Ploceidae of the Ethiopian Region. 305 



plumage of N. luteifrons. Tn the British Museum there are 

 two adults, one from the Caraaroons { Crossleij), and an imma- 

 ture bird from the Gaboon {Du Chaillu),Yi^\it\j determined as 

 N. luteifrons. This immature bird has the plumage nearly 

 uniform bluish grey, slightly darker above, and consequently 

 differs from the type of iV. lucieni and from a perfectly similar 

 specimen from the Gaboon {Walker) in these two latter birds 

 having the upper part of the head exactly similar to the adult 

 of N. luteifrons, and on the sides of the head a broad black 

 circle round the eye extending forward to the bill. Although 

 I cannot prove that N. lucieni is not the adult female of N. 

 luteifrons, I feel justified in keeping them separate. 



The third group consists of N. canicapilla, its northern 

 representative, N. emilice, and the rufous-breasted N. bicolor. 

 N. cinereocapilla, Sharpe, is only a printer's error for N. 

 canicapilla. N. canicapilla, Hartl. (Orn. W.-Afr. p. 130), 

 from Aguapim should, I have no doubt, he referred to N. 

 emilicB, which, from my own experience, is the common 

 species near Abouri in those mountains. Although I have 

 not seen a Senegambian specimen, I feel little doubt that the 

 N. canicapilla, Rochebrune (Faun. Senegamb. p. 236), refers 

 to N. emilia. The locality '' Gaboon -" for N. emilice, in 

 Sharpens Cat. Afr. B. p. 61, is, I think, undoubtedly incorrect, 

 having been copied from a dealer's label. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Underparta white. Mantle pale brown. 



«\ Lower back uniform with mantle 1. N. fusconota. 



b\ liower back buff, much paler than mantle 2, iV. iiropj/gialis. 



h. Underparts black or grey. Mantle grey. 



e\ Forehead white. No white spots on wings. 



c^. Underparts black in adults, gxey in young. ... 3. W. luteifrons. 

 d"^. Underparts always grey. A broad black band 



round the eye 4. N. lucieni. 



cf. Forehead and underparts black. Some white 

 spots on wings, 

 e^. Slightly larger. Lower back white. With 

 white tips to the greater wing-coverts and 



inner secondaries 5. N'. canicapilla. 



f . Slightly smaller. Lower back darker. With 



