SAXICOLA TNFUSCATA. — Smith. 
Aves. — Plate XXYIII. Male. 
S. supra griseo-brunnea ; gula guttureque sordide albis ; pectore abdomineque flavo-griseis, plus minusve 
brunnoo-tinctis ; alarum tectricibus, remigibus, rectricibusque fuscis, partim sordide albo-marginatis. 
Rostro pedibusque nigro-bruuneis. 
Longituijo corporis cum capite 4 unc. ; caudse 3i unc. 
Colour.— The upper and lateral parts of the head, the back and sides of 
the neck, the interscapulars and the back rusty broccoli-brown ; the chin and 
the throat dirty white ; the breast, belly, and thighs, yellowish grey, more or 
less deeply tinted with brown. Lesser wing coverts, primary and secondary 
quill coverts, quill feathers and tail umber-brown, the coverts and the 
secondary quill feathers edged and tipt with dirty white, the primary quill 
feathers towards their bases and the lateral tail feathers, particularly the 
outermost one of each side, margined externally with the same colour. Bill, 
feet, and claws, liver-brown ; eyes dark brown. 
Form, &c. — Figure robust. Bill strong, rather broad at base and the 
cutting edges distinctly inflected, apex of upper mandible slightly hooked. 
Wings rounded, and when folded, reach to the commencement of the last half 
of the tail ; the first quill feather rudimentary, the third and fourth longest 
and equal, the fifth is slightly shorter than the fourth, and the second and 
sixth are of equal length, and about three lines shorter than the third. Tail 
square at the point. Tarsi long, and rather robust, anteriorly scutellated, 
posteriorly entire ; claws long, strong, and moderately curved. 
6 
10J 
9 
6 
Length of the tarsus 
of the outer toe... 
of the middle toe. 
of the inner toe... 
of the hinder toe. 
Inches. Lines. 
1 
0 
0 
0 
0 
5 h 
74 
3 
DIMENSIONS 
Inches. Lines 
Length from the point of the bill to 
the tip of the tail 
Length of the bill from the gape 
of the wings when folded 
of the tail 
The colours of the finale differ little if at all from those of the male. 
This is the largest and rarest of the South African Srmcoi- It appears to be principally, rf 
not entirely restricted to 
the districts between the Oliphant and Orange Rivers, and seldom 
