obtained in the Manenguba Mountains. 657 



Cryptospiza eliza Alexander, Bull. B. O. C. xiii. 1902, 

 p. 38 : Fernando Po. 



a, b. c? ad. (Nos. 1 & 2). Ninong, Manenguba Mts. 

 9 & 12. vi. 09. 



The type of this species was obtained in the Cameroon 

 Mountains by Dr. Reichenow and figured, J. f. O. 1875, 

 pi. ii. fig. 1, and a second specimen was later secured at 

 Buea by Dr. Preuss. 



In 1902 Sharpe described (Bull. B. O. C. xiii. p. 8) C. ocu- 

 laris from Buwenzori, and in the same year Alexander shot 

 three examples in Fernando Po which he named Cryptospiza 

 elizee. Alexander described C. elizce as differing from 

 C. reichenoivi and C. ocularis in having the top of the 

 head and collar dull olivaceous-fuscous and in having the 

 under tail-coverts black. These do not appear to be dis- 

 tinctive characters, and C. elizce should probably be placed 

 in the synonymy of G. reichenoivi, as both Shelley and 

 Reichenow have already done. 



There seems to be more doubt as to the validity of 

 C. ocularis Sharpe. Mr, Ogilvie-Grant considers that 

 C reichenoivi and C ocularis are distinct {vide Ibis, 1908, 

 p. 270). The males are certainly indistinguishable, and the 

 females from Ruwenzori differ only from the description 

 given by Hartlaub and the female as figured by Reichenow 

 in having the feathers on the lores and the area sur- 

 rounding the eye pale olive-bufF, while in C. reichenowi 

 only the patch in frotit of the eye is said to be fulvous. 



Unfortunately Alexander did not secure a single female 

 bird from either Cameroon or Fernando Po, and it is 

 therefore impossible to go further into the question. 



There are, therefore, seven species in the genus as 

 follows : — 



1. Cryptospiza reichenowi Hartl. 



Type-locality : Bondongo, Cameroon. H 



? Synonym, C. elizce Alex. [Fernando Po]. ' 



2. Cryptospiza ocularis Sharpe. 



Type-locality : Ruwenzori. 



