47. SYCOBROTUS. 423 



d. Ad. sk. Grahamstown {T. C. Atmorc). Starpe Coll. 



e. J ad. sk. Eland's Post ( T. C. Atmore). Sharpe Coll. 

 /. 6 ad. sk. Eland's Post, May {T. C. Atmore). Shelley CoU. 

 {/. Juv. sk. Natal {T. C. At/res). Sliarpe Coll. 

 h. 2 ad. sk. Diu-ban {Gordge). Shelley Coll. 

 i. Ad. sk. Durban, April 4 ((?. £. S.). ShelleV Coll. 

 k. (5 ad. sk. Durban, Nov. 10 (T. L. Ayres). Shelley Coll. 

 ;, m. c? ; w-y. Pinetowu, Natal, March to June Shelley Coll. 



? ad. sk. {T. L. Ayres). 



2. Sycobrotus amaurocephalus. 



Sycobrotus amaurocephalus, Cab. J. f. O. 1880, p. 349, pi. .31. fig-. 1. 

 Symplectes amaurocephalus, Bocaije, Orn. Angola, p. ijSB (1881) ; 



' Schah^v, J. f. O. 1887, p. 241. 

 Symplectes bicolor {nee V.), Reichen. J. f. O. 1885, p. 373*, 1887, 



p. 309. 

 Ploccus amaiiroceplialus, Shelley, Ibis, 1887, p. 20. 



Adult. Differs from S. hicolor in the colouring of the upper sur- 

 face, the head being blackish brown, and the whole of the upper 

 surface clear greyish-brown olive (Cabanis). 



Hah. Interior of Angola to the Upper Congo region. 



3. Sycobrotus kersteni. 



Sycobrotus kersteni, Finsch ^- Hurtl. Vijq. Ostafr. p. 404 (1S70); 

 Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1873, p. 715 ; Fischer $f Reichen. J. f. O. 1879, 

 p. 350, 1860, p. 143 ; Shellnj, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 584 ; Schaloio, 

 J.f. O. 1883, p. 3G2 ; Fischer, Zeiischr. yes. Orn. i. p. 333 (1884) ; 

 id. J. f. 0. 1885, p. 132. 



Symplectes kersteni, Finsch Sf Hartl. Voy. Ostafr. Taf. vi. (1870). 



Ploceus kersteni, Shelley, Ibis, 1887, p. 18. 



Adult. Similar to S. hicolor, but more jet-black above and having 

 the throat also entirely black : "bill bluish grey, with light yellow 

 edges and tip; feet greyish flesh-colour; iris dark brown" [G. A. 

 Fischer). Total length G-7 inches, culmeu 0-75, wing 35, tail 2-1, 

 tarsus 0'9. 



As with S. hicolor, the throat is sometimes washed with yelloM', 

 which doubtless indicates seasonal plumage. 



JIab. East Africa. 



a. Ad. sk. Mombasa (T. Wakefield). Sharpe Coll. 



6. Ad. sk. 'Momh^iss, {T. Wah field). Shelley Cull. 



c. Ad. sk. Lamo {Sir J. Kirk). Shelley Coll. 



d. Ad. sk. Usambara Mountains {Sir J. Kirk). Shelley Coll. 



e. Ad. sk. Lamu {Sir J. Kirk). Shelley Coll. 



* Dr. Eeichenow suggests that the West-African bird is the true P/occtis 

 hicolor of \"ieillot, the range of which he gives as from Senegambia to Angola. 

 My belief, however, is that Vieillot described the South-African bird, and that 

 the records of its occurrence in Senegambia and Sierra Leone are erroneous. 



