170 DENIZENS or THE EOREST 



is Imown to the Dutch as Bosch-vogel from its bush loving 

 habits, and is, fairly common in the bush districts of the 

 Cape. It is olive-green above and olive-grey below. Length, 

 8 J inches. 



Near Grahamstown, where it is known as the " Pilawit," 

 it is one of the hosts of the Cuckoos {Goccystes jacobinus, 

 hypofinarius, serratus, and Cuculus clamosus). It nests 

 from November to January, building a small neat shallow 

 structure of beard moss and twigs, and lays two eggs of a 

 creamy grey ground, prettily marbled with very pale and 

 dark purplish-brown blotches. A nest taken on January 5, 

 in the Peatherstone Valley, near Grahamstown, was built 

 at the extremity of a low branch overhanging the river, and 

 contained two of the Bulbul's eggs, and one of Goccystes 

 serratus. 



ROBINS 



The commonest member of the Eobin-Chats is the " Cape " 

 species {Cossypha caffra) called the Cape Eobin or Jan Fredric 

 by the Colonials. 



It is olive-brown above, the rump region and tail (except 

 the two centre feathers) being rufous ; a white eyebrow, 

 sides of face black ; throat and chest, and under tail coverts 

 bright rufous, the centre of abdomen whitish ; remainder of 

 under surface slate-grey. Length, TJ inches. 



This bird is fairly generally distributed throughout South 

 Africa. It is of confiding habits, being fond of the neighbour- 

 hood of gardens and houses, where it is always on the search 

 for insects. It has a pleasant song. The Cape Eobin builds 

 early in the Cape ; its eggs may be looked for from the end 

 of August : in the Transvaal the best month is October. 

 The nest — cup-shaped, of roots and lined with hair — ^is 



