South Africa. It is very closely allied to 0. subruficapilla, but has
the head uniform pale tawny rufous, and the flanks are not grey as
in the last-named bird. Mr. Andersson’s examples were obtained
by him at Otjimbinque and near ‘ Onani’s Mouth1 on the Swakop
River, as well as in Ondonga. We also identify a specimen procured
by Dr. Kirk at Tete in the Zambesi district as belonging to the
present species. The following description is that of a female bird
(sex ascertained by Mr. Andersson by dissection), but we have not
yet come across an authentic male.
Adult female.—General colour above fulvous brown, almost
tawny, with indistinct mesial streaks of darker brown on the back
and scapulars, the upper tail-coverts and rump uniform; crown
uniform tawny rufous, shading off into the brown of the back; outer
scapulars and least wing-coverts shaded with grey, the centres of
the feathers dark brown, the greater series and primary-coverts
dark brown, broadly edged with fulvous ; quills dark brown, externally
margined with rufous, the inner secondaries edged all round
with fulvous; tail rufous brown, pale fulvous at the tip, with a subterminal
bar of black, very distinct on all excepting the two centre
feathers, where it is only obscurely indicated; lores and a faint
line above the eye, yellowish white; round the eye a circlet of buff;
cheeks and sides of face yellowish white, the ear-coverts marked
with brown, especially on the hinder margin ; under surface of body
pale tawny yellow, deeper on the flanks, the sides of the upper
breast washed with ashy brown; the throat and centre of the belly
whitish; thighs bright tawny ; under wing-coverts pale tawny, the
lower series ashy-brown at tip, the lower surface of the quills brown,
margined with rufous along the inner web; bill (in skin) horn
brown, the lower mandible yellowish; feet deep yellow in skin. Total
length, 4-7 inches; culmen, 0'55; wing, 2T ; tail, 2T5; tarsus, 0'85.
255. Cisticola lais. Rufous-flanked Fantail Warbler.
This little species is very closely allied to C. subruficapilla, but is
apparently specifically distinct from the last named bird: from
which it differs in not having the grey back, so that the rufous head
never appears in strong contrast. Its principal difference, however,
consists in the tawny flanks, these being greyish-brown in 0. subruficapilla.
We have seen several specimens from Natal, all of
them being similarly coloured; it is probably confined to this part
of South Africa, and is apparently not rare in the neighbourhood of
Pinetown, whence Captain Shelley has received several specimens
from Mr. T. L. Ayres. He also met with it himself in Natal, this
being the species to which he alludes in the 'Ibis’ (1875, p. 71) as
D. subruficapilla, when he writes :—“ Very common about Durban
and Pinetown, usually in family parties, where I haYe frequently
watched them threading their way along the edge of the bushes,
constantly uttering a short note.”
The following description is taken from the type-specimen kindly
lent by Dr. Finsch.
Adult.—Above fulvous brown, very broadly streaked with black,
the margins to the dorsal feathers rather rufescent; head and
hinder neck more rufous than the back, the blackish stripes
much less distinct and indeed almost obsolete on the nape and
hinder neck ; rump uniform fulvous brown, the upper tail-coverts
also with very faint mesial streaks of blackish; wing-coverts
ashy fulvous with dark brown centres, the greater series more
shaded with rufous externally; quills dark brown, broadly edged
with rufous externally so as to give a rufous aspect to the wings,
the margins of the secondaries paler and more fulvescent; tail
rufescent brown, lighter rufous on the margins : the two centre
feathers without any subterminal black mark and irregularly waved
across with dusky bars under certain lights, all the other feathers
with a broad black subterminal bar, the tips being fulvescent, this
pale ending being more distinct on the outer plumes and forming a
margin to the last rectrix; lores and feathers round the eye
yellowish buff forming a tolerably distinct eyebrow ; sides of face
also fulvous, the ear-coverts rather browner with obsolete dusky tips
to the feathers; cheeks fulvous; chin and centre of the body
white, the throat and sides of the body tawny fulvous, clearer on
the thighs, the flanks slightly shaded with brown; under wing- and
tail-coverts tawny buff; bill brown, yellowish at the base of the
under mandible; legs yellowish. Total length, 5 inches; culmen,
045; wing, 2T ; tail, 2-35; tarsus, 0'75.
256. C isticola a b errans. Smith’s Fantail Warbler.
Drymoica abefrans, and D. ruficapilla, Layard, B. S. Afr. pp.
88, 90.
This Warbler is easily recognized by its uniform upper surface,
the head being rufous, the back dark grey. It was first called