— 286 — 



In the report of the Ruwenzori Expédition {Irans. Zool. Soc, 

 1910, p. 289), Mr. Ogilvie-Grant lists this form as a varietv of 

 (\ ardens (Bodd.) and notes. « There can he verv litUe doubt 

 that the Black Whvdah is inerelv a melanistic form of C. ardens 

 in which the scarlet or orange band across the chest, characteristic 

 of the typical form, is wanting... that fact that the black form is 

 found in widely scattered localities along with typical spécimens of 

 C. ardens seems to indicate that it is merelv a colour-varietv of 

 that bird ». When Ogilvie-Grant wrote this he had for examina- 

 tion onlv four spécimens « of so called C. co7icoIor in the British 

 Muséum and two in the Jackson collection » of thèse four showed 

 no trace of a pectoral band, but in the other two it was very 

 faintly indicated. Mr. Grant states that the black form is found in 

 widelv scattered localities along with typical spécimens of 

 C. ardens and pointed ont that this seemed to indicate that it is 

 merely a colour-varietv of that bird. 



Taking thèse points into considération it seems worth while to 

 draw attention to the fact that Dr. Christy obtained 1 1 adult maies 

 and 5 not fully adult maies at Poko on the Uelle River in July, 

 August and September 1914 not onc of which hâve the slightest 

 indication of the red coUar of C. ardens. Can ail there birds be 

 inelanisticl And if so, how is it that no spécimens of the Red- 

 coUared Whvdah were obtained in this localitv. 



Shelley {Birds of Africa^ IV, p. 44) considered, that the birds 

 showing a faint indication of the red collar were hvbrids between 

 C. ardens and C. conco/or. 



Further spéculation is useless until we hâve a much larger séries, 

 but the birds obtained in the Congo by Dr. Christy certainly 

 strengthen the view held bv SHEu.Ey in 1905. 



Spermospiza poliogenys. 



Sperinospiza poliogenys Ogilvie-Grant, Bull. B. O. C, XIX, 

 p. 32. — Tvpe localitv : 29 miles north of Fort-Beni,W. Ruwen- 

 zori. 



This fine species has hitherto been known from the female only. 



