IS 



forms, unless the black or more Northern form is the older, or origin of 

 the Southern, which may account for the gradation from one into the other. 

 Textor iniermedius has less white on the under side of the wing and a 

 stouter bill than T. panicivora, and T. scioamis still less white, but the bill 

 is the same as T. intermedius, the legs of both, being dark brown or blackish, 

 as in T. albirostris, but the legs of all the examples of various ages of the 

 true T. panicivora are red or reddish brown ; the young of the two distinct 

 forms in the dull liver-brown plumage are only distinguished by the white 

 underside of the wings and red legs. 



I propose to unite the synonomy of the species as follows : — 

 Ked-billed white winged forms — 



1. Textor panicivora. The most Southern form, Damara-land. 



„ intermedius. ) The North-eastern forms, Shoa, and 

 „ scioanus. J Somali. 



White, grey or black-billed form — 



2. Textor albirostris. The North and N. B. form, Abyssinia 



extending West to Senegambia. 



I subjoin the most interesting portions of the literature, which I have 

 brought together respecting the habits of these well known birds, the 

 earliest being Dr. Andrew Smith's, published in 1841 : — 



" It was not till after we had passed to the northward of the 25th 

 degree of south latitude that we discovered this bird ; and if we are to 

 believe the natives, it rarely extends its flight farther to the southward, 

 which they attribute to the scarcity of Bufi'alloes south of that parallel. 

 Wherever it was discovered it was always in attendance upon herds of the 

 animals just mentioned, and either flying over the members of which the 

 group was composed, or else perched upon the back of some individual 

 animal. While perched, it appeared, generally, to be employed in collecting 

 articles of food from the hide ; and while so occupied it passed quickly 

 from one part of the Bufialoe to another, without the latter appearing to 

 bestow the slighest attention upon its movements. On opening the 

 stomachs of the specimens we procured we found, what we had been led 

 to expect, namely, that its food consisted in part at least of parasitical 



