LUSCINID.fi. 1 1 1 



the fourth and fifth quills longest and equal ; tail short, 

 broad, and slightly rounded on the sides ; tarsi slightly 

 longer than the middle toe, slender, and covered by a single 

 scale in front ; toes moderate, slender, and the outer toe 

 rather longer than the inner, the hind toe long and rather 

 strong ; the claws moderate, curved, and acute. 



207. PratinCOla Pastor, Strickland; Motatilla, 

 Sibilla, Linn., Gmel. Syst., 44 ; La Traquet Patre, Le 

 Vail., PL 180 ; Bontrochie of Colonists, literally parti- 

 coloured. 



HEAD, and half way down the throat, black, sprinkled with 

 yellow ; lower throat and breast rufous ; sides of the neck, 

 shoulders, and rump, white ; belly and flanks, pale-rufous ; 

 eyes, dark hazel. Female less brilliant in colour. Length, 

 5" 6'" ; wing, 3" ; tail, 1" 9'". 



It is abundant throughout the colony, inhabiting open plains covered 

 with low brushwood, generally going in pairs, male and female. It is 

 fond of perching on the top of the highest twig or rush, in its neigh- 

 bourhood, generally selecting one that stands solitary. Le Vaillant 

 found their nests concealed with great care in mole holes, at the foot 

 of thick bushes, in holes in rock, and such like places. Eggs five in 

 number, blotched with yellow-brown. Mr. Atmore says : " Nest on 

 ground, eggs pale green, spotted." 



Genus THAMNOBIA, Swain. 



Bill small, slender; base widened; the sides much com- 

 pressed ; culmen slightly arched from the base, but the tip of 

 the upper mandible reflected and entire ; gape smooth ; wings 

 short, much rounded, the primaries hardly exceeding the 

 secondaries and tertials, which are very broad ; tail moderate, 

 broad, much rounded ; tarsus much longer than the middle 

 and hinder toes ; lateral toes very unequal, the inner shortest ; 

 claws slighly curved. 



208. Thamnobia Ptymatura, Gr., ibis Vol. 



1863, p. 328; JSnanthe Ptymatura, Vieil ; Micro- 

 pus Leucopterus, Less., Le Vail., PL 188, fig. 2 ; Le 

 Traquet a cul roux. 



ALL black, with the exception of the belly, vent, rump, and 

 tail, which are bright rufous ; the two centre feathers of the 

 tail black. Length, about 6". 



Mr. Gurney (Ibis loc. cit) states that this bird was sent from Natal 

 by Mr. Ayres ; but I cannot help fancying some mistake has occurred, 

 as the bird is an Indian one, as stated by Le Vaillant. 



