263 Mr. C. H. B. Grant on a Collection of 



separation into races, except in the case of the quite distinct 

 C. c. lord Shelley (Ibis, 1885, p. 399 : Somaliland) ; there- 

 foi'e C. c. suahelicus Hart. & Neum. (Jouru. fiir Orn. 1907, 

 p. 593 : Usagara, G. E. Africa) becomes a synonym, as none 

 of the characters given by the authors appear to hold good. 

 In the Journ. fiir Orn. 1905, p. 459, Erlanger suggests that 

 further material may possibly prove that C. abyssinus and 

 its subspecies should be considered subspecies of C.c.caudatus. 

 This, however, would completely defeat the common sense 

 idea of subspecies, seeing that both C. c. caudatus and C. a. 

 abyssinus are found together and cannot therefore become 

 geographical races of each other. 



134. Coracias naevia naevia. "VVhite-naped Roller. 



Coracias noevia Daud. Traite, vol. ii. 1800, p. 258: Senegal. 



a. ? ad. Kijabe, 6400 ft. Sept. 24. 



h. (J ad. Mt. Maroto, Maroto Stream. Jan. 26. 



Total length in flesh : S 14f inches ; $14]; inches. 

 Wing: c? li^i mm- ; ? 179 mm. 



Both in good dress and but little worn. 



[Irides brown ; bill black ; legs and toes dirty yellow. 

 Several seen.] 



In naming this bird I have examined the whole series in 

 the British Museum, and have come to the conclusion that 

 only two races exist of this Boiler, as follows : — 



Coracias naevia NjEvia Daud. op. cit. 



Of this, besides the four names quoted by Dresser, Ibis, 

 1890, p. 385, C. n. sharpei Rchw. (Orn. Monatsb. 1899, p. 192 : 

 Ussandani, G. E. A.) becomes a synonym. 



Top of the head lilac ; below brownish lilac. 



Range. Senegal, Gambia, Gold Coast, Abyssinia, Somali- 

 land, Sudan, Uganda, B. E. Africa, G. E. Africa. 



Coracias n^via mosambicus Dresser. 



Coracias mosambicus Dresser, Ibis, 1890, p. 386 : Mozam- 

 bique. 



Of this, C. olivaceiceps Sharpe (Cat. Birds, vol. xvii. 1892, 

 p. 25 : South Africa) becomes a synonym. 



Top of head green ; .below Avaslied with purple. 



