observes that the present species appears to be common and widely distributed in the southern
districts o f the Portuguese province of Angola, as Senhor Anchieta has collected specimens in Benguela,
at Capangombe, Huilla, Quillengues, Kiulo, and at Humbe on the Cunene River. Other localities
recorded for the species have been Quibulo and Cahata in Benguela (.Anchieta: Bocage, Jorn. Lisb.
(2) no. vii. p. 167, 1892), and the Kakella River in the Cunene region (Van der Kellen: Biittik.
Notes Leyden Mus. x. p. 226).
“ This Thrush,” writes Sir Andrew Smith, “ seeks its food upon the ground, and, when so occupied,
its resort is readily discovered by the natives from the noise it makes in scratching the ground or in
displacing rubbish and decayed leaves which conceal the insects it is seeking.” Andersson states
that in Damaraland “ it lives chiefly on insects, for which it searches at the roots of trees and amongst
low bushes, old leaves, and decayed wood. It scratches somewhat after the manner of a fowl, and is
thence called by the Bechuanas the | Ground-scraper5; it also runs with great celerity. It lives
singly or in pairs, and occasionally perches on the topmost branch of some lofty tree. It utters a
plaintive half-song, half-call, just as if it were troubled with a bad cold.” He describes the nest as
follows:—“ I took a nest containing three young birds on the 29th of Octobef; it was built on a
branch about ten feet from the ground, and was composed exteriorly of grass, the interior being lined
with down and feathers.”
Adult male. General colour above ashy-grey, slightly mottled with dusky centres to the feathers
of the crown and mantle; lesser wing-coverts ashy-grey; median and greater coverts dark brown,
ashy-brown on the outer edge ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and primaries blackish, the latter with
a pale ashy margin to the outer web, and with two-thirds of the inner web orange-buff; this pattern
diminishing on the secondaries, where it occupies the basal half only of the inner web ; some of the
inner secondaries fringed with white at the ends, the innermost ones ashy-brown like the back;
centre tail-feathers light brown, the rest blackish with ashy-brown edges, the two outermost narrowly
tipped with white; lores and a narrow eyebrow white, continued behind the ear-coverts to the sides
of the neck, which are spotted with black; an indistinct supra-loral line of black; eyelid white, with
a blackish spot on the upper anterior edge ; sides of face white, with a broad double oblique bar of
black, one drawn from below the eye, and the other, slightly crescentic, running behind the ear-
coverts ; cheeks and throat white, with a distinct malar line, composed of black spots ; under surface
of body white, distinctly spotted with black, the spots longitudinal ovals on the fore-neck, and
fan-shaped on the breast and sides of the body, the latter being slightly washed with ashy; the
fore-neck and chest showing a tinge of pale orange-buff; abdomen and under tail-coverts white;
axillaries and under wing-coverts orange-buff, not quite so deep in tint as the quill-lining: bill black
, or horn-colour, yellow at the base of the lower mandible; feet light greenish-yellow (.Andersson) or
ochre {BueJcley); iris dark hazel {Buckley), or double-ringed, yellow and red {Ayres). Total length
9-2 inches, culmen l'O inch, wing 5*2 inches, tail 2*65 inches, tarsus 1’5 inch.
Adult female. Similar to the male, but not quite so heavily spotted below: “ feet light brown ”
(jBuckley). Total length 8-5 inches, wing 4*8 inches.
Young. Rather browner than the adult, and spotted with yellowish-buff centres to the feathers,
with a sub-terminal dusky line before the t ip ; the lesser and median wing-coverts with fan-shaped
tips of orange-buff, with which colour the greater series are margined; innermost secondaries with
orange-buff tip s; the pale tips to the outer tail-feathers very distinct; facial markings and spots on
the under surface very distinct, but the whole of the underparts suffused with pale orange-buff.
The figure in the Plate is drawn from a female specimen from Rustenberg, in the Seebohm
Collection. [& H S.]
SEMIEN GROUND-THRUSH.
Merula {Turdus) simensis, Rupp. Neue Wirb., Vog. p. 81, pi. xxix. fig. 1 (1835).
Turdus musicus (nec L.), Des Murs in Lefebvre, Voy. Abyss. Zool. p. 96 (1845-50)..
Merula simensis, Rupp. Syst. Uebers. p. 60 (1845).
Turdus simensis, Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 210 (1847).
Psophocichla simensis, Cab. J. f. 0 . 1860, p . 182.
Turdus semiensis, Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 380 (1869).
Geocichla simensis, Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. v. p. 183 (1881).
G. fiimilia G. litsitsirupce, sed magis brunnescens, facie et gastraso toto magis aurantiaco-fulvis distinguenda.
A lthough this species is undoubtedly closely related to G. litsitsirupa of South Africa, the differences
between the two birds are well-marked, and each appears to be restricted to a well-defined
geographical area.
■ Von Heuglin states that th e Semien Ground-Thrush is one of the commonest birds of the
Abyssinian TTigbl.rids; fom the Taranta Pass and Mensa to Western Amhara, southwards to the Galla
country, but not occurring below 5000 feet. Dr. W. T. Blanford found it common throughout the
highlands, but not observed below 5000 or 6000 feet elevation, and he states-that he did not meet
with it in the Anseba Valley (Geol. & Zool. Abyss, p. 387). Mr. Jesse obtained specimens from the
Taconda Pass in April (Finsch, Tr. Z. S. vii. pt. 4, p. 241, 1870). . Sir W. G. Harris met with the
species at Angollala and Ankober in Shoa (Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. v. p. 183), and the Marquis
Antinori found it in the Same country. He says that at IAcce it was .common* from October to
November, and he also met with it at Fecherie-Ghem, where Dr. Bagazzi also records it as being a
very common bird (Salvad. Ann. Mus. Genov. (2) i. p. 158, 1884; vi. p. 259, 1888).
The present species has been recorded from Sierra Leone, where Afzelius is said to have obtained
it (Sundev. CEfv. K. Vet.-Akad. Forh. Stockh. 1849, p. 147). Dr. Otto Finsch says that the specimen
in question belonged to the South-African form, G. litsitsirwpa, but it may well be doubted if either
of these species really occurs in the forest-region of Western Africa.
According to Von Heuglin, this Thrush lives in pairs or infamilies in the larger clumps of
trees, especially among the jumpers, but more still round the villages and in the thickets surrounding
the churches, as well as in the uncultivated districts. In the thicker bush-covered places it is less
often observed, but is usually to be seen on the ground, in broad clearings, cattle-pastures, and
meadow-land. In Abyssinia it is resident, and is said to nest on the juniper-trees. Its habits and
call-notes reminded him most of those of the Mistle-Thrush (Turdus viscivorus).
Adult male. Very similar to G. litsitsirupa, and only differing from that species in the more
pronounced tint of orange-buff on the under surface of the body, and the bolder and more distinct
fan-shaped black spots: “ bill pale dusky brown, the lower mandible yellowish; feet pale horn-colour;
iris dusky ” (Von Heuglin). Total length 8-2 inches, culmen 1-0 inch, wing 5-3 inches, tail 2-6 inches,
tarsus 1’5 inch.
Adult female. Similar to the male. Total length 8-0 inches, wing 5-2 inches.
The species is figured on the same Plate as G. litsitsirupa, from a specimen from Shoa in the
Seebohm Collection, [®-