LONG-TAILED AFRICAN TODY. 



Platystera longipis, SWAINS. 

 PLATE XXI. 



Cinereous above and beneath ; chin and middle of the body 

 beneath rose-colour; wings, tail, and sides of the head, 

 black, varied with white; legs long; bill slender, triangu- 

 lar. 



Le mignard, Le VaM. Ois. d'Af. iv. PL 154. 



THIS pretty species has been very well described by 

 Le Vaillant, although the figures accompanying his 

 account are too inaccurate to deserve the same com- 

 mendation. He states it to have the manners of 

 the true flycatchers, that is, of sitting in ambuscade, 

 and darting upon passing insects, as well as search- 

 ing for larva and apterous insects among foliage. 

 This latter habit at once accounts for the superior 

 size and strength of its legs over all its congeners ; 

 so true it is, that structure and economy go hand in 

 hand. 



Le Vaillant observes that this is the smallest fly- 

 catcher he had met with in Africa, and our figure 

 represents it of the natural size : the upper plumage 

 is dark cinereous, verging to grey, which becomes 

 dull black on the wings. A broad and deep black 



