22 PEIENDS OF THE AGRICULTURIST 



are of a general slatey-olive tint on the back ; whitish throat 

 streaked with rufous and black ; sides of body and belly 

 orange-rufous ; length about 9| inches. The main difference 

 between the two species are as follows : The flanks, which 

 in olivaceus are orange-chestnut, are brown in cdbanisi ; the 

 bill of the latter bird is wholly of a yellowish-orange colour, 

 while that of olivaceus has the upper mandible of a dusky 

 olive-green. The Cape Thrush ranges from Cape Colony 

 through Natal to Zululand, while its place is taken in the 

 Orange Free State, Transvaal and Bechuanaland by the 

 Orange-billed species. 



The Kurrichaine Thrush {T. libonianus) is somewhat 

 similar to the two preceding species, differing mainly in 

 having the centre of the belly white and the bill bright 

 orange-red. Length, 8 J inches. W. L. Sclater says this is 

 the commonest form of Thrush between the Orange and 

 Zambesi Eivers. 



All three birds lay from three to five bluish-green eggs 

 speckled and blotched, chiefly at the larger end, with reddish- 

 brown. They build large cup-shaped nests of twigs and 

 roots situated generally in a thick bush or tree. They feed 

 largely on insect Hfe, thus being useful birds, but are not 

 above devouring a httle fruit occasionally. 



Two fairly common birds in the district of Grahamstown 

 are the Cape Eock Thrush (Monticola rupestris) and the 

 Sentinel Eock Thrush (M. explorator). Both are of a 

 reddish-brown colour above and chestnut-red below, the 

 Cape Eock Thrush differing from its congener in having 

 only the head and neck of a slatey-blue colour, whereas 

 this coloration is continued on to the back in the ease of the 

 " Sentinel." In addition, the latter is a smaller bird, being 

 11 inches in length against 9 inches for the former species. 



