Birds from British East Africa and Uganda. 297 



Melittophagus variegatus variegatus. 



Merops variegatus Vieill. Nouv. Diet. d'Uist. Nat. vol. xiv. 

 1817, p. ?5 : Malimbe, Loango. 



This species, which conies near the two forncier in general 

 characters, is much smaller than either, has the forehead 

 green, the neck-patch dark ultramarine, and ranges into the 

 country of M. l. oreabales as follows : — 



Range. Gambia, Gaboon, French Congo and Congo River, 

 Welle River, across to Uganda (Mwisi River, Lake Albert, 

 Toro, Mabira, and Entebbe) and German East Africa 

 (Bukoba, east of Victoria Nyanza). 



It is wortiiy of note that all the east African specimens 

 have a distinct superciliary stripe, and that most western 

 specimens have no superciliary stripe or only an incomplete 

 one. But although 1 have examined a good many eastern 

 specimens, I iiave not been able to handle a sufficient number 

 of well-collected specimens from the west. 



I have to thank Mr. Rothschild and Dr. Hartert for 

 kindly loaning me their specimens from Tring. 



Melittophagus variegatus bangwkoloensis. (Plate IV.) 



Melittopliagus variegatus bangweoloensis Claude Grant, 

 Bull. B. O. C. vol. XXXV. 1915, p. 55 : Luena Dist., N.E. 

 Rhodesia. 



Adult male. Size as in M. v. variegatus, but differs from 

 that race in having the blue band across the lower neck much 

 narrower and of a somewhat deeper and darker tint ; below 

 this band there is only a narrow margin of saffron, and the 

 rest of the underparts, including the throat, are rather paler 

 than in M. v. variegatus. 



Type: ? ad. in British Museum. Luena District, North- 

 Eastern Rhodesia (within 10 miles of east shores of Lake 

 Bangweolo), 17. vi.08. S. A. Neave coll. Culmen 25, 

 wing 85, tarsus 9, tail 63 mm. 



Range. Lake Bangweolo District, N.E. Rhodesia. 



Since the above has been written Mr. Mearns has given 

 a name to the east African form of M. variegatus, under 

 the name of Melittophagus variegatus loringi, Proc. U.S. 

 Nat. Mus. vol. xlviii. 1915, p. 393, and gives the diagnostic 



SER. X. VOL. Ill, X 



