Annals of the Transvaal Museum 
239 
look very much alike, but differ in size, call-notes and the proportionate 
length of the toes and claws; the first, I propose to place in a new sub- 
genus, Threnodyta, type C. suhruficapilla (A. Smith), characterised by its 
smaller size and long toes and claws, and the second under Threnodytops, 
type C. chiniana (A. Smith), characterised by its larger size and short toes 
and claws. The following “key” will facilitate the identification of the 
genera and subgenera: 
1. Largest species, with a short and massive bill; tarsus over 24 mm. in 
length : Pseudhemipteryx. 
Smaller species, tarsus under 24mm. in length: 2. 
2. Outermost primary half or less than half the length of the second; size 
always small and tail never longer than the wing: 3. 
Outermost primary decidedly more than half the length of the second ; size 
usually (not always) larger and tail often more than length of wing: 8. 
3 . Bill sharply pointed ; outermost primary decidedly less than half the length 
of the second: 4. 
Bill not so finely pointed ; outermost primary about half the length of the 
second: 7. 
4. Tail over 60 per cent, length of the wing: 5. 
Tail under 60 per cent, length of wing: 6. 
5. Outermost primary very small, under 40 per cent, length of second; wing 
and tail feathers narrow: Tachydyta. 
Outermost primary longer, over 40 per cent, length of second : Cisticola. 
6. Outermost primary 30-40 per cent, length of second: Hemipteryx. 
Outermost primary under 30 per cent, length of second: Nephelicola. 
7. Tail feathers very broad, with a large black subterminal black bar: Neo~ 
cisticola. 
Tail feathers narrower, without a distinct subterminal black bar: Dryo- 
dromas. 
8. Tail without a subterminal black bar ; outermost primary over 65 per cent. 
length of second: Rhathymodyta. 
Tail with black subterminal bar; outermost primary not more than 65 per 
cent, length of second : 9. 
9. Back mainly black in colour, broadly striped: 10. 
Back not black, more or less striped with brown, but not heavily : 1 1 . 
Back not striped: Thvenetes. 
10. Size smaller; inner toe longer than outer; outermost primary about 55 per 
cent, length of second : Drymodyta. 
Size larger; inner toe about equal to outer; outermost primary about 
60 per cent, length of second: Drymodytops. 
11. Toes and claws short: Threnodytops. 
Toes and claws long: Threnodyta. 
The genera and species may be arranged as follows: 
Hemipteryx textrix (Vieillot). Southern area. 
H. egregia Rbts. {Ann. Transvaal Mus. in. 262, 1913). Drakensberg. 
Cisticola terrestris (A. Smith). This is “Cisticola cursitans” or “C. cisticola 
uropygialis” of authors. The latter name (Fraser’s) is untenable if the 
West African bird should prove to be identical with the South African, 
being a year later than Smith’s terrestris. Precisely what Cisticola terrestris 
of authors may be is not clear, and I suspect several species have been 
confounded under the same name. The species seems to be widely dis- 
tributed in South Africa and only one form has so far been recognised from 
within our limits. 
