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



available actually from the Gaboon River, it is quite im- 

 possible to say whether the Cameroon or the Congo bird 

 will pro\e to be the true D. lafresnayi, and I therefore 

 prefer to unite them under the oldest name pending the 

 settlement of this question. 



DeNDKOPICOS LAFRESNAYl LEPIDUS. 



Ipoctonus lepidus Cab. & Heine, j\Ius. Hein. vol. iv. pt. 2, 

 1863, p. 118 : Abj^ssinia. Wing given as 3" 1"' = 70 mm. 



Of this, Dendropicos simoni O. -Grant (Bull. B. O. C. vol.x. 

 1900, p. 38: Kouduro, Abyssinia; wing given as 3" 2'" 

 = 80 mm.) becomes a synonym. 



Size small ; above darker olive-green thanX). /. lafresnayi, 

 either with the barring on the mantle absent or distinctly 

 submerged, rump slightly tinged with red; below darker 

 yellow than in D. I. lafresnayi, streaks broader, giving the 

 underside a rather more dirty appearance. 



Wing-measurements give the following result : — Abys- 

 sinia, cJ (one, type of D. simoni) 80 ; Sudan, ^ (one) 86, 

 ? (one) 84; Uganda, S (eleven) 87-81, ? (six) 86-81; 

 British East Africa, S (three) 92-87, ? (seven) 88-82; 

 East Belgian Congo, cJ (one) 83, ? (one) 85 ; German 

 East Africa (Pangani River), ^ (one) 85, ? (one) 84 mm. 



Range. Abyssinia to German East Africa, westward to 

 the Egyptian Sudan and eastern Belgian Congo. 



This race can always be separated from D. f. massaicus by 

 having the appearance of the upperside green, the bars 

 being submerged and the lesser wing -coverts being green in 

 both sexes. 



Dendropicos lafresnayi zechi. 



Dendropicos guineensis zechi Neum. Journ. fiir Orn. 1904, 

 p. 400 : Kete-Kretschi, Togoland. 



Size small; differs from D. I. lafresnayi in having the 

 green of the mantle clearer and the bars even more sub- 

 merged and less distinct; rump but slightly tinged with red; 

 below paler yellow, with the streaks much narrower and 

 not so distinct. 



The wing-measurements give the following result: — 



