in Uijanda and on the Upper Congo. 299 



Myrmecocichla nigra (Vieill.). 



Myrmecocichla nif/ra Finsch, Notes Leyd. Mus. xxii. 

 p. 158 (1900) ; Reich, iii. p. 706 (1905) [part.]. 



Nos. 5159, 5161. a,b. ^. East of Kasongo, Upper 

 Congo, 2000 ft., 20tli Jan. 



Iris dark hazel ; bill and feet black. 



Dr. Reichenow has united M. arnotti (Tristr.) with this 

 species, but the two forms appear to be perfectly distinct 

 and to occupy different geographical ranges. In M. nigra 

 the adult male has the entire plumage black, with the 

 exception of the lesser and median wing-coverts, which are 

 pure white. The adult female is entirely dark brown or, 

 in worn examples, rusty brown. 



Hab. From the Congo to Benguella, eastwards to Lake 

 Albert, Unyoro, and Uganda and southwards to Kasongo 

 on the Upper Congo. 



The synonymy of Myrmecocichla arnotti (Tristr.) should 

 stand as follows : — 



Saxicola arnotti Tristram, Ibis, 1869, p. 206, pi. vi. 

 [immature male] ; Finsch, Notes Leyd. Mus. xxii. p. 159 

 (1900). 



Saxicola slielleyi Sharpe, ed. Layard, Birds S. Afr. p. 2l6 

 (1876] [adult male and female]. 



Myrmecocichla leucolcema Reich. Orn. Centr. 1880, p. 181 

 [adult female]. 



Myrmecocichla collaris Reich. J. f. O. 1882, p. 212 

 [immature male]. 



Adult male. Similar to M. nigra, but the crown of the 

 head is pure white, and the greater (as well as the lesser 

 and median) wing-coverts are white, tipped with black. 



Adult female. Like the male, but differs in having the 

 crown and mantle black washed with brownish ; the chin, 

 throat, and middle of the chest white, and most of the 

 feathers more or less fringed with smoky black. 



Hab. From Lake Mweru and Ugogo southwards along 

 the Zambesi to Zoutpansberg and Griqualand East. 



