52 TIMEIIID^. 



4. Thamnolsea shelleyi *. 



Saxicola shelleyi, Sharpe, ed. Laxjard B. S. Afr. p. 246 (1877) ; 



id. in Oates's' Matabele Land, App. p. 307, pi. A (1881); Shelley, 



P. Z. S. 1881, p. 572. 

 Thiimnobia shelle^-i, Shelleij, Ibis, 1882, p. 2-51. 

 MjTmecocichla leiicolseina, Reidienow, Orn. Centralhl. 1880, p. 181. 



Male. General colour above glossy black ; median and lesser 

 mng-coverts white ; greater and primary-coverts white, edged at 

 the tip with black ; bastard wing black ; qaills and tail-feathers 

 black ; crown of head and najje white ; sides of face and entire 

 under surface of body glossy black ; under wing-coverts and axil- 

 laries bhick ; quills blackish below, inner edge lighter ; " biU and 

 tarsus black ; iris dark hazel" {F. Gates). Total length 7-3 inches, 

 culmen 0-7, wing 4-15, tail 3-15, tarsus 1-15. 



Adult female. Browner than the male; wing with the same white 

 patch, but the greater coverts and the primary-coverts more broadly 

 tipped with black ; head coloured like rest of upper surface, but the 

 throat, cheeks, and fore neck white ; sides of neck white, mottled 

 with black tips to the feathers ; feathers of fore neck also black, 

 tipped with white. Total length 6-8 inches, culmen 0-75, wing 3-95, 

 tail 2-65, tarsus I'lo. 



In both sexes the " iris is dusky ; bill, tarsi, and feet black " 

 {T. Ayres). 



Hah. Southern Eastern Africa below the Zambesi, extending 

 into Central Africa. 



a,h. (S 2 fid. sk. Victoria Falls, Zambesi. Purchased. (Types of 



species.) 



c. 5 ad. sk. Near Sibanane, Dec. 8, 1874 C. G. and W. Gates, 



(Frank Gates). Esqrs. [P.]. 



d. c? ad. sk. Ramaqueban river, June 24 C. G. and W. Gates, 



{F. O.). Esqrs. [P.]. 



* Dr. Eeichenow (J. f. O. 1882, p. 212) in writing about a series of Black 

 Chat-Thrushes sent by Dr. Eohm from the country below Lake Tanganyika, 

 suggests tliat T. shelleyi and T. arnotti are members of one and the same spe- 

 cies, the oldest name for which is Thamnolaa nigra (Vieillot), foiuided on 

 Levaillant's plate. The latter has always been held to be unrecognizable ; nor 

 have I myself ever seen any birds agreeing with it. Not having examined the 

 specimens which are in the Berlin Museum, I can only give Dr. Reichenow's 

 opinion, which, if correct, will add the following synonymy to the species : — 



Le Traquet Commandeur, Levaill. Ois. d'Afr. iv. p. 114, pi. 189 (18U5) ; 

 Siindev. Krit. om Levaill. p. 37 (1857). 



CEnanthe nigra, Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xxi. p. 431 (1818). 



Sylvia nigra, Bonn, et Vieill. Enc. Meth. ii. p. 489 (1823). 



Saxicola nigra, Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 179 (1846). 



Myrmecocichla nigra, Bp. Consp. i. p. 302 (1850). 

 Dr. Eeichenow further considers the species from " j^quatorial West Africa " 

 distinct from the eastern bird which I name T. shelleyi ; and he names it Myr- 

 mecocichla levaillantii (with ' Le Traquet Commandeur ' of Levaillant as a 

 synonym). I must confess that in the absence of a good series of specimens I 

 am unable to make out the difference between the eastern and western birds ; 

 but I would remark that the name of Sylvia nigra of Yieillot is founded on the 

 " Traquet Commandeur " of Levaillant, and that therefore, if the latter is 

 really a distinct species, it would bear the name of Thamnolma nigra in prefer- 

 ence to that of T. levaillantii. 



