insects, from the minutest beetle to the scorpion, of which I have
found specimens in its stomach; it also occasionally eats soft seeds.”
Senor Anchieta has procured it at Caconda in Benguela.
The bird may be described as follows. Above, blue as in M.
explorator, but having a white eyebrow and the head and mantle
more or less inclining to white ; on the under surface the blue colour
is restricted to the throat as in M. rupestris and not, as in M.
explorator, occupying the chest also; bill, bluish-black, the base of
the gape yellow; legs and toes, bluish-black; iris, reddish-brown.
Total length, 6'5 inches; culmen, 0'95; wing, 4'15; tail, 2-65;
tarsus, 1'05.
206. C o s st ph a bicolor. Noisy Chat-Thrush.
Bessonornis vociferans, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 130 (1867).
This bird—which, from its singular cry, has acquired the name
of “ Piet-Myn-Vrouw,” by which it is known to the colonists—is
common in the Knysna and other forest districts, but is very
difficult to procure, owing to its shy, retiring habits, and the
thickets in which it lives. Its loud call may be heard on every
side of the traveller, but not a single bird will show itself, and we
only procured the few specimens which we did obtain, by remaining
quiet in one spot and imitating their cry until one came within
range; then the difficulty often was to avoid blowing the bird to
pieces, as the thickets are usually so dense, that the bird was almost
within reach of the gun-barrel ere we saw it.
It feeds upon worms and insects, and has the general habits of a
Thrush. Le Vaillant says he found it also in Kaffraria. Mr.
Rickard tells us that it occurs near East London, and we have seen
several specimens from Natal. Mr. Ayres says that in the latter
colony they frequent the dense bush. “ The food of these birds,”
he writes, “ consists of berries, small fruits, and insects. In their
movements and attitudes they much resemble the English Redbreast,
and they are particularly fond of chasing one another about.”
Dr. Kirk met with the species in the Zambesi, and states that it was
shot among the mango-trees at Shupanga. Mr. Andersson obtained
a single example of this Chat-Thrush at Otjimbinque in Damara
Land on the 11th of December, 1865, but it does hot appear to have
occurred to Senor Anchieta during his travels in South-Western
Africa.
Adult.—General colour above slaty-grey, shading off into orange
on the rump, the upper tail-coverts bright orange; quills blackish,
externally washed with grey, the wing-coverts washed with bluish
grey; two centre tail-feathers black, all the remainder bright
orange, the external feathers blackish on the outer web, and some of
the others with narrow blackish margins; lores, sides of face and
ear-coverts, black; cheeks, sides of neck, and the entire under
surface of body bright orange, the under wing-coverts uniform with
the breast, the lower surface-of the quills ashy-brown, inclining to
greyish-white near the base of the inner web; “ bill black; tarsi
and feet light pinkish brown; iris very dark brown” (Ayres).
Total length, 7’3 inches; culmen, 0'7; wing, 3'65; tail, 3 '2 ;
tarsus, l -2.
Fig. Le Vaill., Ois. d’Afr. pi. 104.
207. C ossypha n a t a l en s is . Natal Chat-Thrush.
Bessonornis natalensis? Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 131.
A single specimen of this Chat-Thrush was obtained by Sir
Andrew Smith near Port Natal, and the natives informed him that
its habits were similar to those of G. bicolor of the Cape Colony.
We have seen a few specimens from Natal, but it is not very
common there. Captain Shelley met with it near Durban, amongst
some scattered bushes in the more open country. I t extends across
the continent into South-western Africa, for it has been procured
by Mr. Monteiro in Angola, and by Senor Anchieta at Biballa in
Mossamedes. The latter observer states that it arrives from the
interior like 0. bocagii, and has the same name as that species,
“ Maxoxolo."
This species may be distinguished by the absence of an eyebrow,
which makes it nearly allied to G. bicolor, of which species Mr.
Gurney has fancied it may be the immature bird. It is, however,
quite distinct, being smaller than that species, and having the lores
and cfieeks bright orange instead of black.
Adult.—Upper surface of body bluish grey, the mantle strongly
washed with orange, the scapulars clearer grey; head and hind
neck brownish orange, waved across with narrow greyish lines,