r ‘Se ee ee 
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344 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
—T have at different periods met with several solitary individuals 
of this species, always either amongst dense underwood or thick 
creeping plants. They appeared to be sluggish in their habits, and 
to feed on small fruits and berries. Their stomachs contained no 
insects.” Mr. F. A. Barratt fell in with the species near Lyden- 
burg and Pilgrim’s Rest gold-fields, but Mr. T. Ayres observes that 
in the former district it is decidedly scarce, and adds that he cannot 
remember ever having seen more than a pair together. 
Adult male-—Upper surface warm brown, the wing-coverts and 
quills ashy-brown, washed with the same brown as the back exter- 
nally, the primaries narrowly margined with whitish; tail dark 
brown, margined on both webs of the feathers with olivaceons ; 
crown of head and nape black, the latter slightly shaded with grey ; 
lores and feathers round the eye black; cheeks and ear-coverts 
silvery-grey, the sides of the neck, throat, and breast rather darker 
grey ; the chin blackish; centre of the breast and abdomen, white ; 
sides of body and thighs fulvous brown; under tail-coverts light 
brown edged broadly with buffy white ; under wing-coverts yellowish 
buff ; quills ashy brown below, the inner webs white from their 
base upwards; “ bill and legs flesh-colour ; iris, ashy hazel” (7’. C. 
Atmore). Total length, 6°6 inches; culmen, 0°53; wing, 3°2; 
tail, 3°15; tarsus, 0°95. 
fig. Le Vaillant, Ois. d’Afr. pl. 108. 
332. SMITHORNIS CAPENSIS. Cape Broad-billed Flycatcher. 
Platyrhynchus capensis, Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 142. 
A species entirely confined to South-eastern Africa. Sir Andrew 
Smith who discovered it did not notice it beyond the forests which 
exist upon the South-east coast towards Delagoa Bay. Captain 
Shelley has received several specimens from the neighbourhood of 
Durban obtained by Mr. Gordge, and Mr. T. L. Ayres has collected 
it near Pinetown. His father, Mr. Thomas Ayres, sent specimens 
to Mr. Gurney some years ago, and he has published the following 
note on the species in Natal;—“ The stomach contained beetles and 
a species of bug. These birds frequent the dense bush, and are by 
no means plentiful; they have a curious harsh, loud and monotonous 
note, which almost exactly resembles that of Scops capensis, and is 
uttered at about the same intervals four or five times in a minute: 
