and somewhat of the Flycatcher’s wavering flight when it lpft the
bush and settled on the ground close by, apparently in search of
some insect.”
According to the late Mr. Andersson’s notes this species is
“ found abundantly in Great Namaqua Land, and also occurs in a
few localities in Southern Damara Land; it is found singly or in
pairs in open localities interspersed with low bush. It is extremely
wary and difficult to approach; perched on the top of a conspicuous
bush it quickly espies the hunter, and immediately takes its
departure; it does not fly far at a time, but always takes care to be
beyond the range of the gun. It feeds on insects, which it catches
on the wing or on the ground, but it never stays on the ground to
search for them there.” Mr. Monteiro shot a specimen in Benguela.
It places its well-made cup-shaped nest in the bottom of a dense
bush; the eggs, three to five in number, well-marked and handsome,
are light verditer blue in colour, much speckled with rather
large reddish-brown spots and blotches, sometimes forming a ring
at the obtuse end. Axis, 11"'; diam. 8'".
General colour, rusty brown; chin and throat of a dirty white;
under parts grey, more or less tinted with yellowish-brown; wing
and tail-feathers with a dash of umber-brown about them; the latter
and the wing-coverts are more or less edged with dirty-white; tail
square; iris black. Length, 7" 6"'; wing, 4" 9"'; tail, 3" 6" '.
Fig. Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr. Aves, pi. 28.
a. Bach in the males neither black nor cinereous.
220. S axicola g a it o h i. Familiar Chat.
Saxicola sperata, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 107.
In the arrangement of the Chats in the present work, recourse
has been had to a monographic essay by Messrs. Blanford and
Dresser, published in the “ Proceedings ” of the Zoological Society
for 1874. The present species belongs to the section of the genus
Saxicola which have the interscapulary region similarly coloured to
the wing-coverts, according to the classification of the above-
named gentlemen. It is the bird usually known to naturalists as
Sqxicola familiaris or S. sperata, but for the^ reasons stated by the
authors of the above-named paper, neither of these titles can be
employed.
The present species may be distinguished from the other
members of the genus by its rufous upper tail-coverts and tail-
feathers, which are conspicuous even in flight. We have found it
during the summer months about stones, in rocky places. It is
abundant round the “ Lion’s Head,” at an elevation of about 1500
feet, nesting in crevices, and the young bird is speckled exactly
like a young robin. They have a habit of perching on the summit
of stones and rocks, opening and shutting their wings and tails. In
flight they resemble the Wheatear, and flit from stone to stone.
A pair' or two frequent every farm-house in the colony, and are
accused of picking the grease out of the cart-wheels; hence their
colonial name of “ Speckvreter.” They nest in old walls and banks,
and under stones, laying a foundation of small stones and gravel,
and lining with hair. The eggs, four in number, are undistinguish-
able from those of the next species. Mr. Atmore writes that at the
Oliphants river one made its nest in a hair broom standing in a bedroom,
and brought off her brood !
We presume that this is the species recorded by Grill as S.
sperata, procured by Yictorin at the Knysna in April. We have
received it from Eland’s Post from Mr. T. C. Atmore, arid at Port
Elizabeth Mr. Rickards says it is called the “ Day-breaker,” and is
very common, frequenting roofs of houses in the town. Mr. T. E.
Buckley procured a specimen in Natal on the 5th of June, 1873,
and says that he observed it in the Matabili country, hopping about
a cattle-kraal like a Robin. Mr. Andersson w r i t e s “ This is
the most common Saxicola with which I am acquainted both in
Damara and Namaqua Land, from whence it ranges southward
along the west coast as far as Table Mountain. It is very familiar
in its manners, and will fearlessly approach human habitations,
which it not unfrequently enters by the doors and windows. It
invariably perches on low bushes, whence it watches for passing
insects, which it usually seizes on the wing, though it occasionally
descends to the ground for a similar purpose. Like all the birds of
this family it is very restless, now flapping its wings, then raising
and expanding the tail or alternately raising and depressing its
whole body. It makes its nest on the ground, laying three or four
eggs, which are either* greenish-grey spotted with brown, or nearly
white spotted with brown and grey. The iris is very dark brown,
and the bill, legs, and feet are black.” Senor Anchieta has also
procured this specie^ in Benguela.