brown, broadly margined and - tipped with wood-brown ; the other
feathers brownish-red, broadly tipped with white, with a large umber-
brown blotch just before the white, seen, as in all the species, most
plainly on the under side: irids light-brown. Length, 4" 3'" ;
wing, 1 " l l " ' ; tail, 1 " 1 1 '" .
Fig. Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr. Aves., pi. 74, fig. 2; Gurney, Ibis,
1863, pi. viii., fig. 2.
262. C ist ico la c h er in a . ‘ Brown Fantail Warbler.
Drymoica cherina,, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 89 (1869).
We feel considerable compunction in retaining this species in the
list of South African birds, for we find from an examination of the
type-specimen, that it is identical with the Fantail Warbler of Mada-
gxscar, and the name of G. cherina will take precedence over the
later published name of G. madagascariensis by which the species is
generally known. Notwithstanding the account of the habits given
by the late Sir Andrew Smith, we still think that some mistake has
arisen, as in the case of Glareola ocularis, which was equally stated to
occur in South Africa, but is now known to be a native of Madagascar.
At the same time we notice that Grill records its occurrence at the
Knysna in September from Victo rim’s collection, and, if no mistake
has occurred in this identification, the species may be common to
South Africa and Madagascar: but we can only say that out of
dozens.of these Warblers sent to us by our correspondents we have
never seen a skin approaching G. cherina in colour, whereas all the
Madagascar examples agree exactly. We commend the subject
therefore to the study of our friends in South Africa, and meanwhile
we add a careful description of the typical specimen in the British
Museum.
Adult (type of species).—General colour above brown, with darker
centres to the feathers, giving a slight appearance of streaks to the
head, much more distinct on the back where the centres are black;
rump (damaged) apparently uniform fulvous brown, the upper tail-
coverts with narrow blackish streaks; wing-coverts dark brown
with ashy fulvous margins, especially distinct on the greater series ;
quills dark brown also, the primaries margined with fighter brown,
the secondaries with ashy fulvous exactly like the wing-coverts;
tail dark brown, with obsolete dusky bars under certain lights, the
four centre feathers tipped with fighter brown, with an obsolete subterminal
bar of blackish, all the other tail-feathers tipped with white,
before which is a very distinct subterminal bar of black, the outermost
feather edged with whitish ; lores and an almost imperceptible
eyebrow buffy white, the ear-coverts browner; cheeks and throat
dull white as also the centre of the body, the sides of which are clear
brown, darker on the thighs ; under wing-coverts fulvous. Total
length, 4-l inches; culmen, 0-55; wing, 1‘9 ; tail, 1-7; tarsus, 0'8.
Fig. Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr. Aves, pi. 77, fig. 2.
263. H em ip t er y x t e c t r ix . Pinc-pinc Grass-Warbler.
Drymoica tectrix, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 85.
This little species, which is called “ Ting-ting” by the Dutch
colonists (“ Kloppertjie,” of some), is very similar to Gisticola ter-
restris, but is distinguished by its very short tail. It is abundant
throughout the western end of the colony, and we have received it
from Mr. Cairncross at Swellendam. Near Cape Town it is very
common, frequenting open plains covered -with low scrub, or marshy
places in which reeds grow. It climbs about these in a very clever
manner, apparently sliding up and down; when pursued, it drops to
the tangled herbage at the foot of some bush, and cannot be, induced
to quit its hiding-place. It often hovers in the air at a moderate
height over the bushes, uttering its ringing, metallic cry of “ pinc-
pinc-pinc,” jerking about with rapid strokes of the wing, suddenly
dropping into the bushes, and then remaining mute. La Vaillant
attributes to this little bird a nest which.is very common about the
country, and is well known under the name of the “ nest of the
Kapok vogel," but he is quite in error, the fabricator of this nest,
the true “ Kapokvogel" (or cotton-bird), being the little Mgithalus
minutus. The nest of D. tectrix is a domed structure, generally supported
between stems of grasses, sometimes placed on the ground.
The eggs, 4—5, are white, sometimes fight blue, spotted with minute
reddish spots. Axis, 7 "/ ; diam. 6".
Upper parts of head and neck, interscapulars, back, and shoulders
umber-brown, variegated with white and clear yellowish-brown;
sides of head and neck dirty yellowish-brown, with small umber
blotches; wing-feathers brownish-red, edged with pale wood-brown;
chin and throat greyish white, indistinctly mottled with fight umber-
brown ; breast and belly pale sienna-yellow, mottled with umber-
brown spots; flanks and vent pale yellowish-brown, also spotted.