( 246 ) 

 •^ Calamocichla ansorgei nilotica subsp. nov. 



Plujllostrephus sharpel (nee Shell.), Shell., P.Z. S. 1888. p. 24, 

 Acrocephalus griseldis (nee Hartl.), Sharpe, Hand-list iv. 1903. p. '20(). 



Similar to C. a. ansorgei, bnt everywhere more dirt}' brown and less grey 

 The lores are lighter than the sides of the head, bnt not pnre white. (In C. a. 

 ansorgei the lores are of the same colonr as the head.) The wing is shorter. 

 The bill is slightly broader and is paler. The hindclaw is longer. 



Wing, S, ::— TO ; ? , 72 ; tarsns 29—30; ?, 27A ; hindclaw, <J, lU— 12; 

 ?, 11 mm. 



Hub. Wadelai. 



Four specimens, collected by Emin, Angnst 1885 (British Museum). 



I refer provisionally to this subspecies two birds which seem to be in young 

 plumage, which have the upperside more rufous brown, and have ochraceous 

 or rufous brown on the underside, where the Wadelai birds have grey. They 

 were collected by the British Museum Ruwenzori expedition. 



cJ. Fort Beni, Semlik River. Wing 79 ; tarsus 32 ; hindclaw 12 mm. 



¥. Ruwenzori. Wing 72; tarsus 29; hindclaw 11 mm. 



Calamocichla nifescens Sharpe k Bouvier. 



Bnulyplerus ru/escms Sharpe & Bouvier, Bidl. Sor. Zool. France, 187G. p. 307 [Landana, Congo]. 

 CahimneuMu plebeja Rehw., Orn. .Vnnatxbei'. 1893. p. 178 [Yaunde, Kamerun]. 

 Cafaniocichhi poensis Alex., Btdh Br. Orjt. C. vol. xiv. (1903) p. 32 [Bilepili, Fernando Po]. 

 „ „ Sharpe, /i/s 1908. p. 318 [River Ja (Ascba), Kamerun]. 



The adult bird (poensis dress) similar to C. ansorgei, but paler above and 

 below and with shorter wing and hindclaw. The younger bird {plebeja dress) has 

 the upperside more rufous brown, especially the rump and the sides of body, flanks, 

 and thighs, which are grey in the adult, are yellowish fawn. 



In the type of rufescens, which might be a still younger stage, the upperside, 

 especially the edges of wing and tail, are still more rufous and the dark parts of 

 the underside ochraceous. 



Tlie adult Fernando Po birds are slightly paler than the adult Kamerun 

 birds and have the bills slightly shorter (for about one-half to one millimetre). 



But as the length of wing, tarsns, and hindclaw is about the same in the 

 three forms, I think it better to unite the birds from Landana, South Kamerun, 

 and Fernando Po under the same name. The narrow light ajiical edge on the 

 tail-feathers of the type of poensis, which Reichenow {Vdgel Afrikas, vol. iii. 

 p. 574) makes a distinguishing character between plebeja and poensis, is of course 

 only a sign of a very fresh plumage. 



Measuremknts. 

 ? jav. (type of rufescens) Landana (Petit). Br. Mns. 

 • ? juv. (type of plebeja) Yaunde (Zenker). Berl. Mus. . 

 (? (sexed ? ) (type of poensis) Fernando Po (Alexander). 



Priv. Mus. 



c?, Fernando Po (Seimund). Br. Mus 



(?, River Ja (Bates). Br. Mus 



c? juv.. River Ja (Bates). Br. Mus. .... 



° J'i^-» >> )) )) )i » .... 



*i » )t » )) 1) .... 



* Measuremeiits taken from the original description. 



