84 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 



104. Drymoica flavicans (Yieill.). Pectoral Drymoica. 



Le Citrin, Levaillant's Ois. d'Afr. pi. 127. 



Sylvia flavicans, Vieillot's Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. vol. ii. p. 175. 



Drymoica pallida, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 72. fig. 2. 



Drymoica pectoralisj ibid. pi. 75. fig. 2. 



Drym&caflavicans, Strickland & Sclater, Birds Damar., Contr. Orn. 



1852, p. 148. 



Drymoica pectoralis, Layard's Cat. No. 146. 

 Drymoica pallida, ibid. No. 147. 

 Drymoica sub/lava, ibid. No. 169. 

 Drymceca Ortleppi, Tristram, in Ibis, 1869, p. 207. 

 Drymcecajlavicans, Sharpe's Cat. No. 275. 



1 have obtained specimens of Drymoica pectoralis 

 both in Damara Land and in the neighbourhood of 

 the Okavango. I am sadly puzzled about specimens of 

 D. jftavicans (as well as about some others) called D. 

 pectoralis ; and sometimes I fancy they are all identical, 

 the difference being merely in age, sex, and colour. The 

 male is evidently both larger and more robust than 

 the female, and the latter has the black on the breast 

 less well defined than the male. I have found the nests 

 of these birds (usually containing three, but sometimes 

 four, eggs) at various dates, extending from December 

 20th to April 1st. The nest is very light and graceful, 

 composed of fine grass both externally and internally, 

 and built on a low bush a few feet above the ground. 



The iris is brownish yellow, the bill jet-black, the legs 

 and toes flesh-colour. 



Measurements of a female : 



in. lin. 



Entire length 60 



Length of folded wing 21 



tarsus 09 



middle toe 04 



tail 30 



bill ......... 6* 



