MUSICAPIDiE. Its 



269. Platysteira Longipes, Swain. ; Nat. Lib., 



Fly-Catchers, p. 185 ; Mus. Scita, Vieil. ; Le Mignard, 

 he Vail., PI. 15-i ; Muscicapa Tenella, Licht. 



Above, very dark-grey, cinereous beneath ; the chin and 

 middle of the breast tinged with rose-colour ; rings, 

 tail, and sides of the head, black, varied with white ; legs 

 long ; bill slender, triangular. Total length, 4^" ; wing, 

 1" 11'" ; tail, 2". 



Le Vaillant states it has the manners of the true fly-catchers, sitting 

 in ambuscade and darting at passing insects, as well as searching for 

 larvae and apterous insects among foliage. In this he is correct. It is 

 very abundant in the neighbourhood of Nel's Poort (Le Vaillant says 

 Kaffraria and Namaqualand, about the Orange and Groote Hivers), 

 frequenting mimosa thickets along the borders of the rivers. 



270. Platysteira Pristrinaria ;* Muscicapa 



Pristrinaria, Vieil., Cuv. Vol. 1, p. 829 ; Xe Molenar, 

 Le Vail., PI. IGO ; Mus. Molitor, Licht. ; Muscipeta 

 Pulsator, Staph. 



Above, brownish ; head dark-grey ; tail black, a black stripe 

 through the eyes ; wings ochraceous ; under parts (of male), 

 throat, and chin, pure white ; a broad black band across the 

 chest ; centre of belly white ; flanks rufous. In the female, 

 the chin and throat are light rufous ; the chest dark rufous ; 

 tail, in both, tipt with white, and the outside feather mar- 

 gined with white. Length, 4^" 



This little fly-catcher is rather abundant in certain favourite localities 

 in the neighbourhood of Cape Town, and is generally distributed 

 throughout the colony. I have shot it at the Knysna ; and received it 

 from Swellendam, Colesberg, and Beaufort ; and seen it in collections 

 from Natal. Mr. Andersson also brought it from Damaraland. It 

 frequents wooded places, generally hunting about thickets, high or low, 

 for its insect prey, upon which it darts, when at rest, on the under side of 

 leaves and on the branches. I have occasionally seen it fly out and 

 capture an insect on the wing ; but this is rare. It generally makes 

 known its presence by its curious note, which sounds as if two stones 

 were ground together. I have seen the bird about at all seasons, but 

 never could find a nest. Le Vaillant also was equally unsuccessful. 



* In the Museum copy of Le Vaillant, this bird is marked, in Swainson's own hand- 

 writing, G. Todus, Sw.; sah-g&mx^ Platysteria, Jardine. This copy formerly belonged 

 to Mr. Swainson, but was wrecked in Table Bay, in the ship conveying his effects to New 

 Zealand. Several of his books were recovered and bought up by a number of gentle- 

 men who admired his talents, and he was informed that they would be forwarded to 

 him if he would indicate his address. This he never cared to do, and the books remained 

 here. Of them, the Museum has Temminck's Planches Coloriees, Le Vaillant's 

 Oiseaux D'Afrique, and the 1st Vol. of his Histoire Natuvelle D'Oiseaux Nouveaux 

 de L'Amerique et des Indes, and Wilson's American Ornithology. They contain many 

 curious manuscript notes on the plates and margins, all bearing on his ideas of the 

 affiaitv of suecies. 



