BIRDS OF ETHIOPIA AND KENYA COLONY 231 



Of all the species of Dioptrornis the present one is the nearest in 

 structural characters, although not in color, to Cichlomyia, but still 

 it is nearer to the other species of Dioptrornis than it is to Cichlomyia 

 caerulescens. 



Mearns noted this bird frequently along the Hawash Kiver, espe- 

 cially on the upper stretches, January 2&-February 13. 



MELAENORNIS EDOLIOIDES LUGUBRIS (Muller) 



Muscicapa lugubris von Mulleb, Beitrage zur Ornithologie Afrikas, Lief 1, pi. 

 2, 1853: Kolla, Ethiopia. 



Specimens collected : 



2 males, 1 female, Gidabo River, Ethiopia, March 15, 1912. 

 10 males, 7 females, 1 immature female, Gato River near Gardula, Ethi- 

 opia, April 1-27, 1912. 

 1 female, Sagon River, north side, Ethiopia, May 19, 1912. 



Soft parts: Iris brown; bill, feet, and claws black. 



The literature of this bird is unfortunate in that it is concerned 

 chiefly with what to call the species rather than with any attempt 

 to find out anything about the bird itself. First, we may briefly 

 examine the nomenclature, and then pass on to the facts of its life 

 history and distribution. 



Until recently this species has been referred to as Melaenomis 

 painmclaina (Stanley), but van Someren has examined Stanley's 

 type and found it to be a glossy blue-black bird (the bird then cur- 

 rently known as M. ater tropiealis, now correctly named M. pmmne- 

 Jaina paimnelaina) . He then made a hasty survey of the available 

 names for the grayish-black birds and concluded that von Miiller's 

 name lugubris was the oldest one and was therefore the one to be 

 used. 



As Gyldenstolpe,^^ however, has pointed out, Swainson's name 

 Melasoma edolioides ^^ is really the name to be used as it antedates 

 lugubris by 16 years. The species, then, becomes Melaenomis edoli- 

 oides (Swainson). 



The disposition of subspecific names depends on what races are 

 considered valid. Here again great diversity of opinion prevails. 

 I have examined a series of 35 specimens from Kenya Colony, 

 Uganda, Belgian Congo, Ethiopia, and Senegal, and after carefully 

 reading the conclusions and evidence given by Reichenow,^* Ogilvie- 

 Grant,^^ Sclater and Mackworth-Praed,^^ van Someren,^^ Gyldenstolpe, 

 and others, I find myself in complete agreement with only one of these 



22Kongl. Svenska Vet.-Akatl. Hand!., 1924, p. 194. 



2' The natural history of the birds of western Africa, vol. 1, p. 257, 1837: Senegal. 



!«Die VOgel Afrikas, toI. 2, p. 442, 1D03. 



»Ibis, 1913, p. 638. 



»Ibis, 1918, p. 701. 



ST Nov. Zool.. vol. 29. p. 93, 1922. 



