402 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
Adult.—General colour above light brown, the scapulars and least 
wing-coverts like the back ; lesser and median coverts darker brown, 
edged with light brown like the back; primary-coverts and quills 
dark brown, externally edged with light fawn-colour, paler on the 
secondaries ; upper tail-coverts rather more rufescent than the back ; 
tail brown ; lores buffy white; in front of the eye a dusky spot, 
round the eye a ring of buffy white feathers, and above the ear- 
coverts a slight streak of whitish feathers ; ear-coverts light brown, 
with obsolete lighter shaft-streaks; cheeks and throat dull white, 
as also the rest of the under surface, the breast slightly washed with 
isabelline, the flanks rather browner; under wing-coverts whitish ; 
quills light brown, edged with fulvous along the inner web; “bill 
and legs black; iris dark hazel” (7. FE. Buckley). Total length, 
6°9 inches; culmen, 0°5; wing, 3°35; tail, 3:15; tarsus, 0°9. 
Young.—Brown, mottled with longitudinal streaks down the 
feathers, widening into a rather broad spot at the tip, very distinct 
on the wing-coverts; under surface of the body dull whitish, the 
feathers mottled with brown edges. 
Fig. Smith, ll. Zool. 8. Afr. pl. 113. 
384. Brapyornis oaresn, Sharpe. Oates’ Wood-Shrike. 
Oates’ Wood-Shrike was discovered by the gentlemen whose name 
it bears in the Zambesi region, having been procured by him at 
Geruah and the first Makalaka Kraal. A specimen in the British 
Museum, from the Congo, also appears to belong to the same species, 
but being in worn plumage it is difficult to say for certain. Nothing 
has been recorded of its habits, but Mr. Oates found the stomach of 
one of his specimens to be full of ants. 
The characters by which Bradyornis oatesii may be distinguished 
are as follows :—The upper surface is ashy above, the throat is white, 
contrasting with the ashy under surface, and the under wing-coverts 
are like the breast. Total length, 7:5 inches ; culmen, 0°55; wing, 
3°85 ; tail, 3°1; tarsus, 0°85. 
Fig. Sharpe in Oates’ Matabele Land, App. pl. A. 
385. Brapyornis patiipus, Von. Mill. Pale Wood-Shrike. 
‘This species was met with by Senor Anchieta at Caconda, in 
Benguela, and was named B. murinus by Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub. 
Judging only from the characters given by these gentlemen, the bird 
