by Sir Andrew Smith, Drymoica ruficapilla, but as this name had
already been applied by Mr. Fraser, the late Prince Bonaparte proposed
to call the bird Drymoica smithvi after its discoverer. We
find, however, from an examination of the types that CL smithii is
only the female of 0; aberrans, and consequently-this name must
stand. Most of the specimens which we have seen have been from
Natal, where Captain Shelley records it an “ not uncommon near
Durban.” Mr. T. L. Ayres has likewise sent ¡Several specimens from
Pinetown, and his father, Mr. Thomas Ayres, writes as follows:—
“ These warblers are generally found amongst the high grass, which
forms a dense cover on the edges of the woods. When disturbed,
they flit and hop about the twigs and boughs of the adjacent bushes,
uttering at the same -time a weeping note, which much resembles the
distant bleating of a goat; they seem to be particularly fond of the
eggs of moths and small insects. Their flight is but weak.” It
also occurs in the Transvaal, and we are indebted to Dr. Exton for a
specimen procured near Potchefstroom, in July, 1876. In this part
of the country, Mr. Thomas Ayres states that the species inhabits
low scrub. Mr. Andersson says that according to his experience it is
not an inhabitant of either Great Namaqua or Damara Land. He
first became acquainted with it on penetrating to the Okavango, but
even there he does not remember to have seen much of it. All the
specimens which have fallen under our notice from Mr. Andersson’s
collections were obtained at Elephant Vley, in September and
October, 1859.
We give a detailed description of the typical specimen in the
British Museum.
Adult in breeding plumage.—Above nearly uniform brown, slightly
washed with dull ochraceous and having obsolete darker centres to
the feathers; rump and upper tail-coverts uniform dull ochraceous
brown; least wing-coverts coloured like the back, the rest dark
brown, externally margined with dull sandy rufous, paler towards
the tips of the greater series; quills dark brown, externally edged
with sandy rufous, lighter and more fulvous on the secondaries;
tail nearly uniform brown, with a few indications of wavy bars in
certain lights, the feathers rather paler at tips but without subterminal
bars ; head uniform chestnut; lores and a distinct eyebrow
yellowish white; ear coverts browner than the rest of the side face,
the shaft-lines whitish; cheeks, throat, and under parts generally
yellowish or yellowish white, deeper on the abdomen, the sides of
the body browner; thighs chestnut; under tail-coverts fulvous;
under wing-coverts tawny-buff; upper mandible light orange brown,
shaded with deep reddish brown; lower mandible straw yellow;
feet pale reddish yellow. Total length, 5'5 inches; culmen, 0-55;
wing, 1-95; tail, 2-85 ; tarsus, 0'9.
The female is smaller, measuring only 1 * 75 inch in the wing, and
O’75 in the tarsus. Winter birds are much more mealy in colour.
Fig. Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr. Aves, pi. 73, fig. 1, and pi. 78.
257. C ist ico la subcinnamomea. Cinnamon-breasted Fantail.
Drymoica subcinnamomea, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 88 (1867).
This peculiar little Warbler is so different in its colouration that
some authors have considered it to be an Aedon. Sir Andrew Smith
only procured one specimen of this bird, which was killed on the top
of one of the .mountains of the Kamiesberg, in Little Namaqualand.
“ For some time before it was shot, it was beheld flitting from bush
to bush, occasionally perching on their summits, at other times hopping
rapidly to and fro among their branches, as if engaged in quest
of insects, which were found to constitute its food.” Mr. Ortlepp
has also procured it near Colesberg.
Upper surface of head, neck, back, and shoulders, between oil-
green and orange-brown; forehead tinted cinnamon-red; wing-
feathers, light reddish-brown, with a tinge of green; the primaries
edged narrowly towards their base with cinnamon-red; rump ruddy;
tail rather long, and slightly rounded, deep brownish-red; chin and
neck inferiorly liver-brown, variegated with narrow white transverse
bars; breast and fore part of belly cinnamon-red; belly and
vent coloured as the back. Length, 5" 8 '" ; wing, 1" 11" ' ; tail,
2” 8" '.
Fig. Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr. pi. I l l , fig. 1.
258. C isticola fasciolata. Barred-breasted Fantail.
Drymoica fasciolata, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 86.
Sir Andrew Smith first obtained this very distinct species on open
flat plains to the north-east of Latakoo. He says that it “ inhabits
districts covered thinly with small underwood, and in such places is
found moving from bush to bush in search of its food, which it
appears to take partly from the top of the bushes and partly from
the branches, among which it passes rapidly.”