IPG
DRYMiECA ELAVIOANS. 255
about the hedgerows in Potchefstroom. Ground covered with dense
masses of tall weeds is generally chosen by it for its breeding place.
The nest is made of fine strips of green grass very curiously curled
-and twisted together, attached to weeds some two or three feet from
the ground; it is of oval shape, well closed in, with the exception of
small opening on the upper side, and is lined with fine white down
taken from grasses and plants. The eggs, which are from two to
four in number, vary much in colour.”
Numerous examples collected by Mr. Andersson are in the British
Museum. He states that he obtained it in Damara Land and the
neighbourhood of the Okavango, and we have seen specimens of his
shooting from Walwisch Bay, Otjinbinque, Swakop River, Elephant
Yley, and Ondonga. One' example is from Great Namaqua Land,
and Sir A. Smith also procured the original examples of D. pallida,
which is not distinct from D. flavicansj in the same country “ about
300 miles north of Cape Town.”
Mr. Andersson observes: “ I have found the nests of these birds
(usually containing three, but sometimes four, eggs) at various
dates, extending from December 20th to April 1st. The nest is very
light and graceful, composed of fine grass both externally and
internally, and built on a low bush a few feet from the ground.”
Adult.—General colour above pale brown, a little deeper on the
crown, the feathers on the forehead above the eyebrow dark brown;
rump slightly more fulvous brown, the upper tail-coverts, rather
rufous brown; tail pale brown with dusky obsolete bars across it,
very indistinct, no darker sub-terminal spots, the feathers having
only rather lighter edges; wings dark brown, the coverts edged
with ashy fulvous, the edge of the wing and the margins of the
bastard-wing plumes whitish; quills externally edged with rufous
brown, lighter towards their tips; lores and feathers over the eye
dull white; cheeks and ear-coverts also dull white, the latter
brownish on their hinder margins ; throat white; across the breast
a broad band of dark brown; rest of under surface pale yellow;
thighs tawny; under wing-coverts pale tawny buff, the quills ashy
brown below, edged with rufous along the inner webs; “ bill jet-
black : legs and toes flesh-colour: iris brownish yellow ” (Andersson).
Total length 5-7 inches, culmen 0-55, wing 2-05, tail 2-8,
tarsus 0'8.
The above is a supposed male. A dissected female from Ondonga