4J0 Messrs. Sclater and Mackworth-l'raed on [Ibis, 



JJroloncha cantons (in part) Shelley, B. A. iv. p. 152 ; 

 Butler. Ibis, 1905, p. 319, 1908, p. 219. 



[B. coll.] 7 (^,6 ^ Roseires Aug. Sept. Sen. ; 4 Khar- 

 toum Dec. Feb. ; 1 Kawa Nov. W.N. 



[C. & L. coll.] 4 White Nile, lat. 13f°-]5° N. W.N. 



We liave been very carefully into the races of A. cantans. 

 We agree with Shelley and the German authors that the 

 type locality of Gmelin's bird was probably West Africa. 

 We propose to formally designate Dakar, Senegal, for this, 

 where it is known to have occurred. 



We can distinguish three races — 



1. A. c. CANTANS Gm., which extends from West Africa 

 to the Balir el Ghazal, and of which the Museum contains 

 examples from Gambaga in the Gold Coast Colony, Northern 

 Nigeria, and Lake Chad, all collected by Alexander, and 

 some birds from " the moutli of the Zeraf river," Bahr el 

 Ghazal, collected by Capt. Dunn. 



This form is distinguished by its plainer and greyer b;ick, 

 with hardly any indications of the transverse markings on 

 the back itself. 



2. A. c. iNORNATA Mcams, to which form we are inclined 

 to assign all the birds from the Sudan, except those from 

 the Bahr el Ghazal and the Red Sea Province. It seems 

 evident from the tine series in the Butler collection that 

 there is a considerable seasonal plumage-change in this 

 form, the winter birds being much plainer and browner 

 and less transversely barred than those obtained in the 

 summer months. jNIearns' description was obviously based 

 on a rather large winter-killed bird. 



The Sudan birds on the wliole are more barred on the 

 back and are distinctly brown at all times of the year as 

 compared with the West Afrif;an birds. 



3. A. c. oRiENTALis Lorenz & Hellmayr, O. M. 1901, 

 p. 39: S. Arabia, is a still browner and more heavily striped 

 bird, and is confined to south Arabia, Somaliland, and the 

 Red Sea Coast, extending north as far as the Port Sudan 

 district. 



