3 00 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA- 



Smith loc. cit.) Le Vaillant states that he found it on the borders of 

 the Gamtoos, Sunday, and Swartkop E-ivers, among the mimosa bushea 

 that fringe these streams. The male has a moderate power of song, 

 and the female deposits four or five light-green eggs, spotted with 

 brown, at the obtuse end, in a nest which is placed in the midst of a 

 thick bush. I have received it with E. Poena from Kuruman. 



Genus BRADYPTERUS,* Sw. 

 Bill distinctly notched ; wings short ; the three first quills 

 equally graduated ; tail rounded ; the feathers remarkably 

 broad and soft ; feet large, strong, and robust ; the lateral 

 toes equal ; claws slender, slightly curved. 



183. Bradypterus Coriphoeus ; Sylvia CoH- 



phceus, Vieil. ; Drymoica Coriphoeus, Bp. ; Bradyp- 

 terus Coriphceus, Swain. (MSS. note on plate) ; Le 

 Coriphe, Le Vail., Plate 120; the Boschcreeper and 

 Katlaclder of Colonists. 



General colour, cinereous, darkest on the crown of the head, 

 and tinged with rufous on the lower part of the back, wings, 

 and two centre tail-feathers ; beneath paler, with belly, vent, 

 and a board stripe down the throat, white ; a narrow white 

 stripe extends over the eye ; tail-feathers black, broadly tipt 

 with white ; bill and legs black. Length, 6" ; wing, 2" 9'" ; 

 tail, 2" 6'". 



This bird is common throughout the country from Cape Town to 

 Beaufort. It frequents bush-covered land, and well deserves its trivial 

 colonial name, being always found running about the lower parts of 

 the shrubs, very rarely flying over the tops of them. It nests also at 

 the foot of a bush, forming a cu[-shaped, rather flat, structure, com- 

 posed of hair, wool, and bents of dry grass. The eggs are of a lovely 

 verditer. 



184. Bradypterus Layardi ; PUexis Layardi, 



Hartlaub., Ibis Vol. 1866, p. 139. 



Above, very dark-brown, slightly tinged with rufous ; under 

 parts, from chin to vent, deep rufous- brown ; a slight spot of 

 the same colour between the eye and the bill ; flanks brown ; 

 plumage very lax and worn in appearance. Length, 6" ; 

 wing, 2" 3'" ; tail, 3" 1'". 



This curious little bird, on which Dr. Hartlaub has formed a new 

 genus (Phlexis) was procured by my friend Mr. Atmore in the neigh- 

 bourhood of George. 



I confess I do not like to separate it from Bradypterus, with which, 



* Mr. Gray (Genera of Birds, p. 163,) makes this genus equal -with Drymoica, 



