7. MONTICOLA. 323 



and the edges of the feathers generally are paler. Birds of the year 

 ^ave the pale tips to- the wing-coverts more pronounced, and^he 

 lemale has subterminal dark bars across the feathers of the breast 

 to be^'unkuown"' "^ ^""'^ P^^mage. Young in first plumage appear 

 The Brown-backed Rock-Thrush appears to be confined to the 

 Cape Colony and N'atal, where it is supposed to be a resident. 



6. $ ad. sk. South .\li-ica. E B ShaviiP F«rt 



d. 6 ad. sk. Cape Town, April 24, 186G R. B. Shar^e Esq. 



i^C. J. Andersson). ^ 



e. 2 ad.sk. Cape Town, May 1, 18G6 R. B. Sharpe, Esq. 



( C. J. Andersson). ^ 



f. c?ad.8k. Hottentot's Holland (J. R. B. Sharpe, Esq. 



Verreatix). ^ 



y,h. S2 ad. sk. Elands Post, May 1870 R. B. Sharpe, Esq. 



{ T. C. Atmore). ^ 



t. 6 ad. St. South Mrica. R. r. Sharpe, Esq. 



6. Monticola explorator. 



L'Espionneiir, LevaiU. Ois. d'Afr. iii. p. 29, pi. ciii. (1802) 



lurdus explorator, Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Kat. xx. p. 260 riSlBV 



£onn. et T mil. E„c. Meth. ii. p. 658 (1823) ; Grm, Gen B \ 



P, 220 (1847); W... K. Vet.-lik. Handl. ii. p. SflSS?) ; (£«„ 



Ilmid-l. B. 1. p. 220. no. 3802 (18(19). ^^ ' ) ^ ^^ay, 



'^'^■?i"t.P®''^P''^^''' ^^'P^''^^, SAatv's Gen. Zool. xiii. pt. 2, n. 198 



Saxicola explorator (Vieill.), Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 179(1846) 

 PetToeincla explorator {Vieill), Bp. Consp. i. p. 297 (1850) :' Lm/ard, 



^. 'S. 4/;-. p. l.jiO (lf-67). -^ ' 



Monticola explorator (VieUl.), Sharpe, ed. Layardts B. S. Afr p ^on 



(18/0). • ■ "' 



In the adult male in hreeding-plumaqe the forehead is azure-blue 

 shading into bluish slate-grey on the crown, nape, back, and sca- 

 pulars ; lores dark brown ; quills and primary-coverts brown with 

 pale margins; greater and median wing-coverts slate-grey lesser 

 wiug-coverts azur(!-blue. Eump, upper tail- coverts, and tail' chest- 

 nut except the terminal three fourths of the two central tail- 

 leathers and a short terminal margin to the outside webs of the 

 oher tail-feathers, which are dark brown; chin, throat, breast 

 cheeks, and sides of the neck cobalt-blue ; the rest of the under- 

 parts, including the axilLaries and under wing-coverts, chestnut. Bill 

 black. A^ing with the third, fourth, and fifth primaries nearlv 

 equal and longest, second primary intermediate in length between 

 the sixth and seventh, bastard primary 0-!..5 inch. Le|s, feet and 

 claws black Length of wing 4-1 to 3-75 inches, tail 2-5 to '4 

 culmen 0-9o to 0-93, tarsus 1-35 to 1-3. 



In the adult female in breeding-plumage the general colour of the 

 upper parts is sooty brown ; wings dark brown, paler on the 

 margins of the feathers, and becoming slate-grey on the median 

 luid lesser wing-coverts ; rump, upper and under tail-coverts, and 



y2 



