and below the eye, blackish-brown; rest of under surface of body
bright green, marked with yellow on the flanks and vent; under
wing-coverts bright yellow; thighs uniform with the abdomen.
Total length, 7-5 inches; wing, 5'8; tail, T8 ; tarsus, 0-5.
Fig. Finsch & Hartl. Yog. Ostafr. taf. vii.
ORDER PA S S E RE S .
Fam. TURDIDiE.
180. T urdus l i t s i t s i r u p a . South African Thrush.
Turdus strejpitcms, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 127.
We have received specimens of this Thrush from Kuruman and
Colesberg. Sir A. Smith writes Immediately upon reaching
Kurrichaine this Thrush began to appear in the thickets, and we
continued to acquire occasionally a specimen even in the vicinity of
the Tropic. It seeks its food upon the ground, and when so occupied
its resort is readily discovered by the natives from the noise it makes
in scratching the ground, or in displacing rubbish and decayed
leaves which conceal the insects it is seeking.” It has not occurred
to Mr. Ayres in Natal, but Captain Shelley saw a specimen which
had been killed at Durban. Mr. T. E. Buckley remarks that it was
not often seen by him during his journey to the Matabili country;
he procured a pair in the Transvaal, and Mr. Ayres obtained it on
the river Limpopo. In the Bechuana country, where Dr. Exton met
with the species, it is called, “ Chu-chu-roo-foo.” Anchieta has
obtained it at Humbe, on the Cunene river, and in Mossamedes at
Huilla, Capangombe and Quillengues.
We extract from Mr. Andersson’s work the following account of
this Thrush in Damara Land. “ This Thrush is pretty abundant in
Damara and Great Namaqua Land, especially the former; it also
occurs in the Lake Regions. It is partially migratory, only a few
remaining in Damara Land throughout the’year. It lives chiefly on
insects, for which it searches at the'roots of trees and amongst low
bushes, old leaves, and decayed wood. It scratches somewhat after
the manner of fowl, and is thence called by the Bechuanab, the
‘ Ground-scraper; ’ it also runs with great celerity. It lives singly
or in pairs, and occasionally perches on the topmost branch of some
lofty tree. It utters a plaintive half-song, half-call, just as if it were
troubled with a bad cold. This species breeds about Objimbmque;
and I took a nest containing three young on the 29th of October,
it was built on a branch about ten feet from the ground, and was
composed exteriorly of grass, the interior being lined with down and
feathers.”
Front and top of head, brownish-grey; back of head, neck, back,
and rump, ash-coloured; under parts. ochraceous-white, dotted all
over with dark-brown spots; under the eyes are two black bands,
one semi-lunate, extending from the base of the bill to the back
of the eye, the other downwards from the eye to this lunate band;
bill, black, yellow at base (Buckley) ; upper mandible, horn colour;
lower mandible, yellowish (Andersson) ; legs, light greenish-yellow
(Andersson); ochre in male, light brown in female (Buckley) ; iris,
dark hazel (Buckley)-, double ringed, yellow and red (Ayres).
Length, 8" 6f"; wing, 5" 2"'; tail, 3".
Fig. Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr. Birds, pi. 37.
181. T urdus l ibo h ya n us. " Kurrichaine Thrush.
Sir A. Smith first procured specimens of this Thrush in the neighbourhood
of Kurrichaine, actively engaged, in the thickets which
occur on the banks of the river, scraping among the decaying leaves
for its food. We have never seen a specimen from any part of the
colony. Dr. Exton. procured this rare species at Kanye. In
December he writes, “At this season of the year they are in pairs,
but their uncommonly shy habits and peculiar tactics make it most
difficult to obtain a knowledge of their peculiarities. I thought
Captain Harris never pursued the f Black Buck’ with more ardour
than I have done this Thrush ! I have never seen one on the ground
as stated by Sir A. Smith. It seems very local, keeping to the same
patch of bush or portion of forest, where I have seen and hunted
the same pair on repeated visits. Its food consists of small berries
and insects, chiefly Coleopteru.” Dr. Kirk procured specimens in
the Zambesi district. Mr. Andersson only obtained it at Ombongo,
in Damara Land, and he observes, “ In all my wanderings north of
the Orange River, I have but once met with this Thrush, which I
then fell in with in the neighbourhood of the river Okavango.”
Above, deep yellowish-grey; top of the head strongly shaded
with brownish-red, margins of some of the feathers of the wing
showing a pale buff-orange ; middle tail-feathers and outer webs of