The Birds of Gavibia. 
293 
I do not think I have ever seen this bird and <lo not think it can be coni- 
jnon in Gambia. Mr. A. L- Hullei-, in the Ibis for Jnly, 1905, page 333, 
describes it as coninioii in the Soudan. He writes: " It is a pleasing and 
active little bird, looking something like a Blackbird in minature as it hops 
about on the ground with its tail raised, and is a cheery and persistent 
singer. In flight the brown on the priinaries and the white spots on the 
expanded tail are conspicuous. It is almost always found in pairs." 
Cossypha veHicalis. LP:S.SER WH ITK-CUOWN KD CHAT-THRUSH. 
Range. West Africa; Seneganibia to Abeokuta. (H.L.) 
C. albicapilla. WHITH-CROWNED CHAT-THRUSH, 
liange. Seiiegainbia. (H.L.) 
These two birds both frequent the thickest, darkest bush along onr 
creeks and rivers, where the black, orange and silver of the bright con- 
spicuous plumage quite lights up the gloom of their haunts, as they flit 
or hop, in pairs or singly, about the undergrowth. 
C. albicapilla is, I think, a good deal commoner than ve> iicalis, from 
which it differs in having no orange nape and its larger size. The only two 
specimens I have shot agreed well with the catalogue description of C. 
albicapilla, and that of verlicalis well describes our other smaller bird, as 
far as one can tell at a distance. 
These Thrushes are very lively birds; always on the move, diving in 
and out tlie recesses of the bush with sharp flicks of their wings and tails. 
They are rather inclined to be quarrelsome and to domineer over their 
neighbours. I one <lay watched one of them for some time at a water-hole 
in a thick patch of palm-bush, where it first came dowTi to satisfy its thirst 
and then spent all its time and energies in driving off all the other birds 
that came down for their evening drink. Their general colour scheme 
always bring to one's mind a brightly-coloured Redstart. The following 
descriptions I take from the " British Museum Catalogue.'' 
" C. vef ticalis. (Cat. VII. p 45). Adult. Back and scapulars deep 
slaty-black ; round hind neck a collar of orange feathers ; lower back, rump 
and upper tail-coverts also bright orange; croivn of iiead white; forehead, 
siiles of crown and sides of face black; cheeks, sides of neck and entire 
under surface of body deep orange ; wings black, all the feathers margined 
with slaty-blue, brighter than on the back ; two centre tail-feathers black, 
rest of tail bright orange, outermost feathers being margined externally 
with black; bill blackish; feet dark brown (skin); 'iris brown ' (Shelley). 
Length 7.5 inches. The young are mottled all over the upper surface with 
orange feathers, each narrowly margined with black ; all the wing-coverts 
have terminal orange spots .... white crown assumed later. ... all tail 
feathers apparently tipped with black Adult plumage is gained by a 
direct moult," 
" C. albicapilla. (VII. p. 89). Adidt. Above slaty brown ; lower back, 
rump and upper tail coverts bright orange; entire crown and nape white, 
