DIMENSIONS.
Inches. Lines. Inches. Lines.
Length from the point of the bill to Length of the tarsus.......... 9
the tip of the ta il............. 4 71 of the outer toe . . . . . . . 0 3
of the bill to the angle of the of the middle toe . . ----- 0 mouth ............................. H 0 of the inner toe . . . 3
of the wings when folded . . . 2 0 of the hinder toe . 31
of the t a i l ............................ 2 6
Mal e .—Not known.
Inhabits dry flats in the interior of South Africa, and flits to and fro in search of insects
amongst the shrubs with which they are more or less coated. It is a rare bird in the parts of
the country which have been yet explored; hence, I infer, that the head-quarters of the species
will be found beyond the districts which have been traversed. This species exhibits a considerable
resemblance to D rym o ic a p a llid a , but when the two are compared together, very
palpable differences are,to be discovered. In the present species the tail-feathers are tipped
with white, and each has behind the white tip a dark umber-brown b a r ; in D. p a llid a the
feathers are uniformly of one colour. The bill of D . affinis is longer and stronger than that of
D . p a llid a , though the bird itself is smaller, and the tarsi of the latter are longer and stronger
than those of the former.
DRYMOICA CHERINA.—S m it h .
Aves.— P late LXXVIL F ig . 2 . ' (F emale.)
D. capite cerviceque profundi rubro-trunneie; mterscapuliis, alarum tectricibus minoribtis, remigium
rectricramqiie tectricibus brunneis, flavo brunneo-marginatis; rectricibua profunde brunneis albo-
terminatis efc apicibus albis postice fascist lata nigro-brunned margin atis; partibus inferioribus flavo-
aibis; rostro supeme aurantio-brunneo; infeme subflavo; pedibus rubro-flaris'.
Longitudo ab apice rostri ad basin caudre 3 nnc; 11 lin.; caudre 1 unc. 7J lin.
C o lo u r .—The upper surface of the head and the hack and the sides of the
neck deep reddish brown, the last named parts lightest; the interscapulars,
the upper tail-coverts, the lesser wing-coverts, quill-coverts, and the tertiary
quill-feathers, umber-brown, the feathers edged and tipped with yellowish
brown. Back yellowish brown, each feather towards quill dull lavender-
purple. The primary and secondary quill-feathers light brownish red, lightest
at the points, the primaries, towards quills, and the secondaries throughout
narrowly margined externally with yellowish grey. Tail-feathers umber-
brown, the two centre feathers tipped narrowly, the others broadly, with white;
and each, with the exception of the two centre ones, crossed by an umber-
brown bar immediately behind the white tip. The chin, throat, centre of
breast, and belly yellowish white; sides of breast and flanks tinted with
broccoli-brown. Bill,—the upper mandible orange-coloured brown, the lower
mandible light sienna-yellow. Tarsi, toes and claws light reddish yellow.
F orm, &cS-Figure slender; tail very short and rounded ; bill long, nearly
straight, compressed anteriorly, and pointed at the tip, towards the base
triangular. Wings rounded and, when folded, reach over the first half of the
tail, the third, fourth, and fifth quill-feathers equal and longest, the sixth
slightly shorter, the second a little shorter than the sixth, and the first not
quite half the length of the second. Tarsi short, moderately strong, distinctly
scutellated anteriorly, entire posteriorly; toes long and slender;
claws delicate, considerably curved, and pointed.