SYLVIA OB SCUBA, Fig. 1.
CHLOROPETA NATALENSIS. Fig.2 .
(At6S_ Plate 112 )
SYLVIA OBSCURA.—S m ith .
A ves.—P late CXII. F ig . 1 . F emale.
A. capite superne viridi-brunneo; partibus superioribus flavo-viridibus; partibus inferioribus flavis;
caudalonga; rostro ad basin, depresso lato, ad apicem acuminato.
Longitudo e rostri apice ad basin caudse 2 unc. 9 lin.; caudee 2 unc. 6 lin.
C olour.—The upper surface of the head intermediate between hair-brown
and oil-green; the interscapulars, the back, and the rump oil-green; the
upper tail coverts oil-green, with a faint tinge of pale orange coloured brown.
The shoulder coverts, and the primary and secondary quill coverts pale
reddish brown, edged and tipped with king’s-yellow; the primary, the
secondary, the tertiary quill feathers and the scapularies pale reddish brown,
the primaries toward their base and the secondaries throughout edged
externally with oil-green, the tertiaries and scapularies edged and tipped
with king’s-yellow. Sides of head oil-green, tinted with brown; eyebrows,
chin, throat, breast, belly, vent, under tail coverts, and tibia king’s-yellow.
Tail feathers light brownish red, broadly edged towards their base with
king’s-yellow, and their points and the edges immediately in front of the
former, particularly the outer ones, of a tint intermediate between king’s-
yellow and straw-yellow. Upper mandible brownish red, lower light orange
coloured brown. Tarsi, toes, and claws pale brownish red.
F orm, &c.—Head flattened and rather broad, body rather bulky considering
the size of the bird ; wings rather short, rounded, and when folded reach a
little beyond the base of the tail, the proportional length of the quill feathers
not to be ascertained, the bird having been moulting when it was killed.
Tail long, apparently square at the point when the feathers are fully
developed, each feather at apex slightly rounded; the interscapulars and the
feathers of the under parts slightly decomposed. Bill much flattened, at the
base broad and triangular (vide Fig. a); the culmen is distinct between the
nostrils, which are situated close to the frontal feathers ; apex of bill slightly
pointed, behind point moderately narrow and considerably arched; bristles
at corners of mouth short and moderately rigid. Tarsi rather short and