226 PARUS LEUCONOTUS. 



of white on the nape in the following specimens of P. afer, 

 Gm. in the British Museum : 2 24. 9. 64 Benguela, s Modeler 

 R., s 27. 9. 73 Inyati, S 28. 9. 73 Matabele, S 12. 4. 95 

 Mashonaland. It is striking how often this character occurs in 

 specimens shot in September, for I believe it is chiefly due to 

 the making up of the skins ; but in many specimens, notably 

 in the type of P. baralcse, the white feathers on the back of the 

 head have hair-like black appendages as if the original black 

 ends to these feathers were gradually wearing away. So it is 

 not improbable that the season may have something to do with 

 the amount of white on the nape ; unfortuuately that can be 

 determined only by resident field naturalists who have the 

 chance of studying the gradual change of plumage throughout 

 the year. 



Parus leuconotus. 



Parus leuconotus, Guerin, Gadow, Cat. B. M. viii. p. 10 (1883) 

 Abyssinia; Shelley, B. Afr. I. No. 113 (1896); Grant, Ibis, 1900, 

 p. 145 Burka. 



Melaniparus leuconotus, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Genov. 1881, p. 137 ; 1888, 

 p. 243 ; Gigl. t. c. p. 11 Shoa. 



Adult. General plumage black with a slight blue gloss; mantle buff; 

 wings slightly more dusky with the inner edges of the quills white ; outer 

 tail-feather with a very narrow partial white outer edge. " Bill black ; 

 iris brown; legs slaty grey." Total length 52 inches, culmen 0-45, wing 2-6, 

 tail 2-4, tarsus 075. Agula, <?, 16. 5. 6S (Blanford). 



The Buff-mantled Black Tit inhabits Abyssinia. 



This well-marked species is apparently confined to the 

 mountainous regions of North-east Africa. In Shoa it is 

 certainly a resident, for Antinori and Dr. Ragazzi have 

 collected specimens there at all seasons in the forest of 

 Fecheri-Gem, Sciotalit, Denz, Falle and Antoto, and it is 



