almost say on one particular ant-hill. Mr. T. E. Buckley found them
common in Natal as well as in the Transvaal, sitting about on the
small ant-heaps, and resembling Saxícola, montícola in their habits.
Mr. Ayres writes :—“ I first met with this Chat near the Tugela
river in the upper district of Natal, and found that it gradually
became more plentiful over the Drakenberg, in the Free State and
Transvaal Republic. These birds often rise a short distance in the
air with a fluttering flight, but are mostly seen perched on the ant-
heaps which abound in this country. They feed on insects.” Mr.
Andersson has the following note :—“ I have met with this species,
though only sparingly, in Damara Land, and in the parts adjacent
to the north and east, but I do not recollect having seen it in Great
Namaqua Land. I t always occurs in pairs in open localities interspersed
with bush, on which, or on ant-hills, it usually perches. It
seeks its food on the ground, watching for insects from its elevated
perch, and when these are observed, descending at once upon them
and quickly returning to its post of observation. Its flight is
straight, and it moves its short wings with extraordinary rapidity ;
but it does not go far at a time, and I never found any difficulty in
approaching it.”
Generally of a sombre-brown colour, paler on the belly and under
the tail ; the throat clouded with reddish, the same colour bordering
the feathers of the front of the neck and chest ; a prominent white
patch adorns the shoulders of the male ; the wing-feathers have also
white webs. The female wants the white shoulders, and is of a
deeper brown. Length, 7" 6'"; wing, 4"; tail, 3".
Fig. Le Vaili. Ois. d’Afr. pi. 186.
218. T hamnobia c in nam om e iv en tk is .
Southern White-shouldered Bush-Chat.
Saxícola rvfiventer, and S. albiscapulata, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 106.
Dr. Burchell met with this species during his travels in South
Africa. We have only seen it from the eastern districts, and our
first specimens were forwarded from “ Highlands,” near Grahams-
town, by Mrs. Barber, at whose residence we saw it in some abundance
in March and April. It is a lively bird, ever on the move,
and feeds on insects of various kinds, which.it catches in the bush.
We have also received a large series of specimens from Mr. T. C.
Atmore, all procured in the neighbourhood of Eland’s Post. Dr.
Exton also met with it at Kanye in the Matabili county, and
describes the stomach as being filled with black ants and various
species of Heteroptera (Cimex, fyc.). In Natal it is rare, according to
Mr. Ayres, who gives the following anecdote in a letter to Mr.
Gurney:—“ Passing a Dutch farmer’s one day, I saw this Chat
hopping about upon a large stack of faggots some 200 yards from
the house. Being a scarce bird, I shot it at once, when one of the
farmer’s sons came running to me, exclaiming in tones- of anguish,
‘ What have you done ? You have shot the Mock-bird.’ He
went on to tell me that it was a great favourite of theirs; that it
came into the house every day to be fed, and was particularly fond
of admiring itself in the parlour looking-glass; and that the bird
had been with them for years. I expressed my sorrow for having
been so unfortunate as to cause them such grief for the loss of their
favourite, and offered to preserve the skin and send it to them ; but
the young Dutchman said, ‘ Of what use is the skin ? The bird is
dead : keep it.’ The specimen sent is the skin of this curious bird.”
Male.—General plumage throughout glossy black; rump, belly,
and vent deep rufous; shoulders white. Length, 8|- inches ;
wing, ■ tail, 4'7. The female wants the white patch on the
shoulder, and is much greyer and duller in colour.
Fig. Lafr. Mag. de Zool. 1836, pi. 56.
219. S axicola infuscata . Great Fuscous Wheatear.
Sir Andrew Smith considered this to be the rarest of the Chats
met with by him in South Africa, and he says that it appeared to be
" principally, if not entirely, restricted to the districts between the
Oliphant and Orange rivers,” seldom occurring far from the sea-
coast. We know now, however, that it is rather a widely spread
species in South Africa, but is everywhere a very wary bird. We
found it abundantly at the Berg river, and have received specimens
along with the nests and eggs from Mr. Jackson at Nel’s Poort. Mr.
Atmore met with it sparsely at Traka, and it was also obtained by
his son, Mr. T. C. Atmore, at Hopetown; we have also received it
from Kuruman. Mr. Ayres writes:—“ I saw two specimens near
the Yaal river, one of which I killed; its stomach contained a single
locust, which it had swallowed nearly whole; it had all the appearance
of a Flycatcher, as it sat upon the upper twigs of a low bush,