52 THRUSH. 



33.— AFRICAN THRUSH. 



Turdus Morio, Ind. Orn.\. 346. Lin. i. 297. Gm. Lin.l. 835. 



Sturnus Morio, Daud. ii. 307. 



Merula Capitis bonce Spei, Bris. ii. 309. t. 23. 2. Id. 8vo. i. 244. 



Corvus rufipennsis, Shaw's Zool. vii. 373. 



Le Jaunoir du Cap de B. E. Buf. iii. 366. PI. enl. 199. 



Le Roupenne, Levail. Afr. ii. 134. pi. 83. 84. 



African Thrush, Gen. Syn. iii. 55. Shaiv's Zool. x. 229. 



SIZE of a Blackbird ; length eleven inches. Bill strong, black; 

 eye brown; general colour of the plumage greenish, glossy black, 

 except the greater quills, which are rufous ; belly and under part of 

 the tail not glossy ; the three first quills have brown, the others black 

 tips; legs brown. The female is smaller ; the rufous on the wings 

 paler, and the shoulders of the wings inclined to rufous ; in both, the 

 wings reach to the middle of the tail. This is very common at the 

 Cape of Good Hope, sometimes seen in immense flocks in orchards 

 and vineyards, making great destruction : the inhabitants are obliged 

 to keep watch, as the flocks often consist of four or five thousand, or 

 more. The territory about Constance is particularly troubled with 

 them. Are called by the people at the Cape, Berg-Spreuw and 

 Rooye-vlerk-Spreuw, (Mountain, and Red-winged Starling) are not 

 found west of the Kamis Mountains, although so common on the 

 east side, especially the River Gamtoos, where they are so numerous, 

 that thirty-two have been killed at one shot. They perch on trees, 

 and cry pillio pillio; another cry is kouik-kouik, chattering like 

 Starlings. They build in the clefts of the rocks, and the nests are 

 placed along side each other ; they lay five or six eggs, have gene- 

 rally two broods in a year, and are, as before said, in such plenty, 

 that M. Levaillant has met with thousands of their eggs, which were 

 very good to eat : the birds, too, are thought excellent, especially in 

 the grape season, at other times feeding on insects of most kinds. 



