Ornithology of the Matopo District. 569 



225. X Crateropus jardinei. Jardine's Babbler. 



I am not sure whether Kirk's Babbler {C. jardinei kirki) 

 occurs or not, but some of these Babblers which I have seen 

 have appeared to be too small for the present species. 

 Jardine's Babbler in the Matopo District is confined to the 

 hills, where it delights in thickly wooded kloofs and kopje- 

 sides. 



226. Pinarornis rhodesiae. Rhodesian Chat- Warbler. 

 Pinarornis rhodesia E. C. Chubb, Bull. B. O. C. xxi. 



1008, p. 110. 



Although occurring on Mtaba mhlope and Mtaba 

 mnyama, the Bhodesian Chat-Warbler is essentially a bird of 

 the hills and remote ranges, where it is very common, and 

 in fact one of the most striking of our birds. I have 

 watched these Chats for hours at periods over several months, 

 but have failed in the attempt to find out anything about 

 their nidification, and can only assurne that they nest in clefts 

 and crannies in very inaccessible places. They are almost 

 invariably found in pairs, and they are equally at home on 

 the ground (where a great deal of their insectivorous food is 

 obtained), on trees, or on rocks ; but all the same, they are 

 never found at any distance from rocky situations, as it is 

 amid such surroundings that they love to skulk and hide. 

 Their flight is fairly strong but not generally protracted, 

 whilst the loose and fluffy plumage imparts a singular 

 gracefulness to their every movement. Although these 

 Chats are often noticeably silent, they have a variety of 

 notes, some of which are quite musical. The female appears 

 to me to be browner than her mate, and is readily distin- 

 guishable at some distance. 



227. I Geocichla litsipsirupa. Ground-scraper Thrush. 

 Turdus litsipsiru/ja (Smith) ; Scl. ii. p. 173. 



Strange to say I only met with this Thrush once — on 

 March 30, when I saw several in tall trees close to a 

 " dwala." 



