Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 4 (1900).djvu/452

418 no eggs; and found a nest of White-shouldered Caterpillar-eater (Lalage tricolor), with young, high up in a white gum sapling.

Yellow White Eyes (Zosterops lutea) were common, and I shot specimens occasionally through the winter up to August 6th, to see if they were breeding, but came upon no indications until February 13th, this year, when I shot a male in some mangroves near the N.W. Cape, with testicles much enlarged. When we were shearing in September, a tame cat brought in a blackfronted Dottrel (Ægialitis melanops), which was breeding, doubtless, on the adjoining salt-marsh.

On October 19th a pair, male and female, of the scarce Redkneed Dottrel (Erythrogonys cinctus) fell to one discharge of my gun, at an inland creek. They had one or two others with them, doubtless young of the year. The Sandpipers referred to in my last paper (Zool. 1899, p. 142) were kindly identified for me by Mr. Campbell as the Grey-rumped Sandpiper (Heteractitis brevipes). They were common all the summer, especially in November; on the 2nd I killed eight with one shot, in company with other waders.

During the prevalence of heavy southerly gales in December, Silver Gulls (Larus novæ hollandiæ) forsook the beach, and were feeding on beetles on the high open country some miles from sea. On December 20th, after some parching east winds, an Oriental Pratincole (Glareola orientalis) settled on the beach near the house. So far, this is the south and west record.

In January, 1900, a Yellow-billed Albatross (Thalassogeron chlororhynchus), and, a little earlier, a Giant Petrel (Ossifraga gigantea), were picked up dead on the beach—a long way north for these birds.

In February last I took a trip towards the N.W. Cape. On the way a very heavy N.E. blow set in, with every indication of a hurricane, but the latter did not arrive. There were numbers of Lesser Frigate Birds (Fregata minor) blown down. A party of eight flew a few feet over my head, making their way north again; unluckily, I had just strapped my gun to buggy ready to move on. There were numbers at sea, and that night by moonlight I saw several flying north, and also the next day. They only occur here when hurricanes are about. Black-cheeked Falcons (Falco melanogenys), too, made their appearance in some numbers,