seen sitting on stones by the road-sides, in pairs or families. In its
flight and habit of flirting its tail it resembles the Wheatear.” Mr.
Ayres also writes :—" Frequents the same localities as the previous
species {Saxicola gpileata). The stomach of the specimen sent contained
some of the Cape gooseberries, and some small stones.” In
a previous communication to Mr. Gurney, he makes the following
observation respecting a specimen forwarded by him :—“ Stomach
contained insects and berries. This specimen and two others were
together: I did not see them settle on rocks or stones, but they
alighted on trees and fed on the nectar of the blossom of a species
of aloe. I found them on a hill called the Changa, between Pieter-
Maritzburg and Durban, a very precipitous country, where aloes
and low bushes are plentiful.”
Mrs. Barber informs us that it breeds in holes under rocks, and
sends a nest, composed of fine roots and hair. Eggs, 3—5, of a
light buff or dirty white, minutely freckled throughout with pale
rufous; they are sometimes, however quite white; axis, 13"'; diam.,
9"'. Of its habits, she writes ::—“ The male sings a rather lively song;
he does not commence early in the morning, at or before daylight, as
the Robins do; but after the sun has warmed him he begins to pour
forth his cheerful melody: his notes are clear, and rather pleasing,
and he is fond of choosing a conspicuous situation whence he can be
heard and seen to the best advantage.”
The whole of the head and throat, dark ashy-blue; back and
wings, dark-brown; the former with a deep rufous tinge, increasing
towards the rump, which is entirely deep rufous; the tail is also
rufous, with the exception of the two centre feathers; all the under
parts deep rufous, lightest towards the vent; the female wants the
blue head, otherwise she is like the male; bill, black; the gape and
mouth, yellow; tarsi and feet, dusky {Ayres) ; feet, black; iris,
dark-hazel {Buckley). Total length, 8'4 inches; culmen, T05;
wing, 4’35; tail, 3’3 ; tarsus, IT.
Fig. Le Yaill., Ois. d’Afr., pis., 101, 102.
204. M onticola ex plo ea to b. Sentinel Rock-Thrush.
Petrocincla exjolorator, Layard, B. S. Afr., p. 130 (1867).
Not very common, but widely distributed. We have seen it
principally in rocky places about Table Mountain, and the face of
the hills overhanging Simon’s Bay and Kalk Bay. I t appears to be
a frequent species at Swellendam; and we have received it from
Beaufort, Graham’s Town, and Colesberg. Mr. Rickard states that
it is common at Port Elizabeth, where it is not at all shy and
frequents the roofs of the houses. He writes:—t( I have often
heard them sing at S. Paul’s Church during service.” Mr. T. C. ^
Atmore has procured it near Hope Town. In Natal, says Mr. Ayres,
“ these birds are found in the open country and are generally seen
perched on some low hillock or stone. They are solitary and not at
all plentiful. Their food consists of small insects.” According to
our own experience, it is a shy and wary bird, keeping well out of
gun-shot when pursued, flitting from rock to rock, running up their
sloping surfaces, and keeping a good look-out from the extreme
summit. It feeds on insects, but often takes a little vegetable food.
In its nidification it resembles the preceding species and its eggs
are also similar, as might have been expected. In size the present
bird is smaller than M. rwpestris, and has the back blue-grey instead
of brown; on the lower surface the blue extends on to the foreneck.
Head, neck, breast, throat, back, and shoulders, blue-grey; rump,
belly, and vent, orange-red, inclining to buff on the vent and thigh;
wing and outer tail-feathers deep brown, the former edged with light
rufous; outer tail-feathers, orange-red, more or less marked with
brown. Bill, tarsi, and feet, black ; iris, dark-hazel {Ayres). Total
length, 7 inches; culmen, 0-85; wing, 3‘75; tail, 2‘5 ; tarsus, P3.
Fig. Le Yaill., Ois. d’Afr., pi. 103.
205. M ontícola b e e v ip e s . Short-footed Rock-Thrush.
This Rock-Thrush, which was originally discovered by Sir J.
Alexander during his expedition to Damara Land, occurred plentifully
in the late Mr. Andersson’s collections from the same country.
He writes:—“ This species is not uncommon throughout Great
Namaqua Land and the southern parts of Damara Land; and in one
year I found it particularly abundant at Otjimbinque. In its habits
and manners it resembles Saxícola monticola, and, like it, is partial
to localities of a rocky nature, as also to abandoned “ werfts ” and
villages. It is rather a voracious feeder, preying on all kinds of