Birds f mm British East Africa and Uganda. 09 



umhretta Gmelin (Syst. Nat. i. pt. 2, 1789, p. 618 : Africa^ 

 Senegal, cf. Buffon, PI. Enl. n. 796) is quite a small bird, 

 having the wing 248-256 inra., as compared with 300- 

 330 ram. of other specimens from the rest of Africa. There- 

 fore the larger bird must in future bear the name of Scopus 

 umbretta bannermani. 



Cepphas Scopus Wagl. (Syst. Av. 1827, p. 143) is a sub- 

 stitute name for Scopus umbretta. 



Ardea fusca Licht. (Porst. Descr. Anim. 1844, p. 47 : 

 Cape of Good Hope) is preoccupied by Ardea jusca Lath. 

 (Ind. Orn. ii. 1790, p. 700: Cayenne). 



Range. Scopus umbretta bannermani : All Africa, in- 

 cluding western Arabia and Madagascar, excepting Senegal 

 to Nigeria. Single birds from Angola and Madagascar have 

 rather shorter bills, but otherwise agree. 



Scopus umbretta uitibretta.—Senegol to Nigeria. 



75. Phoyx purpurea. Purple Heron. 



Ardea purpurea Linn. Syst. Nat. 12th ed. i. 1766, 

 p. 236 : France. 



a. ? juv. Lake Naivasha, 6700 ft. Dec. 5. 



Total length in flesh : 33^ inches. Wing : 330 mm. 



In fresh first plumage; feathers appearing on mantle are 

 first-plumage ones. 



[Irides yellow, round eye greenish yellow ; bill striped 

 black, orange, and yellow; legs — lower half and feet dark 

 brown, upper half greenish yellow.] 



76. Ardea melanocephala. Black-necked Heron. 



Ardea melanocephala Vig. & Childr., in Denh. & Clapp. 

 Trav. ii. App. 1826, p. 201 : between Lake Chad and 

 the coast of Tripoli ; probably near or at Lake Chad. 



a, b. ^ ad., (J imm. Assua River, 10 miles E. of Nimule, 

 2100 ft. Feb. 25. 



Total length in flesh : ad. 35^ inches ; imm. 37 inches. 

 Wing : ad. 392 mm. ; imm. 382 mm. 



The adult is in good clean dress ; the immature bird 

 is apparently in first dress. 



