24 FRIENDS OF THE AGRICULTURIST 



The young birds and the females have the head and adjacent 

 regions coloured like the back. 



Both these birds lay eggs of a very pale blue ground 

 colour (almost white), sparsely speckled with pale rusty- 

 brown, those of the Sentinel Bock-Thrush being smaller 

 than those of its larger congener. 



The nest is a saucer-shaped structure of sticks and roots, 

 lined with fine rootlets and hair, and is usually situated 

 in a hole or crevice, or on a ledge under a rock. 



They have a loud, lively song, and are chiefly insect feeders, 

 devouring large numbers of beetles, ants, plant-bugs, &c, 

 varied by a few fruits and seeds. 



One other fairly common species may be noted, the 

 Short-toed Rock-Thrush (M. brevipes), from the Western 

 region, ranging from Upington on the Orange River to 

 Southern Damaraland and the Transvaal. It resembles 

 M. exjjlorator, but has a shorter toe. Little is known of 

 its habits. 



CHATS 



A very familiar bird is the Ant-eating Chat (Myrme 

 cocichla formicivora) , in its sombre plumage of sooty-brown, 

 and conspicuous white wing patches as it flutters in the air 

 with its feeble flight. It measures about 6f inches in length. 



It is fairly common throughout, although rather locally 

 distributed in some pa its. It is commonest on stretches 

 of veld covered with ant-heaps, where it may be seen every- 

 where perched on the " hills " or at the entrance to some 

 meerkat or aardvark (antbear) burrow. 



The nest is usually situated in a hole in a burrow or in an 

 excavation in an ant-heap, and the eggs are pure white, 

 usually numbering three or four. 



The Buff-streaked Chat (.1/. bifasciata) is a handsome 



