from Deelfontein, Cape Colony. 327 



black band at the end of the tail-feathers, varying only 

 slightly in width. The Natal birds seem to me to be 

 inseparable from those of the Cape Colony ; but in Transvaal 

 examples the black band is always narrower, broken up, and 

 on some of the feathers occasionally absent altogether, the 

 colour of the tail being also lighter chestnut. This bird is 

 the Saxicola familiaris hellmayri of Reichenow (Orn. MB. x. 

 p. 78). S. lubberti of Reichenow (op. cit. p. 77) is a pale 

 form of S. familiaris, with a very broad black band at the 

 end of the tail and a somewhat more ashy coloration. 



S. falkensteini Cab., described from the Loango Coast 

 (J. f. O. 1875, p. 235), was also found at Schasche by 

 Fischer (Reichen. J. f. 0. 1887, p. 78). It is represented 

 in the Seebohm Collection by a specimen from Ugogo. It is 

 ashy below, with a whitish throat and abdomen, while it has 

 the blackish band at the end of the tail much narrower than 

 in S. familiaris, and broken up into two spots on some of the 

 feathers, so that the band itself becomes obsolete. To this 

 form I also refer the Zomba specimen recorded by Capt. 

 Shelley as S. galtoni (Ibis, 1894, p. 12). 



[This was a fairly common species, and frequented the sides 

 of the kopjes, where its nest was generally placed under a 

 stone. These birds keep their wings constantly in motion, 

 and seldom rest them for more than a few moments at a 

 time.] 



76. Saxicola monticola. 



Saxicola monticola and S. ancle rssoni Sharpe, ed. Layard, 

 pp. 246, 249, 819 (1875-84). 



Saxicola monticola (V.) ; Seebohm, Cat. B. v. p. 380 (1881) ; 

 Stark, Faun. S.Afr., Birds, ii. p. 194(1901); Sharpe, Hand- 1. 

 B. iv. p. 177 (1903). 



a. <$ juv. Deelfontein, Jan. 1901. Iris hazel. 



This bird was killed by Seimund with a catapult when he 

 was first invalided to Deelfontein Hospital. It is black 

 above and below, with a white rump and upper tail-coverts ; 

 the outer tail-feathers are not pure white, but shew a great 

 deal of black. Not only does this form a bar at the end of 



