deep chestnut, with rufous shafts to the feathers; wing-coverts
paler rufous, crossed with narrow blackish bars and very distinct
fulvous shaft-stripes to the feathers, these characters being more
decided on the lesser and greater coverts, nearly obsolete on the
median ones; quills pale rufous, with dusky tips and rufous shafts,
the inner secondaries crossed with alternate broad bars of black and
rufous or fulvous, with distinct fulvous shafts; middle of the back
pale rufous, minutely barred with black; lower back, rump, and upper
tail coverts glossy black; tail black, the middle feathers barred with
fulvous brown; under wing coverts and entire under surface of wing
rufous; bill and feet black. Total length, 13 inches ; culmen, IT ;
wing, 7'0; tail, 7'7; tarsus, l -55.
Fig. Levaill. Ois. d’Afr. v. p. 78, pi. 220.
Fam. INDICAT0RID2E.
149. I n dica to r sparrmannI. White-eared Honey-Guide.
Indicator albirostris, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 242.
This species has only reached us from Swellendam, where it was
shot both by Mr. Caimcross and Mr. Atm ore: it is perhaps more
abundant in the Eastern districts. Mr. W. Atm ore writes that it is
found chiefly in the Ruggens, being more plentiful about Heidelburg
than elsewhere. Mr. T. G. Atmore procured it at Eland’s Post, and
Mr. T. E. Buckley met with the species from the north of the Transvaal
into the Matabili country. On the western side it has been
sent from Gambos in Mossamedes by Senor Anchieta. In northeastern
Africa and Senegambia the present species appears to be
much more common than within our limits.
Its habits resemble those of the other Honey-Guides. Mr. Buckley
writes: “ Extremely pertinacious in its habit of following one
in order to conduct to a bee’s nest, chattering incessantly until it gains
its point, or is knocked over with the gun. The natives, however,
strongly object to their being shot.”
General colour brownish-grey, lightest on the breast, and fading
to pure white on the belly, vent, and thighs, these latter marked
with broad streaks of brown; rump white, streaked in the same way;
outer margins of all the wing-feathers dirty yellowish-white, those
of the secondaries being the most-marked; ear-tufts white; chin and
upper part of throat black; the two middle tail-feathers entirely brown;
the next pair have the inner webs, with the exception of the tip,
white, and the outer three are all white, except at the tips; the outermost
feather is in this, and I. major, considerably the shortest.
Length, 7” 6" ' ; wing, 4 " 4 '" ; tail, 3” 3 "'.
The female wants the black throat of the male, but can always be
distinguished by the brown stripes on its flanks, this character being
the best to distinguish the species.
Fig. Temm. PI. Col. 867.
150. I n d ic a to r v a r ieg a tu s . Scaly-throated Honey-Guide.
We shot a solitary specimen of this Honey-Guide at the
Knysna, as it was flitting about some bushes in the forests,
Yictorin procured it in the same district, and Mr. H. Atmore
has forwarded it to us from George. His brother, Mr. T. C. Atmore,
also collected it at Beaufort. We know very little of the distribution
of the present species, as it has not been recorded from any other
place in South Africa, and the only other locality whence we have
seen specimens is Mombas on the east coast. It must certainly
occur in the intermediate localities, and has, perhaps, been mistaken
for the female or young of one of the other species. Le Yaillant considered
it to be the hen of I. variegatus, an idea disposed of
by Professor Sundevall, who received dissected specimens of male and
female from Wahlberg.
General colour above dull olive-green, changing to yellow on the
wings; below dirty yellowish-white, immaculate on the centre of the
belly and vent, but much variegated on the throat, breast, flanks,
and thighs, with brown; forehead speckled with white. The tail
consists,of twelve feathers, thus marked: two innermost pair all
brown; one pair following white, with portion of inner web brown;
three outer pair white, with brown tips; the outermost pair very
short. Length, 7" 6'" ; wing, 4" 4 '" ; tail, 3" 4 " '.
This species has no white rump, this part of the upper surface
being uniform with the rest of the back. The flanks are streaked
with dusky brown, and the abdomen is whitish, the mottled feathers
not extending lower than the breast.