INDICATOKID^ INDICATOR 147 



Sandeman, "Eight months in an Ox Waggon," p. 235 (1880); 



reprinted in " Ibis," 1880, p. 286. 

 Millais, " A breath from the Veldt," p. 185 (1895). 



Description. Adult male. — General colour above, dark brown, 

 the rump and upper tail-coverts streaked with white, a golden- 

 yellow patch on the shoulder formed by the tipping of some of the 

 least wing-coverts ; outer coverts edged with whitish ; wing-quills 

 dark brown ; central pair of tail-feathers brown, others with 

 increasing amounts of white until the outer pair are merely white 

 tipped with brown ; ear-coverts silvery ; throat and cheeks black, 

 rest of the lower surface and under wing-coverts slaty-white, almost 

 pure white on the abdomen and under tail-coverts ; flanks streaked 

 with dark brown shaft lines. 



Fig. 49. Indicator sparrmani. x t- 



Iris yellowish-brown ; bill whitish to pale pink ; legs and feet 

 lead colour. 



Length about 7-25 ; wing 4-40 ; tail 3-30 ; culmen 0-50 ; 

 tarsus 0*62. 



The female is slightly smaller and has the throat and cheeks 

 white instead of black ; bill dusky brown. 



A young male has but slight traces of the golden shoulder 

 patches, but the crown and chest are slightly washed with yellow 

 and the black throat is variegated with yellow and white. 



Distribution. — Sparrman's Honey Guide, though widely spread 

 all over Africa, from Senegambia and Abyssinia southwards to 

 Cape Colony, seems to be nowhere plentiful within our limits. 



The following are localities : Cape Colony — Cape division, Nov., 

 Dec. (S. A. Mus.), Berg river, Nov. (S. A. Mus.), Swellendam 

 (Sparrman, Atmore, and Layard), Knysna (S. A. Mus.), Elands 

 Post in Stockenstroom, May (Atmore), King William's Town, May 

 (Bt. Mus.), St. John's river in Pondoland (Woodward); Natal — 



