9. SPILOPTILA. 231 



8. THAMNORNIS. 



Type. 

 Thamnornis, Milne-Edicanh i^- Grandul. m Gra7id. 



Hist. Nat. Madag., Ois. p. 335 (1881) T. chloropetoides. 



This gemis, which is allied to the Tailorbirds and Prinice, is 

 characterized bj' its long, pointed and strongly compressed bill, with 

 the edge sharp and slightly inflected, not hooked, furnished at the 

 base with some little soft hairs. (The bill recalls that of Aedoa 

 familiaris; that of Orthotonnis is straighter and more compressed; 

 these latter birds have, on the other hand, the tail otherwise formed 

 and marked with dark spots at the tips of the tail-feathers.) The 

 nostrils opening in a linear cleft, with a superior cutaneous mem- 

 brane covered with small feathers ; the wings small, with the first 

 quill decidedly short, the second strikingly longer, the third nearly 

 twice the length of the first, and the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh 

 subequal; the tail rather long, narrow and much rounded, with 

 the tail-feathers decidedly pointed ; the feet small and feeble, with 

 the tarsus scutellated in front. {Milne-Edwards Sf Orandidier, I. c.) 



Raage. Madagascar. 



1. Thamnornis chloropetoides. 



ElHsia chloropetoides, Grandid. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1867, p. 256. 

 Prinia chloropetoides, Grandid. Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1867, p. 357. 

 Drvmoica chloropetoides, Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 202, no. 2847 



(18G9). 

 Orthotomus grandidieri, Hartl. Vog. Madag. 1877, p. 109. 

 Thamnornis chloropetoides, Milne-Edxo. Sf Grandid. in Grandid. H. 



N. Madag., Ois. p. 336, pis. 128, 128 a (1881). 



Above grej', with a slight rufous tinge ; head darker than the 

 rest of the upper parts ; margins of the quills and tail-feathers 

 greenish yellow ; the under surface is whitish grey, and the flanks 

 brown ; feet yellowish ; iris brown. Total length 5-S inches, wing 

 2-2, tail 2-5.5', tarsus 0-75, {lid. I. c.) 



Hah. Arid plains to the north of Cape St. Mary, at the extreme 

 south of Madagascar. 



9. SPILOPTILA. 



Type. 

 Spiloptila, Sundev. Av. Meth. Tent. p. 6 (1872) S. damans. 



Range. Africa. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Back uniform clear pale rufous ; ear-coverts yellowish 



white ; head scaled, the forehead black with narrow 

 greyish marghis; tail-feathers with distinct sub- 

 terminal spots of black damans, p. 231. 



b. Back streaked like the head; ear-coverts bright 



rufous ; no subterminal spot on tail-feathers ocularia, p. 232, 



1. Spiloptila damans. 



Malurus damans, Temm. PI. Col. iii. pi. 466. fig. 2 (1828) ; Riipp. 

 Xeue Wirb. Vog. p. 2, Atlas, tab. 2. fig. a (1835-40). 



