SAXICOLA PILEATA. 239 
from one stone, it flits to another, and in alighting opens his tail, 
so as to show the white patch on his rump. It is usually perched 
on an ant-hill, in most cases sees you before you see it, and acts 
accordingly ! 
Mr. T. E. Buckley shot this species near Newcastle, in Natal, 
where, he says, he found a good number of these birds one day, but 
those he procured were all males. It has not yet been recorded 
from the Transvaal by Mr. Ayres, but Dr. Kirk says that it was 
common among the rocks of the Murchison Rapids, but was not 
observed in other situations. Mr. Andersson says :—“ I have found 
this species common from Table Mountain in the south to the 
Okavango in the north, in the neighbourhood of which river it may 
be seen at all times of the year, though in Damara Land proper it 
only appears during the wet season, and again gradually retreats 
to more favoured regions as the dry season returns. In the Cape 
Colony it is one of the best known birds, and from its familiar 
habits and its being seen near cattle and sheep, the Dutch boors 
have given it the name of “‘ Schaap Wachter,” or Shepherd ; it has 
also the more local name of “ Nagtgaal” and “ Rossignol,” from a 
habit it is said to have of singing by night. It is a very tame bird, 
of a most inquisitive nature, and seems to seek the society of man. 
The male has a very pleasant and varied song during the breeding 
season, and is especially remarkable for its strange power of 
imitating sounds, such as the notes of other birds, the barking of a 
dog, the bleating of a goat, &c.” 
Anchieta has likewise procured the species at Humbe on tho 
- Cunene river, where it is called “ Utena” by the natives, and also at 
Dombe in Benguela, where the native name is “ Kissanbondongi.” 
According to the arrangement of Messrs. Blanford and Dresser 
this Chat belongs to the same section of Sawicola as the foregoing 
species, having the wing-coverts and interscapulary region of the 
same colour, but it may be distinguished by its white throat and 
black crown and breast. 
General colour above, rufous-brown ; feathers of the wings dark- 
brown, edged with the colour of the back; forehead white, this 
colour extending in a line over the eye; top of the head black; a 
_ stripe of the same colour extends from the corner of the bill down 
the sides of the neck, and forms a broad collar across the breast ; 
chin, throat, and belly white, the latter tinted with rufous, which 
