from the Colony of Natal. 349 



224. Erythropygia pectoralis, Smith. Thorn-Chat. 

 Male. Iris hazel ; bill dusky ; tarsi and feet pale dusky. 



I got this bird amongst the thorns inland, and have also seen 

 it in the bush near D'Urban; but it is certainly not plentiful. 

 It feeds upon insects ; its song is sweet, but weak. 



225. Thamnol^a cinnamomeiventris (Lafr.). White- 

 shouldered Chat. 



Male. Passing a Dutch farmer's one day, I saw this Chat 

 hopping about upon a large stack of faggots some 200 yards 

 from the house. Beiug a scarce bird, I shot it at once, when 

 one of the farmer's sons came running to me, exclaiming, in 

 tones of anguish, " What have you done ? You have shot the 

 Mock-bird." He went on to tell me that it was a great favourite 

 of theirs ; that it came into the house every day to be fed, and 

 was particularly fond of admiring itself in the parlour looking- 

 glass ; and that the bird had been with them for years. I ex- 

 pressed my sorrow for having been so unfortunate as to cause 

 them such grief for the loss of their favourite, and offered to 

 preserve the skin and send it to them ; but the young Dntchman 

 said, " Of what use is the skin ? The bird is dead : keep it.'^ 

 The specimen sent is the skin of this curious bird. 



226. Petrocincla explorator, Vieill. Sentinel Rock- 

 Thrush. 



Male. Iris dark hazel ; bill, tarsi, and feet black. 



These birds are found in the open country, and are generally 

 seen pei'ched on some low hillock or stone. They ai-e solitary, 

 and not at all plentiful. Their food consists of small insects. 



227. Tdrdus gurneyi, Hartl. Gurney's Thrush. 



Male. Iris hazel ; bill dusky ; tarsi and feet dusky pale. This 

 bird I shot in the bush on a precipitous range of hills about six 

 miles beyond Pieter-Maritzburg ; it is, I believe, the only one 

 I have seen, and I know nothing of its habits. 



[My friend Dr. Hartlaub, who has examined this specimen, 

 considers that it belongs to a species hitherto undescribed, to 

 which he has paid me the compliment of attaching my name. 



The following detailed description (with the aid of the an- 



