as by the shorter and broader bill: the breast is also more uniform
brown than that of M. grisola, which has the breast whitish with
longitudinal brown streaks.
Adult male.—Above ashy brown, the head obscurely mottled by
the dark brown centres to some of the feathers of the crown : wings
dark brown, the lesser and median wing-coverts edged with ashy-
brown like the back, the greater series tipped with dull white :
primary-coverts uniform dark brown : quills dark brown with narrow
edgings of ashy-brown, the secondaries margined with dull whitish :
tail brown, with obscure undulations, under certain lights, the feathers
edged with lighter brown near the base: lores whitish, extending
backwards above the eye and forming an ill-defined eyebrow : round
the eye a ring of whitish feathers : fore-part of cheeks ashy-brown,
mottled with whitish tips to the feathers : ear-coverts uniform ashy-
brown : throat pure white, with slight ashy mottling on the chin,
where the bases show through: breast and sides of body ashy-
brown,, with a slight fulvous tinge, the chest streaked with fulvous,
the feathers being edged with the latter colour : belly and under
tail-coverts white: thighs brown : under wing-coverts light tawny-
buff with ashy-brown bases to the feathers : lower surface of the
quills brown, the inner webs edged with light fulvous brown : “ bill
and legs black: iris brown” (T. L. Ayres, MS.). Total length, 4 '6
inches; culmen, 0 ’5 ; wing, 2 '5 5 ; tail, 2 '0 5 ; tarsus, 0 '6 .
Adult female.—Not different from the male in colour: “ bill black,
the under mandible yellowish at base: tarsi and feet dusky: iris
dusky hazel” [F. Barratt, MS.). Total length, 4'8 inches; wing,
2'65; tail, 2-05 ; tarsus, 0-65.
Fig. Le Yaill. Ois. d’Afr. pi. 156.
327. M uscicapa ccerulescens. Blue-grey Flycatcher.
The two remaining species of Musciccvpa which are found in South
Africa are distinguished from M. grisola and M. undulata by their
blue-grey colour. They form part of a small group of Flycatchers
peculiar to Africa, in which this blue-grey coloration is a prominent
feature. The present bird differs from M. lugens in having a
distinct white eyebrow and a white spot below the eyes, as well as
by the white edgings to the inner web of the quills : in M. lugens
this is brown. Mr. Thomas Ayres, who first brought the bird to
the notice of ornithologists, says that in habits it much resembled
Parus niger. He found a family of them seven or eight in number,
and they were hunting about some low bushes evidently in search of
insects. In the British Museum is a specimen of M. ccerulescens
procured by the late Mr. Andersson at Ombongo, Damara Land, on
the 22nd of June, 1859. It is probably this bird to which he refers
under the heading of M. grisola (B. Dam. Ld. p. 129), as follows :
“ This species is common in Damara and Great Namaqua Land, and
is found there throughout the year, either singly or in pairs, perching
on some low branch of a tree, whence it makes short and rapid
excursions in pursuit of such winged insects as may chance to pass
within view, frequently returning to the same post of observation,
and uttering at intervals a kind of chirping call.”
Adult male.—General colour above dull blue-grey, the forehead
and crown obscurely streaked with dark brown down the centre of
the feathers : wing-coverts grey like the back : quills dark brown,
externally edged with grey inclining to white on the extreme edge
of the primaries, and more distinct on the secondaries which are
otherwise entirely grey: tail ashy-brown, with a very slight edging
of white at the tip : from the base of the bill a line of buffy white
extending above the fore-part of the eye: in front of the latter a
blackish spot: above and below the eye a spot of white forming a
tolerably distinct superciliary mark, the spot below the eye larger
and better defined: ear-coverts dull grey with indistinct whitish
shaffc-lines : cheeks greyish, slightly mottled with whitish tips to the
feathers : under surface of body dull grey, the throat and centre of
the abdomen purer white : under tail-coverts ashy with whitish tips :
thighs greyish externally, dull white internally : under wing-coverts
ashy whitish: quills below dark brown, the inner webs whitish
towards their base : bill and feet black: iris dark brown. Total
length, 5-3 inches; culmen, 0'55 ; wing, 2'95 ; tail, 2'45; tarsus,
0-7.
328. M uscicapa lugens. Angola Grey Flycatcher.
Dr. Hartlaub,who described this species in the “ Proceedings” of the
Zoological Society for 1860 (p. 110), from a specimen obtained by
Mr. Monteiro in Angola, mentions that he had also examined a
second one from the interior of South Africa in the Stuttgardt
Museum. The following description is taken from the typical specimen
in the British Museum.