168 CAPITONID^ BARBATULA 



456. Barbatula extoni. Exton's Tinker Bird. 



Barbatula extoni, Layard, Ibis, 1871, p. 226 [Kanye] ; Sharpc, cd. 

 Layard's B. 8. Afr. pp. 176, 811 (1876-84) ; Ayrcs, Ibis, 1879, p. 296 

 [RusteiiburgJ ; Holub Sj- Pelzeln Oriu Sild-Afr. p. 162 (1882) ; 

 Shelley, Ibis, 1882, p. 248; Ayres, Ibis, 1884, p. 226; Shelley, Cat. 

 B. M. xix, p. 43 (1891) ; id. B. Afr. i, p. 128 (1896) ; Alexander, 

 Ibis, 1900, p. 427 | Zumbo] . 



Description. Adult male. — Forehead orange, bordered below 

 by a narrow frontal stripe of black ; crown, nape, mantle and inner 

 secondaries black with yellowish- white streaks, upper tail-coverts 

 pale sulphur-yellow ; tail, wing-quills and coverts black ; the tail- 

 feathers, primary coverts, and inner secondaries margined with 

 yellowish-white, the primary quills and median and lesser coverts 

 with golden-yellow ; ear-coverts black, bordered below by a white 

 line which runs forward under the eyes to the lores, this again is 

 separated from the sulphur-yellow throat by another black line 

 from the base of the bill ; rest of the lower surface pale yellow of 

 an ochreous tinge. 



Iris dusky umber ; bill black ; legs and feet dusky brown. 

 Length about 4-75 ; wing 2*5 ; tail 1"30 ; culmen 0*45 ; 

 tarsas 0-60, 



The female resembles the male in plumage, but is slightly 

 smaller (wing 2-4). 



Distribution. — The types of this species described by Layard 

 were obtained by Dr. Exton at Kanye, in Bechuanaland, whence 

 it is spread over the northern part of the Transvaal and through 

 Ehodesia to the Zambesi ; north of that river it has been noted in 

 Angola and Nyasaland. The following are recorded localities : 

 Transvaal — Kustenburg (Ayres), Marabastad in Zoutspansberg 

 (S. A. Mus.) ; Bechuanaland — Kanye (Exton) ; Ehodesia — Umfuli 

 river (Ayres) ; Portuguese east Africa, near Zumbo (Alexander). 



Habits. — Mr. Ayres gives the following account : " This Barbet 

 is not at all uncommon in the Magaliesbergen, but, being an incon- 

 spicuous little bird, is easily overlooked ; those I saw were always 

 on or near a species of mistletoe ; this, during our winter months, 

 is well covered with berries, upon wbich the birds feed. Having 

 nipped off a berry, the bird with its head well up cleverly divides 

 it and discards the fruity shell, when the kernel seems to slip down 

 its throat unawares, and the bird has a comical look as if astonished 

 at the result. Those I saw were solitary ; the note is peculiarly 



