All the upper parts very dark olive-brown; throat underneath
dirty white, speckled with dark brown; breast cinereous-brown;
belly and flanks deep rufous; vent dirty white; a few dark-brown
spots are distributed on the chest, flank, and vent; upper mandible
horn-colour; lower mandible and legs orange; bill yellow, the
ridge of the upper mandible dark brown; feet pale yelkm; iris,
light ashy brown {Ayres). Length, 10"; wing, 4" 9'"; tail, 3" 9'".
Fig. LeVaill. Ois. d’Afr. pis. 98, 99.
184. T u r d u s g u r n e y I . Gurney’s Thrush.
Yery little is known of this fine Thrush. Mr. Ayres observes
concerning i t : “ This bird I shot in the bush on a precipitous range
of hills about six miles beyond Pieter-Maritzburg; it is, 1^ believe,
the only one I have seen, and I, know nothing of its habits.” It has
occurred once in Abyssinia, bub is represented on the west coast of
Africa by the closely allied species, Turdus crossleyi, Sharpe.*
Above, olive-brown; spots between the eye and the bill, throat,
chest, and flanks, cinnamon; belly and under tail-coverts, pure white;
tail, coloured as the back; two rows of white spots across the wing,
bill' dusky; iris, hazel; tarsi and feet, dusky {Ayres). Length,
6" 5'"; wing, 4" 5'"; tail, 3" 3 .
Fig. Gurney, Ibis, 1864, pi. 9.
185. T urdus v e r r e a u x i . Verreaux’ Thrush.
This Thrush was discovered by Senor Anchieta at Caconda in
Benguela,' and the following is a translation of Professor Barboza du
Bocage’s original description :—
Of rather small size: above grey; the eyebrow fulvous white,
the ear-coverts streaked with dusky; underneath whitish-buff;
the chin, throat, and breast, marked with dusty triangular spots;
middle of the abdomen and vent, whitish; the sides of the body,
pale buff, the feathers bordered with dusky at the tip ; under wing-
coverts fulvous; quills, dusky brown, margined on the inner web
with fulvous; greater wing-coverts spotted at the tip with fulvous;
tail greyish, obsoletely banded with dusky; bill, horn-colour; feet,
pale; iris, brown. First primary very short, the second equal to
the 5th. Total length, 8'8 inches; wing, 5'0; tail, 3'55 ; tarsi, l ' l ;
bill, 1-05.
* Mr. Gurney has just presented a second Specimen to the British Museum.
it was obtained by Mr. Ayres in the Macairac district.—A. B. S.
186. C r in ig e r e la v iv en tr is . Yellow-breasted Bulbul.
Sir A. Smith discovered this species near Port Natal, where he
found it entirely confined to thickets, amongst which it searches for
insects, never descending to the ground; and Captain Shelley
writes :—“ Another very common bird about Durban, where its
loud notes may be constantly heard—and it is not unfrequently
seen, as it does not hide itself, so carefully as most of the other bush-
birds.” Dr. Kirk obtained it in the Zambesi district. I t also occurs
in S.W. Africa, Mr. Andersson having procured two specimens at
Ovaquenyama in Damara Land. Senor Anchieta has also met with
it at Humbe on the Cunene river, and at Biballa in Mossamedes.
Upper parts of head, back, rump, and tail, olive-brown; outer
vanes of some of the quill-feathers, slightly edged with green;
chin and throat, pale straw-yellow; breast and flanks, greenish-
yellow ; centre of belly and vent, yellow; " bill, horn-colour, slightly
paler towards the base of the mandible; legs, leaden-grey; iris,
brown” [Shelley). Length from point of bill to tip of tail, 9";
wing, 4"; tail, 4" 2"/.
Fig. Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr. Birds, pi. 59.
187. P h y l la str e ph u s c a fen s is . ' Cape Bristle-necked Thrush.
We found this species rather plentiful at Grootervadersbosch, near
Swellendam; it is also found in the Knysna district, where specimens
were collected by Andersson and Yictorin, the latter meeting with
them from March to June, and again in September. I t is not
mentioned in Mr. Rickard’s East London list, nor did he find it near
Port Elizabeth. To the eastward of Grahamstown it appears not
uncommon, though from its retiring habits it is seldom procured.
Captain Shelley observes ¡—“ This is the commonest bush-birdabout
Durban. If one waits in a likely spot for a short time, they rarely
fail to make their presence known by their constant jarring notes,
as they approach quite close, keeping, however, well hidden amongst
the leafy parts near the ground. I always met with them in pairs or
in small family parties.” The Messrs. Chapman procured a specimen
at Lake N’gami, and Anchieta has forwarded others from Humbe
on the Cunene river, and Biballa and the Rio Chimba in Mossa-
wedas.
Mr. Andersson states that they feed on seeds, and Mrs. Barber