144 NOVITATES ZOOLOOICAE XXVI. 1919. 



119. Pyrenestes ostrinus rothschildi Neum. = Pyrenestes ostrinus rothschildi. 



Pyrenestes ostrinus rothschildi Neumann, Journ. j. Orn. 1910. p. 528 (Niger-Delta to Lagos and 

 North Kamenin). 



Type : cj ad., Warri, Lower Niger, 11. v. 1897. Dr. Felix Roth leg. 



120. Pyrenestes ostrinus gabunensis Neum. = Pyrenestes ostrinus gabunensis. 



Pyrenestes ostrinus gabunensis Neumann, Journ. f. Orn. 1910. p. 528 {South Kamerun and Gaboon, 

 to Manyanga on the Congo and the Uelle district). 



Type: ? ad., Lambarene, Ogowe, Gaboon, 22. ix. 1907. W. J. Ansorge 

 leg. No. 756. (On the label: Iris red-brown. Feet brownish oUve. Bill 

 steel-black, but middle of upper near root steel-blue.'") 



f 121. Nigrita sparsimguttata Rchw. = Nigrita canicapilla schistacea. 



Nigrila sparsimguttata Keichenow, Ber. allg. D. Orn. Ges. is. p. 4 (December 1891 ; Journ. j. Orn. 

 1892, p. 132— Bukoba). 



Cotype : adult, Bukoba. Eniiii Pasha leg. 



The name Nigrita schistacea Sharpe was published in January, N. spar- 

 simguttata in December 1891. The two are doubtless identical. 



t 122. Nigrita dohertyi Hart. = Nigrila diaboUca Rchw. & Neum. 1895. 

 Nigrita doAcrtj/s Hartert, Bull. B.O. Club, xii. p. 12 (1901 — Escarpment). 



Type : cJ ad., Escarpment, Brit. E. Africa, S.500 feet, March 1891. William 

 Doherty leg. 



123. Plocepasser mabali ansorgei Hart. = Plocepasser mahali ansorgti. 



Plocepasser mahali ansorgei Hartert, Nov. Zool. 1907. p. 487 (Benguella). 



Type : 3 ad., Kawayella, BengueUa, 12. vii. 1904. W. J. Ansorge, No. 292. 



124. Pyramelana franciscana pusilla Hart. = Pyromclana franciscana piisiUa. 

 Pyromelana jranciscana pusilla Hartert, Bull. B.O. Club, xi. p. 71 (June 1901 — Lake Stephanie). 



Type: 5, Lake Stephanie, 7. vi. 1895. Dr. Donaldson Smith leg. No. 655. 



There is in my opinion no doubt whatever that pusilla is a very " good " 

 subspecies. When naming it, I referred to the small size only, but I am now 

 of opinion that one cannot rely on this, though such small specimens as we have 

 from Somaliland do not seem to occur in the west. The real difference, i.e. 

 the shorter upper and under tail-coverts, which do not reach the end of the 

 tail, has first been pointed out by Neumann (Journ. /. Orn. 1905. p. .346). I 

 am, however, of opinion that all N.E. African specimens belong to pusilla, the 

 tail-coverts being shorter and less copious in all males. I don't agree with 

 Count Zedlitz (Journ. /. Orn. 1916. p. 27) that this varies individually, as I 

 found it quite constant, apart, of course, from moulting specimens. Generally 

 the red is less fiery than in western examples, but the back of adult males in 

 nuptial plumage is only generally, not invariably more spotted and brownish. 

 Possibly the West African P. jranciscana franciscana ranges — as in many other 

 cases — through the Sudan eastwards to the Nile and Akobo. The male shot 

 by Oscar Neumann at the latter place (v. Journ. f. Orn. 1905. p. 345), a male 

 from Khartum, and one obtained on the Lower Atbara by Captain Stanley 

 Flower, appear certainly to belong to the true pranciscana, not to pusilla ! 



