SAXICOLA INFUSCATA. 233 
Exton also met with it at Kanye in the Matabili county, and 
describes the stomach as being filled with black ants and various 
species of Heteroptera (Cimew, §c.). In Natal it is rare, according to 
Mr. Ayres, who gives the following anecdote in a letter to Mr. 
Gurney :—“ Passing a Dutch farmer’s one day, I saw this Chat 
hopping about upon a large stack of faggots some 200 yards from 
the house. Being a scarce bird, I shot it at once, when one of the 
farmer’s sons came running to me, exclaiming in tones of anguish, 
‘What have you done? You have shot the Mock-bird’ He 
went on to tell me that it was a great favourite of theirs; that it 
came into the house every day to be fed, and was particularly fond 
of admiring itself in the parlour looking-glass; and that the bird 
had been with them for years. I expressed my sorrow for having 
been so unfortunate as to cause them such grief for the loss of their 
favourite, and offered to preserve the skin and send it to them ; but 
the young Dutchman said, ‘Of what use is the skin? The bird is 
dead: keep it.’ The specimen sent is the skin of this curious bird.” 
Male.—General plumage throughout glossy black; rump, belly, 
and vent deep rufous; shoulders white. Length, 81 inches ; 
wing, 44; tail, 4-7. The female wants the white patch on the 
shoulder, and is much greyer and duller in colour, 
Fig. afr. Mag. de Zool. 1836, pl. 56. 
219. SaxiconA INFUSCATA. Great Fuscous Wheatear. 
Sir Andrew Smith considered this to be the rarest of the Chats 
met with by him in South Africa, and he says that it appeared to be 
“ principally, if not entirely, restricted to the districts between the 
Oliphant and Orange rivers,” seldom occurring far from the sea- 
coast. We know now, however, that it is rather a widely spread 
species in South Africa, but is everywhere a very wary bird. We 
found it abundantly at the Berg river, and have received specimens 
along with the nests and eggs from Mr. Jackson at Nel’s Poort. Mr. 
Atmore met with it sparsely at Traka, and it was also obtained by 
his son, Mr. T. C. Atmore, at Hopetown; we have also received it 
from Kuruman. Mr. Ayres writes:—“ I saw two specimens near 
the Vaal river, one of which I killed; its stomach contained a single 
locust, which it had swallowed nearly whole; it had all the appear- 
ance of a Flycatcher, as it sat upon the upper twigs of a low bush, 
