— 226 — 



the tibia are of the same colour, whereas, in the full-grown 

 bird, these parts are entirely black. 



The young bird has the feathers of the lower surface of 

 the same colour as the female, i. e. greyish yellow, and most 

 of the secondaries (except the inner ones) with edges of the 

 same colour. The tail-feathers almost as in the female, though 

 more steel-blue glossy, the outer ones with white edges. Other- 

 wise very like the full-grown male, although some of the feathers 

 of the back have not yet got the coppery-red tips. 



The female specimen agrees with Reich enow's description 

 (op. cit.). 



tarsus, 



17 mm. cT ad. 

 20 mm. d^ ad. 

 19 mm, cT ad. 

 19 mm. cf ad. (not full dres§.) 



19 mm. d* ad. ( „ „ „ ) 



20 mm. cf juv. 



18 mm. 9 ad. 

 20 mm. 9 ^d. 



Comparing Reichenow's figures for the length of the 

 culmen and the tarsus (the former 30 — 32 mm., the latter 18 — 19 

 mm.) with those in the above table, we find they do not agree, 

 for only the young bird attains Reichenow's minimum for 

 the length of culmen. The others go below it. Whether the 

 East African form therefore may possibly have a shorter bill 

 than the Abessynian and is thereby perhaps distinguished from 

 it, further comparisons should be able to show. 



Paridae. 



Parus niger purpurascens v, Someren — Bull. Ui'it Oin. Club, 

 vol. XLl, 1921, p. 112. 



1 (5 ad. 15. 5. Soy, 6.500 ft. 



I came across this newly described form 4 days' march from 

 Elgon in the direction of Soy, where it frequented the brush- 

 wood along a little stream. 



When Neumann (Journ. f. Orn., 1906, p. 260) separated 

 5 forms belonging to this species, he wrote: "At Victoria Nyanza 

 there is yet another form, which is exactly like the Abessynian 

 leucomelas. The differences between Nyanza and Abessynian 

 specimens will certainly be determined later on." 



V. Someren has found this form at several places around 

 Victoria Nyanza and mentions it also from Elgon. It ditiers 



