88 Mr. A. Haagner — Mucellaneovs Notes. 



Laeus cirrocephalus, Vieill. 



The Museum contains a good scries from Van Wijk's Vlei, 

 Carnarvon, C.C., collected by Lieut. H. A. P. Littledale 

 during the months of July, August, and October — two from 

 Bloemfontein, O.R.C., collected in June (C B. Horshrugli), 

 and two from Shesheke, on the Zambesi River ( Wilde : 

 October and November). 



An immature bird from Van Wijk's Vlei, collected in July, 

 has the crown washed with grey, the region of the eye and 

 beyond the ear-coveits dark grey-brown, the scapulars and 

 median coverts grey on the basal half of the feathers, the 

 apical portion being pale brown tipped with whitish. The 

 two first primaries are without the white band near the tip 

 characteristic of the adult ; while the remaining primaries 

 are conspicuously tipped with white. 



[Iris dark brown ; bill brownish horn, tip dark brown ; 

 feet dull light brown, claws black. — //. A. P. Littledale.] 



Plectropterus gambensis. 



Dr. Reichenow ('Vogel Afrikas/ i. p. 13G) says that 

 several examples of this Goose from Victoria Nyanza and 

 the Niger have the cheeks, chin, flanks, and under tail- 

 coverts mixed with black, and as these specimens are dis- 

 tinctly an intermediate form between gamhensis and niger, it 

 is doubtful whether the latter is not only an individual 

 variation. From the series of living birds in the Transvaal 

 Zoological Gardens, many of which have been a number of 

 years in captivity, this view is certainly borne out. As will 

 be seen from the following series of seven varieties, it is 

 impossible to say where gamhensis ends and niger begins : — 



a. Only the middle of the abdomen white ; a little 

 admixture of white on the under tail-coverts. Not 

 a trace of white on head and neck. (Pretoria and 

 Bloemfontein districts.) 



h. A small white spot behind the eye ; centre of abdomen 

 white ; thighs and tail-coverts mixed with white. 



c. Chin spotted with white ; flanks and under tail-coverts 

 strongly mixed with white. 



