924 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



vol.. XXVIII. 



Fuinily l»RIONOPII).E. 



NILAUS AFER MINOR (Sharpe). 



Xllaitx idIdoi- f^HARi'K, Proc. /doI. Soc. J.oikI., 1,S()5, p. 479 (Miluiil, Sil)lK>, The 

 Haud, and Okoto, western Somali Land). 



One specimen from the Useri River, near Mount Kilimanjaro, 

 August 30, 1888. It is a female, in which the black of the upper 

 parts is replaced l)y ))rown, except on the rump and upper tail-coverts, 

 and the white portions of the upper surface and tail are more butfy 

 than in the adult male. This is the plumage supposed to characterize 

 the immature bird, but the present example is apparently adult. 



The most satisfactory dilieronce between the Laniida^ and the Prion- 

 opidffi consists in the scutellation of the posterior j^ortion of the 

 lateral face of the tarsus in the forms of the latter famil}^ whereas in 

 Laniida^ this part is entire. Using this character as a criterion, 

 JVllaii^ belongs in the Prionopida». 



EUROCEPHALUS ANGUITIMENS RUPPELLI (Bonaparte). 



Euroccplidi.Ks mppdli JIoxai-akte, Rev. et INIag. Zoul., 1853, ]>. 440 (White Nile, 

 and Shoa, Abyssinia). 



One adult male, from Taveta, August 14, 1888. It is decidedl}' 

 smaller than a female from Somali Land, as well as much less brownish 

 on the breast and sides. Its measurements are: Wing, 121; tail, 88; 

 exposed culmen, 10.5; tarsus, 21; middle toe, 15.5 mm. As Neumann 

 contends," this species is much better placed in the Prionopida^ than in 

 the Laniida\ 



PRIONOPS VINACEIGULARIS Richmond. 



I'riono/ix )-lit(fceiiji(l(iri>i Kichmond, Auk, XIV, IS'J", p. 162 (plains east of ^[oiint 

 Kilimanjaro, British East Africa). 



Three specimens, from which this very distinct species was origi- 

 nall}^ described, were taken by Doctor Al)bott on the plains east of 

 Mount Kilimanjaro. "Feet (of male) red; iris yellow; bare skin 

 around eyes green. Feet (of female) red; iris and skin around eves 

 yellowish green.'' The females lack the white edgings of the superior 

 wing-coverts, a diti'erence additional to those mentioned by Doctor 

 Richmond.'^ Measurements of these birds are as follows: 



"Journ. f. Ornith., 1900, p. 273. 

 i-Auk, XIV, 1S97, p. 163. 



