E. LÖNNBERG, SOME INTERESTING EAST-AFRICAN BIRDS. 5 



specimen shot -7* has the rufous breast patch fully developed, 

 and påle (whitish) inner edgings to the wing-quills. In the 

 other specimen the rufous of the breast is practically quite 

 absent as it only can be traced as minute tips to some few 

 rami of the feathers ; the wing-quills have brown edgings, the 

 under wing-coverts are black. This specimen evidently ap- 

 proaches Pratincola alhofasciata in a similar way as Hartert * 

 has reported about two specimens collected resp. at Buguera 

 and Nandi. In consequence of this this he ref ers both salax 

 and alhofasciata as subspecies under P. torquata, and the 

 existence of such intermediate links appears really to prove 

 that both forms only have subspecific value. The author 

 quoted separates also P. axillaris and P. salax as distinct 

 subspecies saying that the latter has påle, the former dark 

 edgings to the wing-quills. The fact that the present speci- 

 mens from the same locality on Elgon exhibit both charac- 

 teristics, proves, however, that Reichenow's opposite view 

 is more correct when he unites^ both under the older name 

 salax. With regard to size these specimens from Elgon are 

 similar, the length of wing being in both 71 mm. 



^ Journ. f. Ornithol. Bd. 58, 1910, p. 178. 



' Die Vögelfauna des Mittelafrikanischen Seengebietes, p. 369. 



Tryckt den 5 mars 1917 



Uppsala 1917. Almqvist & Wiksells Boktryckeri-A.-B. 



