260 
Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 
white, flanks and thighs pale tawny rufous, and the under wing-coverts 
isabelline. Upper wing-coverts like the back, the primaries and secondaries- 
brown and broadly edged with pale wood-brown externally. Iris straw- 
colour ; maxilla pale brown, mandible bluish horn-colour ; legs and feet, 
dull white. Length in flesh 112 mm. 
Females differ from the males in being more clearly streaked on the 
head and upper surface generally, and in lacking the dark spot in front 
of the eye. 
In winter both sexes are more distinctly streaked, and since the 
margins of the feathers are more sandy rufous, the lower back and rump 
does not show up in such contrast as in summer. 
Specimens in the Transvaal Museum collection 
No. 
Locality. 
Date. 
Sex. Wing. 
1st 
Prim. 
Tail. 
Tars. 
Mid. 
Toe. 
Culm. 
6984 
Wolmaransstad. . . 
25/11/10 
c? 
53 
13 
42 
18 -5 
9 
11 
830 
Klein Letaba 
27 /I ,/03 
c? 
52 
11 
38 
18 
8-5 
10 
6983 
Pretoria 
22/12/09 
cf 
52 
11 
3b 
19 
9 
11 *5 
9181 

29/12/11 
'& 
50 
11 
38 
18 
9 
11 -5 
9185 
JJ 
14/12/11 
2 
48 
12 
34 
18 
9 
10 
6981 
5/8/09 
16/1/12 
? 
$ 
50 
12 
41 
19 
8-5 
10 
9520 
?? 
52 
11 
39 
19 
9-5 
11 -5 
6979 
55 
Warmbaths 
1/8/09 
$ 
54 
10-5 
42 
19 
9-5 
11 
6980 
Pretoria 
6/8/09 
<? 
50 
15 
42 
19 
8-5 
10 
6982 
15/7/09 
27 /7 708 
(S 
9 
54 
52 
15 
46 
19 
9-5 
11 
6978 
Warmbaths 
15 
42 
19 
9 
| 
The last three specimens are probably juveniles. 
This species is not uncommon in open barren veld, and occurs also> 
in the bushveld. It may be readily distinguished in a wild state by its 
general slender form and. pale colouration. The specimen tabulated as. 
collected on 14th December was shot in some tall grass in an open part 
of the bushveld, and was found to have its ovaries very much enlarged.. 
The nests of this species are not easily distinguished from those of C. terres- 
tris ; but the situations in which the two species are found are different. 
Two eggs in the Transvaal Museum collection, taken at Potchefstroom 
on 14th December, are white, freely spotted with red-brown overlying; 
two shades of slate colour, and measure 16-6 X 11 *5 and 16 *2 x 11 *4 mm. 
respectively. 
The flight of these birds is sometimes wavy, but more often direct- 
and close to the ground. I have not so far been able to identify a song 
with this species, its only call-note seeming to be a few notes, something 
like “ click- click -click . * 5 
Hemipteryx , Swainson.* 
We have now to deal with another genus, consisting of a large number 
of species which frequent only the open veld ; few notes have been made 
on their habits, with the exception of one species. Some members of this 
genus have a beautiful piping song, which has often puzzled the hearers. 
* Lardner’s Encyclopaedia Nat. Hist. Birds, II, p. 242 (1837). 
