338 Dr. R. B. Sharpe on Birds 



Mr. Seimund procured with a catapult. In the second 

 collection arc the nest and eggs procured on the 8th of 

 December. The latter are pale bluish white with numerous 

 dots and small spots of lilac distributed generally over the 

 egg, but with the larger dots most visible near the big end. 

 Axis 075 inch, diaui. 055. 



The birds procured in October are still in full winter 

 plumage, and are much more ashy on the throat and chest. 

 The ashy margins become much abraded during the nesting- 

 period, and the plumage becomes thereby darker. In February 

 the moult is nearly completed. 



[We called this the "Kopje Bird/' but the Dutch name 

 for it and for several of the small Warblers was " Tentenki." 

 It was found with us all the year round, and was fairly 

 common, being generally seen in pairs, but occasionally in 

 family-parties. It is very quick in its ways, and hops in and 

 out among the large stones in search of its food, which consists 

 of insects. The nest was found in the grass at the foot of a 

 big rock on a kopje, and was composed chiefly of spiders' 

 webs. The rock was surrounded by thick bush. The eggs 

 are two or three, sometimes four, in number.] 



82. Dryodeomas icteropygialis. 



Dryodromas icteropygialis (Lafr.) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. vii. 

 p. 148 (1883) ; id. Hand-1. B. iv. p. 225 (1903). 



Chlorodyta icteropygialis Shelley, B. Afr. i. p. 72 (189G); 

 Stark, Faun. S. Afr., Birds, ii. p. 127 (1901). 



a. S juv. Deelfontein, Jan. 27, 1901. 



b. 2 ad. „ Sept. 25, 1902. Iris yellow. 

 The specimen obtained in January is a young bird with a 



yellow base to the bill and bright yellow under tail-coverts. 

 There is very little of theisabelline tinge on the breast, as in 

 the other specimens in the Museum, and I imagine that this 

 is a sign of winter plumage. 



83. Sylviella rufescens. 



Sylviella rufescens Sharpe, ed. Layard, pp. 303, 829 

 (1875-81) ; id. Cat. B. vii. p. 153 (1883) ; Stark, Faun. S. Afr., 

 Birds, ii.p. 115 (1901); Sharpe, Hand-1. B. iv. p. 226 (1903). 



