252 
Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 
Cisticola nataiensis (A. Smith).* 
Plates — Smith’s 111. “ Zool. of S.A.,” PL 80 (hiem.) ; Holub and von 
Pelzeln’s “ Orn. Zud-Afrikas,” PL 1 (aest.) ; and Heuglin’s “ Orn. N.O. 
Afr.,” Pl. 7 (aest. nit.). 
Owing to the great difference in plumage in summer and winter, and 
to its worn condition at some periods, and the difference in size between 
the sexes, a number of names have been applied to this species. Since it 
is widely distributed in suitable localities over the hotter parts of Ethiopia, 
there may be minor differences amongst those found in some localities ; 
but these differences have not so far been studied. The type of Smith’s 
D. nataiensis was collected in Natal. I have not had access to Sundeval’s 
paper in which a number of Gisticolidae have been described, but it seems 
to me that his D. obscura, which has been given a place in Stark and Sclater’s 
work on South African ornithology, and placed in the synonymy of C. 
chiniana by Reichenow, should be referred to this species, as the beak is 
described as being 5 mm. in height, a character alone sufficient to dis- 
tinguish it from other South African species. 
The following description of a $ in winter plumage is taken from 
Smith’s text to the figure above mentioned : — 
“ The upper surface of head, the back and sides of neck, the inter- 
scapulars, the back, the upper tail-coverts, the lesser wing-coverts, and 
the rump intermediate between reddish and buff-orange, and each of the 
feathers, excepting those of the rump, marked in the course of the shaft 
with a broad longitudinal dark umber-brown stripe. Tail reddish brown, 
edged with reddish orange, and tipped with pale buff-orange ; behind 
each light tip a broad transverse bar of deep umber-brown, the bars 
indistinct on the two centre feathers ; the tips of several of the lateral 
feathers nearly pure white. Primary and quill-coverts umber-brown, 
margined and tipped with pale buff-orange. Primary and secondary quill 
feathers brownish red, margined, externally, towards the quills, with dull 
reddish orange ; tertiary quill feathers deep umber-brown, margined and 
tipped with reddish orange. Chin and throat white ; breast, belly, vent, 
and under tail-coverts sienna-yellow, the flanks darkest. Bill pale sienna- 
yellow, the upper mandible towards culmen deep reddish brown ; legs, 
toes, and claws pale reddish orange. Length 183, wing 76, tail 84, tarsus 
28 mm.” 
The following description of the bird in summer plumage is taken 
from Sharpe’s “ Birds of S.A.,” p. 263, in which it is placed as C. curviro- 
stris : — 
“ Adult (j. — General colour above brown, all the feathers margined 
with ashy-buff, giving a strikingly grey appearance to the upper surface, 
the head more or less uniform brown without dark mesial streaks ; the 
feathers of the hinder neck slightly margined with sandy colour ; wing- 
coverts brown, the edgings to the majority clear grey, the least and some 
of the greater series margined with sandy ; quills dark brown with indistinct 
light tips, the primaries edged with sandy rufous, the inner secondaries 
edged all round with light buff ; rump and. upper tail- coverts nearly 
uniform greyish, the latter with dark brown bases, or centres to the feathers, 
* Zool. of South Africa, Plate 80 (184-3). 
