302 Prof. T. Salvadori on Melaniparus semilarvatus. 



As I have said in the original description of M. semilarvatus, 

 the Museum of Turin possesses two typical specimens of it. 

 These are marked in the catalogue as having been received 

 from Baron Solaroli_, together with many other Himalayan 

 birds. But after the publication of my description^ I had 

 some suspicions that those two birds, in reality, had been 

 given to the Museum of Turin by Baron Rollet, together with 

 other Central- African birds, among which were specimens of 

 Pogonorhynclms rolleti, P. Jeucocephalus, and others described 

 by De Filippi. I have no means of ascertaining the point 

 positively ; but I think that further researches will probably 

 show that Melaniparus semilarvatus is an African bird ; and if 

 this is so, it will follow that all the members of the genus, or 

 subgenus, Melaniparus are African^. 



I think that the following species are to be included in the 

 group Melaniparus : — 



1. Melaniparus semilarvatus, Salvad. Atti Soc. Ital. Sc. 

 Nat. viii. p. 375 (1865); Id. Journ. fiir Orn. 1868, p. 68. 



Hab. in Himalaja, an potius in Africa centrali ? {Mtis. Aug. 

 Taurin.) . 



2. Melaniparus leuconotus (Guer.), Rev. Zool. 1873, 

 p. 162. 



Hab. in Abyssinia [Galinier et Fei'ret, Heuglin). 



3. Melaniparus nicer (Vieill.), Nouv. Diet. H. N. xx. 

 p. 325 (1818), ex Levaillant. 



Hab. in Africa meridionali {Layard &c.). 



4. Melaniparus leucomelas (RUpp.), Neue Wirbelth. 

 Abyssin. p. 100, t. 37. f. 2 (1835). 



Hab. in Africa orientali-septentrionali {Ruppell &c.) et oc- 

 cidentali {Swainson) . 



Vix a M. nigro diversus, paullo minor. Specimina Africse 



* The followiug- circumstances lead me to believe that the two above- 

 mentioned birds were not given by Solaroli, but most probably by Baron 

 Eollet. 1st. They were catalogued along with the several himdred birds 

 certainly given by Solaroh ; 2ud. Both these specimens were marked 

 in the catalogue in De Fihppi's handwriting, like the other birds received 

 from Baron RoUet. 



