PETRONIA DENTATA. 261 



The genus ranges over Africa generally, northward into Central Europe 

 and eastward to China. It comprises six known species, of which three 

 are confined to Tropical and South Africa. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



a. Smaller : wing 2-9 to 3'1 inches ; less yellow 



on the throat dentata. 



^.a Patch above the ear-coverts rufous . . . ad. 



Z)i Patch above the ear-coverts sandy buff . . juv. 

 h. Larger : wing 3-2 to 3-5 ; more yellow on the 

 throat, 



c^. Mantle uniform ; no pale eyebrow . . . pyrgita. 



r/i. Mantle mottled ; a large buif eyebrow . . flavignla. 



Petronia dentata. 



Xanthrodira dentata, Sundev. CEfv. K. Vet.-Ak. Forh. Stockh. 1850, 

 p. 127 ; Salvad. Ann. Mus. Genov. 1884, p. 176 ; 1888, p. 277 Shoa ; 



1901, p. 777 Bissao. 



Petronia dentata, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xii. p. 295 (1888) Abyssinia; 

 Shelley, B. Afr. I. No. 253 (1896) ; Hartert, Nov. Zool. 1899, p. 414 

 Gamhaga ; Grant, Ibis, 1900, p. 134 .S. Abyssinia ; Alexander, Ibis, 



1902, p. 296 Gold Coast. 



Pyrgita dentata, Rendall, Ibis, 1892, p. 219 Gambia. 



Pyrgita nigriceps, Licht. Nomencl. Av. Berol. p. 47 (1854) Bahjooda. 



Fringilla (Passer) lunatus, Heugl. Syst. Uebers, p. 42 (1856) Abyssinia. 



Petronia albigularis, Brehm. Naum. 1856, p. 377 Sennaar. 



Passer canicapillus, Blyth, Ibis, 1865, p. 46 Hah. ? 



Pyrgita fazoglensis, Heugl. J. f. 0. 1867, p. 299. 



Adult. Upper parts uniform brown with the crown greyish ; a broad 

 rufous eyebrow extending back from the eye shades off into the brown on 

 the back and sides of the neck ; wing-coverts hke the back but with faintly 

 marked paler edges to the median and greater coverts ; quills and tail- 

 feathers darker brown with narrow pale edges ; under-surface of wings 

 brown with the coverts and inner edges of the quills whitish. Chin, upper 

 half of throat, breast and under tail-coverts white, shading into pale brown 

 on the sides of head and throat, lower throat and sides of body ; on the 

 middle of the throat is generally visible a pale yellow patch. " Iris reddish 

 brown ; bill dusky with base of lower mandible flesh colour ; feet dusky 



