claws delicate, pointed, and considerably curved, the claw of hinder toe
strongest.
DIMENSIONS.
Inches. Lines. Inches. Lines.
Length from the point of the bill to Length of the ta rsu s............ 0
the tip of the ta il............ 5 3 of the outer toe......... __ 0 3
of the bill to the angle of the of the middle toe. . . . ----- 0
mouth............................ 0 H of the inner toe......... __ 0 3
of the wings when folded . . 2 0 of the hinder toe . . . . ----- 0 21
of the tail .......................... 2 10
F emale.—The colours generally not so deep as those of the male, and the
white of the breast and belly is more pure; in other respects the sexes
are like in general appearance.
This bird has rather an extensive range in South Africa, being found, though sparingly,
among brushwood in the northern districts of the Cape Colony, and between those districts
and the tropic of Capricorn. It feeds upon insects, and, in quest of them, it is to be seen
flitting from branch to branch in the most arid and barren situations.
DRYMOICA PECTORALIS.—S mith.
A ves. — P late LXXV. F ig . 2 . (Male.)
D. snperne pallid^ cmereo-brumea,; gold guttuiecpe albis; pootore ventreque pallido-flavis, pectore
fascid profimde bruimeS. notato; leotricibus versus apicem fascia brunned maculatis; rostro purpureo-
brunneo; pedibus flavo-aurantiis.
Longitudo e rostri apiee ad basin caudse 2 unc. 5 lin.; caudae 2 unc. 7 lin.
C olour.—Top of the head, ear-coverts, back of the neck, interscapular
feathers, and back a colour intermediate between broccoli and wood-brown.
The lesser wing-coverts, and the primary and secondary quill-coverts reddish
brown faintly edged with wood-brown; quill feathers light brownish
red, the outer vanes narrowly edged with wood-brown. Tail feathers wood-
brown, the tips lightest, and immediately behind the light shade a faint
dark line, as if each was crossed by a narrow dusky bar, the two middle
feathers without either the dark bars or the light tips. Chin, upper portion of
throat, and sides of neck dirty white; lower portion of t hroat and sides of
neck umber-brown, in the form of a broad transverse band. Eyebrows
slightly white. The sides of the breast light umber-brown, the flanks a light
and dusky hair-brown; middle of breast, belly, vent, thighs, and under tail-
coverts straw-yellow. Bill liver-brown; tarsi and toes pale buff-orange; claws
horn-coloured. Eyes ochrey yellow.
F orm, &c.—Figure slender; tail long and much graduated. Bill slender-
pointed and slightly curved, rather broad at base, and the culmen prominent
between the nasal fossa. Wings rounded, and when folded, reach rather beyond
the first third of the tail, the fourth, fifth, and sixth quill feathers equal
and longest, the third and seventh rather shorter, the second, eighth, and
ninth equal and rather shorter than the third, the first considerably shorter
than the second. Tarsi and toes moderately robust, the former scutellated