white: cheeks and entire throat and fore neck greyish white,
broadly streaked with black: rest of under surface of body white,
the sides of the body grey: vent and under tail-coverts tawny
chestnut: thighs greyish white slightly washed with rufous: under
wing-coverts white, as also the edge of the wing, the bases to the
feathers black: lower surface of quills ashy grey with white margins
to the inner webs: " bill black: feet black: iris white” (Buckley) :
“ iris bluish white” (T. G. Atmore) : “ iris yellowish white” (Anders-
son). Total length, 5-6 inches; culmen, 0'45; wing, 2'75; tail,
2-75; tarsus, 0'85.
Adult female.—Similar to the male, but rather duller grey, and
less broadly streaked with black on the throat. Total length, 5-6
inches; wing, 2‘65; tail, 2*65 ; tarsus, 085.
Fig. Le Yaill. Ois. d’Afr. pi. 126.
319. P arisoma la y a rd i. Layard’s Flycatcher.
This species closely resembles P. subcceruleum, but differs in
never having the rufous under tail-coverts. From the fact of Mr.
T. C. Atmore having procured a female of the present bird at
Colesberg and a male of P. subcceruleum, we were inclined to think
that they might be sexes of one species, but we now believe that
this view is erroneous, and the best evidence we have of their being
distinct is found in Mr. Andersson's book, where he treats of them
separately. In the British Museum are several specimens obtained by
this excellent collector, and we find both males and females with rufous
as well as with white vents and under tail-coverts. The MS. names
on bis labels also show that they were in his mind totally separate.
We procured this species at Nel’s Poort about the mountains : in its
habits it resembled P. subcceruleum, for which we at first mistook it.
I t is difficult to shoot, as it creeps about dense bushes, and on being
hunted, conceals itself in the thickest parts and remains perfectly
still. My friend, Mr. Henry Jackson, calls it the “ Mocking Bird,”
from its habits of imitation, and informs me that it makes a cupshaped
nest in a bush, and lays three eggs, which are pure white,
blotched chiefly at the obtuse end with greenish-brown and faded
purple spots : axis, 9 '" ; diam., 7"'.
We have received it from Mr. Russouw, who obtained it in
Swartland, in the Malmesbury division. Mr. Andersson writes:—
“ This species greatly resembles P. subcceruleum in its habits, but is
not so common : I have observed it, though very sparingly, in
Damara and Great Namaqua Land, and near the west coast of the
Cape Colony. I have also obtained specimens from the Okavango,
which are of a darker and richer hue than those from Damara and
Great Namaqua Land : this is also the case with specimens from the
western parts of the colony.”
Adult male.—General colour above rather dark-grey ; the least
wing-coverts uniform with the back ; rest of the wing-coverts and
quills blackish externally, washed with grey; the primary-coverts
and primaries margined with white on the outer web rather conspicuously;
tail black, the outermost feather obliquely white for the
terminal third and along the outer web, the next feathers slightly
white at the tip ; lores dull whitish ; feathers in front of the eye
dusky blackish ; ear-coverts uniform grey, duller than the sides of
the neck, which are also grey ; chin and throat white, the latter
distinctly streaked with black ; centre of the body white, the flanks
and sides of the body grey ; under tail-coverts whitish, with dusky-
brown bases to the feathers ; thighs brown ; under wing-coverts
dusky grey, the edge of the wing white ; quills ashy-brown below
with white edgings aloug the inner webs. Total length, 5 inches ;
culmen, 045 ; wing, 2'55 ; tail, 2‘3 ; tarsus, 08.
Admit female.—Similar to the male. Total length, 5 inches;
wing, 2-5; tail, 2:35; tarsus, O-8.
Youmg.—Similar to the adult but duller brown ; the throat whiter
with less distinct blackish streaks.
820. C hlo ropeta n a t a l en s is . Natal Yellow-breasted Flycatcher.
Sylvia natalensis, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 102.
Professor Sundevall gives the following diagnosis for this
Species :—“ Dull yellowish olive : underneath dull yellow : sides of
neck, thighs, rump and vent tinged with buffish colour : head rather
dusky above, with a dull yellowish superciliary streak : third quill
equal to the sixth in length.” We find that these characters are
exhibited by all the specimens which have at present come under
our notice, so that as yet we have not seen the real G. icterina (vidé
infrh). Sir A. Smith procured the species near Port Natal, but his
typical specimen did not come into the British Museum. Mr. T.
Ayres has also met with it in Natal, and Captain Shelley has