528 Capt. G. E. Shelley on Birds 



18. Passer diffusus. 



Passer diffusus (Smith) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i. p. 20, no. 268; 

 id. Ibis, 1894, p. 22. 



Nyika Mountains from 2000 to 7000 ft., and Karonga, 

 June; Fort Hill and Songue, in North Nyasa, July. Three 

 males and a female. 



19. POLIOSPIZA STRIATIPECTUS. 



Poliospiza striatipectus, Sharpe, Ibis, 1891, p. 258; Shelley, 

 B. Afr. i. p. 21, no. 276. 



Nyika Plateau, June. One male. I have compared this 

 bird with the two typical specimens in the British Museum. 

 This species apparently ranges through Eastern Africa from 

 the Equator to Nyasaland, the type having been discovered 

 by Mr. Jackson at Elgeyo in July 1890. 



20. Serinus icterus. 



Serinus icterus (Bonn, et Vieill.) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i. p. 21, 

 no. 285 ; id. Ibis, 1894, p. 22. 



Fort Hill, July. A pair of these birds. 



21. Serinus whytii, sp. n. (Plate XL) 



Nyika Plateau, June. One specimen labelled female. 



Upper parts brownish black, with broad pale edges to the 

 feathers ; the pale edges of the feathers of the crown and 

 hind neck paler and yellower than on the back and wing- 

 coverts ; quills and tail-feathers edged with yellow ; sides of 

 head dark olive-brown, surmounted by a broad, well-marked, 

 sulphur-yellow eyebrow ; throat uaiform sulphur-yellow, 

 shaded with dusky brown towards the chin ; crop and body 

 yellowish buff with black shaft-stripes, broad and very dis- 

 tinct on the front and sides of the body, and narrow on the 

 under tail-coverts ; thighs and centre of abdomen uniform ; 

 under wing-coverts yellowish buff; quills slaty brown beneath, 

 with paler inner margins: bill horn-colour; legs brown. 

 Total length 6 inches, culmen 055, wing 2*8, tail 2-75, 

 tarsus 0-85. 



This species belongs to that section of Serines in which 

 the flanks are streaked ; the forehead with no yellow patch ; 



