ROBINS 



171 



generally placed in a bush about 18 inches to 3 feet from the 

 ground, on the side of a tree trunk, or on a stump. The 

 eggs, usually|_ three in number, are pale blue, thickly spotted 



Fig. 91. — ^Nest and eggs of Noisy Eobin-Cliat. 



and blotched with pale rust colour : sometimes this mottling 

 is arranged in the shape of a wreath round the blunt end of 

 the egg. 



The Noisy Eobin-Chat {G. hicolor) is the Piet-myn-vrouw 

 in some of the Dutch districts, and the Mocking-Bird of the 

 Colonial boy. This species is conspicuously coloured, being 

 dark slaty-grey above and bright orange rufous, below ; 

 sides of face black. Length, 7^ inches. 



It is a fairly common bird in the bush country of the 

 Eastern Province ; in the Grahamstown kloofs its musical 

 mitation of various bird-calls may often be heard. It will 



