118 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 



bill was very dirty, from which I infer that it seeks much 

 of its food on the ground ; its stomach contained only 

 small whitish ants (not termites) ; its flesh was light- 

 coloured, and excellently flavoured. The iris was dark 

 brown ; the upper mandible dark horn-colour, the lower 

 liml lead-colour ; the tarsi pale brown, the toes a shade 

 or two darker ; there was a space under the eye quite 

 naked; the tail when closed was of equal breadth 

 throughout, but was cuneated when expanded. 

 Measurements of this specimen : — 



in. lin. 



Entire length 7 1 



Length of folded wing 2 9 



„ tarsus 10 



„ middle toe 8 



„ tail 3 3 



hill lOi 



[Tlie specimen above referred to is iu the collection of INIr. 

 Sharpc, by whom it was figured, loc. cit., under the name of 

 Ch(etops Grayi ; but another example sent home from Mr. 

 Andersson's first journey, and now in the Museum of Zoology at 

 Cambridge, had been previously descri])ed by J\lr. Sclater, loc. 

 cit., under the name of Sphenoeacus pycnojnjgius. — Ed.] 



149. CoSSypha Caffra (Vieill.). Jan-fredric Chat-Thrush. 

 Lc Jan fri'dric, Levaillaut's Ois. d'ilir. pi. 111. 

 Bessonornis 2>ha;nicunis, Layard's Cat. No. 248. 

 Bessomrnis caffra, Gray's Hand-list of Birds, No. 3868. 



This species is sparingly met with on the borders of 

 the Orange River, whence it extends southwards to 

 the Cape, where it is very numerous. It is of a most in- 

 quisitive nature, and seems to court the neighbourhood 

 of man. It is very lively in its movements, either 



