554 Capt. G. E, Shelley on Birds 



Habropyga hypomelcena, Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. p. 611. 



Lychnidospiza melanogastra, Heugl. torn. cit. App. p. 137. 



a. ^, Lukoja: iris brown; eye-ring very pale pink; bill 

 rosy^ upper mandible blackish ; feet dark grey. Full adult. 

 b. ^ . Lukoja, 27th August : immature. 



Specimen b I presume to be a young bird of this species ; 

 the entire head and body are ashy brown, only slightly washed 

 with red on the crop. 



This bird has been well figured. It is rare iu collections, 

 and was hitherto only known from N.E. Africa. 



I see no reason for separating this species from the genus 

 Lagonosticta. The members of this genus have the rump, 

 upper tail-coverts, and edges of the tail-feathers red ; under 

 wing-coverts white or nearly so ; generally with small white 

 spots on the sides of the chest. 



Key to the W.- African members of the Genus Lagonosticta. 



a. Chin and throat red. 



a^. Crown and mantle red. 



d^. Centre of the chest, abdomen, and under tail- 

 coverts jet-black; no white spots on the sides of 

 the chest melanogastra. 



b^. With no black on the chest, abdomen, or under 

 tail-coverts ; with white spots on the sides of 



the chest more or less visible minmut. 



¥, Mantle brown ; with white spots on the chest. 



6^. Darker ; with no pink shade on the red portions ; 



bill uniform slaty grey puUoaota. 



c^. Paler ; with a strong pink shade on the red por- 

 tions ; larger portion of the bill red rufopicta. 



b. Chin and throat black ; chest, crown, and mantle ashy 



grey, the latter slightly darker ; with small white 



spots on the sides of the chest nigricollis. 



71. Lagonosticta minima. 



Fringilla minima, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. xii. 1817, p. 183. 



Lagonosticta minima, Hartl. Orn. W.Afr. p. 143. 



a. (J , Lukoja : iris olive-brown ; eye-ring yellow ; feet 

 dark flesh-colour. b. ? , Lukoja, 28th August : eye-ring 

 yellow ; bill rosy red, blackish towards the culmen ; feet 

 fleshy brown. 



