Collection of Birds made in Northern SomaUland. 303 



Lamarius ruficeps (Shelley). 



Dryoscopus ruficeps Shelley, Ibis, 1885, p. 402, pi. x. 

 fig. 1. 



Laniarius ruficeps Reich, ii. p. 585 (1903). 

 a-f. S ? . Burao, 15th-26th Feb., 1906. 



Xilaus minor Sharpe. 



Nilaus minor Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1895, p. 479 ; Lort Phillips, 

 Ibis, 1898, p. 406 ; Grant & Reid, Ibis, 1901, p. 641. 



Xilaus afer minor Reich, ii. p. 540 (1903). 



a. $ . Ragar, 22nd June, 1905. 



b-i. S ? et <$ imm. Waghar, 23rd July-4th Sept., 

 1905. 



k-r. $ ? . Burao, 20th Jan.-17th March, 1906. 



Iris very dark brown ; bill blue-black, base of lower 

 mandible slate-coloured ; legs and feet pale slate-coloured ; 

 nails black. 



The female of Nilaus minor does not seem to have been 

 described. There is only one example marked as a female 

 in the British Museum Collection, namely one from the Athi 

 River, collected by Lord Delamere. Mr. Bury, however, 

 obtained several at Waghar and Burao. 



I have compared these with the hen of N. capensis Shaw, 

 and beyond the difference in size, which, however, is most 

 conspicuous, I can find no other distinguishing feature. 



The following is a comparative list of the wing measure- 

 ments of both birds : — 



in. 



Nilaus capensis from Damaraland 3 - 5 



Nilaus minor from the Athi River 3'1 



„ „ „ Burao 2'85-2'9 



,, „ Waghar 29 



Lanius collurio Linn. 



Lanius collurio Grant, Nov. Zool. ix. p. 471 (1902) ; Reich, 

 ii. p. 622 (1903). 



a. cJ. Dubar, 11th May, 1905. 



b-e. S ? et c? imm - Waghar, 26th Sept.-31st Oct., 

 1905. 



