THE HONEY-GUIDES 221 



more conspicuous, these centers being chaetura drab, even on the 

 crown and occiput; under wing-coverts silvery gray; iris dark brown, 

 bill dark horn color; feet bluish gray. Measurements in millimeters: 

 male: wing 81-96, tail 53-62, culmen 10-12.5, tarsus 15-16; female: 

 wing 79-93.5, tail 50-58.5, culmen 9-10.5, tarsus 13-14. 



Specimens from Kavirondo average larger than birds from the 

 Cameroons, as may be seen from the following measurements in milli- 

 meters: male: wing 81-91 (Cameroons), 91-93 (Kavirondo) ; tail 54-57 

 (Cameroons), 55-59 (Kavirondo). Two examples from Beni, eastern 

 Belgian Congo, are difficult to place as to subspecies; they are either 

 conirostris or riggenbachi, probably the former. They are immature 

 birds, and if they are conirostris they suggest that in this race the 

 Juvenal plumage is paler, not darker, below than are the adults. 



/. m. riggenbachi: Similar to /. m. alexenderi in all respects except 

 darker, the breast darker gray and the edges of the feathers of the 

 upperparts more golden; in the ventral darkness this race helps to 

 bridge the gap between the paler forms and the still darker conirostris; 

 iris dark brown; bill blackish, the base of the mandible gray; feet 

 greenish. Measurements in millimeters: wing, male, 89-91; wing, 

 female, 80.5-87. 



This race becomes darker, approaching conirostris, in the eastern 

 Belgian Congo — from the eastern edge of the Ituri forest south to the 

 eastern base of Ruwenzori. 



/. TO. diadematus: Similar to the nominate race but darker below, 

 and also on the upperparts where the edgings of the feathers are 

 more dark greenish, less yellowish green; similar to /. m. riggenbachi 

 in the dark ventral coloration, but not nearly so golden j^ellowish 

 above. Measurements in millimeters: male: wing 83-94, tail 53-62, 

 culmen 10-11, tarsus 11.5-13; female: wing 83-87, tail 50.5-51, culmen 

 9.5, tarsus 11.5-12.5. 



/. m. damarensis: Differs from the nominate race in having the top 

 of the head grayer, the chin and throat grayish, the malar stripe 

 absent,^^ and in being smaller in size. Measurements in millimeters, 

 female: wing 81-83, tail 54-57, culmen 9.5-10.5, tarsus 13-13.5. 



In studying the geographic variations of this honey-guide, over 400 

 specimens were examined at different times and with varjdng oppor- 

 tunity for detailed study and comparison. From this material, 

 especially ample from the eastern and southern parts of Africa, it was 

 concluded that teitensis and albigularis were not separable from minor 

 and that erlangeri was probably better treated also as a synonym of 



" This character needs verification as Roberts had only females of damarensis 

 when he described this race, and females of all the races tend to have the malar 

 stripe pooriy developed, if at all. 



