108 BIRDS OP SOUTH AFRICA. 



pair or two frequent every farm-house in the colony, and are accused 

 of picking the grease out of the cart-wheels ; hence their colonial name. 

 Dr. A. Smith, in Zool. of S. A., says it differs from Le Vaillant's bird, 

 and calls that species Sax. Familiaris. Shaw, Yol. xiii, pt. 1, pp. 241 

 243, gives a 8. Familiaris, and describes it thus : Grey-brown 

 wheat-ear, paler beneath, with the breast, flanks, ears, and rump 

 rufous; the two middle tail-feathers entirely brown, the rest brown, 

 edged with rufous. Was this description taken from Le Vaillant with- 

 out seeing the bird ? 



200. SaxiCOla Simiata, Sund. Observ. on Le Vail. 

 Ois. d'Af., p. 44, nota. 



GENERAL colour above, brown, very slightly tinged with 

 rufous ; below light-brown, inclining to grey, particularly on 

 the throat ; rump and tail-coverts rufous ; vent white ; ear- 

 covers slightly rufescent and glistening ; tail parti-coloured, 

 white, tinged with rufous and dark-brown. The white por- 

 tion begins near the point of the outer web of the outer 

 feather, and slopes gradually upwards across all the feathers, 

 till it is hidden on the two centre ones by the coverts. This, 

 and the peculiar appical attenuation of the point of the 

 second quill-feather of the wing, at once distinguishes it from 

 8. Sperata. Length, 5J"; wing, 3"; tail, 2". 



This plainly- coloured chat is not uncommon at Joel's Poort and to 

 the eastward, having been received from Colesberg and Eluruman. I 

 found it at the first-named place, breeding in November, in holes of 

 buildings, and occupying the place of S. Sperata. It makes a nest of 

 hair, roots, and feathers, and lays three to five eggs, of a light-blue, 

 speckled, with rufous. These speckles generally assume the shape of a 

 ring at the obtuse end : axis, 10'" ; diam. 7'". 



201. SaxiCOla Hotentotta ; Vitiflora Hotentotta, 

 Shaw, Vol. 10, p. 573; Sylvia Hotentotta, Lath.; 

 Motacilla Hotentotta, Gmel. 



FULVOUS-BROWN, with the throat and lower part of the belly 

 white ; the upper part and rump brown ; the upper tail- 

 coverts yellowish ; tail black, with a white base and whitish 

 tip. Length, 8". 



*' Found at the Cape of Good Hope," Shaw, loc. cit. This is one 

 of the birds named by this old author, which has eluded all my 

 endeavours to identify with any known species. From the distribu- 

 tion of its colours, I believe it to have been founded upon a specimen 

 pf some Saxicola, probably a female or young male ; likely enough of 

 the common S. Pileata. 



