LUSCINID^. 103 



The Sub-Family, ERYTHACIN^, or Robins, 



have the bill moderate, more or less slender, and rather depress- 

 ed at the base, with the culmen slightly curved, and the sides 

 gradually compressed to the tip, which is entire ; the lateral 

 margins straight, and sometimes inflexed, the gape more or 

 less furnished with bristles ; the wings generally short and 

 rounded, though sometimes long and pointed ; the tail usually 

 short and broad, sometimes even or rounded at the end ; the 

 tarsi lengthened, slender, and covered with an entire scale ; 

 the toes moderate, the lateral ones unequal ; the claws 

 moderate, curved, and acute. 



A bird belonging to the first genus of this sub-family 

 (Copsychus) is here included, in furtherance of the plan I 

 proposed to myself, of including all birds said to have been 

 found within my limits. It is the 



Copsychus Saularis, Linn. ; OrylUvora Inter- 

 media, Swain. ; Le Gadran, Le Yail., PI. 109. 



General colour, steel-blue-black, with bar on wing, belly, 

 vent, and outer tail-feathers white. Female brown, instead 

 of black. Length, 7" 6'" ; wing, 4" ; tail, 3" 6'". 



This species was procured— so says Le Yaillant — in Great Namaqua- 

 land ; but this is another of that *ithor's falsehoods. I have never 

 seen it in any of the collections formed in that country ; and I should not 

 fail to recognise it instantly, as it is a common bird in Ceylon, where 

 I resided some years. It is now generally believed that Le VaUlant 

 never found this species in South Africa, and I only admit it into this 

 list to correct the error. 



Genus SAXICOLA, Bechstein. 

 Bill moderate, rather depressed and broad at the base, 

 with the culmen slightly curved, and the sides gradually 

 compressed to the tip, which is slightly emarginated ; the 

 lateral margins straight and inflexed ; the nostrils basal, 

 lateral, and placed in a membranous groove, with opening 

 rounded ; wings long, reaching to middle of tail, with the 

 second quill nearly as long as the third and fourth, which 

 are the longest ; tail moderate and nearly even ; tarsi longer 

 than the middle toe, and covered in front with an entire scale ; 

 toes moderate, with outer toe longer than the inner ; the hind 

 toe long ; the claws rather short, slightly curved, and acute. 



192. Saxicola Pileata ; f. imitatHx, vieii. ; 



Turdus Minus, Forst., Descrip. Anim., p. 1 2 ; Traquet 

 Imitateur, Le Vail., PI. 181 ; Schaapwachter of Colo- 

 nists (lit. the Shepherd). 



General colour above, rufous-brown ; feathers of the wings 

 dark-brown, edged with the colour of the back ; forehead 



