ISO BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



sends a nest, composed of fine roots and hair. Eggs, 3 5, of a light 

 buff or dirty white, minutely freckled throughout with pale rufous : 

 axis, 13'" ; diam., 9'". Of its habits, she writes : " The d sings 

 a rather lively song ; he does not commence early in the morning, at or 

 before daylight, as the robins do ; but after the sun has warmed him he 

 begins to pour forth his cheerful melody : his notes are clear, and 

 rather pleasing, and he is fond of choosing a conspicuous situation 

 whence he can be heard and seen to the best advantage." 



244. Petrocincla Explorator; Turdm Per- 



spicax, Shaw ; Turdus Explorator, Yieil., Cuv., Vol. 6, 

 p. 377 ; L'Espionneur, Le Vail, PL 103. 

 HEAD, neck, breast, throat, back, and shoulders, blue-grey ; 

 rump, belly, and vent, orange-red, inclining to buff on the 

 vent and thigh ; wing and outer tail-feathers deep brown, the 

 former edged with light rufous ; outer tail-feathers orange- 

 red, more or less marked 'with brown. Length, 8"; wing, 

 4" ; tail, 2" 0/ ". 



Not very common, but widely distributed. I have seen it principally 

 injjrocky places about Table Mountain, and the face of the hills over- 

 hanging Simon's Bay and Kalk Bay. It appears to be a frequent 

 species at Swellendam ; and I have received it from Beaufort and 

 Colesberg. It is a shy and wary bird, keeping well out of gun-shot 

 when pursued, flitting from rock to rock, running up their sloping 

 surfaces, and keeping a good look-out from the extreme summit. It 

 feeds on insects, but often takes a little vegetable food. 



Genus BESSONORNIS, Smith. 



Bill more or less short, with the culmen gradually curved, 

 and the sides compressed to the tip, which is emarginated ; the 

 gonys moderate and ascending ; the lateral margins nearly 

 straight ; the nostrils lateral and basal, with the opening 

 oval, placed in a small membranous groove, and partly 

 covered by the projecting feathers ; wings moderate, and 

 rounded, with the first or fifth quill the longest; tail more or 

 less long, broad, 'and rounded; tarsi rather longer than the 

 middle toe, slender, and covered in front with an entire scale, 

 or with several slightly divided scales ; toes moderate and weak, 

 with the outer longer than the inner one, and united at the 

 base ; the hind toe long ; the claws moderate, curved, and acute. 



245. Bessonornis Vociferans, Swain.;Zooi.iu., 



PJ. 179 ; Turdus Reclamator, VieiJ., Cuv., Vol. 6, p. 



379 ; Muscicapa Bicolor, Sparm. ; M. Dickroa, Gmel. ; 



Le Reclameur, Le Vail., PI. 104 ; Piet~myn-Vrouw 



of Colonists. 



ABOVE, dark blue-grey ; rump reddish ; wing-feathers edged 

 with light blue-grey ; tail red, with the exception of the two 



