502 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
observation in December. The eggs, four in number, and of a 
mottled brown, were deposited in a cup-shaped nest, on the side of 
a low bush, at the edge of a foot-path. When we approached it 
the bird crept away to a little distance, then rose, flew a few yards, 
and perched on an ant-heap to watch us. As we were proceeding 
to kill a Hyena, which had been caught in one of our traps, we 
deferred taking the eggs until our return; but coming home by a 
different route, we had to leave them till next morning, when on 
proceeding to the spot we found the young excluded. The hen 
bird, on this and several subsequent occasions, executed the same 
manceuyres to escape detection. 
Mr. Atmore found it at Traka, and we procured several on the 
Berg River. Mr. Andersson states that he observed this species 
pretty frequently in Little Namaqua Land, but not to the north of 
the Orange River: it perches on bushes as well as on the ground. 
Adult in summer plwmage.—Above brownish cinnamon, streaked 
with black down the shafts of the feathers, these shaft-streaks 
disappearing on the rump; hind neck with a scarcely perceptible 
shade of greyish, slightly distinguishable on the sides; wing-coverts 
and quills dark brown, margined with cinnamon rufous, shading 
off into a fulvous edging on the extreme margin of the greater 
coverts and some of the secondaries, the innermost of which are 
more broadly edged: upper tail-coverts rufous, with distinct blackish 
shaft-streaks ; tail dark brown, with pale edgings of fulvous brown, 
the two centre feathers broadly and the two outermost narrowly 
margined with cinnamon-rufous: lores and a distinct eyebrow 
creamy-buff ; feathers in front of the eye blackish; under the eye 
another line of creamy-buff feathers ; ear-coverts cinnamon ; cheeks 
and throat dull white, varied with a few blackish spots; rest of 
under surface buffy-white, slightly rufescent on the sides of the 
body, the fore neck and breast thickly spotted with dark brown, the 
spots becoming narrower and more longitudinal on the sides of the 
breast and flanks; thighs rufous; under tail-coverts white, the 
shafts rufous, the longest plumes rufous, with black shafts and a 
whitish tip; under wing-coverts ashy brown, like the inner lining 
of the wing; “ bill light reddish brown, the lower mandible pale 
buff-orange towards the base; legs and toes intermediate between 
broccoli and yellowish brown, and tinted with flesh red; claws light 
reddish brown; iris bright brown; eyebrow rusty white” (Sir A. 
