122 EALITBa:. 



GalHnula dimidiata, Smith, III. Zool. S. Afr., Aves, pi. 20 (1839 : 



Cape Town). 

 Ortygometra nificolHs, Gray, List Grallce Brit. Mus. p. 120 (1844), 

 Ortygometra dimidiata, Gray, List Grallm Brit. Mus. p. 120 (1844 : 



spec. exam.). 

 Corethrura dimidiata, Gray, Gen. B. iii. p. 595 (1846) ; Eeichenb, 



Handb., Fulicarite, Taf. cxxv. figs. 1223, 1224 (1851) ; Layard, B. 



S. Afr. p. 339 (18G7 : Cape Colony) ; Bocar/e, Orn. Angola, p. 482 



(1881 : Caconda) ; Sharj)e, ed. Layard' s B. k Afr. p. 615 (1884). 

 Corethrura ruficollis, Bp. C. B. xliii. p. 599 (1856) ; Gurnet/, Ibis, 



1859, p. 249 (Natal), 1868, p. 261 (Natal ; Transvaal). 

 Crex dimidiata, Schl. Mus. Pays-Bas, Ralli, p. 27 (1865). 

 Alecthelia dimidiata, Gurney in Andeiss. B. Dam. Ld. p. 320 



(1872). 



Adult male. General colour above black, longitudinally streaked 

 with white, which takes the form of small spots upon the second- 

 aries, lower hack and rump, and even on tbe upper tail-coverts and 

 tail ; bastard-wing and primary-coverts blackish brown, spotted 

 with white, the former edged with white like the first primary ; 

 quills uniform blackish ; head and neck all round with the throat 

 and chest rich vinous cbestuut ; the breast white, streaked and 

 barred with black ; sides of the body and flanks black, streaked with 

 white, like the upper surface, the black markings becoming less pro- 

 nounced on the lower flanks and under tail-coverts, which have only 

 a few spots of white : imdcr wing-coverts black, with a few small 

 spots of white : " bill reddish brown ; lower mandible faintly edged 

 above and below with yellowish brown " {Sir A. Smith) ; " legs 

 and toes yellowish brown " ( C. J. Andersson'). Total length 5-7 

 inches, culmen 0'6, wing 3, tail 1'6, tarsus 0"9, middle toe and 

 claw 1-3. 



Adidt female. Blackish, mottled with ochre like the female of 

 other species of the genus, but easily distinguished from all others 

 by its black tail: "bill, feet, and iris dusky brown " (J", ^yjvs). 

 Total length 5-7 inches, culmen 0-55, wing 3, tail 1-7, tarsus 0-9, 

 middle toe and claw 1-2. 



Young birds are almost entirely black, very mimitely spotted with 

 white ; the tail entirely black. Underneath, the throat and centre 

 of breast dusky white ; remainder of under surface sooty black. 



Hah. South Africa, from the Cape Colony to Natal and the 

 Transvaal, Damara-land, and Benguela. 



a. 5 ad. St. South Afiica. Purchased. 



b. Ad. sk. South Africa. Old Coll. (Type of 



C. ruficollis.) 



c,d. c? 2 ad. sk. South Africa. Sir A. Smith [C.]. 



e. c? ad. sk. Port Natal, Sept. 25. Tweeddale Coll. 



/. c? juv. sk. Potchefstroom, March 20 Gurney CoU. 



(T.Ayres). 



(/. 5 ad. sk, Potchefstroom, July 10 Sharpe Coll. 



{T.Ayres). 



