456 Mr. B. Alexander — An Ornithological 



in the British ]Museura there are three speeimens, all females 

 by dissection, but none, however, are quite fully adult : — 



b. ? . Colenso, Natal, Nov. 20. White on the greater 

 wing-coverts well defined ; no white on tail, tips of the 

 feathers of the latter slightly edged with pale rufous. 



d. ? . Transvaal (T. Ayres). White on wing-coverts less 

 well defined; no white on tail, but sligiitly edged with pale 

 rufous. 



c. Immature ?. Potchefstroom, Jan. 21 {T. Ai/res) . Little 

 or no white on wing-coverts ; tail-feathers edged and mottled 

 with sandy rufous. 



The following specimen is unsexed, but is without doubt a 

 female : — 



a. 'Natal (T. Ayres). No white on wing-coverts; no white 

 on tail, latter edged with sandy rufous. 



In the same series there is a very interesting bird, an 

 immature male : — 



e. (^ imm. sk. Ondonga, Jan. 22 [Andersson) . 



This bird has the typical white wing-band, and is identical 

 with the Colenso specimen, with the exception of the tail- 

 feathers ; several of these are clearly in the process of 

 becoming tipped with white, while others are tipped with 

 pale rufous. This last specimen therefore shows that the 

 absence of the white band on the tail-feathers of R. albo- 

 fasciatus is of no value as distinguishing it from its near ally. 



I find that the amount of white on the greater wing- 

 coverts in the specimens of both species varies considerably 

 inter se. An adult specimen oiR. chalcopterus from Damara- 

 land, Feb. S {C. J. Andersson) , has quite as much white on 

 the wing-coverts as the Colenso specimen of R. aJbofasciatus, 

 w hile in the other adult examples from Nyasaland the white 

 is not so conspicuous, much having disappeared through 

 abrasion. 



I am of opinion that Dr. Sharpe's description of R. 

 albofasciatus will be found to be that of the female of 

 R. chalcopterus , the absence of the white band on the tail- 

 feathers and the less brightly coloured quills being the 

 characteristics of the female. 



