PYROMELANA WERTHERI 101 
of the tallest reeds, their look-out posts, and the setting sun 
glancing on their plumage seems to turn each reed-head into 
a brilliant ruby.” 
In the Nyasa district the species has been met with by Sir 
John Kirk and Dr. P. Rendall in the Shiré Valley. Mr. Whyte 
procured several males in breeding plumage in February at 
Mpimbi, and found them in winter plumage at Zomba in July 
and September. At Karema, on the eastern shore of Lake 
Tanganyika, Bohm procured the type of P. nigrifrons and 
found the species abundant in the Kawendi country, often in 
company with P. vanthomelas dotting the high grass with their 
bright breeding plumage. Fischer obtained P. swndevalli at 
Kagehi on Speke’s Gulf. 
Pyromelana wertheri. 
Pyromelana wertheri, Reichen. Orn. Monatsh. 1897, p. 160 Wembere ; 
id. Vog. Afr. iii. p. 122 (1904). 
Pyromelana nigrifrons, Hartert, Nov. Zool. 1900, p. 41 Kasesi, Fort 
George. 
Male in breeding plumage. Very like P. sundevalli, differing only in the 
red parts being paler and of a more orange shade. Forehead, front of crown 
and sides of head black; chin mottled with black; remainder of the head 
and the neck scarlet shaded ochreous buff, the feathers fading into white 
towards the base and slightly mottled with bright scarlet at their ends; 
hinder neck and mantle yellowish rufous, passing into scarlet shaded orange 
on the lower back and upper tail-coverts; a few black shaft-stripes on the 
scapulars ; wings and tail blackish brown, with pale brown edges to the 
feathers ; under wing-coverts and inner edges of the quills isabelline buff ; 
chest and centre of abdomen velvety black; sides of abdomen, thighs and 
under tail-coverts tawny buff washed with reddish orange. Total length 
48 inches, culmen 0-55, wing 2'8, tail 1:7, tarsus 0°8. Toro (Jackson). 
Werther’s Bishop-bird inhabits the Victoria Nyanza district. 
In the Wembere district of Central German East Africa 
Lieut. Werther obtained the type. A similar example 
