Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 201 
as to its source. This consists of a few clear notes, sounding like “ ko ko 
ko keh,” repeated at short intervals, becoming fainter and fainter, and 
terminating in a rapid run of notes becoming louder and louder. This 
effect is caused by the bird making short flights upwards, singing the four 
notes with each rise, then diving forwards and slightly downwards and 
rising in a loop, repeating the notes and diving again until the bird is a 
mere speck against the sky and the notes float faintly down to us ; when 
tired of its exertions, the bird comes down to earth again uttering the run 
of rapidly repeated notes. A number of different notes are distinguishable, 
presumably uttered by different species ; and some individuals do not 
appear to rise to a great height while singing ; but these notes and habits 
have not so far been identified with particular species. Members of this 
genus are widely distributed over the open veld regions of Africa, and 
having regard to the fact that amongst the few skins in the Transvaal 
Museum collection no less than four species are distinguishable, there 
seems to be no reason why many more species should not be found to exist 
throughout the Continent. 
The following diagnostic characters are taken from external appear- 
ance, but having regard to the power of song and peculiar structure of the 
nest of members of the genus, it is not unlikely that the anatomical 
characters will also be found to differ from those of the Cisticolidae. 
(1) Tail much shorter than wing, usually less than 65 % and as low 
as 50 % ; (2) first primary 20-33 % length of second ; (3) tail broad and 
rather stiff ; (4) beak strong, but narrow and sharply pointed ; (5) inner 
toe distinctly longer than outer, its claw reaching beyond the base of middle 
claw ; legs and feet usually very stout ; (6) middle claw less than half the 
length of toe. Seasonal changes very marked. Inhabits open veld 
country ; has a loud clear song, uttered by the male as it rises shy wards ; 
nest distinct from that of Cisticola, being a thin-walled, bag-shaped structure, 
composed of silky white fibres surrounded by broad green leaves of grass 
which are kept in place by the fibres and drawn together to a point at the 
entrance, which faces skywards. 
Hemipteryx textrix (Vieillot).* 
Plates— Levaillant’s “ Ois d’Afr.,” Vol. Ill, PL 131; Smith’s 111. 
“ Zool. of S.A.,” PI. 74, fig. 1. 
The following description is taken from Smith’s text to the above- 
mentioned plate, representing an adult $ in summer plumage : — 
“ The upper parts of the head and neck, together with the inter- 
scapulars, back and shoulders, umber-brown, variegated with white and 
clear yellowish brown ; the colours constituting the variegations occur 
at the edges and tips of the feathers, which are either of the one or other 
of the light tints ; in the feathers of the back they are mostly yellowish 
brown. The sides of the head and neck dirty yellowish brown, mottled 
with small umber-brown blotches. The primary and secondary quill- 
coverts umber-brown edged and tipped with pale wood-brown ; primary 
and secondary quill feathers brownish red, the former edged faintly with 
* Nouv. Diet., XI, p. 208 (1817). 
