526 Capt. G. E. Shelley on Birds 



A male and female, similar in size and plumage. This 

 species was formerly known to me only from CafFrariaj Natal, 

 and the Transvaal. 



10. Parus insignis. 



Parus insignis, Cab.; Shelley, B. Afr. i. p. 9, no. 116. 



Kombi, on the Masuku Range, 7000 feet, July. An adult 

 female. The following key will show the characters of this 

 species : — 



a. With no trace of white on the abdomen, tliighs, or 



under tail-coverts. 



a . Smaller ; tail entirely black P. leueopterus. 



b'. Larger ; tail with narrow terminal white margins 



to the feathers P. insipiis. 



b. With whitish edges to the vmder tail-coverts, and 



often some white on the abdomen and thighs . • ■ . ^ * ,' 



I P. xantnostomus. 



The original description of this species {Parus insignis, 

 Cab., J. f. O. 1880, p. 419) is :—" Similar to P. leueopterus, 

 but larger in all its dimensions and with narrow white ends 

 to the outer tail-feathers. Angola {Schiitt)." 



As this species is new to the British Museum, I make the 

 following notes from that collection : — 



P. insignis : Length 6*1 inches, culmen 055, wing 3*5, 

 tail 3-0, tarsus O'S. 



P. leueopterus : Length 6*1 inches, culmen 0"5, wing 3*2, 

 tail 2-6, tarsus 0-7. 



The wing-measurements are : in specimen of P. leueo- 

 pterus from N.E. Africa, 3'0 to 3*4 inches ; from the 

 Gambia and Volta River, 2*9 to 3 0; one from the Congo, 

 3*4; one from Angola, 3*3. 



11. Parus pallidiventris. 



Parus pallidiventris, Reichen. ; Shelley, B. Afr. p. 9, 

 no. 121 ; id. Ibis, 1894, p. 469 ; Reichen. Vog. Deutsch- 

 Ost-Afr. p. 214. 



Parus rovunue, Shelley, Bull. B. O. C. i. p. vi (1893). 



Nyika Plateau and the Masuku Range, 6000 to 7000 feet, 

 June and July. Four full-plumaged specimeus are all 

 labelled females. This species ranges north from Nyasaland 

 to Kakoma and Usegua. 



