species, which, by his kind permission, I here insert: 
 
 " I do not think that Tringa Bairdii has ever been figured. 
 
 "This species is not recognized by Professor Baird in his ' Birds 
 of North America/ although doubtless he has met with it since 
 the publication of that work, unless we are to suppose that he 
 has included it under the name of Tringa Bonapartei, Schlegel 
 (i. e. T. Schinzii, Bonap. nee Brehm). This can scarcely be the 
 case, since he describes correctly the latter species as having the 
 upper tail-coverts white, which in T. Bairdii are black or nearly 
 so, and gives other characters which are applicable to the former 
 but not to the latter bird. Prof. Schlegel, strange to say, gives 
 T. Bairdii of Coues as a synonym of T. maculata, Vieillot (i. e. 
 T. pectoralis, Say and Bonap.), of which species he considers it 
 a small variety (Mus. P.-B. Scolopaces, p. 39) *. Bonaparte, 
 
 [* There is a remarkable similarity in the general appearance of T. Bairdii 
 and T. maculata ; but the former may be readily distinguished by its much 
 shorter toes. The middle toe, without the claw, measures 0-45 of an inch in 
 T. Bairdii, and 0-85 in T. maculata. ED.] 
 
SCOLOPACIDJE. 
 
 309 
 
 while correctly adopting T. pectoralis, Say, as a synonym of 
 T. maculata, Vieillot, adds also as a synonym 71 Bonapartei, 
 Schlegel, which of course is quite distinct (cf. Compt. Rend. 
 1856, p. 596, and Rev. Zool. 1857, p. 120). Other authors, e. g. 
 Cassin, have designated T. Bairdii as T. Bonapartei. 
 
 "Messrs. Sclater and Salvin observe (P. Z. S. 1868, p. 144) 
 that this species appears to be the Chorlito lomo negro of Azara ; 
 and if so, Mr. Coues's name will have to give way to Tringa me- 
 lanota, Vieillot (T. dorsalis, Meyen and Licht.). 
 
 ' ' Notwithstanding the confusion which appears to exist with 
 regard to this species, it may be readily recognized by any one 
 who has read the remarks of Mr. Elliott Coues in his Mono- 
 graph of the Tringse of North America (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 
 Philad. 1861) ; Mr. Coues has therein clearly pointed out the di- 
 stinctive characters of this species. 
 
 "Adopting the genus Actodromas, which was proposed by Kaup 
 in 1829, for what he considers ' a well marked and very natural 
 group of Sandpipers/ he includes therein the five : A. maculata, 
 Vieillot; A. Bairdii, Coues; A. minutilla, Vieillot; A. Bona- 
 partei, Schlegel; and A. Cooperi, Baird. 
 
 "After pointing out that A. Bairdii is intermediate in size 
 between maculata and minutilla, he gives the characters by which 
 it may be distinguished from the species to which it is most 
 nearly allied in form and colour and with which it has been 
 frequently confounded. These characters may be conveniently 
 stated as follows : 
 
 A. Bonapartei, Schleg. 
 Length about 7 '50 inches. 
 Bill stout, flesh-colour at base 
 
 below. 
 
 Feathers extending but little if 
 any beyond those on the 
 upper. 
 
 Upper tail- coverts moderate, 
 white-, the central tail-fea- 
 thers projecting considerably, 
 and tail deeply emarginate. 
 
 "A. Bairdii, Coues. 
 Length about 7*25 inches. 
 Bill slender, entirely black. 
 
 Feathers extending on the 
 lower mandible much beyond 
 those on the upper. 
 
 Upper tail-coverts much length- 
 ened, black-, central tail- 
 feathers projecting but little ; 
 the emargination of the tail 
 slight. 
 
310 BINDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 " To the general and particular description of T. Bairdii as 
 given by Mr. Coues, there can be but little to add ; but as Prof. 
 Baird has not noticed the species, and as Mr. Coues considers 
 its habitat ' coextensive with that of T. Bonapartei, and probably 
 restricted to North America east of the Rocky Mountains/ I 
 may add some remarks on its geographical range which may be 
 of use. 
 
 " The localities noticed by Mr. Coues are Nebraska (Lieut. 
 Warren), Fort Kearney (Dr. Cooper), Zuni river (Dr. Wood- 
 house), Great Slave Lake (Messrs. Kennicott and Ross). 
 
 1 ' The additional localities which have since been recorded are 
 California, Mexico (Boucard), Panama, New Granada (Salvin), 
 Tambo valley, Peru (Whitely), Conchitas, Argentine Republic 
 (W. H. Hudson), and Santiago, Chili (Leybold). 
 
 "To these localities we have now to add Walwich Bay 
 (Andersson) . 
 
 " The egg of Tringa Bairdii has been described by Professor 
 Newton in the ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society' 1871, 
 p. 57." ED.] 
 
 364. Tringa minuta, Leisl. Little Stint. 
 
 Tringa minuta, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 332. 
 
 Pelidna minuta, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 159. 
 Tringa minuta, Layard's Cat. No. 622. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 420. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's VSgel Ost-Afrika's, p. 764. 
 
 Sharpe & Dresser's Birds of Europe, pi. 55. fig. 1 
 (winter dress) & pi. 58. fig. 2 (breeding dress). 
 
 This species is common throughout Damara and Great 
 Namaqua Land, and also occurs in the Lake-regions ; it 
 is found in small flocks and frequents alike the sea-coast 
 and freshwater pools, springs, and streamlets, where it 
 eagerly seeks for the minute insects, Crustacea, and 
 aquatic worms which are more or less abundant in such 
 localities. The flesh of this Sandpiper is excellent ; and 
 
SCOLOPAGID^E. 311 
 
 as it is a very tame bird, numbers may be bagged with- 
 out much exertion. 
 
 The iris is dark brown, the bill, legs, and toes are black. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's memoranda contain descriptions of this 
 Sandpiper in winter dress, killed in December and January, and 
 in nuptial plumage obtained in April. A specimen in his last 
 collection, obtained on October 7th, retained a considerable por- 
 tion of its breeding-plumage. Another specimen, obtained at 
 Walwich Bay, on November 26th 1863, in full winter plumage, 
 is figured by Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser (loc. cit.). ED.] 
 
 365. Calidris arenaria (Linn.). Sanderling. 
 
 Arenaria calidris, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 335. 
 
 Calidris arenaria, Layard's Cat. No. 623. 
 
 Tringa calidris, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 416. 
 
 Calidris arenaria, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 767. 
 
 The Sanderling is very common on the coast of Damara 
 Land, but is only sparingly met with inland. It is found 
 in great flocks, and associates with the Curlew Sandpiper ; 
 but whilst the latter, as it searches for its food, hunts and 
 ranges not only along the beach, but at some distance 
 from it, the Sanderling, on the contrary, scarcely if 
 ever leaves the immediate edge of the water, where it is 
 amusing enough to observe it feeding along a beach on 
 which the surf is breaking, now running away from the 
 threatening waters, then turning as if by instinct the 
 moment they have spent their fury, closely following 
 the receding waves and rapidly seizing, amongst their 
 foam and spray, the minute marine animals upon which 
 this bird subsists. The Sanderlings when thus engaged 
 appear as if they must be overwhelmed by the seething 
 billows; but in some marvellous manner they always 
 
312 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. - 
 
 escape, and it is very rarely that they are even obliged 
 to have recourse to their wings to expedite their retreat. 
 The flocks of Sanderlings afford a pretty sight on a 
 sunny morning, when in their evolutions on the wing 
 they eccentrically wheel and twist in the bright light, 
 looking not unlike silver clouds against the clear blue sky. 
 
 The cry of this species is a kind of chirping call, low 
 and short, but shrill. Its flesh is very palatable ; and 
 being plump little birds, they are worth the trouble of 
 shooting and cooking. 
 
 The iris is dark brown, the bill, legs, and toes shining 
 black. 
 
 [Specimens of the Sanderling contained in Mr. Andersson's 
 last collection were in winter dress; but one, a male obtained 
 at Walwich Bay on May 18th, had begun to assume the nuptial 
 plumage, though only to a slight extent. ED.] 
 
 366. Gallinago major (Gmel.). Solitary Snipe. 
 
 Scolopax major, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 320. 
 Gallinago major, Gurney, in Ibis, 1868, p. 261. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained a single specimen 
 of this Snipe (a male), obtained in Ondonga on the 6th of 
 February, 1867. 
 
 This species is a regular migrant to Natal, and also occurs, 
 but less numerously, in the Republic of Trans Vaal ; it arrives 
 in Natal in September or October, and leaves in January or 
 February. 
 
 Mr. Andersson's MS. contains the following note, which 
 may perhaps relate to this species, but which, I think, more 
 probably refers to Gallinago macrodactyla, Bon. (= cequatorialis, 
 Riipp., =nigripennis ) Bon.) : "Once, whilst encamped at Oman- 
 bonde, awaiting the falling of the rains to enable me to penetrate 
 
SGOLOPAOID^J. 313 
 
 to the distant interior, I frequently obtained a meal by invading 
 the marsh in pursuit of Ducks and Snipes, which were tolerably 
 abundant, especially the latter ; but, singularly enough, I never 
 saw these birds again in Damara Land, and, unfortunately, at 
 Omanbonde I neglected to preserve specimens. At this distant 
 day it is impossible for me to identify the species with any cer- 
 tainty. I simply took these birds to be the common Snipe 
 (Gallinago scolopacina) ; but, on reflection, I think it equally 
 possible that they were examples of the South- African Gallinago 
 nigripennis." ED .] 
 
 367. Rhynchsea capensis (Linn.). African Painted Snipe. 
 
 Ithynchcea capensis, Layard's Cat. No. 625. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vb'gel Ost-Afrika's, p. 774. 
 
 Shelley's Birds of Egypt, pi. 11 (male & female). 
 
 The Painted Snipe is sparingly found in Great 
 Namaqua Land ; but in Damara Land it is very common, 
 a pair or two being almost always to be found wherever 
 the ground is swampy. It is also common on all the 
 watersheds north and east of Damara Land ; and it is 
 pretty common in Ondonga, where it breeds, making no 
 nest, but usually laying its eggs near the water ; these 
 are from three to four in number, of a very dark colour, 
 freely blotched with black. 
 
 Though partial to marshy ground, this species is also 
 found on the sides of little rills and running springs. It 
 lies close, like a Snipe, but is very different on the wing, 
 its flight being heavy and comparatively slow ; moreover 
 it flies but a short distance before it alights. It lives 
 singly or in pairs ; but a dozen birds may sometimes be 
 found scattered over a small marsh within a short distance 
 
314 BIRDS OF DAMA11A LAND. 
 
 of each other. It seems to feed chiefly on insects ; and 
 its flesh is very palatable. 
 
 The iris is brown. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 92 
 
 Length of folded wing 49 
 
 tarsus 19 
 
 middle toe 15 
 
 tail 19 
 
 biU 1 10 
 
 RECURVIROSTRIME*. 
 
 368. Reciirvirostra avocetta, Linn. European Avocet. 
 
 Recurvirostra avocetta , Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 308. 
 ,, Layard's Cat. No. 017. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 420. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 755. 
 
 This handsome and peculiar bird is occasionally found 
 on the south-west coast of Africa, and also occurs, 
 though less frequently, inland. In the Cape Colony, 
 however, I have found the case, as regards its distribution, 
 slightly reversed. 
 
 I may mention as inland localities for this species 
 Objimbinque, where I have seen it once or twice, and 
 Ondonga, where it was shot by Axel. 
 
 * [Mr. G. R. Gray, in his * Hand-list of Birds/ which I cite as the most 
 modern work on ornithological systematic arrangement, includes this group 
 as a subfamily of the Scolopacidce ; but it seems to me that it may more 
 naturally be regarded as forming a distinct and independent family, and I 
 have therefore so treated it. ED.] 
 
RECUR VIROSTRIDJ2. 315 
 
 At certain seasons the Avocet is not uncommon on the 
 coast, at Walwich Bay, Sandwich Harbour, Angra 
 Pequena, &c. ; but it usually disappears from Damara 
 Land during the breeding-season, though I have little 
 doubt that a few pairs remain to nest there, as I have 
 occasionally met with very young birds during the dry 
 time of the year. 
 
 The Avocet is generally observed in small flocks, and 
 is on the whole a shy and wary bird. It is an interesting 
 object to the ornithologist, to whom its graceful figure, 
 as it quietly skirts the glassy pool or wades amongst the 
 shallows on the sea-shore, never fails to be a source of 
 pleasure. It feeds on insects, worms, thin-skinned crus- 
 tacea, &c., which it seeks when they are left exposed on 
 the mud or sand by the receding tide, and also by wading 
 knee-deep in shallow water. 
 
 The flesh of the Avocet is not unpalatable. 
 
 The iris is light cherry-colour ; the bill is black. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 15 9 
 
 Length of folded wing 80 
 
 tarsus 33 
 
 middle toe 16 
 
 tail 32 
 
 bill 3 4 
 
 369. Himantopus autumnalis. European Stilt. 
 
 Himantopus melanopterus, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 289. 
 
 Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., 
 
 Contr. Orn. 1852, p. 159. 
 Himantopus candidus, Layard's Cat. No. 618. 
 Charadrius himantopus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 420. 
 
316 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 This species is sparingly met with in the middle and 
 northern parts of Damara Land, but more frequently 
 in the Lake-regions and on the river Okavango. 
 
 I have always found it singly or in pairs. It feeds on 
 insects, snails, shells, &c., and is a conspicuous and in- 
 teresting object, being lively and graceful in its actions, 
 both when running (which it does with considerable 
 celerity) about the sides of marshes and streams, and 
 when wading quietly in shallow water. 
 
 The iris is red. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 13 3 
 
 Length of folded wing 92 
 
 tarsus 4 10 
 
 middle toe. ..... 1 6 
 
 tail 33 
 
 Mil 2 10 
 
 [Mr J. E. Harting's collection contains a male of this species, 
 obtained by Mr. Andersson in Ondonga, 6th November, 1866. 
 
 ED.] 
 
 RALLID^J. 
 370. Rallus cserulescens, Gmel. Gaffer Kail. 
 
 Rallus aquaticus, Gurney, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864 ; p. 3. 
 Rallus ccerulescens, Layard's Cat. No. 629. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 777. 
 
 I found this Eail plentiful at Omanbonde ; and it is 
 not uncommon in marshy localities in Damara Land and 
 the parts adjacent, more especially in the central and 
 northern portions of the country; it frequents reedy 
 thickets bordered by other rank aquatic herbage, amongst 
 
EALLIDM. 317 
 
 which it searches for the insects, worms, and seeds of 
 water-plants which constitute its food. It runs with 
 great swiftness, but does not refuse to take wing when 
 pursued. Its flesh is good. 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 9 10 
 
 Length of folded wing 46 
 
 tarsus 19 
 
 middle toe 1 11 
 
 tail 18 
 
 bill 21 
 
 [This species has not been figured. ED.] 
 
 371. Ortygometra pygmsea, Naum. Baillon's Crake. 
 
 Zaporna baillonii, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 344. 
 Ortygometra bailloni, Gurney, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 3. 
 
 Andersson, ibid. p. 7. 
 
 Ortygometra minuta, Layard's Cat. No. 633. 
 Crex baillonii, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 421. 
 Zapornia pygmcea, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10461. 
 
 This pretty species is an inhabitant of the few marshes 
 existing in Damara Land. At Omanbonde, where it 
 breeds, I found it plentiful; it is also common in the 
 marshy districts about Lake Ngami, and on the rivers 
 Teoughe and Okavango; and I likewise obtained a 
 specimen in Ondonga. It frequents alike the rank vege- 
 tation of the stagnant pools and the more scantily 
 sheltered rills, searching industriously for insects, worms, 
 slugs, snails, &c. When surprised it takes wing more 
 readily than most of its congeners, but flies only for a 
 very short distance, and drops amongst the aquatic 
 
318 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 herbage at the first convenient spot, from whence, if 
 needful, it prolongs its retreat by running. 
 
 This Crake constructs its nest of pieces of stalks of 
 reeds, rushes, and other vegetable substances. The eggs 
 are six or seven in number, of a brownish-buff or olive- 
 brown colour, closely spotted with obscure markings of 
 a darker hue, and are rather larger than the eggs of 
 the Starling. 
 
 The flesh of this species is very tender and delicate. 
 
 The irides are of a dull yellowish brown, but in one 
 of my specimens were of a yellowish red ; the bill is 
 green, darkest on the ridge of the upper mandible ; the 
 legs and feet are dusky green. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 6 10 
 
 Length of folded wing 31 
 
 tarsus 18 
 
 middle toe 14 
 
 tail 1 9 
 
 ", bill 10 
 
 [Mr. Layard has been so good as to inform me that this is 
 the same species as was included by him in his ' Catologue of the 
 Birds of South Africa ' (loc. cit.}, under the erroneous name of 
 Ortygometra minuta. ED.] 
 
 372. Ortygometra marginalis (Hartl.). Olive-margined Crake. 
 
 Porzana marginalis, Hartlaub's Orn. West-Afrika's, No. 685. 
 Taczanowski, in Journ. fur Orn. 1870, p. 54. 
 
 Ondonga, February 6, 1867. A single specimen was 
 brought to me by an Ovampo yesterday ; I cannot re- 
 member to have seen it before. 
 
EALLID&. 319 
 
 Ondonga, February 23. Another specimen ; also eggs 
 said to belong to this bird, of a yellowish ground-colour 
 almost hidden near the thicker end by a broad zone of 
 light brownish red. 
 
 Ondonga, March 1. I have ascertained that the above 
 is correct ; I myself found to-day a nest containing four 
 eggs, situated just on the edge of a marsh, in a dryish 
 tuft of grass. I got Axel to watch the bird, which he 
 saw several times, though unable to secure it. 
 
 Ondonga, March 2. Another nest was brought by a 
 native, with the bird (which he captured upon it) and 
 four eggs. 
 
 Ondonga, March 26. An abandoned nest with five 
 eggs, far from the water, and had the surrounding grass 
 tied above it, as in the nest of Gallinula angulata. 
 
 The iris is brown, tinged with reddish yellow; the 
 eyelid yellow ; the basal part of the bill green, merging 
 into bluish at the extremity; the ridge of the upper 
 mandible dark brown ; legs and feet dusky green, with 
 a slight bluish tint on the upper portion of the uncovered 
 part of the tibia. 
 
 This Gallinule is new to me. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 70 
 
 Length of folded wing 36 
 
 tarsus 17 
 
 middle toe 18 
 
 tail 16 
 
 bill , 9 
 
320 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Measurements of three females : 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 83...80...710 
 
 Length of folded wing i ; . 4 1 ... 4 ... 8 11 
 
 tarsus . ... 1 6 ... 1 6 ... 1 6 
 
 middle toe .. 1 8 ... 1 6 ... 1 8 
 
 tail 23. ..20. ..21 
 
 biU 10 ... 9 ... 11 
 
 [I have copied from Mr. Andersson's note-book the above 
 memoranda, which I have reason to believe refer to this species, 
 two specimens of which (apparently an adult and an immature 
 bird) were contained in his last collection. Both of these spe- 
 cimens were purchased by Mr. Frank, the well-known dealer in 
 objects of natural history, by whom the younger bird was resold 
 to the Leyden Museum, where it was kindly shown to me by 
 Professor Schlegel, who agreed with me in referring it to the 
 present species. This Crake has not been figured. ED.] 
 
 373. Alecthelia dimidiata (Temm.). Temminck's Crake. 
 
 Gallinula dimidiata, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 20. 
 Corethrura dimidiata, Gurney, Birds Damar., in Proc. of Zool. Soc. 
 1864, p. 3. 
 
 Andersson, ibid. p. 8. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 635. 
 
 Gallinula dimidiata, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr v App. p. 421. 
 
 I have only found this species at Omanbonde, where 
 it is not uncommon and breeds. It frequents stagnant 
 waters thickly fringed and studded with aquatic herbage, 
 amongst the ever progressive decay of which it loves to 
 disport itself and to search for food. It is very shy and 
 retired in its habits, seldom going far from effective 
 cover, and gliding through the mazes of the rank vege- 
 tation with astonishing ease and swiftness. 
 
 The bill is reddish brown, tinged with yellowish on 
 
RALLID&. 321 
 
 the lower mandible ; the legs and toes are yellowish 
 brown. 
 
 374. Limnocorax niger (Gmel.). Black Crake. 
 
 Gallinula flavirostra, Swainson's Birds of West Africa, vol. ii. pi. 28. 
 Gallinula niger, Layard's Cat. No. 642. 
 Rallus niger, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 421. 
 Ortygometra nigra, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 779. 
 Limnocorax niger, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10458. 
 
 I have not ^infrequently met with this species in 
 Damara Land in suitable localities, such as Objimbinque, 
 Schmelin's Hope, Omanbonde, &c. ; and it is by no 
 means uncommon on the rivers Okavango and Teoughe 
 and in the Lake-regions, though, from its excessively 
 shy habits and its partiality for dense reedy thickets, it 
 is difficult to obtain. The surest way of procuring spe- 
 cimens is to lie in ambush near one of their favourite 
 haunts ; but even thus success is not always certain. 
 
 The iris is red ; the bill in the adult bird is yellow, 
 with a greenish tinge ; in the immature bird it is green ; 
 the legs are bright red in the adult, but paler in younger 
 specimens ; the red on the legs fades to almost a yellow 
 after death. 
 
 GALLINULIDJ. 
 
 375. Gallinula angulata, Sund. South-African Lesser Waterhen. 
 
 Gallinula pumila, Sclater, in Ibis, 1859, pi. 7. 
 
 Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 3. 
 
 Gallinula angulata, Layard's Cat. No. 641. 
 
 Ondonga, February 6th, 1867. I find the Lesser 
 
322 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Waterhen literally swarming in all the vleys of this 
 country, where it breeds most abundantly. Its flesh 
 is much esteemed by the natives, who make up great 
 hunting parties to chase these birds out of the water on 
 to the dry land, where, as they unwillingly take wing 
 and try to conceal themselves in the bushes and grass, 
 they are easily secured, being sometimes shot with 
 arrows and sometimes taken alive. 
 
 I have examined a number of specimens ; and, as far as 
 I can see, the dark slaty blue ones are the adult males. 
 In the females the plumage is more or less light grey 
 beneath, and nearly white on the chin and throat. 
 
 In the adult males the frontal shield is bright red and 
 the bill bright yellow ; the legs and toes in some speci- 
 mens are grass-green, in others drab or flesh-coloured, 
 tinged with light green ; in the adult females the bill 
 resembles that of the males, but the frontal shield is 
 hardly so bright, and is tinged with orange next the 
 feathers; in younger birds the shield is orange-red and 
 the plumage still lighter than in the old females. I 
 infer, from the development of the sexual organs, that 
 the young birds breed before they have arrived at 
 maturity. 
 
 The eggs of this Waterhen are from five to six in 
 number, of a yellowish white, freely covered with small 
 spots of light brown, with here and there a blotch 
 of the same colour. The nest is a mass of grass, with 
 its foundation laid on the water, and composed of standing 
 stalks bent downwards, with some loose ones added; 
 the hollow in which the eggs are laid is three or four 
 
GALLINULID^. 323 
 
 inches deep and has somewhat the appearance of a 
 shallow inverted sugar-loaf: after the nest has been 
 completed, the bird binds the tops of the surrounding 
 grasses and ties them together so as to form a partial 
 shelter against the sun, as well as to afford concealment. 
 
 Ondonga, February 24th. No abatement in the 
 quantity coming in of the eggs of the Lesser Waterhen. 
 
 Ondonga, March 4th. The Lesser Waterhen con- 
 tinues to lay, probably for the second time this season ; 
 but it is rarely that four eggs can now be found in any 
 nest ; they have probably not time to lay the full num- 
 ber before they are robbed. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 11 1 10 3 
 
 Length of folded wing ..59 63 
 
 tarsus ....19 17 
 
 middle toe ... 2 1 1 11 
 
 tail 29 25 
 
 bill 11 . 10 
 
 376. Grallinula chloropllS (Linn.). British Waterhen. 
 
 Gallinula chloropus, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 342. 
 
 Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 186*, p. 3. 
 
 Andersson, ibid. p. 7. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 640. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 421. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 787. 
 
 This species is common in all suitable localities 
 throughout Damara Land and the adjacent countries. 
 It breeds in February and March, usually forming its 
 nest amongst the rank vegetation bordering on its 
 
 Y2 
 
324 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 favourite resorts, which are stagnant pools and other 
 still waters overgrown with weeds and aquatic plants. 
 
 A nest taken by me on 18th February contained two 
 eggs. 
 
 Another, taken 24th February, contained four eggs. 
 
 2nd March, contained two eggs. 
 
 ,, ,, 4th ,, ,, three ,, 
 
 5th four 
 
 18th two 
 
 19th three 
 
 This species swims and dives with great expertness, 
 and may be observed nodding its head first on one side 
 and then on the other as it swims in the more open 
 parts of the water, picking up vegetable substances, 
 insects, and other food as it passes onwards. In the 
 early morning and in the evening it may be seen away 
 from the water searching amongst the grass for worms, 
 slugs, and larvae, in addition to which it also feeds on 
 grass and seeds. When on land it frequently twitches 
 and jerks the tail, exhibiting the white under-coverts ; 
 and if suddenly disturbed will occasionally take wing for 
 a short distance, flying with its long legs hanging down- 
 ward, but more frequently prefers to seek its safety by 
 running to, and concealing itself in, the nearest suitable 
 reedy or marshy thicket. 
 
 In the adult bird the shield on the forehead is sealing- 
 wax red ; the bill a darker red, except the tips of the 
 mandibles, which are greenish yellow. 
 
 The feet are green, as are also the legs, with the 
 exception of a red garter, shading into yellow at the 
 
GALLINULID^. 325 
 
 lower edge, which surrounds the bare part of the 
 tibia. 
 
 In immature birds the frontal shield is but slightly 
 developed, the bill much tinged with greenish yellow, 
 the legs dull green, and the garter greenish yellow. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 12 4 
 
 Length of folded wing 60 
 
 tarsus 19 
 
 middle toe 21 
 
 tail 30 
 
 biU 11 
 
 [It would appear, from Mr. Andersson's memoranda above 
 transcribed, that the number of eggs laid by this species in 
 South-west Africa is considerably less than the usual comple- 
 ment which it produces in Great Britain. ED.] 
 
 377. Porphyrio smaragnotllS, Temm. Green-backed Porphyrio. 
 
 Porphyrio erythropus, Layard's Cat. No. 639. 
 Fulica porphyrio, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 421. 
 Porphyrio smaragnotus, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 p. 783. 
 
 This splendid bird is rather scarce in Damara and 
 Great Namaqua Land, but is pretty abundant in the 
 Lake-regions and on the rivers Teoughe and Okavango ; 
 it is also not uncommon, during the rainy season, in 
 Ondonga, where the inhabitants call it "King of the 
 Waterhens," and declare that the moment it utters its 
 deep guttural notes every Waterhen within hearing 
 immediately responds by its own peculiar cry. The 
 only spot in Damara Land proper where I found this 
 species at all common was the great reedy marsh of 
 Omanbonde; but there it was very timid, and conse- 
 
326 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 quently most difficult to approach. It seldom ventured 
 into the open, but would warily skirt the dense reedy 
 recesses which formed its favourite haunts, and into 
 which it would precipitately retreat on the slightest 
 sign of danger. 
 
 At Lake Ngami and on the river Botletle I found it 
 less difficult to obtain, probably on account of its greater 
 abundance. 
 
 It lies close during the day, and is usually only to be 
 seen in the early morning and in the cool of the after- 
 noon. 
 
 Its food is very various, and consists of seeds of aquatic 
 plants, mollusks, fish, eggs, and, I have no doubt, even 
 young birds. In a domesticated state it will eat meat 
 readily. If captured young it becomes very tame, and 
 may be trusted at large, when it will freely associate 
 with common poultry. 
 
 This species has a heavy unwieldy flight, and has 
 recourse to its wings only as a last chance of making its 
 escape. It dives when in water deep enough to allow of 
 its doing so, and it runs with great rapidity amongst the 
 tangled reedy brakes of its native haunts. 
 
 The iris is red ; the bill red, but darker at the ex- 
 tremity ; the tarsus red, tinged with blue. 
 
 [Drs. Finscli and Hartlaub (loc. cit.) quote the Orange River, 
 on the authority of M. Verreaux, as a locality for this species. 
 This Porphyrio has, I believe, not been figured. The nearly 
 allied Madagascar race, figured by Buffon in the ' Planches 
 Enluminees/ pi. 810, and considered by many naturalists to be 
 identical with the present bird, appears to me to be specifically 
 distinct (vide < Ibis/ 1868, p. 470). ED.] 
 
GALLINULID^E. 327 
 
 378. Porphyrio Alleni, Thorns. AUen's Porphyrio. 
 
 Poryhyrio Alleni, Thomson, in Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1842, vol. x. 
 
 p. 204. 
 
 Gray's Genera of Birds, pi. 162. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vb'gel Ost-Afrika's, p. 785. 
 
 Ondonga, February 5th, 1867. Axel brought home 
 a pair of this lovely Waterhen, the first we have seen ; 
 it is evidently scarce in these parts. 
 
 Bill, legs, and toes bright red. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 10 6 
 
 Length of folded wing 58 
 
 tarsus 20 
 
 middle toe 20 
 
 tail 29 
 
 bill 10 
 
 [It would appear by the note here transcribed that Mr. 
 Andersson had not, at the time of writing it, become acquainted 
 with the specific name of this Porphyrio ; but two specimens of 
 it, which I believe to be the identical two above referred to, 
 were contained in his last collection, and I thus had the op- 
 portunity of inspecting them before they were disposed of. 
 One of these specimens was adult, and the other immature ; 
 the latter was subsequently added to the collection of the Leyden 
 Museum. ED.] 
 
 379. Fulica Cristata, Gmel. Rufous-knobbed Coot. 
 
 Fulica cristata, Bree's Birds of Europe, vol. iv. p. 83, pi. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 643. 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 421. 
 
 This species is common in suitable localities in 
 Damara and Great Namaqua Land, but is more abundant 
 in the Lake-regions. 
 
 These Coots may often be observed congregated in 
 
328 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 large numbers on open sheets of water, where they 
 might easily be mistaken for a flock of Ducks, except 
 that they do not " pack " like wild fowl. 
 
 If disturbed, they will sometimes, if near a reedy 
 brake, seek safety by hiding there ; but more frequently 
 they have recourse to their wings, when they exhibit 
 great powers of flight. 
 
 They build their nests of, and amongst, reeds, rushes, 
 and grasses, usually selecting the most retired spots, 
 though I have also found their nests in most exposed 
 situations. A few old reed-stalks serve as a footing for 
 the nest, which is roughly but firmly constructed, and is 
 raised, though sometimes only a few inches, above the 
 surface of the water. 
 
 The eggs are from seven to ten in number, of a buff 
 colour, freely speckled with minute spots of pale brown, 
 with larger spots at wider intervals. The young birds 
 follow their parents very soon after being hatched. 
 
 PARRIDJE. 
 
 380. Parra africana, Gmel. Greater African Jacana. 
 
 Parra africana, Swainson's Zool. 111. (2nd series), pi. 6. 
 
 Gurney, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 3. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 626. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 781. 
 
 I have never seen this curious species in Great 
 Namaqua Land ; and it is a comparatively scarce bird in 
 Damara Land, but pretty common on the rivers 
 
PARRID^E. 329 
 
 Okavango, Teoughe, and Botletle, and also at Lake 
 Ngami. 
 
 It is found in pairs or in small flocks, frequenting 
 stagnant pools or still waters on the sides of lakes and 
 rivers, where it runs about on the decayed semifloating 
 herbage, and also on the large-leaved lotus plants, which 
 generally abound in such situations a feat which it 
 accomplishes without sinking, by means of its long and 
 wide-spreading toes. 
 
 These birds are of a lively disposition, and frequently 
 chase one another about. When they have not been 
 previously disturbed they are generally easy to approach ; 
 and their vivacious habits, elegant forms, and handsome 
 colouring add much to the interest of the scene. 
 
 Measurements of two males : 
 
 in. tin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length ...... 92 ..... 10 6 
 
 Length of folded wino" 
 
 .56... 
 
 , , 5 11 
 
 ,, tarsus 
 
 2 4 . 
 
 2 6 
 
 , middle toe . 
 
 2 6 . 
 
 21 
 
 tail 
 
 1 10 1 
 
 2 1 
 
 bill 
 
 1 3 
 
 1 4 
 
 Measurements of two females : 
 
 Entire length 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 . . 10 10 . 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 11 7 
 
 Len'Hh of folded wino 1 
 
 ..63. 
 
 66 
 
 tarsus . 
 
 . . 2 8 1 
 
 2 9 
 
 middle toe . 
 
 2 6^ 
 
 2 6 
 
 tail 
 
 2 O 1 
 
 2 3 
 
 bill 
 
 1 6 
 
 1 3 
 
330 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 381. Parra capensis, Smith. Lesser African Jacana. 
 
 Parra capensis, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 32. 
 
 Andersson, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 7. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 627. 
 
 This Jacana is common in the Lake-regions and on 
 the Okavango, where it breeds; but it is very rare in 
 Damara Land, and, I believe, is never seen in Great 
 Namaqua Land. 
 
 [f The Ibis ' for 1864 contains at p. 360 the following note on 
 this species by Mr. Thomas Ayres, who met with it in Natal : 
 
 "Iris light hazel; bill bright brown; tarsi and feet light 
 greenish brown. The male is precisely similar in size and 
 plumage to the female. I found numbers of these beautiful 
 Jacanas on Sea-cow Lake. In habits they much resemble the 
 larger kind, running with ease on the weeds which appear on 
 the surface; they are rather shy. If, in searching for food, 
 they happen to approach a large Jacana (Parra africana), 
 they are immediately chased away; and as both kinds are 
 plentiful in that locality, and feed all day long, there is constant 
 squabbling amongst them. There is one habit they have which 
 I have not noticed in the other Jacanas, viz. the dipping the 
 head up and down, like some of the smaller Plovers." ED.] 
 
PH(ENIOOPTERID^. 331 
 
 ANSEEES, 
 
 PHGBNICOPTERID^]. 
 
 382. PhcenicopteniS erythraeus, Verr. Greater South-African 
 Flamingo. 
 
 Ph&nicopterus erythraus, J. & E. Verreaux, in Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 
 
 1855, p. 221. 
 
 Andersson, in Ibis, 1865, p. 64. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 644. 
 
 Chapman's Travel's in S. Afr., App. p. 420. 
 
 Flamingo, Baines's Explorations in South-west Africa, frontispiece. 
 Phcenicopterus erythr&us, Gray, in Ibis, 1869, pi. 14. fig. 5 (head). 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vb'gel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 795. 
 
 This Flamingo is very abundant at Walwich Bay, 
 Sandwich Harbour, Angra Pequena, and the mouth of 
 the Orange River; it is also met with in a few inland 
 localities, such as Lake Ngami, Lake Onondava, &c., all 
 of which are more or less impregnated with saline sub- 
 stances, to which this species seems to be attached. 
 
 With rare exceptions (and these not well authenticated, 
 but merely surmised from young birds being sometimes 
 found barely able to fly) the Flamingoes do not breed 
 in any of the parts of the coast above particularized ; 
 and, indeed, the only locality where I know for a cer- 
 tainty that they nest is the inland one of Lake Ngami. 
 
 On the approach of the breeding-season they leave 
 the coast of Damara Land, and wing their way to the 
 northward ; they take their departure about the month 
 of February and return about the latter end of October 
 and during November, the old birds being the first to 
 arrive. 
 
332 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 The Flamingo feeds both during the day and the 
 night : but I suspect that the latter is its principal feed- 
 ing time; for about sunset flocks varying from a few 
 individuals to many hundreds may be seen pursuing 
 their flight in various directions, and their loud croaking 
 voices may be heard throughout the night. 
 
 The favourite resorts of these birds are shallows 
 partially left dry by the ebbing tide ; here they indus- 
 triously search for the small Crustacea, marine animal- 
 cula, and sea-grasses which constitute their food. 
 
 The Flamingo is strictly a wading bird, but on rare 
 occasions will make use of its webbed feet by resorting 
 to deep water, evidently for the sake of the fun of the 
 thing. 
 
 Once, whilst stationed at Walwich Bay, I observed 
 these birds for several consecutive days thus amusing 
 themselves. About 10 or 11 A.M. they began to congregate 
 at a particular spot, a short distance outside the lagoon, 
 settling in about five or six feet of water ; and I believe 
 that every Flamingo for miles round must have joined in 
 this singular assembly, for the number collected amounted 
 to several thousands ; and the scene, as may be supposed, 
 was both pretty and striking. 
 
 This species is invariably in good condition, and is 
 often enormously fat. The young birds are not bad 
 eating, but, being rather fishy, require to be well cooked 
 and spiced after all the fatty matter has been carefully 
 removed. 
 
 In newly fledged specimens the bill and legs are of a 
 very dark purple ; but as the bird approaches its adult 
 
PHCENICOPTERIDj. 333 
 
 stage the bill becomes more elongated, with the extre- 
 mities black and the remaining portions first bluish and 
 subsequently pink, when the bird has become fully adult, 
 at which period the legs and feet are of a scarlet-pink 
 and the irides are orange. 
 
 383. Phcsnicopterus minor, Geoff. St.-Hil. Lesser South-African 
 Flamingo. 
 
 Phcenicopterus parvus, Temmink's PI. Col. pi. 419. 
 
 Phcenicopterus minor, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 159. 
 
 Andersson in Ibis, 1865, p. 65. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 645. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 420. 
 
 Gray, in Ibis, 1869, pi. 15. fig. 8 (head). 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 798. 
 
 This species is comparatively rare at Walwich Bay 
 and elsewhere on the south-west coast of Africa, but at 
 Lake Ngami it is more common. 
 
 It is a perfect gem amongst the feathered tribes ; and 
 a flock of these birds quietly feeding in some secluded 
 nook, with their bright-coloured legs half immersed in the 
 water and with the sunlight playing on their beautiful 
 plumage, forms a scene which is almost fairy-like. 
 
 In the adult bird the form of the bill is precisely the 
 same as in the newly fledged young of P. erythrceus ; the 
 basal part of the bill is of a dull brownish purple, the 
 part adjoining being vermilion which deepens into 
 crimson bordered by black, the latter being shaded off 
 into a light horn-colour towards the extremities of the 
 
334 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 mandibles ; the bare skin between the bill and the eye 
 is of the same colour as the base of the bill. 
 
 The irides are orange, the legs and toes crimson- 
 scarlet. 
 
 ANATIDJE. 
 
 384. PlectropteniS gambensis (Linn.). Western Spur-wing Goose. 
 
 Pkctropterus gambensis, Sclater, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1859, pi. 153. fig. 2. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 646. 
 
 Anser gambensis, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 422. 
 
 This noble bird is not uncommon on the river Oka- 
 vango and at Lake Ngami ; it is also found on the river 
 Teoughe ; but I am not aware that it has been met with 
 in either Damara or Great Namaqua Land. 
 
 It is generally found in small flocks, and presents a 
 conspicuous object when standing erect in the marshes 
 to which it resorts. 
 
 It is said to perch and roost occasionally on trees. 
 
 A full-grown well-conditioned male will sometimes 
 weigh as much as fifteen pounds ; but twelve pounds is a 
 more usual weight. 
 
 The flesh of this Goose is palatable. 
 
 Measurements of a specimen believed to be a male, 
 and of a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 44 8 37 9 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 21 3^ 183 
 
 tarsus 50 39 
 
 middle toe .... 4 9 42 
 
 tail 10 79 
 
 bill 39 32 
 
ANATID^E. 335 
 
 385. Sarkidiornis melanotns (Perm.). Knob-billed Goose. 
 
 Oye de la cote de Coromandel, Buffon's PI. Enl. vol. ix. p. 396, 
 
 pi. 937. 
 Sarkidiornis africana, Layard's Cat. No. 647. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 422. 
 
 Sarcidiornis melanottis, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 799. 
 
 This very handsome species is common in Damara 
 and Great Namaqua Land during the rainy season, and 
 is found at all seasons at Lake Ngami and on the river 
 Okavango. 
 
 It is usually found in flocks, and may not unfrequently 
 be seen perching on dry trees near the water ; its flesh 
 is very good. 
 
 The comb on the bill is found in the male bird only ; 
 this is black, and the bill is nearly so ; the tarsi and toes 
 are lead-coloured ; the irides dark brown. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 26 9 22 
 
 Length of folded wing ... 14 3 11 4 
 
 tarsus 27 20 
 
 middle toe ....30 27 
 
 tail 59 50 
 
 bill 27 23 
 
 [I believe that all the figures of this species which have been 
 published have been taken from Indian specimens ; but I agree 
 with Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub (loc. cit.} in considering these to 
 be specifically identical with African examples. ED.] 
 
 386. Chenalopex segyptiaCUS (Linn.). Egyptian Goose. 
 
 Chenalopex (egyptiacus, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 353. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 648. 
 
 Anas egyptica, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 421. 
 
336 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 This is the most common species of Goose on the 
 waters of Damara and Great Namaqua Land, where it 
 remains throughout the year, and is invariably found 
 either in pairs or in small flocks. 
 
 During the daytime it is not unfrequently to be seen 
 at some distance from the water. When on the wing 
 it utters a kind of barking quack. 
 
 Its flesh is very dark-coloured, coarse-tasted, and at 
 times uneatable. 
 
 The irides are brownish orange, the legs bright flesh- 
 colour. 
 
 Average dimensions of two males : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 26 5 
 
 Length of folded wing 15 
 
 tarsus 35 
 
 middle toe 32 
 
 tail 60 
 
 bill 22 
 
 [As Mr. Andersson does not record the measurements of a 
 female bird, I may add that the females of this species are con- 
 siderably smaller than the males. ED.] 
 
 387. NettapUS ailritus (Bodd.). African Dwarf Goose. 
 
 Sarcelle de Madagascar, Buffon's PI. Enl. vol. x. p. 121, pi. 770. 
 Nettapus madagascariensis, Layard's Cat. No. 649. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. 
 
 p. 422. 
 Nettapus auritm, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10593. 
 
 I have only observed this handsome little Goose on 
 Lake Ngami and its watersheds, where it is not un- 
 common. 
 
 It is met with in small flocks, and is not very shy. It 
 
ANATID^. 337 
 
 is exceedingly fat at certain seasons, and is pretty good 
 eating. 
 
 In the male the iris is bluish ; the bill rich orange, 
 inclining to livid on the edges of the lower mandible; 
 the nail of the upper mandible horn-colour. 
 
 The legs and toes are a shining black, tinged with 
 dusky yellowish on the outer toes and the outer side of 
 the legs. 
 
 In the female the bill differs from that of the male 
 in the upper mandible being dusky olive, with a greenish 
 orange patch on the lower part at the base, and a small 
 livid spot on each side of the nail. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female. 
 
 Entire length . . 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 ... 12 6 . 
 
 in. lin. 
 .... 12 3 
 
 Length of folded wing 
 
 ... 5 9 
 
 .... 5 9 
 
 tarsus . . 
 middle toe 
 
 ...11. 
 10 
 
 .... 1 1 
 
 1 U 
 
 tail 
 
 3 
 
 ..29 
 
 bill 
 
 1 2 
 
 1 2 
 
 [Dr. Hartlaub, in his excellent work on the birds of West 
 Africa, alludes at p. 247 to Mr. Andersson's having obtained 
 specimens of the eastern " Nettapus coromandelianus " on Lake 
 Ngami ; but as, so far as I can ascertain, the present is the only 
 species of the genus Nettapus which is found in that locality, I 
 venture to think that Dr. Hartlaub may have been accidentally 
 misinformed in this particular. 
 
 Mr. Andersson himself seems to have suspected that some 
 error of identification may have occurred, as I find the following 
 memorandum among his notes : ' ' Nettapus coromandelianus. 
 Did I really obtain this Goose in the Lake-country ? " ED.] 
 
338 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 388. Dendrocygna viduata (Linn.). Widow Tree- Duck. 
 
 Canard du Maragnan, BufFon's PL Enl. pi. 808, vol. x. p. 106. 
 Dendrocygna viduata, Layard's Cat. No. 650. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 423. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 
 
 p. 806. 
 
 This Duck, which congregates in immense flocks, is 
 exceedingly common in the Lake-regions and on the 
 river Okavango; in the latter locality it is seen most 
 abundantly during the annual inundation, when much 
 of the usually dry land which abuts upon the river is 
 converted into marshes and swamps. As these tempo- 
 rary resorts dry up, the Ducks of this species move 
 eastward until they arrive at that extensive flooded 
 country which stretches far and wide on each side of the 
 Teoughe below Libebe. 
 
 I have never seen this Duck in Damara or Great 
 Namaqua Land. 
 
 The iris is dark brown ; the upper mandible of the 
 bill black, darkest on the nail, which is surrounded by 
 a livid blue patch, a similarly coloured spot being 
 situate in front of each nostril ; the lower mandible 
 black, mingled with brown and livid blue ; the legs and 
 toes bluish lead-colour, tinged with brown on the upper 
 surface ; the webs a shade darker than the toes. 
 
 Measurements of a male : 
 
 in. liiu 
 
 Entire length 17 9 
 
 Length of folded wing 90 
 
 tarsus 23 
 
 middle toe 27 
 
 tail 30 
 
 bill . , . . .2 
 
ANATID&. 339 
 
 [This species occurs in South America as well as in Africa 
 and Madagascar ; and Buffon's plate, the only one of this Duck 
 which I have been able to examine, represents an American 
 specimen. ED.] 
 
 389. Mareca capensis (Gmel.). Cape-Wigeon. 
 
 Querquedula capensis, Eyton's Anatidae, p. 128. 
 Mareca capensis, Layard's Cat. No. 652. 
 Anas capensis, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 422. 
 Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10640. 
 
 This is rather a scarce Duck in Damara and Great 
 Namaqua Land ; but I have found it more abundant in 
 the immediate neighbourhood of Walwich Bay than else- 
 where in Damara Land. 
 
 The iris is greenish yellow ; the upper mandible 
 purplish grey, except a small yellowish-pink patch below 
 the nostrils, which merges gradually into purplish grey ; 
 the under mandible pinkish ; the legs and toes grey, 
 mixed with brown. 
 
 Average measurement of three males : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 15 9 
 
 Length of folded wing 79 
 
 tarsus ....... 1 7 
 
 middle toe 1 11 
 
 tail 28 
 
 bill 20 
 
 [This species has not been figured. ED.] 
 
 390. Pcecilonetta erythrorhyncha (Smith). Red-billed Teal. 
 
 Pcecilonitta erythrorhyncha, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 104. 
 Anas erythrorhyncha, Layard's Cat. No. 653. 
 
 ,, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 422. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost- Afrika's, p. 808. 
 
 Nettion erythrorhyncha, Gray's "Hand-list of Birds, No. 106G8. 
 
 z2 
 
340 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 This is the commonest Duck in Damara and Great 
 Namaqua Land, where it is found throughout the year ; 
 and it also abounds on most of the waters to the north- 
 ward. I met with several of its nests in Ondonga in the 
 months of February and March ; the largest number of 
 eggs contained in any of these nests was ten. This species 
 is usually observed in flocks, and, where not previously 
 disturbed, is not very shy or difficult to obtain. Its flesh 
 is excellent. 
 
 The iris is brown ; the legs, toes, and webs blackish 
 purple ; the upper mandible is dark purple, faintly tinged 
 with green upon the ridge, the remainder of the mandible 
 above the edge being pinkish; the lower mandible is 
 bluish pink. 
 
 391. Nettion hottentota (Smith). Hottentot Teal. 
 
 Querquedula hottentota, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 105. 
 Querquedula hottentotta, Layard's Cat. No. 657. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 422. 
 
 Nettion hottentota, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10662. 
 
 This is a rare Duck in Damara and Great Namaqua 
 Land. I procured more individuals at Omanbonde than 
 at any other locality ; several specimens have also been 
 brought from the Lake-country. 
 
 The iris is reddish yellow ; the bill bluish red, except 
 at the base, where it is black ; the legs are purplish 
 yellow. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
ANATID^E. 341 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. tin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 13 4 13 7 
 
 Length of folded wing ...59 60 
 
 tarsus 12 12 
 
 middle toe ....16 16 
 
 tail 2 11 30 . 
 
 bill 1 7 1 7 
 
 392. Spatula capensis (Smith). South-African Shoveller. 
 
 Rhynchaspis capensis, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 98. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 658. 
 
 Spatula capensis, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10679. 
 
 This Duck is comparatively scarce in Great Namaqua 
 and Damara Land ; but I have traced it as far north as 
 the river Okavango. 
 
 The iris is lemon-yellow ; the bill deep reddish brown, 
 almost black ; the legs, toes, and webs are ochry yellow, 
 but the latter are dusky towards the extremities. 
 
 393. Anas sparsa, Smith. White-spotted Duck. 
 
 Anas sparsa, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 97. 
 Anas leucostigma, RiippelTs Syst. Uebers. pi. 48. 
 Anas sparsa, Layard's Cat. No. 654. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 422. 
 
 I have never seen this Duck in Damara Land, and 
 only on one or two occasions in Great Namaqua Land ; 
 but I have reason to think that it is less unfrequent 
 during the rainy season in some parts of the latter 
 country, chiefly along the southern course of the Great 
 Fish River and its tributaries. 
 
 [I have not met with this species in Mr. Andersson's collections; 
 
342 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 but his MS. notes contain a detailed description of its plumage, 
 which leaves no doubt of the correctness of the identification. 
 ED.] 
 
 394. Anas xanthorhyncha, Forst. Yellow-billed Duck. 
 
 Anas flavirostris, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 96. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 655. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 422. 
 
 Anas xanthorhyncha, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10639. 
 
 This fine Duck is somewhat common on Lake Ngami 
 and the Botletle River, but I do not remember to have 
 met with it in Damara or Great Namaqua Land, though 
 to the south of the Orange River it is a widely diffused 
 and common species. 
 
 The iris is brown ; the bill gamboge-yellow, with an 
 oblong brown patch on the ridge of the upper mandible, 
 the nail being similar. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's MS. notes contain a description in detail 
 of this species, from which it is clear that his identification of 
 it is correct, though his last collection did not contain a spe- 
 cimen. ED.] 
 
 395. Aythia CapeDSlS (Guv.). South-African Pochard. 
 
 Nyroca brunnea, Eyton's Anatidse, pi. 23. 
 
 Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 160. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 659. 
 
 Fuligula nyroca, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 423. 
 Aythia capensis, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10692. 
 
 This species is only a visitor to Damara Land, and, I 
 suspect, a rare one ; for I only remember meeting with it 
 there on one occasion, when I obtained several individuals 
 
ANATIDsE. 343 
 
 from a flock which had settled on a vley a day's journey 
 from Barmen. It is, however, very common in the 
 Ondonga country during the wet season ; and whilst I 
 was there eggs were brought to me which were said to 
 belong to this Duck ; and, though I did not succeed in 
 identifying them with certainty, I think it probable that 
 such was the fact, as they exceeded in size the eggs of 
 Anas erythrorhyncha, from which they also differed in 
 form and colour. 
 
 The iris is cherry-coloured; the bill lead-coloured, 
 except the nail, which is black, as are also the legs, toes, 
 and webs. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Entire length . . . 
 
 Male, 
 in. lin. 
 
 . . . 19 6 . . 
 
 Female, 
 in. lin. 
 
 . . . 18 
 
 Leno'tli of folded, winsr 
 
 ..90 
 
 ...86 
 
 tarsus 
 
 .13.. 
 
 . 1 3 
 
 ?J middle toe . 
 
 ...22.. 
 
 2 2 
 
 tail 
 
 ...35,. 
 
 ..,33 
 
 bill 
 
 2 , 
 
 2 1 
 
 396. ThalaSSOrnis leuCOELOta, Smith. Yellow-throated Diving 
 Duck. 
 
 Thalassornis leuconota, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 107. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 660. 
 
 Clangula leuconota, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 423. 
 
 This is a comparatively scarce species in both Great 
 Namaqua and Damara Land ; but during one season I 
 found it tolerably abundant at the large marshy vley of 
 Omanbonde in the latter country. 
 
 It is generally found singly or in pairs. When dis- 
 turbed it takes wing unwillingly and merely skims the 
 
344 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 surface of the water, settling again as soon as possible ; 
 it appears to prefer endeavouring to escape from danger 
 by diving, in which it is very expert, being able to con- 
 tinue long under water. 
 
 The upper mandible of the bill is shining blackish 
 brown, marbled with yellow on the sides, and dull on the 
 nail ; the lower mandible dusky yellow with a brown 
 patch at the base ; the legs and toes dark livid brown, 
 the webs inky-coloured. 
 
 Measurements of a male and a female : 
 
 Male. Female, 
 
 in. lin. in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 15 1 14 9 
 
 Length of folded wing ...66 54 
 
 tarsus 18 17 
 
 middle toe ....30 29 
 
 taU 26 29 
 
 biU 20 1 10 
 
 [This species appears also to inhabit Ondonga, as a specimen 
 obtained there on November 6th 1867, was comprised in Mr. 
 Andersson's last collection. ED.] 
 
 397. Erismatura maccoa (Smith). Maccoa Diving Duck. 
 
 Oxyura maccoa, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pis. 108 & 109. 
 Erismatura maccoa, Layard's Cat. No. 661. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson does not appear to have met with this species, 
 which, however, must not be omitted from the present work, as 
 a female specimen is recorded (loc. cit.) as having been obtained 
 at the mouth of the Orange River by Sir Andrew Smith. ED.] 
 
PODICIPIDM. 345 
 
 398. Podiceps cristatus, Linn. Great Crested Grebe. 
 
 Podiceps cristatus, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 388. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 691. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 423. 
 
 Gurney in Ibis, 1869, p. 303. 
 
 I have only observed this handsome species on the 
 sea-coast, chiefly at or near Walwich Bay, and there by 
 no means numerously. 
 
 It is seldom that more than three or four of these 
 Grebes are seen together, and generally not so many. 
 They are rather wary, but may nevertheless be success- 
 fully surprised if the sportsman is acquainted with their 
 habits. 
 
 Not unfrequently they may be seen asleep on the 
 water, when of course it does not require much art to 
 secure them. It is, however, a bad plan to fire at them 
 in such a position, as there is then but a small portion 
 of the body exposed to view ; it is best to startle the 
 birds lightly, when they immediately stretch forth their 
 
 * [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained a male specimen in breeding- 
 plumage of Podica Petersi, Hartl. ; but this species is not referred to in his 
 MS. notes, and I can find no trace of where the specimen in question was 
 obtained. Under these circumstances, and especially as the collection which 
 Mr. Andersson had formed contained several specimens from the Knysna, I 
 do not feel at liberty to include Podica Peter si amongst the species ennmerated 
 in the present volume. 
 
 I may take this opportunity of mentioning that I cannot agree with Mr. 
 G. R. Gray, in his ( Hand-list of Birds,' and with Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub, 
 in their work on the birds of East Africa, in placing the family of Helior- 
 nithidss next to that of Gallinulidse j in my view it should follow the Podi- 
 cipidze, which it appears to me, in some respects, naturally to connect with 
 the genus Plotus. ED.] 
 
346 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 long necks to the full extent, besides considerably raising 
 the body. 
 
 If these birds are seen swimming in deep water, but 
 within gunshot of the shore, the gunner should run as 
 fast as possible straight for the birds and as far as the 
 land will allow him, when they rarely take wing, but 
 appear surprised and half stupified. When fired at they 
 dive if not killed, but generally reappear within range for 
 a second or even a third shot. In shallow water, however, 
 they are very difficult to reach, as in such positions they 
 take wing at once on the slightest approach of danger. 
 
 I dissected all the specimens which I obtained, and 
 invariably found that the stomachs contained scarcely 
 any thing but fine sea-grasses ; this species does, however, 
 feed on shrimps, sea-lice, small mollusca, &c. 
 
 The flesh of this bird is not very palatable. 
 
 The iris is reddish yellow ; the under mandible of the 
 bill is vermilion ; the lower edges of the upper mandible 
 are of the same colour but paler ; the ridge of the upper 
 mandible is dull bluish black, tinged with olive; the 
 legs and toes are bluish black on the outer, and yellowish 
 green on the inner side, the latter tint prevailing especi- 
 ally at the joints. 
 
 [The South- African specimens of this Grebe which have 
 come under my notice have all been slightly smaller than 
 European examples ; some details of their comparative measure- 
 ments are given in ' The Ibis ' (loc. cit.) . ED.] 
 
 399. Podiceps nigricollis, Sund. Eared Grebe. 
 
 Podiceps auritusy Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 391. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 692. 
 
347 
 
 Podiceps nigricottis, Gurney, in Ibis, 1868, p. 263, & 1869, p. 303. 
 Proctopus nigricollis, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10753. 
 
 The only locality in Damara Land in which I have met 
 with this species is Walwich Bay, where, however, it is 
 a rare bird. 
 
 [I have not seen a Damara-Land example of this Grebe ; but 
 Mr. Andersson's portfolio contained an excellent drawing, by 
 Mr. Baines, of a specimen, partially in breeding-dress, which 
 was obtained at Walwich Bay on November 8th. 
 
 In this, as in the preceding species, South- African examples 
 are smaller than most of those from various localities north of 
 the tropics; and some particulars illustrating this fact will be 
 found in < The Ibis' (loc. cit.}. ED.] 
 
 400. Podiceps minor, Linn. British Little Grebe. 
 
 Podiceps minor, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 392. 
 
 Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 160. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 693. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika ; s, p. 811. 
 
 I have repeatedly shot this diminutive Grebe at Lake 
 Ngami, Otjikoto, Omanbonde, and Walwich Bay, but 
 have nowhere found it abundant except in the vleys 
 of the Ondonga country, where it breeds in vast 
 numbers. 
 
 Its eggs are from four to six in number and of a dirty 
 white. The nest is a mass of weeds and grasses, and 
 lies on the water. The eggs are always found covered 
 over, often several inches deep. Out of the numerous 
 nests I have taken and seen, in no one instance (except 
 where the nest contained only one or two eggs) did I 
 find the eggs uncovered ; and the covering is so complete 
 and regular that it is not possible that it can be the 
 
348 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 work of an instant or performed whilst the bird was 
 making a hurried retreat from its nest. 
 
 The iris is dirty brown ; the bill black except the tip, 
 which is whitish horn-colour ; the angle of the mouth is 
 pale greenish yellow ; the legs and toes are dusky livid, 
 with a greenish tinge near the tarsal joint. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 80 
 
 Length of folded wing 38 
 
 tarsus 12 
 
 middle toe 18 
 
 tail 13 
 
 bill 11 
 
 SPHENISCIRflE. 
 
 401. SpheniSCUS demersilS, Linn. South-African Penguin. 
 
 Le Manchot du Cap de Bonne-Esperance, Buffon's Planches Enl. 
 
 pi. 382, vol. x. p. 219. 
 Spheniscus demersa, Layard's Cat. No. 695. 
 Spheniscus demersus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10790. 
 
 This is the only description of Penguin found on the 
 south-west coast of Africa ; but if this coast-line lacks 
 variety in this genus, the deficiency is in some measure 
 compensated by the great abundance of this particular 
 species, which is found on almost all parts of the coast 
 from the Cape of Good Hope to Walwich Bay. How 
 much further it may extend to the north I cannot say. 
 
 This species is known to sea-faring men as the " Jackass 
 Penguin;" and its most favourite resorts are the Ichaboe, 
 Mercury, Hollanis-bird, and Possession islands. 
 
 Next to the Gannet it is the most valuable depositor 
 
SPHENISCID^. 349 
 
 of African guano ; but its value is somewhat diminished 
 by its habit of scratching the ground which it occupies, 
 in consequence of which the real guano becomes much 
 mingled with sand. 
 
 From the latter end of March to late in May these 
 Penguins go to sea in a body, and may then be seen forty 
 or fifty miles away from land. 
 
 The egg of this species is bluish white, very large, 
 round at one end, but tapering towards the opposite 
 extremity. In the breeding-places frequented by these 
 birds they always occupy the highest parts, the Gannets 
 coming next, and nearest to the sea the Cormorants. 
 
 This Penguin, if undisturbed, breeds about September 
 and October but if judiciously deprived of its eggs, will 
 continue to lay for seven or eight consecutive months. 
 It makes no particular nest ; but sometimes it surrounds 
 its sitting-place with a few seaweeds, remnants of de- 
 cayed birds, scraps of bones, and even broken bottles. 
 The number of eggs is one or two, and occasionally, 
 though rarely, three. The bird sits quite upright on its 
 egg or eggs, which it keeps close between its heels and 
 tail ; and if compelled to move off, it frequently shuffles 
 away its eggs unperceived. 
 
 These Penguins sit very close together, and when in- 
 cubating are not only perfectly fearless but somewhat 
 vicious ; and a man cannot then move amongst them 
 without the probability of being bitten, which is no 
 laughing matter, for the bite of this Penguin will not 
 unfrequently take a piece of flesh clean out of a man's 
 leg. The guano-collectors always use a stout stick when 
 
350 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 moving about among the birds ; and they by no means 
 spare it. 
 
 I have been assured on good authority that the 
 Penguins will remain one or two months on islands 
 where they breed without going in search of food ; they 
 are very fat when they arrive, but very much reduced 
 when they leave. 
 
 The young birds remain on the land until they are 
 well grown, and do not follow their parents until they 
 are able to provide for themselves. 
 
 The iris in this species is dark brown, and the bill 
 blue-black, with a transverse bar of livid flesh-colour 
 across both mandibles. 
 
 [A striking view of a group of these Penguins on the island 
 of Ichaboe is contained in an engraving at page 349 of Mr. 
 Andersson's second work, f The Okavango River.' ED.] 
 
 PROCELLARIIDJE. 
 
 402. Pllffinus major, Fab. Greater Shearwater. 
 
 Puffinus cineretts, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 56. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 662. 
 
 Puffinus major, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10828. 
 
 This species is common in the Cape seas ; and I have 
 reason to think that it is not unfrequently met with off 
 the coast to considerably north of the Orange River. 
 It is generally observed in the Cape seas from May till 
 September, when it retires to its breeding-grounds. 
 
 [I have not had the opportunity of examining a South or 
 
PROCELLARIID^. 351 
 
 South-west African example of this species, and am therefore 
 unable to confirm Mr. Andersson's identification of it. ED.] 
 
 403. Procellaria pelagica, Linn. Stormy Petrel. 
 
 Thalassidroma pelagica, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 447. fig. 2. 
 Procellaria pelagica, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10851. 
 
 This Petrel is occasionally seen rather numerously at 
 Walwich Bay, and is quite common off the rest of the 
 south-west coast of Africa. 
 
 [This species is included in Mr. Andersson's MS. list of 
 birds which he had sent to England for identification, and the 
 specific names of which he had thus accurately ascertained ; but 
 I did not find any specimens of it in his collection. ED.] 
 
 404. Procellaria oceanica, Kuhl. Wilson's Petrel. 
 
 Thalassidroma Wilsonii, Gould's Birds of Australia, vol. vii. pi. 65. 
 
 Thalassidroma Wilsoni, Layard's Cat. No. 665. 
 
 Oceanites oceanicus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10860. 
 
 This bird is not unfrequently met with off the south- 
 west coast of Africa, as well as in many of the bays 
 and inlets. I have occasionally seen it very abundant 
 about the fisheries at Walwich Bay and Sandwich 
 Harbour, where these birds would approach within a 
 few feet of the fishermen, eagerly picking up the smaller 
 particles of refuse thrown away by them whilst clean- 
 ing their fish on the shore. 
 
 This species is distinguished from the preceding one 
 by its greater size, and by the yellowish spot on the 
 webs between the toes. 
 
352 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 405. Pseildoprion turtur (Smith). Dove-coloured Petrel. 
 
 Procellaria turtur, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 54. 
 
 Gould's Birds of Australia, vol. vii. pi. 54. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 672. 
 
 Pseudoprion turtur, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10921. 
 
 This species is occasionally seen in the bays and inlets 
 of the south-west coast of Africa, especially after a storm ; 
 but the open sea is its favourite resort. It sometimes 
 settles on the water, but rarely remains longer than is 
 necessary to enable it to fish up its prey. It will follow 
 in a vessel's course for hours together, but evidently not 
 with a view of picking up the refuse that may chance to 
 be thrown overboard, as is the case with some other 
 species, nor does it approach very close. It is a very 
 powerful flier, and cleaves the air with astonishing 
 velocity now rising suddenly, then abruptly precipi- 
 tating itself to the very crest of the foaming waves, and 
 skimming gracefully over the intervening troughs its 
 varied evolutions thus affording to the voyager a constant 
 object of never-ceasing interest. 
 
 [According to Mr. Andersson's MS. memorandum, already 
 alluded to under the head of Procellaria pelagica, it appears 
 that this species was also satisfactorily identified from a specimen 
 which he forwarded to England some years since ; but it did not 
 occur in his last collection. Mr. Andersson records (in his MS. 
 notes) that this Petrel, and also two or three nearly allied con- 
 geners of similar habits which frequent the southern and south- 
 western coast of Africa, but which he does not appear to have 
 succeeded in positively identifying, are called by the sailors 
 " whale-birds." 
 
 Writing of the Petrels, to which this term is thus promis- 
 cuously applied, Mr. Andersson observes : " I have frequently 
 seen the ( Whale-birds ' settle on the water in the neighbour- 
 
PROCELLARIID^. 353 
 
 hood of Table Bay in large flocks ; but I have never seen them 
 remain sufficiently long to allow a vessel to pass them, or even 
 to come abreast of them, as they invariably rise first ; other 
 Petrels will frequently allow a vessel to pass them, often within 
 a stone's throw. I have seen this denied ; but I state a fact. A 
 large number of Whale-birds may frequently be seen hovering 
 over a whale as he disports himself; they fly very low on such 
 occasions, traversing rapidly the spray and foam ejected from 
 the whale's nostrils, as if it afforded them some kind of food ; 
 and probably such is the case. I have also seen them hover 
 about spots where a quantity of seaweed is floating, no doubt 
 with the object of picking up such insects &c. as may be found 
 attached to the weeds." ED.] 
 
 406. Daption capensis (Linn.). Cape-Petrel. 
 
 Daption capensis, Gould's Birds of Australia, vol. vii. pi. 53. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 671. 
 
 This is the most common Petrel off the south and 
 south-west coast of Africa, but is rarely seen much to 
 the north of 27 lat. It is pretty generally known as 
 the " Cape-pigeon ; " why, it is hard to say, except it be 
 from its comparative fearlessness of man. 
 
 The first appearance of these birds after a long voyage 
 is hailed with universal pleasure ; for, whether on the 
 wing and sailing round and round the vessel, or quietly 
 resting on the surface of the water, they equally present 
 a picture which never fails to attract and delight the 
 eye. 
 
 The same birds have been known to follow a vessel 
 for several consecutive days. 
 
 Their food is various, consisting chiefly of mollusca, 
 but including such refuse as is thrown overboard from 
 
 2 A 
 
354 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 vessels, and sometimes also the carcass of a putrid whale, 
 which, when it occurs, affords to these birds a welcome 
 feast. They are voracious feeders, and will rush at a 
 bait with the utmost avidity, disputing fiercely with each 
 other for the treacherous morsel ; they are thus easily 
 captured with a hook and line, and sometimes by a line 
 only, if suddenly thrown over them as they pass close 
 under a vessel's stern. 
 
 Sometimes also they become entangled by flying 
 against lines which have been set by the sailors for that 
 purpose. 
 
 When caught, they are exceedingly awkward on the 
 deck of a vessel, as they cannot rise, but attempt to make 
 their escape by running along with outstretched wings ; 
 on such occasions they frequently vomit large quantities 
 of a reddish-coloured offensive oil. This they seem to 
 do from sheer fright only. 
 
 Sealers declare that the only locality known as a 
 breeding-place of this species is the island of South 
 Georgia. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's collection did not contain a specimen of 
 this well-known Petrel ; but its plumage is accurately described 
 in his MS. notes, showing that the species was correctly iden- 
 tified. ED.] 
 
 407. Ossifraga gigantea (Gmel.). Giant Petrel. 
 
 Procellaria gigantea, Gould's Birds of Australia, vol. vii. pi. 45. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 667. 
 
 Ossifraga gigantea, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10872. 
 
 The Giant Petrel is not unfrequently met with on the 
 
PROCELLARIID^E. 355 
 
 south-west coast of Africa; and I have observed it between 
 the 26th and 35th degrees of south latitude. 
 
 It is a most voracious feeder, and hardly any thing 
 comes amiss to it ; but it seems to be especially fond of 
 the abandoned carcasses of whales and seals. 
 
 This species pursues the Greater Shearwater, probably 
 with the view of compelling it to disgorge any prey that 
 it has captured. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection did not contain a specimen 
 of this Petrel; but Mr. Layard (loc. cit.) mentions a white 
 variety of this species as being commonly found in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Walwich Bay. ED.] 
 
 408. Diomedea exulans, Linn. Wandering Albatross. 
 
 Diomedea exulans, Gould's Birds of Australia, vol. vii. pi. 38. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 675. 
 
 The thirtieth degree of south latitude has been 
 assigned as the northern limit of the Great Wandering 
 Albatross ; but I have frequently met with them off the 
 coast two or three degrees further north. They are 
 generally observed at sea from April to October ; during 
 the rest of the year few or none are to be seen certainly 
 none of the old birds, which retire at that season to 
 their breeding-places at the island of Tristan d'Acunha, 
 Prince Edward's Island, and the south-eastern part of 
 Kerguelen's Land. 
 
 The iris is brown ; the bill yellowish horn-colour, with 
 a pinkish tint here and there, which gradually fades 
 after death ; the legs and toes bluish. 
 
 2 A2 
 
356 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's collection did not contain this well-known 
 species ; but there can be no doubt of the correctness of his iden- 
 tification of it.- ED.] 
 
 409. Diomedea melanophrys, Temm. Black-browed Albatross. 
 Diomedea melanophrys, Temminck's PI. Col. pi. 456. 
 
 Gould's Birds of Australia, vol. vii. pi. 43. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 676. 
 
 This bird is very common on the south-west coast of 
 Africa, and may even be occasionally seen close inshore. 
 I have not unfrequently found them in Walwich Bay, as 
 well as in some other bays and inlets to the southward 
 of that locality. It is known to sealers and sailors by 
 the name of " Mollymawk," and is very little inferior in 
 grace of flight and strength of wing to the Great 
 Wandering Albatross. 
 
 As far as I have observed, it is more difficult to capture 
 in the open sea than that species ; but it is frequently 
 taken by the fishermen in the vicinity of the southern 
 coast, and exposed for sale in Cape-Town market. 
 
 This species sometimes captures by diving the molus- 
 cous animals on which it preys, but it seems to do so rather 
 from necessity than from inclination; and it will fre- 
 quently pursue some of the smaller allied birds, especially 
 the Greater Shearwater, when these have captured any 
 thing in sight of their stronger kinsman, and compel 
 them to disgorge their prey for its benefit. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's collection did not contain this Albatross ; 
 and the identification of the species therefore rests on his 
 authority . E D ."] 
 
357 
 
 LABHUfi, 
 
 410. StercorariuS pomarinus, Temm. Pomarine Skua. 
 
 Lestris pomarinus, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 440. 
 Coprotheres pomarmus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10941. 
 
 [Mr. Andersson's last collection contained two skins of this 
 species, one of which was ticketed as having been obtained in 
 Walwich Bay. ED.] 
 
 411. StercorariuS parasiticus (Linn.). Richardson's Skua. 
 
 Lestris Richardsonii, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 441. 
 Stenorariw spinicauda, Layard's Cat. No. 681. 
 Lestris Richardsoniij Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 425. 
 Stercorarius parasiticus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10937. 
 
 This bird is not uncommon on many parts of the 
 south-west coast of Africa ; and I have often killed it at 
 Walwich Bay. 
 
 It frequents the innermost shallows and lagoons on 
 the coast, but is not equally abundant throughout the 
 the year, apparently retiring from that part of the coast 
 during the breeding-season. 
 
 This species rarely fishes for itself, but compels the timid 
 Gulls and Terns to disgorge their captures for its benefit. 
 
 412. Lams Vetula, Bruch. South- African Black-backed Gull. 
 
 Larus vetula, Bruch, in Journ. fur Om. 1853, p. 100, pi. 2. fig. 4 
 
 (head). 
 
 Larus dominicanus, Layard's Cat. No. 682. 
 Larus fuscus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr. ; App. p. 425. 
 
 This is a very common Gull all along the south-west 
 coast of Africa, from Walwich Bay to Table Bay. It 
 is a most voracious feeder, preying on the dead carcasses 
 
358 BIEDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 of whales and seals, and also devouring freely dead rats, 
 birds, or fish, as well as worms, insects, and shell-fish ; 
 besides which it is very destructive to the eggs of other 
 sea-fowl. I have been assured on excellent authority 
 that it carries off whole, and with perfect facility, the 
 eggs of Penguins and Gannets to some distant rock, 
 where it devours them at leisure. It is also said that 
 this Gull has the singular habit of destroying its own 
 eggs if it finds that its nest is in danger of being robbed 
 of them by any person who is seeking to gather them. 
 
 The breeding-places of this species are the rocky 
 islets off the south-west coast, to which it resorts for the 
 purpose of incubation about the month of December. 
 Its eggs vary much in colour, being of various shades of 
 green, drab, or brown, profusely blotched and spotted 
 with dark brown, especially at the larger end. 
 
 This Gull is easily caught with a hook and line ; and 
 specimens so captured are frequently offered for sale in 
 Cape-Town market. 
 
 When kept in captivity it becomes quite tame and 
 perfectly fearless. 
 
 [I am not aware that any complete figure of this Gull has 
 been published. ED.] 
 
 413. CirrhocephalllS poiocephalllS (Swains.). African Grey- 
 headed Gull. 
 
 Larus poiocephalus, Swainson's Birds of W. Afr. vol. ii. pi. 29. 
 Xema phceocephala, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 
 
 1852, p. 160. 
 Larus poiocephalus, Layard's Cat. No. 683. 
 
LAR1DM. 359 
 
 Larus phcBocephalus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 425. 
 
 Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. #25. 
 
 Cirrhocephalus poiocephalus, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 10996. 
 
 This species is found both on the sea-coast and on the 
 inland watersheds. It is rather a scarce species at 
 Walwich Bay, but more common at Lake Ngami. It 
 generally occurs singly. 
 
 414. Sterna caspia. Caspian Tern. 
 
 Sterna caspia, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 414. 
 Layard's Cat. No. 684. 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 425. 
 
 This splendid and powerful Tern is not uncommon at 
 Walwich Bay, and on the south-west coast of Africa 
 generally. 
 
 When on the wing it usually pursues a steady flight, 
 and at a distance bears considerable resemblance to a 
 Gull. It utters at intervals, especially when fishing, ex- 
 ceedingly harsh and discordant notes ; and when about 
 to do so it arrests its course, and, rising suddenly at an 
 angle of about 45 to its line of flight, gives vent to its 
 cries, which are repeated two or three times, and in 
 uttering which it greatly depresses its lower mandible 
 whenever it opens its bill for this purpose. 
 
 So far as I have seen, it lives entirely on fish. 
 
 Where not previously disturbed it is not particularly 
 shy or difficult to approach ; but when once it knows a 
 gun it becomes exceedingly cunning. 
 
 At Walwich Bay several pairs of these Terns were in 
 the habit of returning at dusk from their fishing-excur- 
 
360 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 sions within easy gunshot of the shore. At the accus- 
 tomed hour I would station myself in some convenient 
 spot, carefully concealing my gun, but I could not 
 deceive these birds ; when within some hundred yards 
 of me they would suddenly diverge, making a circuit 
 of from a quarter to half a mile ; after which they would 
 return to their accustomed line of flight along the shore. 
 The iris is reddish brown; the bill vermilion-red, 
 clouded with horn-colour towards the points of the 
 mandibles ; the legs and toes are reddish black. 
 
 415. Sterna Bergii, Licht. Swift Tern. 
 
 Sterna velox, Riippell's Atlas, pi. 13. 
 
 Sterna Bergii, Layard's Cat. No. 687. 
 
 Sterna velox, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 424. 
 
 Sterna Bergii, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Aftika's, p. 828. 
 
 Next to Sterna caspia this is the finest Tern on the 
 south-west coast of Africa, where it is not uncommon. 
 I have shot large numbers of it at Walwich Bay, where 
 I have found it frequenting the innermost parts of the 
 bay, as well as some other inlets and bays to the 
 southward. 
 
 It lives entirely on fish. 
 
 The iris is dark brown ; the bill a rich warm yellow ; 
 the legs and toes black, but with yellow spots along and 
 under the toes. In immature birds the feet and legs 
 are yellowish, with irregular black markings; and the 
 yellow of the bill is tinged with greenish. 
 
LARIDJE. 361 
 
 416. Sterna cantiaca, Gmel. Sandwich Tern. 
 
 Sterna cantiaca, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 415. 
 
 Layard's Cat. No. 686. 
 
 Sterna Boysii, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 424. 
 
 This is a common species at Walwich Bay, and occurs 
 in all parts of the coast between that locality and Table 
 Bay. 
 
 It is easy to obtain, and is sometimes seen on the 
 lagoons of the south-west coast in immense flocks, 
 mingling with Sterna flumatilis and other species. 
 
 It utters short, harsh cries, especially when occupied 
 in fishing. 
 
 The iris is dark ; the points of the mandibles are pale 
 yellow ; the remainder of the bill and also the legs and 
 toes are a shining black. 
 
 417, Sterna fluviatilis, Naum. British Common Tern. 
 
 Sterna hirundo, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 417. 
 Sterna Dougalli, Layard's Cat. No. 685. 
 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 424. 
 
 Sterna jluviatilis, Sharpe & Dresser's Birds of Europe, pi. 45. 
 
 This Tern is pretty common on many parts of the 
 south-west coast of Africa, though not so numerous as 
 the preceding species at Walwich Bay. 
 
 The iris is dark brown ; the bill dark horn-colour, but 
 reddish brown near the base, and with the tips of the 
 mandibles light horn-colour*; the legs, toes, and webs 
 
 * [The colour of the bill, as here described, is no doubt taken from a 
 specimen which was undergoing the seasonal change, the bill of this species 
 being black in winter, with light horn-coloured tips, and red during the 
 breeding-season, with black tips. ED.] 
 
362 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 red; the claws dark horn-colour, tipped with yellow 
 horn-colour. 
 
 [Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser (loc. cit.) describe a specimen 
 of this Tern in winter plumage, which was procured by Mr. 
 Andersson at Walwich Bay on October 6th, 1863 ; and another, 
 in similar plumage, obtained there on the 4th of November 
 following, was also contained in Mr. Andersson's last collection. 
 ED.] 
 
 418. Sternula balsenanim, Strickl. Damara Tern. 
 
 Sternula lalcenarum, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. 
 
 Orn. 1852, p. 160. 
 Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 425. 
 
 This exquisite little Tern is very abundant at Walwich 
 Bay, and on some other parts of the south-west coast of 
 Africa. It flies in pairs, or in small flocks, uttering 
 harsh and rapid cries. It feeds on small fish and crus- 
 tacea, in search of which it explores the creeks and 
 shallows which are left by the receding tide. It is swift 
 of flight, and very rapid in its movements. 
 
 This species occasionally breeds at Walwich Bay, 
 being the only Tern which does so ; its eggs are deposited 
 in a small hole which it scoops in the sand. 
 
 The iris is brown ; the bill black, except close to the 
 base, where it is of a dusky yellow; the legs and toes 
 are yellow. 
 
 [This Tern has not been figured. ED.] 
 
 419. Pelodes hybrida (Pall.). Whiskered Tern. 
 
 Sterna leucopareia, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 424. 
 Pelodes hybrida. Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 11071. 
 
 Ondonga, February 6th. Obtained a specimen of 
 
LARID^J. 363 
 
 this Tern; it was circling for some time round a vley 
 in company with another; these and another seen on 
 the Great Flat a few days since are the only individuals 
 I have yet met with. 
 
 March 6th. Axel obtained one to-day; and since the 
 above date I have twice observed it. 
 
 Measurements of a female : 
 
 in. lin. 
 
 Entire length 10 10 
 
 Length of folded wing .... 9 
 
 tarsus 11 
 
 middle toe .... 10 
 
 tail 36 
 
 bill 17 
 
 [The Norwich. Museum possesses a female specimen of this 
 Tern in full breeding- dress, obtained by Mr. Andersson in 
 Ondonga on the 6th April. ED.] 
 
 420. Hydrochelidon nigra (Linn.). White-winged Black Tern. 
 
 Sterna leucoptera, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 423. 
 
 Naumann's Nat. Vogel Deutsch. pi. 257. 
 
 Ayres, in Ibis, 1871, p. 267. 
 
 Hydrochelidon nigra, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 11070. 
 
 I have never seen this Tern on the sea-shore, but 
 it is common on many inland freshwater lakes, and 
 during the wet season hunts over the temporary rain- 
 pools. 
 
 It feeds on fry, frogs' spawn, snails, &c. 
 
 It flies slowly and heavily, examining the ground 
 carefully as it progresses. 
 
 Colour. Forehead, cere, chin and throat, and a space 
 on each side of the nape, lower part of the neck, all the 
 underpart, including axillary plume and under wing- 
 
364 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 coverts, pure white ; top of head, at the back of ears and 
 nape, brown margined with white. 
 
 Upper part of back and shoulders brownish grey, edged 
 with lighter grey ; the rest of the back and scapulars, 
 tertials, and wings grey, shaded and spotted with brown ; 
 outer vanes of the quills dusky silver-grey ; nearly half 
 of the inner vanes grey-white, shading lighter on the 
 inner vanes ; all shaded with brown on the extremities ; 
 shafts light wood-brown; inner side of wings grey, shading 
 lighter on the inner vanes ; upper tail-coverts pale grey ; 
 tail also grey, tinged slightly with brown ; bill jet-black*, 
 except the very extremities, which are light horn-colour ; 
 legs and toes bright red ; claws dark horn-colour. 
 
 Form. Body slender; bill rather short but strong, 
 anteriorly slightly curved, points awl-like ; cutting-edges 
 of both mandibles bent inwards; nostrils basal, linear, 
 oblong, and situated nearer the cutting-edges than the 
 superior ridge; wings very long and pointed, reaching 
 when folded far over the end of the tail ; first quill the 
 longest. 
 
 Tail moderately long and slightly forked ; tarsi short 
 and weak ; toes moderately long and slender and united 
 by a membrane to the second articulation ; claws longish, 
 nearly straight, middle the longest and dilated ; hind toe 
 and nail very short. 
 
 [As this Tern was not comprised in Mr. Andersson's last col- 
 lection, and as the species was not identified by him, I have 
 transcribed in full his description of it, which appears to me 
 
 * [The bill of this species, though black in winter, assumes more or less of 
 a dark red tinge when the bird attains its full nuptial dress. ED.] 
 
LARIVJE. 365 
 
 to refer without doubt to the winter plumage of the White- 
 winged Black Tern, a species which has been met with in 
 Vaal by Mr. Ayres, as recorded in f The Ibis' (loc. cit.). ED.] 
 
 421. Khynchops flavirostris, Vieill. African Scissor-bill. 
 
 jRhynchopsJlavirostris, Vieillot's Gal. des Ois. pi. 291. 
 Rhynchops orientalis, Riippell's Atlas, pi. 24. 
 Rhynchops flavirostris, Shelley's Birds of Egypt, pi. 14. 
 
 This species occurs in Ondonga and also at Lake 
 Ngami. 
 
 The iris is dark brown ; the bill red, but yellowish at 
 the extremity ; the tarsus is also red. 
 
 PELECANIDJE. 
 
 422. Sllla capensis, Licht. South-African Gannet. 
 
 Sula capensis, Layard's Cat. No. 697. 
 
 Sula australis, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 424. 
 
 Sula capensis, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 11104. 
 
 This is a very common bird on the south-west coast 
 of Africa, and is found far to the north of Walwich 
 Bay and from thence southward to the Cape of Good 
 Hope. 
 
 Its flight is very powerful and continuous, and it also 
 presents a very pretty picture as it rides carefully on the 
 foaming and crested waves. It is a most expert diver, 
 and will precipitate itself from a considerable height 
 with fearful velocity in pursuit of its prey, which it 
 seizes under the surface, often at some depth. As it 
 comes sweeping down, its wings are extended and motion- 
 
366 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 less, but it tucks them in a moment or two before it 
 touches the water. The Gannet is the most valuable 
 depositor of guano in South Africa. A single bird pro- 
 duces about four inches in depth annually, or 16 to 
 17 Ibs. weight to the square foot. The chief strong- 
 holds of this species are Ichaboe, Mercury, and Posses- 
 sion islands. 
 
 So valuable have the deposits of this species been 
 found, that the lessees of Ichaboe have considered it 
 worth while to enclose the middle of the island for a 
 distance of 300 feet by 180 feet, exclusively for the con- 
 venience of this bird. The chief object is to prevent the 
 Penguins from mingling their adulterated deposits with 
 those of the Gannet s ; and the proprietors have succeeded 
 admirably. The former are of course kept out from 
 want of wings available for flight. 
 
 The Gannet incubates about October and November. 
 It makes no nest, and lays only one egg, of a pure white 
 colour, tapering at one end, and of an oval form. Average 
 of three eggs: length 3" 10"', breadth 1" 11"'. The 
 young, which are at first covered with white down, 
 remain on the island where they are hatched until well 
 able to fly, when they all suddenly disappear and are 
 never seen again in that locality in their first plumage ; 
 when they reappear it is in the adult dress. In the 
 interval I have frequently seen and shot them about 
 Walwich Bay. The old birds leave the islands about 
 the end of April and beginning of May, and at this time 
 are generally observed in the open sea, often at a con- 
 siderable distance from land ; they return late in July. 
 
PELECANID& 367 
 
 [I believe that this Gannet has not been figured, except inci- 
 dentally in the view of the island of Ichaboe, published in 
 Mr. Andersson's work ' The River Okavango/ p. 349. ED.] 
 
 423. PlotllS Levaillantii, Licht* African Darter. 
 
 Plotus Levaillantii, Temminck's PL Col. pi. 380. 
 
 Plottis congensis, Layard's Cat. No. 696. 
 
 Plotus Levaittantii, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 11101. 
 
 During my visit to Lake Ngami I saw there a bird 
 which T believe to have been of this species; and my 
 friend Mr. E. Layard informs me that specimens of it 
 were obtained in the Lake-country by Mr. James 
 Chapman, jun., by whom they were presented to the Cape 
 Museum. 
 
 424. GraCUUlS Carbo (Linn.). Common Cormorant. 
 
 Phalacrocorax carlo, Gould's Birds of Europe, pi. 407. 
 Graculus carbo, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 844. 
 
 At one season of the year this species is not uncommon 
 at Walwich Bay, and from thence southward to Table 
 Bay, all along the coast and on the adjacent islands ; it 
 is, however, by no means so numerous as G. capensis. 
 
 The iris is bright sea-green, the bare skin round the 
 eyes and the base of the lower mandible yellow ; the 
 lower mandible and the edges of the upper mandible 
 light horn-colour, the ridge of the latter dark horn- 
 colour ; the legs and toes inky black. 
 
 * [Mr. Gray, in his ' Hand-list of Birds/ vol. iii. p. 125, adopts the view 
 that the genus Plotus should be regarded as forming a distinct family ; but 
 it seems to me that the Darters are so closely allied to the Cormorants that 
 they may more properly be treated as forming merely a subfamily of the 
 Pelecanidce. ED.] 
 
368 BIEDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 [A specimen of this Cormorant in winter plumage was con- 
 tained in Mr. Andersson's last collection, and is now in that of 
 Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun. ; it is marked as having been obtained 
 in Walwich Bay on December 16th, 1863, and is precisely simi- 
 lar to English examples in the winter dress. 
 
 Mr. Layard informs me that he believes he has seen the true 
 Graculus carbo in Simon's Bay in breeding-plumage, but that 
 the bird which was inserted in his ' Birds of South Africa/ 
 p. 380, under the name of Graculus carbo, proved on further ex- 
 amination to be a distinct species, Graculus lucidus, Licht. ED.] 
 
 425. Graculus capensis, Sparrm. Cape-Cormorant. 
 
 Pelecanus capensis, Sparrman's Mus. Carlson, pi. 61. 
 Gracidus capensis, Layard's Cat. No. 699. 
 
 This is the most abundant species of Cormorant along 
 the whole south-west coast of Africa ; indeed at some 
 seasons of the year they may be counted not merely by 
 tens or even by hundreds of thousands, but by millions : 
 their numbers, in fact, exceed all computation ; for it 
 is no unusual thing to see a deep unbroken line of these 
 birds winging their way for two, or even three, consecu- 
 tive hours to or from their feeding-grounds. 
 
 This Cormorant leaves Walwich Bay for its breeding- 
 places in December ; and during the nesting-season large 
 numbers are to be found on almost every suitable rock and 
 islet from the river Cunene to Table Bay, in which situa- 
 tions, next to the Gannet and Penguin, this species is the 
 principal depositor of guano. Its nest is composed of 
 seaweed; its eggs are either one or two in number, 
 white speckled with pearl-grey and pale sea-green, and 
 about two inches in length. 
 
PELECANIDJS. 369 
 
 About June and July these Cormorants are again to 
 be seen in Walwich Bay, where they frequent the low 
 sands of the peninsula which protects the entrance of 
 the bay ; but no accumulation of guano takes place in 
 that locality, as their usual resting-places are flooded 
 when the tide is high. 
 
 This species feeds on fish, and sometimes on mussels. 
 
 The iris is sea-green, the eyelids studded with small 
 beads of cobalt-blue ; the beak more or less brown, the 
 bare skin under the bill and at the gape orange ; the legs, 
 webs, and toes black. 
 
 426. GraculllS neglectus, Wahl. Wahlberg's Cormorant. 
 
 Graeulus neglectus, Wahlberg, in Journ. fur Orn. 1857, p. 4. 
 Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 11121. 
 
 [As this Cormorant was discovered by the late Professor 
 Wahlberg on the rocky islands adjacent to the coast of Great 
 Namaqua Land, it may rightly claim to be included in the present 
 volume. 
 
 Mr. Andersson does not appear to have been personally ac- 
 quainted with this species, although he refers in his MS. notes 
 to Wahlberg's description of it ; and no examples of it have come 
 under my own notice ; but I think it probable that it may be 
 the Cormorant with twelve rectrices mentioned by Mr. Layard 
 in ' The Ibis ' for 1868, p. 121, as having been obtained in two 
 instances in the vicinity of Cape Town. 
 
 These specimens were supposed by Mr. Layard to be referable 
 to G. carbo ; but that species has fourteen rectrices, a peculiarity 
 which, according to Professor Schlegel (Museum des Pays-Bas, 
 Pelecani, p. 4), is only shared by G. lucidus and G. capensis, the 
 number of rectrices in all other Cormorants being but twelve. 
 
 The following is a translation of the account given by Professor 
 Wahlberg (loc. cit.) of the present species : 
 
 " Greenish black, but cinereous brown on the back, with 
 
 2 B 
 
370 BIRDS OF DAMAEA LAND. 
 
 bronzy reflections ; the feathers narrowly (1-1 \ millim.) edged 
 with greenish black, rounded at the tips in adults, but slightly 
 pointed in younger specimens ; throat almost bare, but the space 
 extending from the angle of the mouth to below the nostrils 
 feathered; the sides of the head much feathered, but a black 
 bare ring round the eyes (2 millims. wide) . Rectrices twelve. 
 Iris ochre-yellow in adult birds, but green on the lower moiety, 
 in younger specimens entirely a cinereous brown ; bill blackish 
 horn-colour ; feet black. 
 
 "Male. Entire length 715 millims. ; expanse of wings 1160; 
 bill from forehead 60, height at base 13'5 ; wing 273 ; tail 130 
 to 138; tarsus 55 ; middle toe, with claw, 82. 
 
 "Female. Bill from forehead 56 millims., height 13; wing 
 269; tail 137; tarsus 55. 
 
 " Tolerably frequent on the islands off the coast of Western 
 South Africa, such as Possession, Halifax, Ichaboe, &c." 
 
 This species has not been figured ED.] 
 
 427. Gracillus africanus (Gmel.). Long- tailed Cormorant. 
 
 Carbo Ungicauda, Swainson's Birds of W. Afr. vol. ii. pi. 31. 
 Graeulus coronatus, Wahlberg, in Journ. fur Orn. 1857, p. 4. 
 Graculus africanus, Layard's Cat. No. 700. 
 
 Phalacroeomx africanus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 423. 
 Graeulus africanus, Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, p. 847. 
 
 This Cormorant occurs on Lake Ngami and its water- 
 sheds ; but I have never met with it, except on inland 
 waters. It feeds on fish, and is a most expert diver. Its 
 flight is strong and rapid ; and it perches on trees both 
 during the day and at night. 
 
 This species feeds chiefly at night ; as the sun declines 
 it is seen in flocks flying from its r costing-places to its 
 fishing-grounds. During the day it remains in great 
 measure stationary, either lazily sunning itself on some 
 branch overhanging the water, or on a bunch of reed; 
 or it may be seen standing erect on a sandbank, with 
 
PELECANID^. 371 
 
 outstretched wings. When in the water, it has the habit 
 of submerging its body to such an extent as to leave 
 little more than the neck exposed. 
 
 [Although this Cormorant appears for the most part to frequent 
 inland waters, it was found breeding, by the late Professor 
 Wahlberg, on the small islands off the coast of Great Namaqua 
 Land ; and specimens which lie obtained in nuptial dress from 
 these localities were described by him under the name of 
 " Graculus coronatus " in the ' Journ. fur Orn/ loc. cit. One 
 of the specimens so named by Wahlberg, and obtained by him 
 from the island of Ichaboe, is recorded by Drs. Finsch and 
 Hartlaub (loc. cit.) as being now preserved in the Bremen 
 Museum. 
 
 The following is a translation of Professor Wahlberg' s remarks 
 on the nidification of this species : 
 
 " Tolerably common on Possession and other islands ; makes 
 a nest of seaweed without much substructure ; lays one white 
 egg." ED.] 
 
 428. Pelecanus minor (Rtipp.). KUppelTs Pelican. 
 
 Onocrotalus minor, Riippell's System. Uebers. pi. 49. 
 
 Pelecanus mitratus, Gurney, in Ibis, 1861, p. 135. 
 
 Pelicanus onocrotalus, Layard's Cat. No. 701. 
 
 Pelecanus onocrotalus, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 424. 
 
 Pelecanus mitratus, Sclater, in Proc. Zool. Soc. 1868, p. 266, fig. 3 
 
 (head). 
 Pelecanus minor, Elliot, ibid. 1869, p. 580. 
 
 This species is very numerous at Walwich Bay, and is 
 also tolerably common at Sandwich Harbour ; but south 
 of this port its numbers rapidly diminish. On approach- 
 ing Table Bay the Pelican reappears and is abundant in 
 many parts of the Cape seas nearly inshore ; it is also 
 found at Lake N garni, Lake Onondava, and a few other 
 localities in the interior. 
 
 2 B 2 
 
372 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 
 
 Where not previously disturbed the Pelican is not of 
 a particularly shy nature; but at Walwich Bay it has 
 now become nearly impossible for the European to 
 approach it, even within rifle-shot. It, however, shows 
 little or no fear of the natives ; and it is no unusual thing 
 to see Pelicans watching the natives at a short distance 
 whilst they are spearing fish in the shallows, and even 
 anticipating them in the capture and thus cheating them 
 of their quarry. 
 
 From January to May, Walwich Bay is very bare of 
 these as well as of other birds, as they then resort to the 
 interior for the purpose of incubation. At Lake Ngami 
 the Pelican makes its nest among the bushes, and deposits 
 a single white egg of a beautiful oval shape. 
 
 [I have not had an opportunity of examining a Pelican from 
 South-western Africa ; but Mr. Andersson, though he described 
 the species found in Damara Land under the name of P. onocro- 
 talus, seems from his MS. notes to have considered it identical 
 with that found at the Cape, which, according to Mr. Elliot 
 (loc. cit.}, appears to be referable to the smaller species P. minor, 
 to which it is therefore most probable that Mr. Andersson' s ob- 
 servations also refer. 
 
 Mr. Chapman, in his ' Travels in South Africa/ vol. i. p. 346, 
 speaking of the Pelicans observed by him at Walwich Bay, 
 remarks that they "pursue their prey nightly in the shallow 
 lagoons, driving the fish, by flapping their wings on the water, 
 near the shore, and catching them while floundering." ED.] 
 
ALPHABETICAL INDEX 
 
 OF GENERA AND SPECIES. 
 
 Abdimii, Ciconia 280 
 
 , Sphenorrhynchus 280 
 
 Abingoni, Campethera 221 
 
 , Ohrysopicus 222 
 
 abyssinica, Ooracias 53 
 
 abyssinicus, Bucorvus 205 
 
 , Ploceus 171 
 
 , Tmetoceros 206 
 
 ACCIPITEB 28 
 
 ACTITIS 303 
 
 ACTODROMAS 308 
 
 Adjutant 282 
 
 adspersa, Scleroptera 247 
 
 adspersus, Francolinus 247 
 
 AEDON 90 
 
 Aedon, Fasciolated 90 
 
 , Kamiesberg 90 
 
 , Smith's . .' 92 
 
 , White-browed 92 
 
 ^EGIALITES 272 
 
 JEGITHALUS 79 
 
 eegyptiacus, Chenalopex 335 
 
 segyptica, Anas 335 
 
 segyptius, Merops 61 
 
 ,Milvus 22 
 
 , Nycticorax 293 
 
 sequatorialis, Gallinago 312 
 
 sethiopica, Ibis 297 
 
 sethiopicus, Geronticus 297 
 
 afer, Oxylophus 225 
 
 , Parus &1 
 
 affinis, Drymoeca 83 
 
 , Drymoica 83 
 
 , Platysteira 131 
 
 , Platystira 131 
 
 , Strix 36 
 
 afra, Chalcopeleia 236 
 
 , Chalcopelia 236 
 
 Page 
 
 afra, Cinnyris 70 
 
 , Columba 236 
 
 , Eupodotis 260 
 
 , Nectarinia 70 
 
 , Peristera 236 
 
 African Jacana, Greater 328 
 
 , Lesser 330 
 
 African Kingfisher, Great .... 59 
 
 African Swift, Little 48 
 
 africana, Buphaga 163 
 
 , Parra 328 
 
 , Sarkidiornis 335 
 
 , Strix 42 
 
 , Upupa 64 
 
 africanoides, Megalophonus . . 198 
 
 africanus, Graculus 370 
 
 , Phalacrocorax 370 
 
 afroides, Eupodotis . 260 
 
 , Otis 260 
 
 AGAPOBNIS 216 
 
 Aguimp 112 
 
 aguimp, Motacilla. . .. 112 
 
 ALARIO 175 
 
 alario, Alario 175 
 
 , Amadina . 175 
 
 ALATJDA 192 
 
 alaudarius, Tinnunculus ...... 18 
 
 alba, Ardea 289 
 
 , Ciconia 280 
 
 , Herodias 289 
 
 Albatross, Black-browed 356 
 
 , Wandering 355 
 
 albicans, Saxicola 105 
 
 albicauda, Platystira 132 
 
 albiceps, Charadrius 267 
 
 , Hoplopterus 268 
 
 albicollis, Archicorax 153 
 
 , Oorvultur 153 
 
374 
 
 ALPHABETICAL INDEX 
 
 Page 
 
 albicollis, Corvus 153 
 
 ALCEDO 58 
 
 alcinus, Machserhamphus 23 
 
 , Macheirhamphus 23 
 
 ALECTHELIA 320 
 
 alexandrinus, ^Egialites 272 
 
 , Charadrius 272 
 
 Alleni, Gallinula 327 
 
 , Porphyrio 327 
 
 Alouette a dos roux 113 
 
 a gros bee 195 
 
 petite a tete rousse 197 
 
 alpina, Saxicola 109 
 
 AMADINA 174 
 
 ambrosiacus, Cypselus 48 
 
 amurensis, Erythropus 17 
 
 ,Falco 17 
 
 AMYDBUS 162 
 
 ANAS 335,339 
 
 ANASTOMUS 283 
 
 anchietse, Chaetops 117 
 
 , Drymoeca 117 
 
 Anderssoni, Alauda 197 
 
 , Calandrella 197 
 
 , Campephaga 134 
 
 , Enneoctonus 135 
 
 , Machserhamphus 23 
 
 , Megalophonus 197 
 
 , Nectarinia 72 
 
 , Oriolus 125 
 
 , Stringonyx 23 
 
 Anderssonii, Cinnyris 72 
 
 angolensis, Crithagra 183 
 
 , Fringilla 183 
 
 , Poliospiza 183 
 
 anguitimens, Eurocephalus .... 140 
 
 angulata, Gallinula 321 
 
 ANSEB 334 
 
 Ant- eating Wheatear, Southern 110 
 
 ANTHOBAPHES 74 
 
 ANTHOSCOPUS 79 
 
 ANTHBOPOIDES 278 
 
 ANTHUS 113 
 
 apiaster, Merops 60 
 
 apus, Cypselus 47 
 
 aquaticus, Rallus 316 
 
 AQUILA 5 
 
 ABCHICOBAX 153 
 
 arcuatus, Passer 185 
 
 ABDEA 279, 284 
 
 ABDEIBALLA 291 
 
 ARDEOLA 288 
 
 ABDETTA . . 291 
 
 arenaria, Calidris 311 
 
 argala, Ciconia 282 
 
 armatuS; Charadrius 268 
 
 , Hoplopterus 267 
 
 , Pluvianus 267 
 
 arquata, Nurnenius 299 
 
 arquatus, Numenius 299 
 
 arundinacea, Calamodyta .... 99 
 
 asiaticus, Charadrius xxx, 271 
 
 , Eudromias 271 
 
 ASTEB 26 
 
 astrild, Estrelda 178 
 
 , Estrilda 178 
 
 , Fringilla 178 
 
 , Habropyga 178 
 
 ASTUB 26 
 
 ater, Circus 33 
 
 , Melsenornis 128 
 
 , Milvus 21 
 
 aterrimus, Irrisor 68 
 
 , Scoptelus 68 
 
 ATHENE 37 
 
 Atmorei, Saxicola 110 
 
 Atmorii, Saxicola 110 
 
 atricapilla, Ardea 292 
 
 , Butorides 292 
 
 atricollis, Ardea 284 
 
 atrococcineus, Laniarius 144 
 
 , Lanius 144 
 
 , Malaconotus 144 
 
 atrovarius, Caprimulgus 45 
 
 aurantia, Alario 175 
 
 aurata, Juida 160 
 
 auratus, Chalcites 228 
 
 , Oriolus 124 
 
 auricularis, Otogyps 2 
 
 auritus, Nettapus 336 
 
 , Podiceps 346 
 
 australis, Jmda 158 
 
 , Lamprotornis 158 
 
 , Pyrrhulauda 191 
 
 . Struthio 251 
 
 , Sula 365 
 
 , Treron 230 
 
 autumnalis, Himantopus 315 
 
 Avocet, European 314 
 
 avocetta, Recurvirostra 314 
 
 Ayresii, Spizaetus 7 
 
 AYTHIA 342 
 
 Babbler, Dark-faced 123 
 
 ,Hartlaub's 124 
 
 , Jardine's 123 
 
OF GENERA AND SPECIES. 
 
 375 
 
 Page 
 Babbler, Southern Black-and- 
 
 White 121 
 
 Bacbakiri 147 
 
 bacbakiri, Telophonus 147 
 
 backbakiri, Lanius 147 
 
 badius, Nisus 30 
 
 beeticata, Calamodyta 99 
 
 , Calanioherpe 99 
 
 , Sylvia 99 
 
 baeticula, Calamodyta 99 
 
 Bailloni, Ortygometra 317 
 
 Baillonii, Crex 317 
 
 , Zaporna 317 
 
 Bairdi, Tringa 308 
 
 Bairdii, Actodromas 308 
 
 , Tringa 308 
 
 balsenarum, Sternula 362 
 
 BALEABICA 279 
 
 barbatus, Cypselus 47 
 
 Barbican, Black-throated 217 
 
 Barred-tail Owl, African 38 
 
 Bateleur 10 
 
 Bateleur Eagle, Rufous-backed 10 
 
 Becquefleur 79 
 
 Bee-eater, Carmine-throated . . 62 
 
 , Blue-cheeked 61 
 
 , European 60 
 
 , Rufous-winged 62 
 
 , Swallow-tailed 63 
 
 belisarius, Falco 6 
 
 bellicosa, Aquila 8 
 
 bellicosus, Pseudaetus 8 
 
 , Spizaetus 8 
 
 benghala, Estrelda 179 
 
 Benghala Finch, Southern .... 179 
 
 Bennetti, Campethera 222 
 
 , Chrysoptilus 222 
 
 , Picus 222 
 
 Bergii, Sterna 360 
 
 BESSONOENIS 118 
 
 biarmicus, Dendropicus 219 
 
 , Falco 13 
 
 bicincta, Ceryle 59 
 
 bicinctus, Cursorius 201 
 
 , Pterocles 241 
 
 bicolor, Cossypha 119 
 
 , Crateropus 121 
 
 , Juida 161 
 
 , Spreo 161 
 
 bifasciata, Cinnyris 70 
 
 , Nectarinia 70 
 
 Bishop bird, Red-Fink 172 
 
 ,Taha 171 
 
 Page 
 
 Bishop bird, Yellow-Fink .... 170 
 
 bispecularis, Spreo 160 
 
 Bittern, European Little 292 
 
 Black Hawk, African 29 
 
 Swift, South-African 47 
 
 Tern, White-winged 363 
 
 Black-and- White Babbler, 
 
 Southern 121 
 
 Black-and- White Tit, Southern 81 
 Black-backed Gull, South- Afri- 
 can 357 
 
 Blossom-pecker, Andersson's . . 80 
 
 , Dwarf 79 
 
 Bocagei, Cinnyricinclus 156 
 
 Bonapartei, Actodronias 309 
 
 , Tringa 308 
 
 Bonellii, Aquila 7 
 
 Bouvreuil du Cap de Bonne Es- 
 
 perance 175 
 
 Boysii, Sterna 361 
 
 BBACHYPTERUS 93 
 
 brachyrhynchos, Herodias .... 289 
 
 brachyura, Drymoica 97 
 
 , Sylvietta 77 
 
 BEADOENIS 128 
 
 BEADYOENIS 128 
 
 brevicaudata, Camaroptera .... 94 
 
 brevipes, Monticola 116 
 
 Brubru 139 
 
 brubru, Lanius 139 
 
 , Nilaus 139 
 
 Brucei, Chrysopicus 221 
 
 , Ipagrus 222 
 
 Brucii, Campethera 222 
 
 brunnea, Nyroca 342 
 
 Brunoir 119 
 
 BUBALOENIS 165 
 
 BUBO 40 
 
 BUBULCUS 288 
 
 bubulcus, Ardea 288 
 
 BUCEEOS 206 
 
 BUCOEVUS 205 
 
 BUDYTES 112 
 
 BUGEEANUS 278 
 
 Bulbul, Angola 120 
 
 , Brunoir 119 
 
 Bullfinch, Black-throated 182 
 
 , Deeken's 183 
 
 . Golden-rumped 182 
 
 Bunting, Lark-like 189 
 
 , Southern Yellow-bellied . 188 
 
 BUPHAGA 163 
 
 Burchelli, Lamprotornis 158 
 
376 
 
 ALPHABETICAL INDEX 
 
 Page 
 
 Burchellii, Centropus 224 
 
 , Lamprotornis 158 
 
 Bush-chirper, Brown-throated . 98 
 
 , Yellow-bellied 97 
 
 Bush-creeper, Coriphe'e 93 
 
 Bush-Shrilre, Rufous-winged . . 149 
 
 , Three-streaked 151 
 
 Bustard, Black-and-white- wing- 
 ed 260 
 
 , Cape Knorhaan 260 
 
 , Kori 258 
 
 , Eufous-crested 259 
 
 , Riippell's 259 
 
 , White-eared 260 
 
 BUTEO 11 
 
 BUTORIDES 292 
 
 hutyracea, Crithagra 183 
 
 Buzzard, Desert 12 
 
 , Jackal 11 
 
 Cahanisi, Hyphantornis 169 
 
 caffer, Amydrus 162 
 
 , Anthus 113 
 
 , Coccystes 226 
 
 , Nabouroupus 162 
 
 , Oxylophus 225 
 
 caftra, Bessonornis 118 
 
 , Oossypha 118 
 
 eaffrensis, Hagedashia 298 
 
 CALAMODUS 100 
 
 CALAMODYTA 94, 99 
 
 CALAMOHERPE 99 
 
 CALANDRELLA 198 
 
 Calao caroncule 1 205 
 
 couronne* 208 
 
 nasique 206 
 
 Toe 211 
 
 CALENDULA 195 
 
 CALIDRIS 306, 311 
 
 calidris, Arenaria 311 
 
 , Totanus 300 
 
 , Tringa 311 
 
 calva, Phalacrotreron 230 
 
 calvus, Geronticus . , 297 
 
 CAMAROPTERA 94 
 
 Camaroptera, Olivaceous 94 
 
 cambayensis, Columba 232 
 
 camelus, Struthio 251 
 
 CAMPEPHAGA . , 133 
 
 campestris, Anthus 114 
 
 CAMPETHERA 221 
 
 Canard du Maragnan 338 
 
 Page 
 
 candidus, Himantopus 315 
 
 canescens, Glottis 301 
 
 , Totanus 301 
 
 canorus, Cuculus 227 
 
 cantiaca, Sterna 361 
 
 cantianus, ^Egialites 272 
 
 , Charadrius 272 
 
 canutus, Calidris 306 
 
 , Tringa 306 
 
 capensis, jEgithalus 79 
 
 , Anas 339 
 
 , Athene 38 
 
 , Aythia 242 
 
 , Colius 202, 203 
 
 , Columba 235 
 
 , Corvus 155 
 
 , Daption 353 
 
 , Drymoica 82 
 
 , Ephialtes 38 
 
 , Euplectes 170 
 
 , Graculus 368 
 
 , Hirundo 51 
 
 , Mareca 339 
 
 , Motacilla Ill 
 
 , Nilaus 139 
 
 , CEdicnemus 266 
 
 , (Ena 235 
 
 , Otus 43 
 
 , Paroides 79 
 
 , Parra 330 
 
 , Pelecanus 368 
 
 , Phasmaptynx 43 
 
 , Phyllastrephus 120 
 
 , Ploceus 170 
 
 , Pycnonotus 120 
 
 , Querquedula 339 
 
 , Rhynchaea 313 
 
 , Rhynchaspis 341 
 
 , Scops 38 
 
 , Spatula 341 
 
 , Sula 365 
 
 , Tamioglaux 38 
 
 , Zosterops 75 
 
 capitalis, Hyphantornis 169 
 
 capricorni, Campethera 221 
 
 , Ipagrus 221 
 
 CAPRIMULGUS 44 
 
 CARBO 370 
 
 carbo, Graculus 367 
 
 , Phalacrocorax 367 
 
 cardinalis, Dendropicus 210 
 
 carmelita, Estrelda 181 
 
 Caroli, ^Egithalus 80 
 
OF GENERA AND SPECIES. 
 
 377 
 
 Page 
 
 Caroli, Anthoscopus 80 
 
 carunculata, Gracula 162 
 
 , Grus 278 
 
 carunculatus, Bugeranus 278 
 
 , Dilophus 162 
 
 caspia, Sterna 359 
 
 caspius, Charadrius xxx, 271 
 
 castanonotus, Hypotriorchis . . 19 
 
 Caterpillar-eater, Black 133 
 
 , Pectoral 134 
 
 CATHAKTES 2 
 
 caudata, Coracias 53 
 
 CEBLEPYRIS 134 
 
 Cenchris, Falco 17 
 
 , Tinnunculus 17 
 
 CENTROPUS ; . . 224 
 
 CERTHILAUDA 201 
 
 Cervicalis, Falco 13 
 
 CERYLE 59 
 
 CH^TOPS 117 
 
 Chsetops, Damara 117 
 
 CHALCITES 228 
 
 CHALCOMITRA 73 
 
 CHALCOPELEIA 236 
 
 CHALCOPELIA 236 
 
 chalcoptera, Ibis 298 
 
 chalcopterus, Cursorius 263 
 
 chalcospilos, Chalcopelia 236 
 
 chalybea, Cinnyris 69 
 
 , Nectarinia 69 
 
 CHARADRIUS 267, 315 
 
 Chassefiente 5 
 
 Chat-Thrush, Jan-fre-dric .... 118 
 
 , Vociferous 119 
 
 chelicutensis, Halcyon 57 
 
 CHENALOPEX 335 
 
 CHETTUSIA 267, 268 
 
 Chevechette perlee 37 
 
 CHICQUERA 14 
 
 chiniana, Drymceca 86 
 
 , Drymoica 86, 87 
 
 CHIZ^RHIS 204 
 
 CHLOROPHONEUS 148 
 
 chloropsis, Crithagra 183 
 
 chloropus, Gallinula 323 
 
 CHRYSOCOCCYX 228 
 
 CHRYSOPICUS 221 
 
 CHRYSOPTILUS 222 
 
 chrysopyga, Crithagra 182 
 
 chrysura, Campethera 222 
 
 CICONIA 280 
 
 ciconia, Ardea 280 
 
 CINCLUS , . 276 
 
 cinctus, Cursorius 262 
 
 , Hemerodromus 262 
 
 cineraceus, Circus 33 
 
 cinerarius, Circus 33 
 
 cinerascens, Circus 33 
 
 , Parus 81 
 
 cinerea, Alauda 197 
 
 , Ardea 284 
 
 , Limosa 304 
 
 , Squatarola 270 
 
 , Terekia 304 
 
 cinereus, Megalophonus 197 
 
 , Puffinus 350 
 
 cinnamomeus, Anthus 114 
 
 ClNNYRICINCLUS 156 
 
 CINNYRIS 69 
 
 ClRCAETUS 10 
 
 CIRCUS 32 
 
 ClRRHOCEPHALUS 358 
 
 cirtensis, Falco 12 
 
 cissoides, Lanius 138 
 
 , Urolestes 138 
 
 ClSTICOLA 88 
 
 Cisticola, Ground 88 
 
 Citrin 84 
 
 clamosus, Cuculus 226 
 
 CLANGULA 343 
 
 COCCYSTES 225 
 
 COCCYZUS 225 
 
 cserulescens, Rallus 316 
 
 caeruleus, Elanus 20 
 
 Colei, Eupodotis 260 
 
 Coliou a dos blanc 202 
 
 Quiriwa 203 
 
 COLIUS 202 
 
 collaris, Fiscus 136 
 
 , Lanius 136 
 
 , Strepsilas 276 
 
 COLLURIO 134 
 
 collurio, Enneoctonus 135 
 
 , Enneoctornis 135 
 
 , Lanius 135 
 
 COLUMBA 231 
 
 Coly, Quiriwa 203 
 
 , White-backed 202 
 
 comata, Ardea 288 
 
 , Ardeola 288 
 
 Common Tern, British 361 
 
 communis, Coturnix 248 
 
 concolor, Chizserhis 204 
 
 , Schizorhis 204 
 
 congensis, Plotus 367 
 
 conirostris, Alauda 192 
 
378 
 
 ALPHABETICAL INDEX 
 
 Cooperi, Actodromas ........ 309 
 
 Coot, Rufous-knobbed ........ 327 
 
 COPROTHERES .............. 357 
 
 CORACIAS .................. 53 
 
 CORAPHITES ................ 190 
 
 Corbivau .................. 153 
 
 - , Southern .............. 153 
 
 CORETHRURA .............. 320 
 
 coriphaeus, Brachypterus ...... 93 
 
 Coriphee .................. 93 
 
 Cormorant, Cape ............ 368 
 
 - j Common .............. 367 
 
 -- , Long-tailed ............ 370 
 
 - , Wahlberg's ............ 369 
 
 Corneille a scapulaire blanc .... 154 
 
 - du Cap ................ 155 
 
 cornuta, Numida ............ 238 
 
 Coromandelianus, Nettapus .... 337 
 
 coronata, Chettusia ......... 268 
 
 coronatus, Buceros .......... 208 
 
 - , Graculus .............. 370 
 
 - , Hoplopterus .......... 268 
 
 - , Spizaetus .............. 9 
 
 CORVULTUR ................ 153 
 
 CORVUS ................... 153 
 
 coryphaeus, Thamnobia ...... 93 
 
 CORYTHORNIS .............. 60 
 
 COSMETORNIS .............. 45 
 
 COSSYPHA .................. 118 
 
 COTURNIX .................. 248 
 
 COTYLE .................... 52 
 
 Coucal, Houhou ............ 224 
 
 Coucou criard .............. 226 
 
 - didric ................ 228 
 
 - edolio (femelle) ........ 225 
 
 -- (male) ............ 226 
 
 -- (variet^) .......... 225 
 
 - de Klaas .............. 229 
 
 vulgaire d'Afrique ...... 228 
 
 Courly a tete nue ............ 297 
 
 Courser, Heuglin's .......... 262 
 
 - , Senegal .............. .' . 261 
 
 - , South-African Double- 
 collared .................. 261 
 
 - , Violet-winged ........ 263 
 
 Crake, Baillon's ............ 317 
 
 -,Black .... ............ 321 
 
 - Olive-marined ........ 318 
 
 Temminck's 
 
 320 
 
 - - , Southern Crowned ...... 279 
 
 - , Stanley .............. 278 
 
 - , Wattled .............. 278 
 
 crassirostris, Alauda .......... 195 
 
 crassirostris, Calendula 
 
 CRATEROPUS 
 
 Crested Cuckoo, Great 
 
 Crested Grebe, Great 
 
 CREX , 
 
 Crimson -breasted Shrike, South 
 
 ern 
 
 CRINIGER 
 
 Criniger, Yellow-bellied 
 
 cristata, Alcedo 
 
 , Corythornis . . . 
 
 , Eupodotis 
 
 , Fulica 
 
 , Muscipeta 
 
 , Tchitrea 
 
 , Terpsiphone 
 
 cristatella, Upupa 
 
 cristatus, Podiceps 
 
 CRITHAGRA 
 
 crocopygia, Poliospiza 
 
 Crombec 
 
 , South- African 
 
 Crow, Scapulary 
 
 Crowned Crane, Southern 
 crumeniferus, Leptoptilos . . . . 
 
 , Leptoptilus 
 
 Cubla 
 
 cubla, Dryoscopus 
 
 , Laniarius 
 
 Cuckoo, Black-and- White . . . . 
 
 , Didric 
 
 , Edolio 
 
 , European 
 
 , Great Crested 
 
 , Klaas's 
 
 , Levaillant's 
 
 -, Lineated 
 
 , Noisy 
 
 , Senegal Spur-heeled .... 
 
 cucullata, Hirundo 
 
 cucullatus, Lanius 
 
 , Pomatorhynchus 
 
 CTJCULUS 
 
 cupreus, Chrysococcyx 
 
 curlew, Common 
 
 CURRUCA 
 
 cursoria, Saxicola 
 
 CURSORIUS 
 
 cyaneus, Circus 
 
 cyano^astra, Estrelda 
 
 , Loxia 
 
 cyanoleuca, Halcyon 
 
 cyanomelas, Irrisor 
 
 Page 
 
 ', 121 
 225 
 345 
 317 
 
 144 
 
 121 
 
 121 
 
 60 
 
 60 
 
 258 
 
 327 
 
 130 
 
 130 
 
 130 
 
 64 
 
 345 
 
 182 
 
 184 
 
 77 
 
 77 
 
 154 
 
 279 
 
 282 
 
 282 
 
 146 
 
 146 
 
 146 
 
 225 
 
 228 
 
 226 
 
 227 
 
 225 
 
 229 
 
 225 
 
 228 
 
 226 
 
 224 
 
 50 
 
 149 
 
 149 
 
 226 
 
 228 
 
 299 
 
 100 
 
 109 
 
 261 
 
 33 
 
 179 
 
 179 
 
 56 
 
 67 
 
OF GENERA AND SPECIES. 
 
 379 
 
 Page 
 
 cyanomelas, Rhinopomastus . . 67 
 
 cyanostigma, Alcedo 60 
 
 , Corythornis 60 
 
 CYPSELUS 46 
 
 dactylisonans, Coturnix 248 
 
 damarensis, Oaprimulgus 44 
 
 , Charadrius xxx, 271 
 
 , Dryodromas 95 
 
 , Eremomela 95 
 
 , Eudromias xxx 
 
 , Halcyon 57 
 
 ; Streptopelia 233 
 
 , Turtur 233 
 
 DAPTION 353 
 
 Darter, African 367 
 
 Delegorguei, Coturnix 249 
 
 demersa, Spheniscus 348 
 
 demersus, Spheniscus 348 
 
 DENDBOBATES 219 
 
 DENDBOCYGNA 338 
 
 DENDBOPICUS 219 
 
 desertorum, Buteo 12 
 
 DIC^EUM 77 
 
 DICBOCEBCUS 63 
 
 DICBUBUS 125 
 
 diffusus, Passer 187 
 
 DILOPHUS 162 
 
 dimidiata, Alecthelia 320 
 
 , Corethrura 320 
 
 , Gallinula 320 
 
 , Hirundo 50 
 
 DIOMEDEA 355 
 
 divaricatus, Dicrurus 125 
 
 Diving Duck, Maccoa 344 
 
 , Yellow-throated 343 
 
 dominicanus, Larus 357 
 
 dorsalis, Tringa 309 
 
 Double-collared Courser, South- 
 African 261 
 
 Double-collared Sun-bird, Greater 70 
 
 , Lesser 69 
 
 Dougalli, Sterna 361 
 
 Dove, Black-throated 235 
 
 , Damara 233 
 
 , Emerald-spotted 236 
 
 , Red-eyed 234 
 
 , Senegal 232 
 
 Drongeur 125 
 
 Drongo, Musical 125 
 
 DBYMCECA 82, 97, 116 
 
 DBYMOICA 82 
 
 Drymoica, Allied 83 
 
 Page 
 
 Drymoica, Andersson's 87 
 
 , Cape 82 
 
 , Kurichane 86 
 
 , Levaillant's 87 
 
 , Pectoral 84 
 
 , Rufous-cheeked 85 
 
 , Smith's 86 
 
 , Tawny-headed 87 
 
 DBYODBOMAS 95 
 
 Dryodrome, Black-breasted .... 96 
 
 , Damara 95 
 
 DBYOSCOPUS 145, 146 
 
 Duck, Maccoa Diving 344 
 
 , White-spotted 341 
 
 , Widow Tree- 338 
 
 , Yellow-billed 342 
 
 , Yellow-throated Diving 343 
 
 Dwarf Falcon, African 19 
 
 Dwarf Goose, African 336 
 
 Dwarf Heron, Black-headed . . 292 
 , Sturm's 291 
 
 Eagle, African Sea- 9 
 
 , Black-breasted Harrier . . 10 
 
 , Booted 7 
 
 , Martial Hawk 8 
 
 , Rufous-backed Bateleur . 10 
 
 , Spotted-breasted Hawk. . 7 
 
 , Tawny . . 6 
 
 , Verreaux's 5 
 
 Eagle-Owl, Spotted 42 
 
 , Verreaux's 41 
 
 ecaudatus, Helotarsus 10 
 
 Echenilleur jaune 133 
 
 noir 133 
 
 Ecorcheur 135 
 
 edolius, Oxylophus 226 
 
 Egret, European Greater 289 
 
 , European Lesser 290 
 
 , Short-billed 289 
 
 EGBETTA 289 
 
 egretta, Ardea 289 
 
 egyptica, Anas 335 
 
 ELANUS 20 
 
 elegans, Fringilla 176 
 
 , Tockus 209 
 
 EMBEBIZA 181 
 
 Engoule-vent a collier 45 
 
 ENNEOCTONUS 135 
 
 ENNEOCTOBNIS 135 
 
 EPHIALTES 38 
 
 ephippiorhyncha, Ciconia 281 
 
 EPHIPPIOBHYNCHUS , .281 
 
380 
 
 ALPHABETICAL INDEX 
 
 epirhinus, Buceros 206 
 
 EBEMOMELA 95, 97 
 
 EBISMATUBA 344 
 
 EBITHACUS 104 
 
 erythraeus, Phoenicopterus .... 331 
 erythroce])hala, Amadina .... 174 
 
 , Loxia 174 
 
 erythrochlamys, Alauda 194 
 
 erythromelas, Colius 203 
 
 erythromelon, Colius 203 
 
 ervthronota, Alauda 114 
 
 , Estrelda 178 
 
 erythronotus, Anthus 114 
 
 erythrophrys, Turtur 234 
 
 erythropterus, Lanius 149 
 
 , Merops 62 
 
 , Pomatorhynchus 149 
 
 , Telephonus 149, 151 
 
 , Telophonus 149 
 
 EBYTHBOPUS 15 
 
 erythropus, Oolius 202 
 
 , Porphyrio 325 
 
 EBYTHBOPYGIA 92, 103 
 
 erythrorhyncha, Anas 339 
 
 , Nettion 339 
 
 , Pcecilonetta 339 
 
 , Pcecilonitta 339 
 
 , Vidua 181 
 
 erythrorhynchos, Irrisor 65 
 
 erythrorhynchus, Bubalornis . . 165 
 
 , Buceros 211 
 
 , Irrisor 65 
 
 , Textor 165 
 
 , Tockus 211 
 
 erythrorhyncus, Irrisor 65 
 
 ESTBELDA 176, 178, 181 
 
 ESTBILDA 178 
 
 EUDBOMIAS 271 
 
 eulophus, Vultur 4 
 
 EUPLECTES 167, 170 
 
 EUPODOTIS 258 
 
 EUBOCEPHALUS 140 
 
 excubitor, Lanius 135 
 
 explorator, Petrocincla 116 
 
 exulans, Diomedea 355 
 
 FALCO 6,12 
 
 Falcon, African Dwarf 19 
 
 , Rufous-necked 14 
 
 , South-African Lanneroid 13 
 
 , South- African Peregrinoid 12 
 
 familiaris, Aedon ]03 
 
 , Saxicola 103 
 
 Page 
 
 famosa, Nectarinia 68 
 
 fasciata, Aquila 7 
 
 fasciolata, Aedon 
 
 , Drymceca 90 
 
 , Drymoica 90 
 
 Faucon chanteur 26 
 
 FICEDULA 100 
 
 Finch, Amadavat 176 
 
 , Berg Canarie 175 
 
 , Black-cheeked 178 
 
 , Grenadier 180 
 
 , Latham's 173 
 
 , Red-headed 174 
 
 , Scutellated 177 
 
 , Southern Benghala 179 
 
 , Southern Red-faced 176 
 
 , Ultramarine 175 
 
 , Waxbill 178 
 
 Finch Lark, Dark-naped 191 
 
 , Grey-backed 190 
 
 , Smith's 189 
 
 Fiscal 136 
 
 Fiscus 136 
 
 Flamingo, Greater South- African 331 
 
 , Lesser South-African .. 333 
 
 flammea, Strix 36 
 
 flava, Budytes 112 
 
 , Motacilla 112 
 
 , Zosterops 76 
 
 flavicans, Drvmceca 84 
 
 , Drymoica 84 
 
 , Sylvia 84 
 
 flavida, Drymceca 96 
 
 , Dryodromas 96 
 
 , Eremomela 96 
 
 fiavigaster, Emberiza 
 
 fiavigula, Xanthodira 185 
 
 flavirostra, Gallinula 321 
 
 flavirostris, Anas 342 
 
 , Buceros 210 
 
 , Egretta 289 
 
 , Rhynchops 365 
 
 , Tockus.... :.. 210 
 
 flaviventris, Criniger 121 
 
 , Emberiza 188 
 
 , Eremomela 97 
 
 , Fringillaria 188 
 
 , Sylvia 97 
 
 flavus, Budytes 112 
 
 fluviatilis, Sterna 361 
 
 Flycatcher, Black 128 
 
 , European Spotted 129 
 
 , Mariqua 128 
 
OF GENERA AND SPECIES. 
 
 381 
 
 Page 
 
 Flycatcher, Pririt 131 
 
 , Tchitrec 130 
 
 , Wahlberg's 131 
 
 , White-tailed 132 
 
 formicivora, Myrmecocichla . . 110 
 
 , Saxicola 110 
 
 Forskahli, Milvus 22 
 
 Forskali, Milvus 22 
 
 Francolin, Coqui 246 
 
 -, Crimson-throated 244 
 
 , Orange-River 245 
 
 , Pileated 247 
 
 , Red-billed .' 247 
 
 , Swainson's 244 
 
 FRANCOLINUS 244 
 
 FRINGILLA .... 173, 175, 180, 182 
 
 FRINGILLARIA 188 
 
 FULICA 325, 327 
 
 FULIGULA 342 
 
 fuligula, Cotyle 52 
 
 fulvipennis, Juida 162 
 
 , Lamprotornis 162 
 
 fulviscapus, Dendropicus 220 
 
 ,Picus 220 
 
 fulvus, Gyps 5 
 
 , Vultur 5 
 
 fusca, Cinnyris 71 
 
 , Nectarinia 71 
 
 fuscescens, Dendrobates 220 
 
 Fuscous Wheatear, Great 
 
 107 
 
 fuscus, Lams 357 
 
 Gabar 28 
 
 r, Accipiter 28 
 
 -, Melierax 28 
 
 , Nisus 28 
 
 galbula, Oriolus 124 
 
 GALLINAGO 312 
 
 GALLINULA 320 
 
 Galtoni, Aedon 103 
 
 , Erythropygia 103 
 
 gambensis, Anser 334 
 
 , Plectopterus 334 
 
 Gannet, South-African 365 
 
 Garden- Warbler, British 100 
 
 gariepensis, Francolinus 245 
 
 , Scleroptera 245 
 
 garrula, Certhilauda 201 
 
 , Coracias 56 
 
 garrulus, Coracias 56 
 
 garzetta, Ardea 290 
 
 , Herodias 290 
 
 GERONTICUS . . . 297 
 
 Page 
 
 gigantea, Alcedo 59 
 
 , Ossifraga 354 
 
 , Procellaria 354 
 
 glandarius, Coccystes 225 
 
 , Oxylophus 225 
 
 GLAREOLA 264 
 
 glareola, Totanus 302 
 
 Glossy Starling, Burchell's 158 
 
 , Cafre 162 
 
 , Meve's 159 
 
 , Nabirop 160 
 
 9 Spreo 161 
 
 , Verreaux's 156 
 
 GLOTTIS 301 
 
 glottis, Totanus 301 
 
 Goatsucker, Freckled 45 
 
 , Pectoral 45 
 
 , Rufous-cheeked 44 
 
 , Standard-wing 45 
 
 goliat,- Ardea 285 
 
 goliath, Ardea 285 
 
 Goose, African Dwarf 336 
 
 , Egyptian 335 
 
 , Knob-billed 335 
 
 , Western Spur- wing .... 334 
 
 Gouldii, Anthus 114 
 
 GRACULUS 367 
 
 granatina, Estrelda 180 
 
 , Fringilla 180 
 
 granatinus, Urseginthus 180 
 
 Grande Veuve d' Angola 181 
 
 Grayi, Alauda 193 
 
 , Chgetops 117 
 
 Greater Egret, European 289 
 
 Grebe, British Little 347 
 
 , Eared 346 
 
 , Great Crested 345 
 
 Greenshank 301 
 
 Grenouillard 34 
 
 Grey Shrike, European Lesser . 134 
 
 Grey-headed Gull, African 358 
 
 Sparrow, Southern 187 
 
 Grey-winged Kestrel, Western . 17 
 
 Griffon- Vulture, Ruppell's 5 
 
 , South- African 5 
 
 Grignet 77 
 
 , Layard's 78 
 
 , Rufous-vented 77 
 
 griseola, Muscicapa 129 
 
 griseus, Nycticorax 293 
 
 grisola, Butalis 129 
 
 , Muscicapa 129 
 
 Grivron , , . . 116 
 
382 
 
 ALPHABETICAL INDEX 
 
 Page 
 Grosbeak, Damara Yellow- 
 
 rumped 18,4 
 
 , Southern Yellow-throated 185 
 
 , Streaky-headed 183 
 
 Grosbec du Ooromandel 170 
 
 tachete du Cap 170 
 
 Grouse, Double-banded Sand- . . 241 
 
 , Namaqua Sand- 242 
 
 , Variegated Sand- 242 
 
 GBUS 278 
 
 Gu^pier a collier bleu 62 
 
 minulle 62 
 
 Guinea, Columba 231 
 
 Guineas, Columba 231 
 
 Guinea-fowl, Cape 238 
 
 guineensis, Columba 231 
 
 gularis, Crithagra 182 
 
 , Cuculus 228 
 
 , FringiUa 183 
 
 , Linaria 183 
 
 , Poliospiza 183 
 
 Gull, African Grey-headed 358 
 
 , South- African Black- 
 backed 357 
 
 gutturalis, Ardea 291 
 
 , Chalcomitra 73 
 
 , Cypselus 46 
 
 , Laniarius 147 
 
 , Nectarinia 73 
 
 , Telophorus 147 
 
 GYPS 5 
 
 HABBOPYGA 178 
 
 ELsiMATOPUS 277 
 
 Hagedash, Geronticus 298 
 
 , Hagedashia 298 
 
 HAGEDASHIA 298 
 
 HALCYON 56 
 
 HALIAETUS 9 
 
 Harrier, Fuliginous 33 
 
 , Levaillant's 34 
 
 , Montagu's 33 
 
 , Swainson's 32 
 
 Harrier-Eagle, Black-breasted . 10 
 
 Hartlaubi, Crateropus 124 
 
 , Picus 219 
 
 Hartlaubii, Crithagra 182 
 
 , Dendropicus 219 
 
 hastatus, Buceros 207 
 
 Hawk, African Black 29 
 
 , Chanting 26 
 
 , Gabar 28 
 
 , Many-banded Sparrow- . . 30 
 
 Page 
 
 Hawk, Minulle Sparrow- 31 
 
 , One-streaked 26 
 
 , Rufous-bellied Sparrow- . 32 
 
 , Riippell's Many-zoned . . 27 
 
 , Tacniro Sparrow- 29 
 
 Hawk Eagle, Martial 8 
 
 , Spotted-breasted 7 
 
 Helmet-Shrike, Retz's 142 
 
 , Smith's 141 
 
 HELOTABSUS 10 
 
 helvetica, Squatarola 270 
 
 HEMEBODBOMUS 262 
 
 Hemipode, Kurichane 249 
 
 HEMIPODIUS 249 
 
 HEBODIAS 289 
 
 Heron, Black-headed Dwarf . . 292 
 
 , Black-throated 284 
 
 , Buff-backed 288 
 
 , Common 284 
 
 , European Night 293 
 
 , Goliath 285 
 
 , Purple 286 
 
 , Rufous-bellied 287 
 
 , Squacco 288 
 
 , Sturm's Dwarf 291 
 
 Heywoodi, Charadrius 272 
 
 hiaticula, ^Egialites 276 
 
 , Charadrius 276 
 
 HIEBAETUS 7 
 
 HlMANTOPUS 315 
 
 himantopus, Charadrius 315 
 
 Hirondelle fauve 52 
 
 rouselline 50 
 
 hirundinaceus, Dicrocercus .... 63 
 
 , Merops 63 
 
 hirundineus, Melittophagus .... 63 
 
 , Merops 63 
 
 HIBUNDO 49 
 
 hirundo, Sterna 361 
 
 histrionica, Coturnix 249 
 
 Hobby, British 14 
 
 , Eastern Red-footed 17 
 
 , Western Red-footed 15 
 
 Honey-Guide, Little 223 
 
 Hoopoe, South-African 64 
 
 HOPLOPTEBUS 267 
 
 Hornbill, Crowned 208 
 
 , Ground 205 
 
 , Monteiro's 208 
 
 , Red-billed 210 
 
 , Tock 206 
 
 , Yellow-billed 210 
 
 hortensis, Curruca 100 
 
OF GENERA AND SPECIES. 
 
 383 
 
 Page 
 
 hortensis, Sylvia 100 
 
 hottentota, Nettion 340 
 
 , Querquedula 340 
 
 hottentotta, Querquedula .... 340 
 
 , Saxicola 108 
 
 HUHUA 41 
 
 hybrida, Pelodes 363 
 
 HYDROCHELIDON 363 
 
 HYPHANTOBNIS 169 
 
 HYPOCHERA 175 
 
 HYPOLAIS 100 
 
 hypolais, Ficedula 100 
 
 , Phyllopseuste 100 
 
 , Sylvia 100 
 
 hypoleucus, Actitis 303 
 
 , Totanus 303 
 
 , Tringoides 303 
 
 HYPOTRIORCHIS . 14 
 
 IBIS 297 
 
 , African Roseate 296 
 
 , Bald 297 
 
 , Bubulcus 288 
 
 , Hagedash 298 
 
 , Sacred 297 
 
 , Tantalus 296 
 
 - blanc d'Egypte 296 
 
 impetuani, Fringillaria 189 
 
 Indicateur, petit 223 
 
 INDICATOR 223 
 
 infuscata, Saxicola 107 
 
 intermedia, Ardea 289 
 
 , Herodias 289 
 
 interpres, Cinclus 276 
 
 , Strepsilas 276 
 
 , Tringa 276 
 
 IPAGRUS 221 
 
 IRRISOR 65 
 
 Irrisor, Black 68 
 
 , Namaqua 67 
 
 .Red-billed 65 
 
 Isabelle 99 
 
 Ixos 120 
 
 Jaboteur 120 
 
 , Cape 120 
 
 Jacana, Greater African 328 
 
 , Lesser African 330 
 
 jackal, Buteo 11 
 
 jacobinus, Coccystes 225 
 
 , Oxylophus 225 
 
 Janfr<dric 118 
 
 Jardinii, Crateropus 123 
 
 JUIDA 156 
 
 KAUPIFALCO 26 
 
 Kestrel, British 18 
 
 , Greater South-African . . 19 
 
 , Lesser South- African . . 18 
 
 , Western Grey-winged . . 17 
 
 Kingfisher, African Malachite- 
 crested 60 
 
 , African White-headed . . 57 
 
 , Angola 56 
 
 , Black-and- White 59 
 
 , Great African 59 
 
 , Half-collared 58 
 
 , Striped 57 
 
 Kite, Black 21 
 
 , Sonnini's 20 
 
 , Yellow-billed 22 
 
 Kittlitzi, ^Egialites 274 
 
 , Charadrius 274 
 
 Klaasi, Chrysoccyx 229 
 
 Klaasii, Chalcites 229 
 
 Knot 306 
 
 Kolbii, Gyps 5 
 
 Kori, Eupodotis 258 
 
 , Otis 258 
 
 lactea, Strix 41 
 
 lacteus, Bubo 41 
 
 lagepa, Alauda 200 
 
 , Megalophonus 200 
 
 LAGONOSTICTA 176 
 
 LAIMODON 217 
 
 Lamelligerus, Anastomus .... 283 
 
 LAMPROCOLIUS 160 
 
 LAMPROTOBNIS 156 
 
 LANIARIUS, 144 
 
 LANICTERUS 134 
 
 LANIOTURDUS 132 
 
 LANIUS 134 
 
 Lanneroid Falcon, South -African 13 
 
 Lark, Andersson's 198 
 
 , Dark-lined . 199 
 
 , Dark-naped Finch 191 
 
 , Garrulous 201 
 
 , Grey-backed Finch 190 
 
 , Gray's 193 
 
 , Grey-collared 201 
 
 , Lagepa 200 
 
 , Objiinbinque 198 
 
 , Pink-billed 192 
 
 , Rufous-mantled 194 
 
 Sabota 195 
 
384 
 
 ALPHABETICAL INDEX 
 
 Page 
 
 Lark, Smith's Finch 189 
 
 , South-African Rufous- 
 capped 197 
 
 , South- African Thick-billed 195 
 
 LABUS 357 
 
 lateralis, Chettusia 267 
 
 , Lobivanellus 267 
 
 , Vanellus 267 
 
 Lathamii, Ploceus 173 
 
 latipennis, Scops 38 
 
 Lavandiere brune Ill 
 
 Layardi, Parisoma 78 
 
 lentiginosus, Caprimulgus .... 45 
 
 lepidus, Euplectes. 167 
 
 , Philetserus 167 
 
 LEPTOPTILOS 282 
 
 LEPTOPTLLUS 282 
 
 lepurana, Hemipodius 249 
 
 , Turnix 249 
 
 Lesser Egret, European 290 
 
 Waterhen, South-African 321 
 
 LESTBIS 357 
 
 letsitsirupa, Turdus 114 
 
 leucogaster, Juida 156 
 
 , Lamprotornis 156 
 
 , Phohdauges 156 
 
 leucomelaena, Saxicola 109 
 
 leucomelas, Laimodon 217 
 
 , Pogonias 217 
 
 , Pogonorhynchus 217 
 
 , Tockus 211 
 
 leuconota, Clangula 343 
 
 , Thalassornis 343 
 
 leucopareia, Sterna 363 
 
 leucophrys, ^Edon 92 
 
 , Aedon 92 
 
 , Anthus 114 
 
 leucopolius, Charadrius 272 
 
 leucoptera, Ardeola 288 
 
 , Sterna 363 
 
 leucopterus, Parus 82 
 
 LEUCORODIA 295 
 
 leucorodia, Platalea . . 295 
 
 leucostigma, Anas 341 
 
 leucotis, Bubo 40 
 
 , Ephialtes 40 
 
 , Pyrrhulauda 189 
 
 , Scops 40 
 
 ,Strix 40 
 
 Levaillantii, Drymceca 87 
 
 , Drymoica 87 
 
 , Plotus 367 
 
 , Psittacus 213 
 
 libonyana, Turdus 115 
 
 libonyanus, Turdus 115 
 
 licua, Athene 37 
 
 LIMNOCOBAX 321 
 
 LIMOSA 304 
 
 LlNABIA 183 
 
 lineatus, Cuculus 228 
 
 Linnets from Angola 182 
 
 lipiniana, Estrelda 178 
 
 Little Bittern, European 292 
 
 Little Grebe, British 347 
 
 littoralis, Charadrius 272 
 
 LOBIVANELLUS 267 
 
 longicauda, Carbo 370 
 
 Long-tailed Shrike, South- Afri- 
 can 138 
 
 Love-bird, Rosy-necked 216 
 
 LOXIA .172,174 
 
 lucidus, Graculus 368, 369 
 
 Ludwigii, Eupodotis 260 
 
 lugubns, Muscicapa 128 
 
 maccoa, Eiismatura 344 
 
 , Oxyura 344 
 
 MACaEBHAMPHUS 23 
 
 MACHEIBHAMPHUS 23 
 
 MACHETES 304 
 
 macrodactyla, Gallinago 312 
 
 macrurus, Colius 203 
 
 maculata, Actodromas 309 
 
 , Tringa 308 
 
 maculosa, Drymoeca 82 
 
 , Drymoica 82 
 
 maculosus, Bubo 42 
 
 , CEdicnemus 266 
 
 madagascariensis, Nettapus 336 
 
 mahali, Plocepasser 166 
 
 major, Dryoscopus 145 
 
 , Gallinago 312 
 
 , Laniarius 145 
 
 , Puffinus 350 
 
 , Scolopax 312 
 
 ,Tchagra 145 
 
 Malachite-crested Kingfisher, 
 
 African 60 
 
 MALACONOTUS 144, 148 
 
 Manchot du Cap de Bonne 
 
 Espe"rauce 348 
 
 Mangeur de Serpents 34 
 
 Many-zoned Hawk, Riippell's. . 27 
 
 marabou, Ciconia 282 
 
 Marabou Stork, African 282 
 
 MABECA.. . 339 
 
OF GENERA AND SPECIES. 
 
 385 
 
 Page 
 
 marginalia, Ortygometra 318 
 
 , Porzana 318 
 
 marginatus, ^Egialites 272 
 
 , Charadrius 272 
 
 MARIPOSA 179 
 
 mariquensis, Bradornis 128 
 
 , Bradyornis 128 
 
 , Hyphantornis 169 
 
 , Ploceus 169 
 
 , Saxicola ... 129 
 
 Martin, Fawn-breasted . . 52 
 
 Martinet a gorge blanche 46 
 
 maurns, Circus xxv, 33 
 
 , Falco 33 
 
 maxima, Ceryle 59 
 
 MEGALOPHONTJS 195 
 
 MELACONOTUS 148 
 
 MELJENOBNIS 128 
 
 melanocephala, Ardea 284 
 
 melanoleucus, Buceros 208 
 
 , Lanius 138 
 
 , Oxylophus 225 
 
 , Tockus 208 
 
 , Urolestes 138 
 
 MELANOPEPLA 128 
 
 melanophrys, Diomedea 356 
 
 melanops, Crateropus 123 
 
 melanoptera, Glareola 264 
 
 melanopterus, Elanus 20 
 
 , Falco 20 
 
 , Himantopus 315 
 
 melanorhyncha, Herodias .... 289 
 
 melanota, Tringa 309 
 
 melanotus, Sarcidiornis 335 
 
 , Sarkidiornis 335 
 
 melba, Cypselus 46 
 
 , Estrelda 176 
 
 , Pytelia 176 
 
 MELIEBAX 26 
 
 MELITTOPHAGUS 62 
 
 Melodious Warbler, European . . 100 
 
 MEBOPS 60 
 
 Mesange grisette 81 
 
 noire 81 
 
 Mevesi, Lamprotornis 159 
 
 Mevesii, Juida 159 
 
 Meyeri, Pionias 213 
 
 , Pceocephalus 213 
 
 , Poicephalus 213 
 
 , Psittacus 213 
 
 migrans, Milvus 21 
 
 MILYUS 21 
 
 minima, Estrelda 176 
 
 Page 
 
 minima, Fringilla 176 
 
 , Lapronosticta 176 
 
 , Pytelia 176 
 
 minor. Collurio 134 
 
 .Falco 12 
 
 , Indicator 223 
 
 , Lanius 134 
 
 , Onocrotalus 371 
 
 , Pelecanus 371 
 
 , Phoenicopterus 333 
 
 , Podiceps 347 
 
 , Upupa 64 
 
 Minulle 31 
 
 minullus, Accipiter 31 
 
 minuta, Ardea 292 
 
 ,Ardetta 292 
 
 , Ortygometra 317 
 
 ,Pelidna 310 
 
 , Tringa 310 
 
 minutella, Actodromas 309 
 
 minutus, ^Egithalus 80 
 
 , Anthoscopus 79 
 
 MlBAFBA 195,198 
 
 mitrata, Numida 238 
 
 mitratus, Pelecanus 371 
 
 modesta, Saxicola 104 
 
 mogilnik, Aquila 6 
 
 Moineau du Cap de Bonne Espe- 
 
 rance 185 
 
 monachus, Cathartes 2 
 
 monogrammicus, Aster 26 
 
 , Astur 26 
 
 , Kaupifalco 26 
 
 , Melierax 26 
 
 Montagnard 18 
 
 Monteiri, Hirundo 49 
 
 , Toccus 208 
 
 . , Tockus 208 
 
 MONTICOLA 116 
 
 Moquini, Heematopus 277 
 
 MOTACILLA Ill 
 
 motitensis, Passer 186 
 
 MUSCICAPA 128 
 
 MUSCIPETA 130 
 
 musicus, Dicrurus 125 
 
 , Falco 26 
 
 , Melierax 26 
 
 MYCTEBIA 281 
 
 MYBMECOCICHLA 110 
 
 Nabirop 160 
 
 Nabouroup 162 
 
 nabouroup, Spreo 162 
 
 2 C 
 
386 
 
 ALPHABETICAL INDEX 
 
 Page 
 
 NABOUROUPUS 162 
 
 nevia, Alauda 193, 199 
 
 , Coracias 54 
 
 naevioides, Aquila 6 
 
 naevius, Megalophonus 199 
 
 namaqua, Pteroclurus 242 
 
 nainaquus, Dendrobates 219 
 
 , Dendropicus 219 
 
 ,Picus 219 
 
 -, Thripias 219 
 
 nasutus, Buceros 206 
 
 , Tockus 206 
 
 natalensis, Merops 62 
 
 , Nectarinia 73 
 
 NECTARINIA .' 68 
 
 neglecta, Motacilla 112 
 
 neglectus, Graculus 369 
 
 NEOPHRON 1 
 
 NETTAPUS 336 
 
 NETTION 339 
 
 niger, Accipiter 29 
 
 , Campepliaga 134 
 
 , Gallinula 321 
 
 , Hsematopus 277 
 
 , Lanicterus 134 
 
 , Limnocorax 321 
 
 , Melierax 29 
 
 , Nisus 29 
 
 , Parus 81 
 
 , Promerops 67 
 
 , Rallus 321 
 
 , Sparvius 29 
 
 , Textor 165 
 
 Night Heron, European 293 
 
 nigra, Campepliaga 133 
 
 , Hydrochelidon 363 
 
 , Limnocorax 321 
 
 , Ortygometra 321 
 
 nigricans, Pycnonotus . . 119 
 
 nigricollis, Podiceps 346 
 
 , Proctopus 346 
 
 nigripennis, Gallinago 312 
 
 nigrogularis, Dendrobates .... 221 
 
 NILAUS 139 
 
 Nisus 27 
 
 nitens, Amadina 175 
 
 , Fringilla 175 
 
 , Hypochera 175 
 
 nivifrons, Charadrius 272 
 
 Nordmanni, Glareola 264 
 
 notatus, Oriolus 124 
 
 nubicoides, Merops 62 
 
 nuchalis, Coracias 54 
 
 Page 
 
 nudicollis, Francolinus 244 
 
 , Pternises 244, 254 
 
 NUMENIUS 299, 306 
 
 NUMIDA 238 
 
 NYCTICORAX 293 
 
 nycticorax, Ardea 293 
 
 NYROCA 342 
 
 nyroca, Fuligula 342 
 
 obscura, Sylvia 100 
 
 occipitalis, Vultur 4 
 
 oceanica, Oceanites 351 
 
 , Procellaria 351 
 
 OCEANITES 351 
 
 ocularius, Drymo3ca 85 
 
 , Drymoica 85 
 
 (EDICNEMUS 266 
 
 (ENA 235 
 
 olivacea, Calamodyta 94 
 
 , Camaroptera 94 
 
 olivaceus, Turdus 116 
 
 Ombrette du Senegal 294 
 
 ONOCROTALUS 371 
 
 onocrotalus, Pelecanus 371 
 
 , Pelicanus 371 
 
 Oricou 2 
 
 orientalis, Rhynchops 365 
 
 Oriole, Andersson's 124 
 
 , Golden 124 
 
 ORIOLUS 124 
 
 orix, Loxia 172 
 
 Ortleppi, Drymosca 84 
 
 ORTYGOMETRA 317, 321 
 
 oryx, Euplectes 122 
 
 , Ploceus 172 
 
 , Pyromelana 172 
 
 oscitans, Anastomus 283 
 
 OSSIFRAGA 354 
 
 Ostrich 251 
 
 , South-African 251 
 
 OTIS 258 
 
 OTOGYPS 2 
 
 OTUS 43 
 
 Owl, African Barred-tail 
 
 , African Pearl-spotted .... 37 
 
 , African Short-eared .... 43 
 
 , Cape Scops 38 
 
 -, South- African Screech . . 36 
 
 , Spotted Eagle 42 
 
 , Tufted 40 
 
 , Verreaux's Eagle 41 
 
 , White-faced Scops 40 
 
OF GENERA AND SPECIES. 
 
 .387 
 
 Oxpecker, Greater 
 
 Page 
 . 163 
 
 I 
 
 'age 
 
 7 
 7 
 1 
 
 12 
 236 
 37 
 37 
 23 
 213 
 345 
 353 
 352 
 353 
 351 
 351 
 116 
 185 
 185 
 358 
 214 
 358 
 231 
 300 
 367 
 230 
 63 
 167 
 304 
 160 
 331 
 160 
 118 
 156 
 100 
 120 
 101 
 100 
 219 
 220 
 259 
 222 
 
 149 
 230 
 230 
 353 
 231 
 108 
 247 
 247 
 2 
 
 Oxylophus 
 
 225 
 
 Hieraetus 
 
 OXYUBA 
 
 . 344 
 
 pennatus, Hieraetus 
 
 Oye de la cote de Coromandel . 
 Oyster-catcher, Moquin's. . . . 
 
 . 335 
 
 . 277 
 
 percnopterus, Neophron 
 Peregrinoid Falcon, South-Afri- 
 can . 
 
 paena, Aedon 
 
 92 
 
 PEBISTEBA 
 
 psena, yEdon 
 
 92 
 
 perlata, Athene 
 
 paena Erythropysria 
 
 92 
 
 Strix 
 
 p?ena, Erythropygia 
 
 92 
 
 Pern, Andersson's ... 
 
 Painted Snipe, African 
 
 . 313 
 
 Perroquet a franges 30119! 
 Petersi, Podica 
 
 pallida, Drymoica 
 
 84 
 
 pallidus Charadrius 
 
 272 
 
 Petrel. Oape^ 
 
 pammelsena, Bradyornis . . 
 
 128 
 
 Dove-coloured 
 
 IVTelanopepla 
 
 T?8 
 
 Giant 
 
 paradisea, Grus 
 
 278 
 
 ? Stormy 
 
 , Scops 
 
 . 278 
 181 
 
 , Wilson's 
 
 , Ste^anura 
 
 PETBOCINCLA . . . 
 
 } Tetrapteryx 
 
 . 278 
 
 petronella, Petronia 
 
 , Vidua 
 
 . 181 
 
 PETBONIA . . . 
 
 Parasite 
 
 22 
 
 phseocephala, Xema . , 
 
 parasiticus, Milvus 
 
 22 
 
 PlL?EOCEPHALUS 
 
 , Stercorarius" 
 
 . 357 
 
 phseocephalus, L/arus 
 
 PARISOMA 
 
 77 
 
 phsBonotus Stictoenas 
 
 PABOIDES 
 
 . 79 
 
 phseopus, Numenius 
 
 PABBA 
 
 . 328 
 
 PHAI/ACBOCOBAX 
 
 
 . 213 
 
 PHALACBOTBEBON 
 
 Meyer's 
 
 213 
 
 PHASMAPTYNX 
 
 , Riippell's 
 
 . 214 
 
 PHILETJEBUS 
 
 PABUS 
 
 81 
 
 PHILOMACHUS 
 
 parvus Oypselus 
 
 48 
 
 phoenicoptera Juida 
 
 , Phcenicopterus 
 
 333 
 
 PHCENICOPTEBUS 
 
 PASSER 
 
 . 185 
 
 phoenicopterus, Lamprocolius . . 
 phcenicurus Bessonornis 
 
 pastor, Pratincola . . 
 
 102 
 
 pavonia, Ardea 
 
 . 279 
 
 PHOLIDAUGES 
 
 Pearl-spotted Owl, African . . 
 pectoralis, Campephafa . . 
 
 . 37 
 . 134 
 
 phrao^mitis, Salicaria . . . 
 
 PHYLLASTBEPHUS 
 
 , Caprimulgus 
 
 . 45 
 
 PHYLLOPNEUSTE . . ... 
 
 , Ceblepyris 
 
 . 134 
 
 PHYLLOPSEUSTE 
 
 Circaetus 
 
 10 
 
 Pic a double moustache 
 
 , Drymoica 
 
 . 84 
 
 Pic petit a baguettes d'or .... 
 picturata, Otis . . 
 
 , Erythopyjria . 
 
 . 92 
 
 , Trin ( ^a . . 
 
 . 308 
 
 Pic us 219 
 
 pecuarius, Charadrius 
 
 . 274 
 . 274 
 
 Pie-grieche rousse a tete noire 
 du Sdneo'al 
 
 j yEoialites 
 
 pela^ica, Procellaria 
 
 . 351 
 
 Pigeon a front nu 
 
 y Thalassidroma 
 PELECANUS. ... 36 
 
 . 351 
 8, 371 
 . 371 
 
 , Bald-fronted 
 
 , Cape . . 
 
 Pelican, Riippell's 
 
 , Ivoussard 
 
 PELICANUS 
 
 371 
 
 pileata Saxicola 
 
 PELIDNA 
 
 . 306 
 
 , Scleroptera 
 
 PELODES 
 
 363 
 
 pileatus, Francolinus 
 , Neophron 
 
 Penguin. South-African . 
 
 . 348 
 
388 
 
 ALPHABETICAL INDEX 
 
 Page 
 
 pileatus, Scleroptera 247 
 
 pilosa, Coracias 54 
 
 pilosus, Coracias 54 
 
 PIONIAS 213 
 
 Pipit, Caffre 113 
 
 , Cinnamon-backed 113 
 
 , Raalten's 113 
 
 , Tawny 114 
 
 Pique-bceuf 163 
 
 Plan tain- eater, Whole-coloured 204 
 
 PLATALEA 295 
 
 PLATYSTEIRA 131 
 
 PLATYSTIRA 131 
 
 PLECTROPTEBUS 334 
 
 PLOCEPASSER 166 
 
 PLOCEUS 169 
 
 PLOTUS 367 
 
 Plover, Blacksmith 267 
 
 , Caspian 271 
 
 , Grey 270 
 
 , Heywood's 272 
 
 , Kentish 272 
 
 , Kittlitz's 274 
 
 , Ringed 276 
 
 , South-African Wattled. . 267 
 
 , Treble-collared 274 
 
 , Wreathed 268 
 
 plumiferus, Herodias 289 
 
 PLUVIANUS 267 
 
 Pluvier du Cap de Bonne Espe- 
 
 rance 268 
 
 Pochard, South- African 342 
 
 PODICA 345 
 
 PODICEPS 345 
 
 podiceps, Ardetta 293 
 
 PCECILONETTA 339 
 
 PCECILONITTA 339 
 
 pcena, Ae'don 92 
 
 poensis, Strix 36 
 
 PCEOCEPHALUS 213 
 
 POGONIAS 217 
 
 POGONORHYNCHUS 217 
 
 POIOCEPHALUS 213 
 
 poiocephalus, Cirrhocephalus . . 358 
 
 - , Larus 358 
 
 POLIHIERAX 19 
 
 POLIOHIERAX 19 
 
 POLIOSPIZA 183 
 
 polyzonoides, Accipiter .... 29, 30 
 
 , Falco 30 
 
 polyzonus, Melierax 27, 30 
 
 , Nisus 27 
 
 pomarinus, Coprotheres 357 
 
 Page 
 
 pomarinus, Lestris 357 
 
 , Stercorarius 357 
 
 POMATORHYNCHUS 149 
 
 PORPHYRIO 325 
 
 Porphyrio, Allen's 327 
 
 , Green-backed 325 
 
 porphyrio, Fulica 325 
 
 Porte-lambeau 162 
 
 PORZANA 318 
 
 PRATINCOLA 102 
 
 pratincola, Glareola 265 
 
 Pratincole, Collared 265 
 
 , Nordmann's 264 
 
 principally Vidua 181 
 
 PRIONOPS 141 
 
 Pririt 131 
 
 pririt, Platysteira 131 
 
 , Platystira 131 
 
 PROCELLARIA 351 
 
 PROCTOPUS 346 
 
 PROMEROPS 67 
 
 Promerops moqueur 65 
 
 PSEUD AETUS 7 
 
 PSEUDOPRION 352 
 
 PSITTACULA 216 
 
 PSITTACUS 213 
 
 PTERNISES 244 
 
 PTERO AETUS 5 
 
 PTEROCLES 241 
 
 PTEROCLURUS 242 
 
 PUFFINUS 350 
 
 pugnax, Machetes 304 
 
 ,Philomachus 304 
 
 pumila, Gallinula 321 
 
 purpurea, Ardea 286 
 
 pusillus, Melittophagus 62 
 
 PYCNONOTUS 119 
 
 pycnopy gins, Chsetops 117 
 
 , Sphenoeacus 117 
 
 pygmaea, Ortygometra 317 
 
 y Zaparnia 317 
 
 pygmseus, Numenius 306 
 
 PYROMELANA 172 
 
 pyrrhonota, Alauda 1 13 
 
 pyrrhonotus, Anthus 113 
 
 PYRRHULAUDA 189 
 
 PYTELIA 176 
 
 Quail, European 248 
 
 , Harlequin 249 
 
 QUELEA 173 
 
 quelea, Fringilla 173 
 
 QrERQUEDULA 339 
 
OF GENERA AND SPECIES. 
 
 389 
 
 ' Page 
 
 Raalteni, Antlius 113 
 
 Raaltenii, Anthus 113 
 
 Raddei, Falco 17 
 
 Rail, Gaffer 316 
 
 RALLUS 316,321 
 
 Ramier roussard 231 
 
 ranivorus, Circus xxv, 34 
 
 Reclameur 119 
 
 Recurvirostra 314 
 
 Red-faced Finch, Southern 176 
 
 Red-footed Hobby, Eastern . . 17 
 
 , Western 15 
 
 Redshank, Common 300 
 
 Reed- Warbler, Isabelle 99 
 
 , Thrush-like 99 
 
 regia, Emberiza 181 
 
 , Vidua 181 
 
 regulorum, Balearica 279 
 
 , Grus 279 
 
 religiosa, Ibis 297 
 
 reptilivorus, Secretarius 34 
 
 , Serpentarius 34 
 
 Retzii, Prionops 142 
 
 RHINOPOMASTUS 67 
 
 RHYNCHJEA 313 
 
 RHYNCHASPIS 341 
 
 RHYNCHOPS 365 
 
 Richardsonii, Lestris 357 
 
 risorius ?, Columba 233 
 
 robustus, Poicephalus 213 
 
 , Psittacus 213 
 
 Rock-Thrush, Short-footed 116 
 
 Roller, European 56 
 
 , Green-necked 53 
 
 , White-naped 54 
 
 Rollier varie d'Afrique 54 
 
 Rook, South- African 155 
 
 Roseate Ibis, African 296 
 
 roseicollis, Agapornis 216 
 
 , Psittacula 216 
 
 Rounoir 11 
 
 rubicola, Saxicola 102 
 
 rudis, Ceryle 59 
 
 Rueppelli, Psittacus 214 
 
 rufescens, Anthus 114 
 
 , Calamodyta 99 
 
 , Calamoherpe 99 
 
 , Dicseum 77 
 
 , Sylvietta 77 
 
 Ruff 304 
 
 ruficapilla, Drymoica 86 
 
 ruficollis, Chicquera 14 
 
 , Falco , 14 
 
 Page 
 
 ruficollis, Hypotriorchis 14 
 
 ruficrista, Eupodotis 259 
 
 , Otis 259 
 
 rufigena, Caprimulgus 44, 45 
 
 rufilata, Drymoica 87 
 
 rufipes, Falco 15 
 
 rufirostris, Buceros 211 
 
 rufiventris, Accipiter 32 
 
 , Ardea 287 
 
 , Parisoma 78 
 
 Rufous-capped Lark, South- 
 African 197 
 
 rufula, Certhilauda 201 
 
 rufulus, Anthus 201 
 
 rupestris, Hirundo 52 
 
 rupicoloides, Falco 19 
 
 , Tinnunculus 19 
 
 rupicolus, Tinnunculus 18 
 
 Riippelli, Gyps 5 
 
 -,0tis ... 259 
 
 , Pceocephalus 214 
 
 , Poicephalus 214 
 
 , Psittacus 214 
 
 Riippellii, Eupodotis 259 
 
 , Gyps 5 
 
 , Otis 259 
 
 , Phaeocephalus 214 
 
 , Poicephalus 214 
 
 russatus, Bubulcus 288 
 
 rustica, Hirundo 50 
 
 sabota, Alauda 195 
 
 , Megalophonus 195 
 
 , Mirafra 195 
 
 SAGITTABIUS 34 
 
 SALICABIA 99 
 
 salicaria, Hypolais 100 
 
 Sanderling 311 
 
 Sand-Grouse, Double-banded . . 241 
 
 , Namaqua 242 
 
 , Variegated 242 
 
 Sandpiper, Baird's 308 
 
 , Common 303 
 
 , Curlew 306 
 
 , Marsh 302 
 
 , Terek 304 
 
 ,Wood 302 
 
 sanguinirostris, Ploceus 173 
 
 , Quelea 173 
 
 Sarcelle de Madagascar 336 
 
 SABCIDIOBNIS 335 
 
 SARKIDIORNIS 335 
 
 Savigni, Merops 61 
 
390 
 
 ALPHABETICAL INDEX 
 
 Page 
 
 SAXICOLA 102 
 
 scapularis, Hirundo 52 
 
 scapulatus, Corvus 154 
 
 Schinzii, Tringa 308 
 
 SCHIZORHIS 204 
 
 Schlegelii, Erithacus 104 
 
 , Saxicola 104 
 
 schcenobaenus, Calamodus .... 100 
 
 , Calamodyta ]00 
 
 Scissor-bill, African 365 
 
 SCLEROPTERA 245 
 
 SCOPS 38, 278 
 
 Scops Owl, Cape 38 
 
 , White-faced 40 
 
 scops, Strix 38 
 
 SCOPTELUS 68 
 
 SCOPUS 294 
 
 Screech-Owl, South-African . . 36 
 
 Sea-cow Bird 275 
 
 Sea-Eagle, African 9 
 
 SECRETARIUS 34 
 
 secretarius, Sagittarius 34 
 
 Secretary bird 34 
 
 Sedge- Warbler, British 100 
 
 segetum, Corvus 155 
 
 SEMEIOPHORUS. 45 
 
 semicserulea, Halcyon 57 
 
 semitorquata, Alcedo 58 
 
 , Certhilauda 201 
 
 , Columba 234 
 
 , Streptopelia 234 
 
 semitorquatus, Ealco 19 
 
 , Polihierax 19 
 
 , Poliohierax 19 
 
 , Turtur 233, 234 
 
 senegalensis, Centropus 224 
 
 , Colius 203 
 
 , Cursorius 26 
 
 , Ephialtes . 38 
 
 , Ephippiorhynchus 281 
 
 , Halcyon 56 
 
 , Irrisor 65 
 
 , Mycteria 281 
 
 , Nectarinia 73 
 
 , GEdicnemus 266 
 
 , Scops 38 
 
 1 Strix 37 
 
 , Tachydromus 261 
 
 , Telephonus 149 
 
 , Turtur 232 
 
 , Zosterops 76 
 
 senegalla, Aquila 6 
 
 senegalus, Telophonus 149 
 
 Page 
 
 senex, Crateropus 124 
 
 SERPENT ARIUS 34 
 
 serratus, Coccystes . 226 
 
 , Oxylophus 226 
 
 Shearwater, Greater 350 
 
 Short-eared Owl, African 43 
 
 Shoveller, South-African 341 
 
 Shrike, Bacbakiri 147 
 
 , Brubru 139 
 
 , Chapman's 146 
 
 , Coronetted 138 
 
 , Cubla 146 
 
 , European Lesser Grey . . 134 
 
 , Fiscal 136 
 
 , Greater White-breasted. . 145 
 
 , Red-backed 135 
 
 , Retz's Helmet 142 
 
 , Rufous-winged Bush .... 149 
 
 , Smith's Helmet 141 
 
 , South-African Long-tailed 138 
 
 , Southern Crimson-breasted 144 
 
 , Southern White-headed. . 140 
 
 , Three-streaked Bush 151 
 
 , Yellow-browed 148 
 
 similis, Chlorophoneus 148 
 
 , Laniarius 148 
 
 , Melaconotus 148 
 
 simplex, Passer 187 
 
 Skua, Pomarine ' . . . 357 
 
 , Richardson's 357 
 
 smaragdineus, Chrysococcyx . . 229 
 
 smaragnotus, Porphyrio 325 
 
 Smithi, ^Egithalus 79 
 
 , Coraphites 190 
 
 , Pyrrhulauda 189 
 
 Smithii, ^Egithalus 79 
 
 , DrymcEca 86 
 
 , Drymoica 86 
 
 , Pyrrhulauda 190 
 
 , Rhinopomastus 67 
 
 Snail-eater, African 283 
 
 Snipe, African Painted 313 
 
 , Solitary 312 
 
 socius, Philetserus 167 
 
 sordidus, Antlius 114 
 
 South-African Flamingo, Greater 331 
 
 , Lesser 331 
 
 South- African Sparrow, Greater 186 
 
 Sparrow, Cape 185 
 
 , Greater South-African . . 186 
 
 , Southern Grey-headed . . 187 
 
 Sparrow-Hawk, Many-banded. . 30 
 , Minulle . 31 
 
OF GENERA AND SPECIES. 
 
 391 
 
 Sparrow-Hawk, Rufous-bellied 32 
 
 ,Tachiro 29 
 
 sparsa, Anas 341 
 
 SPARVIUS 29 
 
 SPATULA 341 
 
 speciosus, Hoplopterus 267 
 
 sperata, Saxicola 103 
 
 SPHENISCUS 348 
 
 SPHENCEACUS 117 
 
 SPHENORRHYNCHUS 280 
 
 spilogaster, Aquila 7 
 
 , Pseudaetus 7 
 
 , Spizaetus 7 
 
 spilonotus, Hyphantornis 169 
 
 , Ploceus 169 
 
 spinicauda, Lestris 357 
 
 , Stercorarius 357 
 
 SPIZAETOS 7 
 
 SPIZAETUS 7 
 
 splendidus, Chrysococcyx . ..... 229 
 
 spleniata, Alaucla 197 
 
 Spoonbill, Slender-billed 295 
 
 SPOROPIPES 177 
 
 Spotted Flycatcher, European . . 129 
 
 SPREO 159, 161 
 
 Spur-heeled Cuckoo, Senegal . . 224 
 
 Spur-wing Goose, Western .... 334 
 
 squamifrons, Amadina 177 
 
 , Estrelda 177 
 
 , Philetaerus 177 
 
 , Sporopipes 177 
 
 SQUATAROLA 270 
 
 squatarola, Tringa 270 
 
 stagnatilis, Totanus 302 
 
 stanleyanus, Anthropoides 278 
 
 Starling, Burchell's Glossy 158 
 
 , Caffre Glossy 162 
 
 , Meves's Glossy 159 
 
 , Nabirop Glossy 160 
 
 , Spreo Glossy 161 
 
 , Verreaux's Glossy 156 
 
 , Wattled 162 
 
 STEGANURA 181 
 
 STERCORARIUS 357 
 
 STERNA 359 
 
 STERNULA 362 
 
 STICTCENAS 231 
 
 eticturus, Laniarius 146 
 
 , Tchagra 146 
 
 Stilt, European 315 
 
 Stint, Little 310 
 
 Stonechat, South-African 102 
 
 Stork, Abdim's . , 280 
 
 Stork, African Marabou 282 
 
 , Saddle-billed . . 381 
 
 ,. White 280 
 
 strepitans, Platysteira 131 
 
 , Turdus 114 
 
 STREPSILAS 276 
 
 STREPTOPELIA 233 
 
 striaticeps, Fringilla 183 
 
 stricklandii, Saxicola 105 
 
 striolata, Halcyon ............. 57 
 
 STRIX. 36 
 
 STRUTHIO 251 
 
 Sturmii, Ardea 291 
 
 , Ardeiralla 291 
 
 , Ardetta 291 
 
 subarcuata, Tringa 306 
 
 subarquata, Pelidna 306 
 
 , Tringa 306 
 
 subbuteo, Falco 14 
 
 , Hypotriorchis 14 
 
 subcaeruleum, Parisoma 77 
 
 subcinnamomea, Aedon 90 
 
 , Drymoaca. 90 
 
 , Drymoica 90 
 
 eubcoronatus, Fiscus 138 
 
 , Lanius 338 
 
 subflava, Drymoica 84 
 
 subruficapilla, Drymceca 87 
 
 , Drymoica 86, 87 
 
 subtorquata, Scleroptera 246 
 
 subtorquatus, Francolinus .... 246 
 
 Sucrier rnalachitte . 68 
 
 namaquois. 71 
 
 orange 74 
 
 prot<e 73 
 
 SULA , 365 
 
 sulfureipectus, Laniarius 148 
 
 Sun-bird, Andersson's 72 
 
 , Bifasciated 70 
 
 , Greater Double -collared . . 70 
 
 , Lesser Double-collared . . 69 
 
 , Malachite.- 68 
 
 , Orange-breasted 74 
 
 , Proteus 73 
 
 , White-vented 71 
 
 superciliosus, Merops 61 
 
 Swainsoni, Circus 32 
 
 , Francolinus 244 
 
 , Passer 187 
 
 , Pternises 244 
 
 Swainsonii, Circus 32 
 
 , Francolinus 244 
 
 , Halcyon 57 
 
392 
 
 ALPHABETICAL INDEX 
 
 Page 
 
 Swainsonii, Pternises 244 
 
 Swallow, Chimney 50 
 
 , Monteiro's 49 
 
 , Pearly-breasted 52 
 
 , Rousseline 50 
 
 Swift, Little African 48 
 
 , South-African Black 47 
 
 , White-throated 46 
 
 SYLVIA 84,97,100 
 
 SYLVIETTA 77 
 
 tachardus, Falco 12 
 
 tachiro, Accipiter 29 
 
 , Falco 29 
 
 , Nisus 29 
 
 TACHYDROMUS 261 
 
 tachypetes, Pterocles 242 
 
 TJENIOGLAUX 38 
 
 taha, Euplectes 171 
 
 , Ploceus 171 
 
 talacoma, Prinops 141 
 
 talatala, Cinnyris 72 
 
 , Nectarinia 72 
 
 TANTALUS 296 
 
 TCHAGRA 145 
 
 tchagra, Lanius 149 
 
 Tcheric 75 
 
 TCHITREA 130 
 
 Tchitrec 130 
 
 Teal, Hottentot 340 
 
 Red-billed 339 
 
 TELEPHONUS 149 
 
 TELOPHONUS .147, 149 
 
 TELOPHORUS 147 
 
 tenuirostris, Leucorodia .,.,.. 295 
 
 ,Platalea 295 
 
 terek, Limosa 304 
 
 TEREKIA 304 
 
 Tern, British Common 361 
 
 , Caspian 359 
 
 , Damara 362 
 
 , Sandwich 361 
 
 , Swift 360 
 
 , Whiskered 362 
 
 , White-winged Black 363 
 
 TERPSIPHONE 130 
 
 terrestris, Cisticola 88 
 
 , Drymoica 88 
 
 TETRAPTERYX 278 
 
 TEXTOR 165 
 
 THALASSIDROMA 351 
 
 THALASSORNIS 343 
 
 THAMNOBIA . 93 
 
 Page 
 Thick-billed Lark,South-African 195 
 
 Thicknee, Spotted 266 
 
 , Vermiculated 266 
 
 thoracicus, Circaetus 10 
 
 THRIPIAS 219 
 
 Thrush, Ground-scraper 114 
 
 , Jan-fredric Chat 118 
 
 , Kurichane 115 
 
 , Olivaceous 116 
 
 , Short-footed Rock 116 
 
 , Vociferous Chat 119 
 
 tinnunculoides, Falco 17 
 
 TINNUNCULUS 17 
 
 tinnunculus, Falco 18 
 
 Tit, Grisette 81 
 
 , Southern Black-and-White 81 
 
 TMETOCEROS 206 
 
 Toccus 208 
 
 TOCKUS 206 
 
 torquata, Glareola 265 
 
 , Platysteira 132 
 
 , Pratmcola 102 
 
 torquatus, Lanioturdus 132 
 
 TOTANUS 300 
 
 Tourterelle a cravatte noire .... 235 
 
 blonde a collier 233 
 
 e*meraudine 236 
 
 maillee 232 
 
 Traquet familier 103 
 
 fourmilier 110 
 
 imitateur 108 
 
 patre 102 
 
 Tree-Duck, Widow 338 
 
 TRERON 230 
 
 TRICHOPHORUS 121 
 
 tricollaris, ^Egialites ; 274 
 
 , Charadrius 274 
 
 tricolor, Ixos 120 
 
 , Pycnonotus 120 
 
 trigonigera, Columba 231 
 
 TRINGA 270, 276, 306 
 
 TRINGOIDES 303 
 
 trivirgatus, Lauius 151 
 
 , Pomatorhynchus 151 
 
 , Telephonus 151 
 
 , Telophonus 151 
 
 trochilus, Phyllopneuste 101 
 
 , Phyllopseuste 101 
 
 , Sylvia 101 
 
 turdoides, Salicaria 99 
 
 TURDUS 114 
 
 TURNIX 249 
 
 Turnstone, Common 276 
 
OF GENERA AND SPECIES. 
 
 393 
 
 Page 
 
 TURTUR 232 
 
 turtur, Procellaria 352 
 
 , Pseudoprion 352 
 
 ultramarina, Ilypocliera 175 
 
 umbretta, Scopus 294 
 
 Umbrette, Tufted 294 
 
 unidentatus, Laimodon 217 
 
 UPUPA 64 
 
 UR^EGINTHUS 180 
 
 UROLBSTES 138 
 
 usticollis, Eremomela 98 
 
 vaillantii, Coccyzus 225 
 
 , Motacilla 112 
 
 VANELLUS 267 
 
 varia, Squatarola 270 
 
 variegatus, Pterocles 242 
 
 variolosa, Ipagrus 222 
 
 variolosus, Ipagrus 222 
 
 varius, Charadrius 270 
 
 velatus, Hyphantornis 169 
 
 , Ploceus 169 
 
 velox, Sterna 360 
 
 veredus, Eudromias xxx 
 
 vermiculatus, CEdicnemus .... 266 
 
 Verreauxi, Bubo 41 
 
 , Cinnyricinclus 156 
 
 , Huhua 41 
 
 , Pholidauges 156 
 
 Verreauxii, Aquila 5 
 
 , Nyctaetus 41 
 
 verticalis, Pyrrhulauda 190 
 
 vespertinus, Erythropus 15 
 
 , Falco 15 
 
 , , var. amurensis .... 17 
 
 vetula, Larus 357 
 
 vexillarius, Cosmetornis 45 
 
 , Semeiophorus 45 
 
 VIDUA 181 
 
 viduata, Dendrocygna 338 
 
 vinaceus, Turtur 233, 234 
 
 violacea, Anthobaphes 74 
 
 , Nectarinia 74 
 
 viridis, Tchitrea 130 
 
 , Terpsiphone 130 
 
 vocifer, Haliaetus 9 
 
 vociferans, Bessonornis 119 
 
 VULTUR 4 
 
 Vulture, Egyptian 1 
 
 , Pileated 2 
 
 , Riippell's Griffon 5 
 
 , Sociable 2 
 
 Page 
 Vulture, South- African G riffon . 5 
 
 , White-headed 4 
 
 vulturina, Aquila 5 
 
 , Pteroaetus 5 
 
 Wagtail, Blue-headed Yellow . . 112 
 
 , Cape Ill 
 
 , Levaillant's 112 
 
 Warbler, British Garden 100 
 
 , British Sedge 100 
 
 , British Willow 101 
 
 , European Melodious .... 100 
 
 , IsabeUe Reed 99 
 
 , Thrush-like Reed 99 
 
 Waterhen, British 323 
 
 , South- African Lesser. . . . 321 
 
 Wattled Plover, South- African 267 
 
 Weaver- bird, Buffalo 165 
 
 , Damara 169 
 
 , Social 167 
 
 , Spotted-backed 169 
 
 , White-browed . 166 
 
 Whale-bird 352 
 
 Wheatear, Atmore's 110 
 
 , Familiar 103 
 
 , Great Fuscous 107 
 
 , Imitative 108 
 
 , Mountain 109 
 
 , Schlegel's 104 
 
 , Southern Ant-eating .... 110 
 
 , Strickland's 105 
 
 Whimbrel, British 300 
 
 White-breasted Shrike, Greater 145 
 
 White-eye, Cape 75 
 
 , Yellow 76 
 
 White-headed Kingfisher, Afri- 
 can 57 
 
 White-headed Shrike, Southern 140 
 
 Widow bird, Dominican 181 
 
 , Paradise 181 
 
 , Shaft-tailed 181 
 
 Wigeon, Cape 339 
 
 Willow- Warbler, British 101 
 
 Wilsoni, Thalassidroma 351 
 
 Wilsonii, Thalassidroma 351 
 
 Woodpecker, Bearded 219 
 
 , Bennett's 222 
 
 ,Bruce's 221 
 
 , Capricorn 221 
 
 , Cardinal 220 
 
 , Hartlaub's 219 
 
 XANTHODIRA 185 
 
 2 D 
 
394 
 
 INDEX OF GENERA AND SPECIES. 
 
 Page 
 
 xanthorhyncha, Anas 342 
 
 XEMA . . . 358 
 
 Yellow-bellied Bunting. South- 
 ern 188 
 
 Yellow-romped Grosbeak, Da- 
 mara . . 184 
 
 Yellow-throated Grosbeak, South- 
 ern 185 
 
 Yellow Wagtail, Blue-headed. . 112 
 
 ZAPORNA 317 
 
 ZAPORNIA 317 
 
 zonurus, Spizaetos 7 
 
 ZOSTEROPS ... 75 
 
 THE END. 
 
 PRINTED BY TAYLOR AND FRANCIS, RED LION COURT, FLEET STREET. 
 
-future,. 2 
 
 Front View of Stermim of Max&aearamph'us Anderssanis nadb size, 
 Drawn from Mature Toy C. J. AncLersson. 
 
 Jiiros 
 
 irrcp. 
 
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 "8 
 I 
 
 
 I 
 
 <D 
 
 ^ 
 CO 
 
fLgrwre.. 3. 
 
 Traxiheai, Larynx and Tongue of Maxihaerampkos Anderssom,? najb size 
 Drawn from "Nature "by C. J. Anderssan. 
 
 vide-, - 2S. 
 
 Mintera Bros Amp 
 
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THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE 
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 LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS 
 
 Book Slip-50m-5,' 70 ( N6725s8 ) 458 A-31/5 
 
 
N9 734659 
 
 QL692 
 Anders son, C.J. A5 
 
 Notes on the birds of 1872 
 Damara land. 
 
 3 1175019300774 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 DAVIS