224 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
caused by the sudden appearance of the bases to the feathers ; lores, 
eyebrow, sides of face and entire under surface of body orange, 
rather paler on the abdomen; all the wing-coverts clear bluish grey, 
blackish on the inner web; quills dull brown, externally shaded 
with grey, the secondaries with a further external border of pale ~ 
orange as on the back; tail-feathers very pointed, the two centre 
ones dark brown, the others dull orange, the outermost broadly 
margined with brown on the outer web; bill horn brown; legs 
slate-coloured ; iris dark brown. ‘Total length, 6-4 inches; culmen, 
1:7; wing, 3°25; tail, 3-0; tarsus, 1:0. 
Fig. Smith, Ill. Zool. 8. Afr. Birds, pl. 60. 
208. CossyPHA CAFFRA. Cape Chat-Thrush. 
Bessonornis phenicurus, Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 131 (1807). 
Bessonornis caffra, id. t. c. p. 182. 
This is the Cape “ Robin,” and decidedly deserves the name. 
It is common in all the gardens, even in the midst of Cape Town, 
flitting along the gravel paths, scraping in the flower-beds, perching 
on the leafless summit of some deciduous tree, or the ridge of the 
house-top, and pouring out a short, robin-like song, which, when 
heard in the darkening twilight, reminds the listener of the familiar 
note of the ‘‘ household bird with the red stomacher.”” It breeds in 
August and September, and its nest is placed in much the same 
situations, and built of the same materials, the eggs equal in number 
and resemble in form, size, and shape, those of the Huropean bird, 
only rather less coloured, being of a dirty white or buff ground, 
more or less freckled with dull pale rufous; axis, 11” ; diam., 7”. 
Its food consists of insects, worms, &c.,and when it hops from place 
to place in search of it, it droops its wings and jerks its tail, just 
like the Robin at home. Victorin met with it at the Knysna in 
September and November, and it seems to occur all along the 
Southern part of the African continent to Natal, as Mr. Rickard 
records it as common both at Port Elizabeth and Hast London. 
Captain Shelley writes — Very abundant in Cape Colony, espe- 
cially in the pine-woods about Cape Town. In habits they are 
extremely lively, running swiftly when on the ground, at intervals 
spreading and erecting their fine rufous tails, and when on the 
