314 Capt. G. II. Shelley on the 



the outer feathers having also their entire outer webs white ; 

 but this latter eharacter is somewhat variable^ the dark 

 portion of the base of the tail often encroaching onto the 

 white of the outer webj a character by which the N.E. -African 

 bird may generally be distinguished from the Capetown bird ; 

 the under surface of the tail is nearly black and white ; chin 

 and centre of the upper throat white ; remainder of the 

 throat and breast ashy tinted vinous, fading into buff on the 

 abdomen and thighs and into white on the under tail-coverts ; 

 the flanks are shaded with leaden grey ; under wing-coverts 

 leaden grey ; under surface of the quills uniform brown ; 

 iris brown ; bill black ; legs pinkish red. Total length 

 10'8 inches, culmen 0*65, Aving 6, tail 4"5, tai'sus 0"85. 



Hab. S. Africa, E. Africa, and N.E. Africa; the Comoro 

 Islands and Madagascar. 



I have above described a specimen collected by myself at 

 Capetown. 



There is a well-marked tropical race, rather constant in 

 its character, first recognized by Levaillant and afterwards 

 named by Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub T. damarensis. It 

 differs from the typical Capetown bird, but the arrangement 

 of the colours and the proportions are identical. The grey 

 of the head fades almost, or occasionally quite, into white on 

 the front and sides of the forehead and on the front of the 

 cheeks ; the grey shade on the cheeks is rarely present ; the 

 partial grey edges to the black collar above and below often 

 pass into white ; the vinous of the neck and breast is paler, 

 generally almost clear pink with no grey shade, but greyer- 

 breasted intermediate forms are not uncommon ; the brown 

 of the upper parts is generally paler, but not always so. 

 Total length 10-3 inches, culmen 0'55, wing 6*2, tail 4*5, 

 tarsus 0*8. 



The typical form of this race and the measurements are 

 taken from a specimen in my own collection labelled " Ma- 

 congo, Benguella {Anchieta) •/' and the intermediate forms 

 I refer to are mostly in the British Museum, collected by 

 Mr. T. Ayres in Natal and the Transvaal. Two specimens 

 collected by Mr. E. Newton in Anjuan are somewhat inter- 



