- 86 - 



be changed, and every student who has dealt with the Indicator 

 family, as a rule, arrives at the same conclusion that our present 

 knowledge of these birds is still rather confused. 



It seems to me to be rather doubtful wether we can maintain 

 1. m. riggenbachi Z e d 1 i t z as a good sub-species and when com- 

 pared with I. m. conirosiris the difference between the two appears 

 extremely slight (and only the sexual difference) and its geographical 

 presence does not by any means speak for its further existence. 



Further discoveries must, however, bring light on this point. 



Capitonidae. ^ 



Lyhius hidentatus aequatorialis (Shell). — Uchw. II. p. 119. 



3 (5(5 ad. 14. 5.; 1 Q juv. 14. 5. Soy 7,500 feet. - 

 1 Q juv. 26. 5. Mount Elgon 7000 feet. 



Some miles north-east of Soy on the way to Elgon we halted 

 in the acacia-country by a shallow little lake, and in the low 

 trees growing on its shores this bird was a common occurrence. 

 Only once was this Barbet observed on the eastern slopes of 

 Mount Elgon. 



The five specimens exhibit the following measurements: 

 wing, tarsus, 



106 mm, 25 mm. 

 105 mm. 26 mm. 



107 mm. 26 mm. 



103 mm. 25.5 mm. 



104 mm. 25 mm. 

 In the three mature cTcf the upper surface has a dark-blue 



metallic lustre, the bill is whitish yellow, irides are dark-brown. 

 The plates on the front and back of the tarsus are dark horn- 

 brown, while the middle part, i. e. the sides, is yellowish white. 



The young birds have the upper surface black with a more 

 or less blue wash and one of them has the crown furnished with 

 numerous red feathers like a full-dressed adult. 



The white spot always found in the middle of the back is 

 greenish in one of the specimens, the feathers forming this spot 

 having a light-green border both on the edges and the tips. 



The bill of the young birds is whitish-yellow with a reddish 

 grey wash. Irides and legs of the same colour as in the old bird. 



Lyhius melanopterus melanopterus Ptrs. — Rchw. II. p. 121. 



2 ^(5 29. 4. Mombasa. 



In the coast-land at Mombasa, where solitary palms and 

 small bushes formed a thin and open wood, this bird was met 

 with in fair numbers. 



