104 
observes that the present species appears to be common and widely distributed in the southern 
districts of the Portuguese province of Angola, as Senhor Anchieta has collected specimens in Benguela, 
at Capangombe, Huilla, Quillengues, Kiulo, and at Humbe on the Cunene River. Other localities 
recorded for the species have been Quibulo and Cahata in Benguela (Anchieta : Bocage, Jorn. Lisb. 
(2) no. vii. p. 167, 1892), and the Kakella River in the Cunene region (Van der Kellen: Büttik. 
Notes Leyden Mus. x. p. 226). 
« This Thrush," writes Sir Andrew Smith, 
discovered by the natives from th 
leaves which conceal the insec 
« seeks its food upon the ground, and, when so occupied, 
e noise it makes in scratching the ground or in 
its resort is readily 
ts itis seeking." Andersson states 
displacing rubbish and decayed 
that in Damaraland “it lives chiefly on insects, for which it searches at the roots of trees and amongst 
low bushes, old leaves, and decayed wood. Tt scratches somewhat after the manner of a fowl, and is 
thence called by the Bechuanas the ‘ Ground-scraper'; it also runs with great celerity. It lives 
singly or in pairs, and occasionally perches on the topmost branch of some lofty tree. It utters a 
plaintive half-song, half-call, just as if it were troubled with a bad cold.” Не describes the nest as 
«T took a nest containing three young birds on the 29th of October; it was built on a 
follows :— 
composed exteriorly of grass, the interior being lined 
branch about ten feet from the ground, and was 
with down and feathers." 
Adult male. General colour above ashy-grey, slightly mottled with dusky centres to the feathers 
of the crown and mantle; lesser wing-coverts ashy-grey ; median and greater coverts dark brown, 
stard-wing, primary-coverts, and primaries blackish, the latter with 
b, and with two-thirds of the inner web orange-buff; this pattern 
here it occupies the basal half only of the inner web; some of the 
he ends, the innermost ones ashy-brown like the back; 
centre tail-feathers light brown, the rest blackish with ashy-brown edges, the two outermost narrowly 
lores and a narrow eyebrow white, continued behind the ear-coverts to the sides 
th black; an indistinct supra-loral line of black ; eyelid white, with 
sides of face white, with a broad double oblique bar of 
black, one drawn from below the eye, and the other, slightly crescentic, running behind the ear- 
coverts; cheeks and throat white, with a distinct ‘malar line, composed of black spots ; under surface 
of body white, distinctly spotted with black, the spots longitudinal ovals on the fore-neck, and 
fan-shaped on the breast and sides of the body, the latter being slightly washed with ashy ; the 
fore-neck and chest showing a tinge of pale orange-buff; abdomen and under tail-coverts white ; 
axillaries and under wing-coverts orange-buff, not quite so deep in tint as the quill-lining : bill black 
or horn-colour, yellow at the base of the lower mandible ; feet light greenish-yellow (Andersson) or 
ochre (Buckley) ; iris dark hazel (Buckley), or double-ringed, yellow and red (Ayres). Total length 
9-2, inches, culmen 1:0 inch, wing 572 inches, tail 2:65 inches, tarsus 1:5 inch. 
Adult female. Similar to the male, but not quite so heavily spotted below: 
(Buckley). Total length 8:5 inches, wing 4:8 inches. 
Young. Rather browner than the adult, and spotted with yellowish-buff centres to the feathers, 
with a sub-terminal dusky line before the tip; the lesser and median wing-coverts with fan-shaped 
e-buff, with which colour the greater series are margined ; innermost secondaries with 
the pale tips to the outer tail-feathers very distinct ; facial markings and spots on 
hole of the underparts suffused with pale orange-buff. 
rg, in the Seebohm 
ГЕ. B. S.] 
ashy-brown on the outer edge ; ba 
a pale ashy margin to the outer we 
diminishing on the secondaries, w 
inner secondaries fringed with white at t 
tipped with white; 
of the neck, which are spotted wi 
a blackish spot on the upper anterior edge ; 
“ feet light brown” 
tips of orang 
orange-buff tips; 
Ше under surface very distinct, but the w 
The figure in the Plate is drawn from a female specimen from Rustenbe 
Collection. 
