11. CISTICOLA. 245 



Subsp. j3. Cisticola orientalis. 



Melocichla mentalis (non Fraser), Cab, J. f. 0, 1878, p. "221 ; Shelley, 

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



Adult. General colour above light fulvous-brown, becoming a 

 little deeper on the rump ; wing-coverts sandy brown ; median and 

 greater coverts dusky, externally sandy brown ; bastard wing dusky 

 brown, with buffy-white edges ; primarj--eoverts and quills dark 

 brown, externally edged with bright sandy rufous ; upper tail- 

 coverts deep rufous-brown ; tail-feathers dark brown, the outer ones 

 edged and tipped with sandy buff; crown of the head a little darker 

 brown than the back, the forehead and sinciput rufous, with black 

 shaft-streaks ; lores and feathers roimd the eye white, extending a 

 little above the eye and forming a narrow white eyebrow tinged 

 with fulvous posteriorly ; ear-coverts rufous, with fulvous shaft- 

 lines ; cheeks white, fulvesoent behind ; throat white, separated 

 from the cheeks by a distinct moustachial line of black ; the lower 

 throat, fore neck, chest, sides of the body, flanks, thighs, and under 

 tail-coverts tawny buff ; centre of breast and abdomen buff ; under 

 wing-coverts tawny ; axillaries buiiy white ; quiUs below ashy 

 brown ; inner edge of quills pale rufous. Total length 7 inches, 

 culmen Owo, wing 2-8, tail 3-2, tarsus 1-1. (Mus. G. E. Shelley.) 



Hah. Eastern Africa : Pangani river. This is probably the 

 form which extends northwards to Lado {Melocichla mentalis, Hartl. 

 Abhandl. nat. Yer. Bremen, viii. p. 190). 



2. Cisticola aberrans. 



Cisticola ruficapilla (non Fraser), Smith, III. Zool. S. Afr., Aves, 



pi. Ixxiii. fig. 1 (1842) ; Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 2G.3 (1848)"; Gurney, 



P. Z. S. 1874, p. 2 ; Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 90 (1867 ). 

 Drymoica aberraus, Smith, III. Zool. S. Afr., Aves, pi. bixviii. (1843) ; 



Bp. Consp. i. p. 283 (1850) ; Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 88 (1867) ; 



Graxj, Hand-l. B. i. p. 198, no. 2742 (1869). 

 Drymoica smithii, Bp. Consp. i. p. 283 (18o0) ; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. 



p. 199, no. 2736(1869). 

 Drymoeca smithii, Sharpe, Cat. Afr. B. p. 31 (1871) ; Gurney, in 



Ajiderss. B. Dam. Ld. p. 86 (1872) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1875, p. 71. 

 Cisticola aberrans, Sharpe, ed. Layard B. S. Afr. p. 27l (1876) ; 



Ayres, Ibis, 1880, p. 101 ; Sharpe, App. to Oates's Matabele Land, 



p. 309 (1881) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1882, p. 254. 



Adult in breedinrf-jihimaife. Above nearly uniform ashy brown, 

 slightly washed with dull ochraceous ; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 uniform dull ochraceous ashy ; least wing-coverts coloured like the 

 back, the rest dark brown, externally margined with dull sandy 

 brown, paler towards the tips of the greater scries ; quills dark 

 brown, externally edged with lighter brown : tail nearly uniform 

 brown, with a few indications of wavy bars in certain lights, the 

 feathers rather paler at tips but without subterminal bars ; head 

 and nape uniform rufous ; lores and a distinct eyebrow yellowish 

 white; ear-coverts browner than the rest of the side face, the shaft- 



