— 162 — 



Sitagra melanocephala dimidiata Antin. & Salvad. — 

 Rchw. III. p. 69. 



Ploceus dimidiatus. — Reichepow : op. cit. — Jagerskiold : Res. Swed. Exped. 

 Egypt & White NUe, 1903, p. 2. ; . 



Osago . . . ki-kavirondo. 



3 (5(5 ad. 18. 8. Kismu. — 1 (J ad. 21. 8. Kendu. — 5 QQ ad. 18. 8. ; 



1 Q ad. 19. 8. Kismu. 



This bird was very abundant all along the shores of the 

 Kavirondo gulf, especially in places where brushwood was found. 

 As a rule large swarms were seen frequenting the water's edge, 

 where their nests hung everywhere on the branches of the 

 bushes. 



V. Someren (Ibis 1916, p. 410— 411) has exhaustively 

 dealt with this race, and so has Og. -Grant (Zool. Res. Ruw. 

 Exp. 1910, p. 275—276) and the descriptions of both these 

 writers complete one another quite favourably. 



All the males are moulting and agree almost completely* 

 with each other in the colours of the plumage. Still, one of 

 the specimens is somewhat lighter in the brown colour of the 

 breast, but this is surely owing to the dress being worn and 

 faded. 



With reference to the chief character of the males of this 

 race: the extent of the black patch on the head etc. opinions 

 seem to be divided, v. Someren says (op. cit.) "the colour 

 of the mantle is separated from the black of the nape by a 

 very narrow yellow band", but in another series "there is 

 a wide yellow band separating the black of the head from the 

 golden olive of the mantle", but Og. -Grant (op. cit.) states 

 that "the black of the head does not extend beyond the occiput 

 and is divided from the olive -yellow mantle by a bright yellow 

 collar". In skinned birds the width of this yellow band may 

 obviously vary, depending on h o w the bird is preserved. 



If we compare the two pictures of this bird (R e i c h e - 

 now: Zool. Jahrb. Bd. I, Taf. 5 and Antinoti&Salvadori: 

 Ann. Mug. Natur. Geneva, vol. IV, 1873, Tav. Ill) the different 

 opinions as to the extent of the black of the head is evident. 



Reichenow mentions (op. cit.) that the bill of dimidiata 

 is larger than that of jacksoni (the former 16—17 mm., the 

 latter, 14—16), and with reference to the shape of the bill in 

 these two forms I may refer the reader to the preceding race. 



V. Someren does not consider it impossible that we have 

 to do with two "distinct subspecies" of dimidiata. Nor is it 

 likely that two forms of the same "form-circle" should occur in 

 the same locality. The dissimilarities which he gives are exem- 

 plified in my collection, for, among my four male specimens from 

 Kisumu I have three belonging to his series No. 1 and one to 

 No. 2. It seems to me more probable that this is nothing but 

 a case of individual differences. * 



