72 Captain G. E. Shelley's Three Months 



47. AcROCEPHALus PALUSTRis (Bechst.). Marsh- Warbler. 

 I shot the only specimen I saw in the thick hush some 



500 yards from the marshy ground near Durban. I com- 

 pared it Avith a European specimen in Mr. Dresser's collec- 

 tion, with which it entirely agrees. Length in the flesh 55 

 inches ; beak flesh-colour, shading into brown on the culmen ; 

 legs flesh-colour, with a slight livid shade ; irides hazel. This 

 is no doubt the species mentioned by Mr. Gurney (Ibis, 1865, 

 p. 266j as " C. arundinacea (Gmel.) ? " 



48. Thamnobia coryph^a (Vieill.) . Coyphee Warbler. 

 Very abundant amongst the low bush in Cape colony. In 



habits it is very lively, now flitting for a short distance along 

 the path, then running fleetly through the stunted bush, stop- 

 ping at intervals and erecting and expanding its tail, the 

 white on the outer feathers contrasting well with the dark 

 sombre hues of its general plumage. Length in the flesh 

 7 inches ; beak and legs black ; irides dark brown. 



49. Saxicola familiaris, Steph. Familiar Wheatear. 

 Very common in Cape colony. I preserved specimens from 



Capetown and the Paarl, while those which I procured at 

 Stellenbosch and intermediate villages belong to the next 

 species, which is so very similar in habits, and so closely allied 

 that I did not recognize them apart until I returned to Eng- 

 land. Had Mr. G. R. Gray seen these birds alive in South 

 Africa, I think he would never have placed them in the genus 

 Aedon, as their habits are very similar to those of the better- 

 known European Chats. They frequent both the plains and 

 the rocky mountains, rarely perching on bushes. 



50. Saxicola sinuata, Sundev. Sickle-winged Chat. 

 Common in Cape colony. 



51. Saxicola piLBATA (Gmel.). Imitative Wheatear. 



I only met with this species at Stellenbosch, in Cape colony, 

 where, however, it was plentiful. 



52. Pratincola torquata (Linn.). South- African Stone- 

 chat. 



Common throughout South Africa from the Cape to 

 Durban. 



