Capt. G. E. Shelley on African Birds. 381 



berg (Buckley); e. Transvaal [Ayres) ; f,g,h,i.j,k,l. Gold 

 Coast [Shelley ^- Buckley) . 



Culmeu. Wing. Tarsus. Tail. 



in. in. in. in. 



a -55 2-9 1-20 3 



b -55 2-9 1-20 3 



c -50 2f) 105 2-7 



d. -55 27 115 3-1 



e -55 2-9 1-15 2-0 



/ -50 2-7 1-10 2-4 



g -50 2-6 105 21 



h -50 2-7 110 2-4 



i. -45 2-2 -95 2 



/. -50 2-7 110 2-3 



k -65 2-5 1-10 2-3 



/, -45 2-2 -95 2-3 



The form of the wings and the proportional lengths of the 

 primaries are identically the same in all. 



The undersurface of the body is similar in all, excepting in 

 d, which has those parts strongly washed with sulphur-yellow. 



The colouring of the upper parts is the same in a, b, c, d, 

 f, and /, but darker and more ashy in the others. In i it is 

 just intermediate between the darker and the paler forms. 



The seven Gold-Coast specimens undoubtedly belong to one 

 species, which Sir W. Jardine, having compared with his D.for- 

 tirostris, kindly wrote and told me were identical with that bird. 



The Transvaal D. curvirostris is identical in plumage with 

 specimen y from the Gold Coast, but diflPers very slightly in 

 measurements. 



The Pinetown D. natalensis is identical in plumage with /, 

 which is intermediate in its dimensions between b and c. 



I have thus come to the conclusion that all these specimens 

 belong to one species, which has therefore the following syn- 

 onymy : — 



Drym(eca natalensis. Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr. pi. 80 (1849). 

 Dryrnoica curvirostris, Sundev. Oefv. k. Vet. Ak. Forh. 

 Stockh. vii. p. 104 (1850). 



Drymuica fortirostris, Jard. Contr. Orn. 1852, p. 60. 



Lanius BAuius, Hartl. Journ. f. Orn. ii. 1854, p. 100 (descr, 

 oi'ig')- o adult. Gold Coast. Type in Brem. Mus. 



