BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 39 



Sclater considers anderssoni as distinct from diierea^ but in this I 

 can not agree, as the material studied shows these two forms to be 

 identical (i. e., if the range given for omderssoni by Sclater is cor- 

 rect, for I have seen no topotypical material). Roberts *^ writes that 

 "whether anderssoni will stand or not remains to be seen, but I may 

 state that there are five specimens in the Transvaal Museum from 

 Damaraland * * * which I cannot separate from typical 

 Ginereay Roberts recognizes spleniata as a distinct species, although 

 most authors have considered it a synonym of cinerea. I have not 

 seen any material of this form, but can not repress a suspicion that 

 spleniata may be a good form with an even wider range than Roberts 

 gives it. I have seen some small pale birds from the southern Kavi- 

 rondo and Sotik districts of southwestern Kenya Colony that seemed 

 more like the description of spleniata than like that of cinerea (or 

 saturatior). This has led to an idle wonder whether hlanfordi might 

 not be closer to spleniata than to cinerea^ but in the absence of ma- 

 terial no conclusions are possible. 



Sclater also recognizes saturatior as a valid form. I consider it 

 the same as the typical race. I have examined birds from South 

 Africa, Tanganyika Territory, Kenya Colony, and Uganda and can 

 not see any constant geographic variations. Neumann ^° questioned 

 the validity of safv/ratior. Granvik ^^ notes that "it seems * * * 

 as if Neumann's doubt as to the geimineness of this form is well- 

 founded. For among the 7 adults lying before me, there are two 

 which have the outer web of the outermost rectrices white, the others 

 have a more or less greyish white or greyish brown outer-web. Be- 

 sides, all of them have a broader or narrower white edge to the 2nd 

 rectrix." Gyldenstolpe ^^ recognizes saturatior but admits that "an 

 examination of a large material collected at different times of the 

 year will perhaps show, that no tangible differences exist between 

 these two forms {cinerea and saturatior) and that * * * satura- 

 tior was only based on seasonal variation. There are no differences 

 with regard to size between South African specimens and those from 

 East and Central Africa." Van Someren,^^ on the other hand, thinks 

 saturatior should be recognized and says "it is generally darker 

 than typical cinerea, the rufous patches on the side of the chest and 

 the crown darker. In Uganda is found an even darker bird, which 

 cannot be placed under any named race." 



«Ann. Transvaal Mus., vol. 11, p. 224, 1926. 

 «» Journ. fiir Oin., 1906, p. 239. 

 « Journ. fur Orn., 1923, Sonderheft, p. 204. 

 62Kongl. Svenska Vet.-Akad. Hand!., 1924, p. 77. 

 « Nov. Zool., vol. 29, pp. 178-179, 1922. 



