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5. Cisticola strangei Jcapitensis Mearns. 



Wing 67.6—68 ram., tarsus 28.5—29 mm. • • ■ . 

 Hab. Kapiti Plains (British East Africa). 



Whether Icapitensis is a good form or is a synonym of 

 hohihii — which is very probable — I have not been in a position 

 to decide, v. Someren (Ibis, 1916, p. 451) says that "a 

 freshly-moulted specimen in fine, clean, dark dress is an August 

 bird. Birds in the light brown plumage have been found 

 breeding". Thus it seems as if dark and light specimens occur 

 within the same area and that this difference is of no syste- 

 metic value but is only due to the different seasons, whence it 

 is probable that careful studies of the strangei- forms described 

 will reduce their number. 



The whole of the upper parts are predominantly grey, 

 although the head has a slight tint of brown. The rusty-brown 

 colour on the tibia varies quite considerably in these four from 

 pale to dark rusty-brown. 



Wing, tarsus, 



67, 68, 70, 72 mm. 27—28 mm. 



Irides brownish-red; bill blackish (lower mandible with 

 light tip), legs flesh colour. 



Sclater and Mackworth-Praed (Ibis, 1918, 

 p. 647) makes the West African strangei a form under natalensis, 

 which is probably the most correct, but having had too little 

 material at my disposal I cannot give an opinion of the relative 

 affinity of the various strangei forms or of their relation to 

 natalensis. 



Cisticola tinniens suhrufescefls Granvik. 



1 (5 ad. 10. 5.; 1 Q ad. 11. 5. Eldoret. 



This bird, so rarely met with in East Africa, was found 

 on the rush-clad banks of a little stream flowing through the 

 grass-plains. 



Reichenow gives the range of this bird to South Africa, 

 extending northwards to Angola and the Transvaal (but acc-ording 

 to Jackson: Ibis, 1901, p. 56, also found in East Africa). 

 Jackson says that "in Nandi it is plentiful in the marshy 

 hollows", and the same writer has also procured this bird 

 from Mau. 



This Warbler resembles C. eryihrogenys very much but 

 differs from that in having the forehead uniform rufous and the 

 black stripes commencing just in front of the eye. (Ogilvie- 

 Grant and Reid: Ibis, 1901, p. 653). 



The male is somewhat darker reddish-brown than the female 

 and has scanty black stripes on the neck and the black feathers 

 of upper parts edged with Irownish grey. Further, the tibias 



