PARUS INSIGNIS. 231 



valley, but was given a specimen shot by Captain Stuart near 

 Senafe. In the British Museum there are specimens collected 

 by Mr. Jesse at Kohai, and by Esler at Bab-el-Mandel. 



According' to von Heusflin it remains in North-east Africa 

 throughout the year, and is plentifully distributed over the 

 country south from Kordofan and Bogos. He met with it at 

 elevations from 3,000 to 8,000 in the Beni Amer mountains and 

 along the banks of the Blue and White Niles, where he informs 

 us that they live singly or in pairs, frequenting the shrubs and 

 trees in the open country as well as the forests, usually in the 

 neighbourhood of water courses, and he likens their note to 

 that of the Marsh Tit. 



Parus insignis. 



Parus insignis, Cab. J. f. O. 1880, p. 419 Angola ; Shelley, B. Afr. I. No. 



116 (1896) ; id. Ibis, 1897, p. 126 Nyasa; 1898, p. 553 Tanjanyika 



plateau and Songive B. ; 1899, p. 366 Nyasa. 

 Parus niger (nee Vieill.), Bocage, Oru. Angola, p. 285 (1881) Biballa, 



Kiulo, Gunene ; Shelley, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 302 Bovuma B. ; Fisch. 



J. f. O. 1885, p. 139 Uscgua; Eeichen. Vog. Deutseh O. Afr. p. 213 



(1893) ; Sousa, Join. Lisb. 1887, p. 99 Quissange ; Biittik. Notes 



Leyd. Mus. 1888, p. 231, 1889, p. 71 Mossamedes ; Bocage, Jorn. 



Lisb. 1893, p. 162 Galanga. 



Adult. Similar to P. leueonotus, but larger ; some white on the tail and 

 more white on both webs of the quills than in P. niger. White on tail 

 confined to a narrow partial margin almost surrounding the end half of 

 the tail. Total length 6-2 inches, culmen 0-5, wing 3-5, tail 3, tarsus 0-8. 

 Masuku, July (A. Whyte). 



Cabanis's Black Tit ranges from Angola and Benguela into 

 the Shire highlands and Usegua. 



This species is rather a southern representative of P. 

 leucomelas than a northern form of P. niger. It is not a 

 strongly marked species, and has been so generally confounded 



