The figure is rather less than the natural size; the whole plumage deep black; glossed with bluish green in every part but the quill and tail feathers; the quills inside are grey, margined with olive; the first of these is very short, the second and third shorter than the fourth, and the two next are nearly of equal length. The tail has ten feathers, and is even, except the two outer pair, which are progressively shorter. The bill rather thick and strong, the culmine not very apparent, the upper mandible strongly notched, the under but slightly; the nostrils are hid by thickset incumbent feathers, mixed with hairs; these cover the aperture, which is rather large, round, and encircled by a narrow membrane. The legs are very short, the three fore-toes united as far as the first joint, the hind-toe short; the claws of all are small, and the sole of the foot perfectly flat, like the Bee-eaters. I have been minute in noting these characters, because, although the bird will stand at present in the great family of the Flycatchers, there is no doubt they will hereafter be divided into distinct groups. * * * * * Pl. 180 [Illustration] TURDUS vociferans, _Calling Thrush._ * * * * * SPECIFIC CHARACTER. _T. cinereus, infra ferrugineus; temporibus auribusque nigris; caudae rotundatae pennis mediis nigris, lateribus ferrugineis._ Cinereous, beneath ferruginous; ears and sides of the head black; tail rounded, middle feathers black, lateral feathers ferruginous. Le Reclammeur. _Le Vaill. Ois. d'Af._ _tom._ 3. _p._ 33, _pl._ 104. * * * * * I can find no account of this bird in any writer besides Le Vaillant, who discovered it during his travels in Southern Africa. He says the note of the male bird is loud and melodious, and is heard in the morning and evening from the highest branches of lofty trees; the sexes being usually seen together. Le Vaillant relates an amusing anecdote, which well illustrates the peculiar note of the male:--One of his Dutch Hottentots, by name Piet, having shot a female, its mate continued to fly around him, uttering its cry, which so much resembled the Dutch words of _Piet myn vrow_, (or, '_Peter_--my wife,') that the poor lad (perfectly astonished) took to his heels, and vowed never more to handle a gun. Length seven inches and a half; the upper plumage is dark cinereous: on each side the head is a stripe of black, which encircles the eye, and forms a patch on the ears: the whole of the under plumage is clear ferruginous yellow or bright buff colour; the rump and lateral tail feathers the same, the middle pair being entirely black; the next pair has likewise a narrow margin of the same colour: quills and wing-covers dusky brown, with pale cinereous margins. Tail rounded: legs pale: irides hazel: bill rather small and black, compressed the whole length, and having weak bristles at its base.