XOVTTATES ZOOLOGICAE XXIV. 1917. *"" 



indeed closely allied to C. c. aridula, but that the rump is distinctly darker 

 rufous bro-wn ; it becomes therefore necessary to separate this form under the 

 above name. 



Type in the Tring Museum, No. 583 Bury Collection, Hajeilah l.iv. 1913. 



Parisoma blaniordi distincta subsp. nov. 



" Sylvia blanjordi," Sclater, Ihis, 1917. p. 158. 



The South Arabian form of Parisoma hlanjordi differs at a glance from a 

 series from Somaliland by being considerably larger, and by the different extent 

 of the white on the outer tail-feathers. As a rule the white line on the outer 

 web of the ultimate rectrix is wider in the African, narrower in the Arabian form, 

 while in the former the white on the inner web is as a rule wider in extent, ranging 

 up to about one-third of the length of the feather, while in the Arabian sub- 

 species it is restricted to a spot not more than 5 to 8 mm. long. There is, 

 however, some variation in this in Africa, the white on the inner web being not 

 more than in P. b. distincta in a male from Dubar, North Somaliland. The 

 type of P. hlanjordi (Sylvia hlanjordi Seebohm, Proc. Zool. Sac, London, 1878, 

 p. 979) is from Rairo in Abyssinia, and in it the white has been restricted to a 

 spot as in P. b. distincta, but is entirely worn off, as is often the case, the dark- 

 coloured portions of the feathers being stronger, thus resisting the wearing 

 off much longer. The other specimens I have seen from Africa are all from 

 Somahland, except one from the Erba Mountains, not far from Port Soudan, 

 in which the outer rectrices are wanting. More Abyssinian specimens should 

 be compared with those from Somaliland, but they are probably one and the 

 same race. The wings are 63 to 66 mm. long, against 67 to 72 in P. h. distincta. 

 The bill is much larger in the latter. Compared : 14 P. b. blanjordi and 15 

 P. b. distincta. 



Type of P. h. distincta : 3ad. Gerba, South Arabia, 15. xi. No. 611 G. W. 

 Bury Collection. 



Monticola rufocinerea sclateri subsp. nov. 



[Saxicola nt/ocincrea Ruppell , xVeac Wirb. Abyss., Vog. p. 76. Taf. 27 (1835— Simen in Abyssinia).] 

 Arabian specimens differ from typical rujocinerea by the greater amount 

 of brown on the outer tail-feathers. 'W hile in 31. r. rujocinerea, of which I have 

 compared over 30 specimens from Abyssinia and North Scmaliland in the Tring, 

 and a series in the British Museum, the brown on the inner web of the outer 

 tail-feather varies from 1 or 2 to 7 mm. (the latter rarely), it is 10 to 14 mm. 

 wide in 31. r. sclateri. There is no constant difference in size, though 1 have not 

 measured an Arabian male with a wing over 86, and some with wings of only 

 84 mm., while in males from Eritrea, Abyssinia, and North Somaliland the wings 

 range from 85 to 89 mm. Nor is there any constant difference in the shade of 

 the colours in the males, though some African males have paler throats, and the 

 Arabian female is distinctly more greyish on the throat ; more specimens, how- 

 ever, must be seen to confirm these differences. I have named this new form in 

 honour of Mr. W. L. Sclater, who has written a very creditable article on Bury's 

 collection from Arabia, the ornithology of which was quite a new field for him. 

 Type of M. rujocinerea sclateri: (J ad. Wasil, 4,000 ft., 4. iii.1913. No. 

 475 Bury Coll. (Tring Museum). 



