TELOPHONUS TRIVIRGATUS, 



mandible pointed and towards the tip inclined obliquely upwards, its lower 

 edged slightly arched ; a few strong rigid bristles at the angle of the mouth. 

 Wings roundish, very short, and Avhen folded reach but a very short way 

 beyond the base of the tail, the fourth, fifth, and sixth quill feathers longest 

 and nearly equal, the third and seventh equal and slightly shorter, the second 

 considerably shorter, and about the length of the secondaries, the first much 

 shorter than the second. Tail long and graduated, and the feathers some- 

 what pointed. Tarsi short and moderately strong, anteriorly scutellated, 

 posteriorly entire. Toes rather slender and free, the outer slightly longer 

 than the inner one, and both considerably shorter than the middle one ; 

 hinder toe short and strong. Claws of anterior toes rather slender, pointed, 

 and slightly curved ; claw of hinder toe long, strong and much curved. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Inches. Lines, i Inches, Lines. 

 Length from tlie point of the bill to Length of the tarsus 1 



the base of the tail 3 6' 



of the tail 4 



of the bill to the angle of the 



mouth 9.^ 



of the win <;s when folded ... 3 



Male. — Colours not known. 



of the outer toe 5 



of the middle toe 6 J 



of the inner toe 4^ 



of the hinder toe 3^ 



The only specimen of this species which I have seen was shot to the northward and east- 

 ward of Kurrichane between 24° and 25° south latitude. During the time which elapsed from 

 its being observed till it was killed, it flitted about with great celerity from twig to twig, and 

 from bush to bush, but manifested no inclination or intention of leaving the dense thicket in 

 which it was discovered. Its food was found to have consisted of insects, and in that respect 

 as well as in its manners generally, it had a marked resemblance to T. erythropterus and 

 loiigirostris, the two species of the genus which are not uncommon in certain districts of the 

 Cape colony. 



