468 SIGMODUS SCOPIFRONS 
have been obtained by Emin at Irumu on the Ituri River, to 
the west of Lake Albert, and at Nsangassi by Stuhlman 
between Lakes Albert and Albert Edward. 
The Red-billed Shrike obtained by Dybowski on the 
Ubangi River (Oustalet, Naturaliste, 1893, p. 127) should also 
probably be referred to this species, which is hardly more than 
a subspecies of S. rufiventris. 
Sigmodus scopifrons. 
Sigmodus scopifrons, Peters, J. f. O. 1854, p. 422 Mozambique; Sharpe, 
Cat. B. M. iii. p. 824 (1877); Shelley, P. Z. 8. 1881, p. 582, pl. lii, 
fig. 1; id. B. Afr. i. No. 670 (1896); Reichen. Vog. Afr. ii. p. 537 
(1903); Sharpe, Handl. B. iv. p. 274 (1903) ; C. Grant, Bull. B. O. C. 
xxi. p. 66, 1908 Beira ; Sheppard, J. 8. Afr. Orn. Union 1909, p. 30, 
1910, p. 42; W. Sclater, Ibis, 1911, p. 291 Masambeti. 
Adult. A frontal patch of short, upright, bristly plumes extending back 
in aline with the centre of the eyes, bright chestnut, followed by a broad band 
of dark slate colour; remainder of head dull black fading into dusky ashy 
grey on the neck, back, inner wing-coverts and breast: remainder of wings 
black, with a moderately broad band of white across the inner webs of the 
nine longer primaries, forming an oblique band on the lower surface of the 
wing; tail black with a small white terminal spot on the centre pair of 
feathers and white ends to the others, increasing in size toward the outer 
ones; the dusky grey of the breast and thighs fades into pure white on the 
lower abdomen and under tail-coverts. Iris bright yellow with a narrow 
outer ring of blood-orange, wattles round the eye dark glossy slate-coloured, 
bare skin behind whitish; bill dark tomato-red, slightly yellow at the tip; 
legs and toes orange, claws horny. Length 7:0 inches, wing 3°9, tail 3-0, cul- 
men 0:6, tarsus 0°7. Masambeti, ?, 10. 11. 06 (C. Grant). 
Some of the specimens in the British Museum have a band of white 
across the top of the head behind the frontal patch, as shown in Shelley’s 
plate. These are perhaps males, but the specimens are not sexed. 
The Chestnut-fronted Red-billed Shrike ranges from the 
Beira district, south of the lower Zambesi to Lamu in British 
East Africa. 
It was discovered by Dr. Peters in Mozambique, and has also 
been met with by Fischer at Lindi and in the Nguru Hills, and 
