122 Mr. I). A. Banneriiian on the [Ibis, 



described from Jauiidc, Cameroon, and figured in Reiche- 

 now^s Atlas, 1902, is founded on an iuimature example of 

 M. flavicans. 



Besides M . jfuvicmis flavicans, there are at any rate three, 

 and probably four, well-defined races in Africa, as follows : — 



M. flavicans hypochondriacum (llchw.). 



This name was [jroposed b}^ Keichenow (Orn. Monatsber. 

 1893, p. 32) for a specimen obtained at Kiujawanga, imme- 

 diately north of lluwenzori, and I accept it for the birds 

 inhabiting the northern Belgian Congo eastwards (the Uele 

 and Aruwimi Rivers districts aud the eastern Congo forest). 



Specimens from these localities are appreciably brighter 

 coloured (more golden and less olive) on the under surface 

 tlian ty[)ical examples from Cameroon and Gaboon, and 

 liave in addition a slightly shorter bill. We have ten 

 examples in the National Collection of this race. 



M. flavicans angolensis Bannermau. 



This race was described by me (Bull. B. O. C. vol. xli. 

 1920, p. 6) from northern Angola — Type locality : N'Dalla 

 Tando. 1 separated it from the typical species on account 

 of its much shorter bill — varying in five specimens from 

 14"5-15 mm. (exposed culmen). 



M. flavicans leoninus Neumann. 



This is another subspecies which has been described 

 (Bull. B. O. C. xxiii. 1908, p. 46— Sierra Leone) from 

 Avestern Africa, a single example having been obtained by 

 Robin Kemp at Rotifunk. Opinions differ as to whether 

 the bird in question is an adult specimen. Ogilvie-Grant 

 believed that it was an immature of M. flavicans. I am 

 doubtful whether the bird is immature — as it has a yellowish 

 throat, whereas quite immature examples of M. /. flavicans 

 sliow traces of the grey throat at an early stage. Jt has 

 a remarkably long t)ill (18 mm. exposed culmen, 21 mm. 

 measured from the ga[)e) for an immature bird, and the fact 

 that no representative of M. flavicans is known to exist 

 north of Cameroon is sufficient justification for the name to 

 be kept up. 



