from British Central Africa. 169 



is immature, like that previously recorded from Zomba as 

 M. cinereicapilla. They probably both belong to the same 

 subspecies, but in such a state of plumage it is not possible 

 to decide positively to which of the allied forms they should 

 be referred. 



16. EsTRiLDA POLioGASTRA (Rcichen.). 



Habropyga poliogastra Reichen. J. f. O. 1886, p. 121, 

 Inhambani. 



Estrilda incana (nee Sundev.) Shelley, Ibis, 1899, p. 368, 

 Tanganyika plateau. 



The specmien from the Tanganyika plateau was in such 

 bad condition that I referred it to E. incana, being unable to 

 see in what way it differed from Natal birds ; but with the 

 second example before me I consider Dr. Reichenow 

 justified in recognising this subspecies. It differs from 

 E. perreini and E. incana in the red of the rump and upper 

 tail-coverts being duller and darker, and is intermediate 

 between these two in the greyish-black colouring of the 

 abdomen and under tail-coverts. 



The grey group of EstrildcB comprises about six nearly 

 allied forms, all apparently very local : E. carulescens from 

 Senegambia ; E. thomensis probably confined to the island 

 of St. Thomas; E. perreini from the Lower Congo; E. 

 cinereovinacea from Benguela ; E. incana from Natal ; while 

 the present species replaces its allies in South-eastern 

 Tropical Africa, from Inhambani to the Tanganyika 

 plateau. 



18. Anaplectes erythrogenys. 



Calypliantria erythrogenys Fisch. & Reichen. J. f. O. 1884, 

 p. 181. 



Anaplectes rufigena Shelley, B. Afr. ii. p. 341 (1900). 



This species is very closely allied to A. melanotis, from 

 which it differs in the cheeks being red instead of black. 

 I made the present specimen the type of a new species 

 [A. rufigena) , overlooking the fact that the name Calyphantria 

 erythrogenys had been applied to it. It is the only repre- 

 sentative of this form in the British Museum. In Nyasaland 



