COLIID^ COLIUS 99 



softer grass ; in each case there were three eggs ; no mention is 

 made of a lining of fresh green leaves, such as is found in that of 

 the Speckled Mouse-bird. 



The eggs are dirty white and chalky, like those of the preceding 

 species, and measure 0-90 X 0-65. 



426. Colius erythromelon. Bed-faced Mouse-bird. 



Le coliou quii'iwa, Lcvaill. Ois. d'Afr. vi, p. 42, pi. 258 (1808). 



Colius erythromelon, Vieill. N. Diet. H. N. vii, p. 378 (1817) ; Grill, 

 K. Vet. Akad. Handl. ii, no. 10, p. 45 (1858) [Oudtshoom] ; BucUey, 

 Ibis, 1874, p. 373; Aijres, Ibis, 1880, p. 108 [Eustenburg] ; Oates, 

 Matabeleland, p. 805 (1881) ; Holub 5' Peh. Orn. Sild-Afrihas, 

 p. 137 (1882) ; Sharpe, ed. Latjard's B. 8. Afr. pp. 551, 853 (1882-4) ; 

 P. L. Sclater, P. Z. 8. 1884, p. 475, pi. 45 ; 8helley, Ibis, 1885, 

 p. 309 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xvii, p. 344 (1892) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, 

 p. 118 (1896) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 1897, p. 515 [Zululand] ; Alexander, 

 Ibis, 1900, p. 105 [Zumbo] . 



Colius quiriwa, Biipp. Mus. Sench. iii, p. 43 (1845) ; Kirk, Ibis, 1864, 

 p. 329 [Zambesi]. 



Colius capensis (nee Gmel.), Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 222 (1867) ; Ayrcs, 

 Ibis, 1868, p. 47 [NatalJ ; Barratt, Ibis, 1876, p. 204 [Marico] . 



" Isbivovu " of the Zulus (Woodward). 



Description. Adult. — General colour above, a greyish-green, 

 darkest on the wings and tail ; occiput crested ; forehead tawny- 

 buff; below ochreous-buff ; the chin and throat paler, almost 

 white ; breast with a purplish shade, sides of the neck and cheeks 

 more greenish like the back, abdomen darker ochreous, flanks 

 and thighs greenish ; under wing-coverts dark ochre, quills below 

 chestnut, darker at the tips. 



Iris grey ; tip of upper mandible and the lower one black ; basal 

 part of upper one and bare skin round the eye crimson ; legs and 

 feet rose-red. 



Length 13-5 to 14-5 ; wing 3-6 ; tail 8-4 ; tarsus 0'8 ; culmen 0'55. 



The sexes are alike, but the female is somewhat smaller. 



Distribution. — The Eed-faced Mouse-bird was first obtained by 

 Levaillant on the banks of the Gamtoos river, in what is how the 

 Hankey division of the Colony. It is spread over the greater part 

 of South Africa from Gape Town and Natal to the Zambesi, though 

 it has not, so far as I am aware, been noticed ia Ehodesia ; beyond 

 our limits it reaches Benguela and Nyasaland. 



The following are recorded localities: Cape Colony — Cape div. 

 Feb. April and July, Stellenbosch, Nov., Caledon, Dec. (S.A. Mus.), 



