pale orange-coloured brown, more or less shaded with dark liver-brown, and
each distinctly edged with white, the inner margin of which is bounded by
a dark liver-brown line. Tail intermediate between umber and broccoli-
brown, the outer vanes of the two lateral feathers of each side cream-yellow.
Eyebrows sienna-yellow ; eyes clear brown. Bill clear yellowish brown,
shaded with chesnut-brown. Legs, toes, and claws intermediate between
buff orange and flesh-red.
F orm, &c.—Figure rather full. Head small; bill lengthened, subconical,
moderately strong, and the culmen towards tip slightly curved; nostrils
uncovered. Wings rounded, and when folded, reach nearly to the middle
of the tail, the fifth quill feather rather the longest, the third and fourth
equal and scarcely shorter than the fifth, the second about three lines shorter
than the third, and the first not exceeding an inch in length; the tertiary
and secondary quill feathers nearly of equal length, and about half an inch
shorter than the primaries. Tail slightly rounded. Legs and toes stout, the
former anteriorly and posteriorly scutellated ; claws of anterior toes, short,
rather strong, and slightly curved, claw of hinder toe long, slender, pointed,
and slightly curved.
DIMENSIONS.
In ch es. Lines.
Length from the point of the bill to
the tip of the t a i l .............. 7 6
of the bill................................ 0 10
of the wings when folded . . . 3 9
of the ta il.............................. 2 4
The colours in both sexes are the
brightest.
In ch es. L in e s .
Length of the tarsi............................... l 3
"of the outer to e ................... . 0 3^
of the middle t o e ............. 0 6
of the inner toe . ................... 0 3 j|
of the hinder toe . . . . . . . . 0 3 |
of the claw of hinder toe . . . 0 6
same,—only those of the male are
This bird, as far as my experience goes, is principally confined to the Eastern districts of the
Cape Colony, and specimens are most readily procured upon the grassy plains which exist near
Algoa Bay, or between it and Graham’s Town. Over these flats it is thinly distributed, and
rarely are more than two individuals found together. It feeds upon seeds and small insects-
A ves.—P late LXXXVIII. F ig . 2.
A. supra fusca, plumis rufo-marginatis, subtus rufo-alba, pectore parce fusco maculato; remigibus griseo-
fuscis versus basin ferrugineis; caud& fused, rectrice utriusque lateris extera albo-marginata ; rostro
flavo-brunneo, brunneo-tincto; pedibus unguibusque pallide rubro-flavis.
Longitudo h rostri apice ad basin caudee 3 unc. 6 lin .; caudae 2 unc. 6 lin.
C olour.— Head superiorly umber-brown, all the feathers edged and narrowly
tipped with a tint intermediate between reddish and orpiment-orange ;
back and sides of neck dirty pale umber-brown, each feather edged and tipped
with wood-brown ; the interscapulars and back dull umber-brown, the feathers
edged with light reddish orange; rump and upper tail coverts greyish brown,
all the feathers narrowly edged with rusty white. The chin, throat, breast,
and belly rusty white, the sides of the breast and flanks tinted with reddish
orange, and the middle of the breast sparingly mottled with sub-triangular,
pale, umber-brown spots; under tail coverts pure white. The lesser wing
coverts dull umber-brown, edged with reddish orange ; the primary and
secondary quill coverts coloured the same, and towards the tips are edged with
sienna-yellow ; the primary, secondary, and tertiary quill feathers intermediate
between broccoli and umber-brown, excepting the outer vanes of all
but the two outermost towards their base, and the edges of the inner vanes
of all but the first primary quill feather, which are intermediate between
broccoli and orange-red ; the tertiaries edged and tipped with reddish orange,
which at their margin fade into wood-brown. Tail, excepting the two middle
feathers, umber-brown edged with wood-brown, most distinct on the outer
vane of the outermost feather of each side, the two middle feathers intermediate
between broccoli and umber-brown. Eyebrows white ; eyes light
chesnut; ear coverts between orpiment and orange-red. Bill yellowish
brown, shaded on the culmen with brownish red. Tarsi and toes sienna-
yellow, brightened with flesh-red.