414 Lieut. C. W. Mackworth-Praed on [Ibis, 



nuisance when one is after large game. I saw a young 

 one in down at Tiiika in late August. 



Hoplopterus armatus. 



Ckaradrius annatus Burcliell, Travels, i. 1822, p, 501 

 [Klaarwater, or Griquatown, Cape Colony]. 



Hoplopterus armatus C. Grant, Ibis, 1915, p. 55. 



^ . Tsavo Swamp. 6tli August. Wing 190 mm. 



Iris deep crimson; bill and legs black. 



A pair of Spur- winged Plovers were seen by a swamp in 

 the top reaches of the Tsavo. They were not met with 

 elsewhere. 



Fodica sp. 



? . Tliika River, Ithanga Hills. 3rd October. Wingf 

 190 mm. 



This Finfoot was not uncommon on the Thika Biver near 

 the Ithanga Hills. 1 saw it usually in pairs and often in 

 swift running water. It was shy, and went straight to cover 

 under the opposite bank. 



In attempting to name this bird I went carefully over all 

 the specimens in the Natural History Museum, and though 

 the material is very incomplete, certain points of interest 

 became evident. The first is that there are two distinct 

 species in South and East Africa, not one as is usually 

 supposed. The one is Podica petersi Ilartl., a very large 

 bird, apparently rare, and confined to the east coast, from 

 the mouth of the Tana River in British East Africa to 

 Bathurst in eastern Cape Colony. The other is a much 

 smaller bird, ranging from Cape Colony through the 

 Transvaal, Zululand, and Nyasaland to the highlands of 

 British East Africa. This smaller bird may or may not 

 be distinct from Podica senegalensis of north-western Africa. 



The difl'erence is mainly in size. Podica petersi has a 

 wing of from 230-252 mm., the other bird 183-211 mm. 

 At any rate in breeding-plumage, and possibly at other times 

 as well, the adult male of P. petersi has a black foreneck ; 



