Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 
231 
Young birds of the species found frequenting the open veld may be 
recognized on the following points : — 
Back dark brown, first primary 50-53 % length of 
second, tail 80-90 % length of wing C. terrestris. 
Back always pale, first primary 40-45 % length of 
second, tail 80-85 % length of wing C. lavendulae. 
Back dark or pale, first primary 30-43 % length of 
second, tail 60-65 % length of wing Hemipteryx. 
The differences between the various species of Hemipteryx when young 
have not been worked out, and cannot now be defined ; they can only 
be proved by very careful work in the field. 
Group I — Cisticola fulvicapilla. 
(1) Tail 80-90 % length of wing ; (2) first primary about 50 % length 
of second ; (3) tail of medium breadth, rather flexible ; (4) beak medium 
thickness, equal in length to middle toe and half the claw ; (5) inner and 
outer toes about equal in length, the tips of their claws not reaching to the 
base of the middle claw ; (6) middle claw weak, but fairly sharp, about 
half the length of the toe without claw ; (7) no apparent seasonal change. 
Inhabits scrub, searching for its food amongst grass, and taking refuge 
in the nearest trees when alarmed ; call-note easily recognized, and song 
usually uttered by the bird when perched on some conspicuous post. 
1. Cisticola fulvicapilla (Vieill.).* 
Plate — Levaill. Ois. d’Afr., Ill, p, 98, PI. 124. (Also Ibis, 1863, 
PI. VIII, fig. 1 — Camaroptera natalensis.) 
The following description is taken from a specimen from Knysna : — 
Top of head ruddy chestnut, merging into greyish olive-brown on the 
back ; upper tail-coverts paler than the back ; tail clearer pale brown 
than the coverts, sometimes with an obscure dark sub terminal mark. 
Wings on their upper surface hardly differing in colour from the back 
when closed, but darker on the hidden portion of the quills. Lores and 
cheeks buff ; ear-coverts grey, dashed with pale rufous. Under surface of 
body dull blue-grey, the throat and under tail-coverts paler, and the middle 
of abdomen white ; axillaries greyish white, slightly tinged with fulvous ; 
thighs tawny rufous. Specimens from Pondoland are labelled as follows 
Iris hazel ; maxilla brown, mandible pinkish flesh-colour ; legs and feet 
light flesh colour. Length of males 113-118 mm., of female 103 mm. 
The female seems to be somewhat paler on the under surface of body 
and is smaller than the male. In young specimens the colours are not so 
well-defined, and the whole of the upper surface is washed with pale fulvous. 
This is a well-marked species easily distinguished from all its congeners 
by its bluish-grey breast and flanks. Its range appears to extend from 
the Cape Peninsula to Natal, its distribution being restricted to the moist 
region along the coast, though it is sometimes found farther inland. I 
am not personally acquainted with this bird. Mr. Ayres has written that 
“ these birds are plentiful (in Natal), frequenting reeds and grass ; their 
4 
Nouv. Diet., XI, 1817, p. 217. 
