— 58 — 



Phasianidae. 



Numida coronata ansorgei Hart. — Under the African Sun, 



1899, p. 331. 

 Numida ansorgei, op. cit. 



1 (5 ad. 25. 8. Kenia district. 



A single specimen of this form was shot in the vicinity of 

 Kenia. It exhibits such great differences from other Numida- 

 races described so far that I am inclined to consider it as a new 

 form. But as the greatest agreements are found with N. ansorgei 

 I have however, in spite of the differences present, hesitatingly 

 referred it to that race. The question is first: where "does N. 

 ansorgei belong to? Reichenow (Vog. Afr. 1, p. 437) has made 

 it synonymous with iV. reichenowi, but in the same work, p. 400, 

 he thinks it possible that it is a synonym of N. intermedia. 

 If mine is a true ansorgei (as Prof. 0. Neumann thinks) then 

 the latter should surely most closely belong to the coronata- 

 group, at least judging from the size and shape of the casque. 

 If, on the other hand, ansorgei is identical with any of the pre- 

 viously known Numida, a revision of the genus is certainly 

 necessary. A number of German ornithologists (Grote, Neu- 

 mann) incline towards the opinion that all races and forms 

 described, or previously considered as species, are only forms 

 belonging to a single "form-circle". 



My bird resemble reichenowi very closely, but differs from 

 it in the wattle at the gape not beins red, but blue at the base. 

 Further, the casque is not so high and extended as in reichenowi 

 (in my specimen only 34 cm, counting from the spot on the 

 forehead where the casque begins). Further, my specimen is 

 more finely and densely spotted below, {reichenowi having larger 

 and fewer spots,) and the lower neck of my bird is furnished 

 with broad undulating bands, which are narrow in reichenowi. 



Although my specimen exhibits great resemblances to rei- 

 chenowi there is no doubt that it cannot be referred to that 

 race, owing to the above-mentioned reasons. But with respect 

 to the form of the casque it agrees with Reichenow's plate 

 of coronata (op. cit. p. 436) and therefore I have placed it under 

 this group for the present. 



My specimen has certain resemblances to ansorgei both 

 with respect to measurements and other characters. Thus, it 

 has the broad, not narrow and hair-like feathers, on the back 

 of the neck, and this bunch of broad -pointed black -feathers 

 seems to point upwards, etc., etc. 



Hartert (op. cit.) gives the following measurements for 

 the type - specimen : wing 282 mm, tarsus 75 mm, middle toe 

 without claw 35 mm., casque in a straight line from the bottom 

 34 mm, bill 24 mm. 



