caused by tlie sudden appearance of the bases to the feathers ; lores,
eyebrow, sides of face and entire under surface of body orange,
rather paler on the abdomen; all the wing-coverts clear bluish grey,
blackish on the inner web; quills dull brown, externally shaded
with grey, the secondaries with a further external border of pale
orange as on the back; tail-feathers very pointed, the two centre
ones dark brown, the others dull orange, the outermost broadly
margined with brown on the outer web; bill horn brown; legs
slate-coloured; iris dark brown. Total length, 6'4 inches; culmen,
1-7; wing, S'25; tail, 3‘0; tarsus, 1*0.
Fig. Smith, El. Zool. S. Afr. Birds, pi. 60.
2 0 8 . C ossypha carfra. Cape Chat-Thrush.
Bessonornis phcenicurus, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 131 (1807).
Bessonornis caffra, id. t. c. p. 132.
This is the Cape “ Robin,” and decidedly deserves the name.
It is common in all the gardens, even in the midst of Cape Town,
flitting along the gravel paths, scraping in the flower-beds, perching
on the leafless summit of some deciduous tree, or the ridge of the
house-top, and pouring out a short, robin-like song, which, when
heard in the darkening twilight, reminds the listener of the familiar
note of the “ household bird with the red stomacher.” It breeds in
August and September, and its nest is placed in much the, same
situations, and built of the same materials, the eggs equal in number
and resemble in form, size, and shape, those of the European bird,
only rather less coloured, being of a dirty white or buff ground,
more or less freckled with dull pale rufous; axis, 1 1 " '; diam., 7"'.
Its food consists of insects, worms, &c., and when it hops from place
to place in search of it, it droops its wings and jerks its tail, just
like the Robin at home. Yictorin met with it at the Knysna in
September and November, and it seems to occur all along the
Southern part of the African continent to Natal, as Mr. Rickard
records it as common both at Port Elizabeth and East London.
Captain Shelley writes:—“ Very abundant in Cape Colony, especially
in the pine-woods about Cape Town. In habits they are
extremely lively, running swiftly when on the ground, at intervals
spreading and erecting their fine rufous tails, and when on the
higher trees, constantly shifting their position.” We have received
specimens from Mr. Moffat at Kuruman and from Mr. Atmore from
Hopetown. We have also seen specimens of Mr. Ayres’ collecting
both in Natal and the Transvaal. Mr. Barratt has recently met
with it in the Lydenburg district.
Mr. Andersson says :—“ This species is sparingly met with on the
borders of the Orange River, whence it extends southwards to the
Cape, where it is very numerous. It is of a most inquisitive nature,
and seems to court the neighbourhood of man. I t is very lively in
its movements, either hopping and gliding amongst bushes and
plants, or running along the ground with astonishing swiftness,
generally accompanying all such movements by rapid expansions
and depressions , of its tail and wings. The male sings very
pleasantly ; and his notes have been likened to the following
differently intoned syllables, ja n—fredric—dric— drio—fredric,
whence its colonial name of ‘ Jan fredric.’ ”
Above, cinereous brown, inclining to rufous on the back and
shoulders; rump deep rufous; wings and two centre feathers of
tail, dark-brown; the rest deep rufous, more or less edged and
tipped with dark-brown; a white line extends from the forehead
over the eye; space between the eye and the bill, and ears black;
throat, breast, and chin, orange; the rest of the under parts bluish-
grey, inclining to white in the centre of the belly, and rufous on
the vent; bill and legs black; iris dark hazel (Ayres). Length, 7";
wing, 3” 9 '” ; tail, 3" 3"'.
Fig. Le Vaill. Ois. d’Afr. pi. 111.,
209. C ossypha bo cag ii. Bocage’s Chat-Thrush.
This species forms another of the many interesting novelties for
which we are indebted to the discoveries of Senor Anchieta, who
procured the original type at Biballa in Mossamedes, where it is
called, along with G. natalensis, “ Maxoxolo.” He says that it arrives
from the interior and it may, therefore, be looked for in the more
northern portions of South-Eastern Africa.
This bird will also be figured in the forthcoming work of Prof.
Barborza du Bocage, to whom we are indebted for the loan of the
original specimen, of which the following is a description. It has
Q