C H / E T O P S A U R A N T l U S .
on all tlie mountains tliat lie has been up. He says that they nest in
the crevices of the rocks, and that their eggs resemble those of the
Cape Robin (Oossypha caffra) but are larger.
It frequents the tops of the hills and high elevations on their
stony sides, and seeks its food, consisting of insects, about stones
and rocks. In habits it much resembles the Rock-Thrush, and, like
it, is fond of perching on the summit of some conspicuous stone or
ant-hill, from which it surveys the surrounding prospect, and seeks
for safety by immediate flight on perceiving the approach of a foe.
It progresses by a series of enormous hops, its powerful legs being
well suited to this end; while its strong pointed claws enable it to
traverse with ease the inclined surfaces of slippery rocks. It conceals
itself readily in holes, and, if wounded, seeks such a retreat in
which to die. It is generally found in small families of three or four
individuals.
Upper parts of head and back, ash-coloured, the centre of each
feather being very dark; rump, chest, and belly, bright red-brown;
vent and thighs ash-coloured; head with a white eyebrow and
moustache; throat and cheeks black; wings black-brown, some of
.the feathers edged with rufous ash • secondaries tipped with white,
causing the wing to appear crossed with a white barj shoulders
spotted ■ with white, a few spots of the same colour between the
white bar and the shoulder; tail-feathers, with the exception of the
centre pair, tipped with white; legs, claws, and bill, black; eye
bright-red; plumage very lax and fluffy, particularly about the
rump; on being raised on this spot, it will be found to be ash-
coloured, like the back, the rufous tint being quite superficial.
Length, 9"; wing, 3" 7"'; tail, 3" 7"' •, tarsus, V 7'".
Fig. Temm. PL Col. 385.
201. C h j it o p s a u ean t iu s. Orange-breasted Rock-Babbler.
(P late VI.)
This species, which we characterised as distinct in our first
edition, was at first identified by European ornithologists as G. fre-
natus, but as we were at the time in possession of a series of both
species, containing adult and young birds of both sexes, we affirmed
the distinction of 0. aurantius, and the information received since