185 
LONG-TAILED AFRICAN TODY. 
Platyslcra longipis, Swains. 
PLATE XXI. 
Cinereous above and beneath ; chin and middle of the body 
beneath rose-colour; wings, tail, and 6ides of the head, 
black, varied with white ; legs long ; bill slender, triangu- 
lar. 
Le mignard, Le Vaill. Ois. d'Af. iv. PI. 154. 
This pretty species has been very well described by 
Le Yaillant, although the figures accompanying his 
account are too inaccurate to deserve the same com- 
mendation. He states it to have the manners of 
the true flycatchers, that is, of sitting in ambuscade, 
and darting upon passing insects, as well as search- 
ing for larva and apterous insects among foliage. 
This latter habit at once accounts for the superior 
size and strength of its legs over all its congeners ; 
so true it is, that structure and economy go hand in 
hand. 
Le Vaillant observes that this is the smallest fly- 
catcher he had met with in Africa, and our figure 
represents it of the natural size : the upper plumage 
is dark cinereous, verging to grey, which becomes 
dull black on the wings. A broad and deep black 
