( 3.i ) 



li-.'. Melittophagus cyauostictus (( 'alj.j. 



Mubende (Bneknlla), Uganda, Nakabimba (Torn) and Fort George on Lake 

 Albert Edward. 



This Bee-eater lias been somewhat unfortunate with regard to its name. Cabanis 

 first described it under the name of Merops cyanostictaa, as a donbtful variety of 

 "Mcrops enjthropterus" in 1800 in v. d. Decken's Reisen in Ost-Afriha, v. 3, ji. 34, 

 and elevated it to specific rank as Melitta cyanostictus in 1875, in Jonrn. f. (>ni. v. 2k, 

 p. 340. There is not the slightest doubt from the description and distribution 

 (Natal, Loango, and East Africa), given b}- Cabauis, that liis Af. cijnnostictKS is the 

 bird which has been mixed up with M. minutu&=enjthroptenis=pusHlus by Finsoh 

 and Hartlaub {y'dg. Osf-Aj'ril:as, pp. 1S8-91), Dresser (Moiwf/r. Mernp. p. Ill) and 

 otliers, while SJiarpe (Cat. B. Jhit. Mii.'^. v. XVII. p. 43, 1802), who must have 

 misunderstood ( 'abanis" description, renamed it M. mrr/i/ionalts, applying attlie same 

 time the name ^f. cyanost ictus to a bird found in Shoa, Somaliland and the coast 

 districts of East Africa to Mombasa, Dar-es-Salaam, Lamu, and Melindi southwards. 

 This spi'iies, whicli is charafterized by a broad bine frontal band, connected with an 

 I'Unally broad blue superciliary stripe, has apjiarcntly no name, and I linvc named it 



<i '• Melittophagus sharpei, 



in honour of our friend Dr. 81iarpc, who worked nut the Mi'iapidae for vol. XVII. 

 of the Cdtnlocim of Birds (Type: S w\. The Hand, Somaliland, 'VI. T. I'^'.U, 

 Donaldson >Smith coll.). 



Witii regard to tlie synonymy of the MrliltOjihiKjux meiidionalis in tlie CdtiihHjKi- 

 of Birch (recte : J/, cyanosticus Cab.), I may add that Mrrops nnyolrnsis (ex Brisson, 

 (iw'picr (rAnfiola) is rightly quoted with a ? as a synonym, the description being 

 (prite obscure. On the other iiand, Merops corieijafiis, Finsch and Hartlaub, Viiq. 

 Ost-Afrif(/x, p. 191 , is not correctly quoted under this species, the description leaving 

 no doubt that the autliors really described the true ^f. rririrf/cifi/s Vieillot's, wliile 

 they mixed .]f. jinsilliis and eyavosf ictus Cab. under their JA. minntii.t. 



'i4. Irrisor jacksoni iShariie. 



? ad. Xairobe (B. K. A.). 2'.i. 1. l.s'.iii. "Iris dark brown, feet dark copper- 

 red, bill blood-red, eyelid red." 



The adult female dift'ers fioni tlie adult male only in the shorter and straighter 

 bill (J 411, ¥ 3.3 mm.), and considerably smaller feet. The greater extension of 

 the green on the head is not a character of the female sex, but jirobably due to 

 immaturity, ((^f. '.'at. B. Brit. Mns. v. XVI. p. ;21). 



Another specimen, adult J, was shot on the second day in the (ireat African 

 Forest from Fort Mbeui, on May 0th, 189U. It agrees in every detail with i. 

 Irrisor jacksoni, except that the bill is much higher at the base and 45 mm. 

 long. It would be rash to establish a new subspecies without further evidence, but 

 I hardly think that this is typical I. jucksoni. 



*■);■). Hirundo senegalensis L. 

 ? ad. Kabuka (Singo), Uganda, '-'T. 3. 1809. " Iris dark brown." ? ad. 

 Great African Forest, fourth day from Fort Beui, 8. 5, 1899. $ ad. Itnri iJiver, 

 twentieth dav from Fort Beni, 24. 5. 1899. 



