191 8,] the Birds of the Anylo-Egyptian Sudan. 451 



Pytelia melba kirki. 



Pytelia kirki Shelley, Bull. B. O. C. xiii. 1903, p. 76 : 

 Lamu. 



Pytelia citerior et P. sondanensis apud Butler, Ibis, 1908, 

 p. 220. 



[B. coll.] 1 Pougo 11., 1 Cliak Chak Feb., 2 Wau Apl. 

 E.G.; 5 Mougalla Jan. May ^'July-Sept," 1 Shambe 

 Jan., 1 Boi" "suniraer," Mon. 



We have gone very carefully into the question of the races 

 of this species, which have been up to now in considerable 

 confusion, and we agree with Zedlitz (J. f. O. 1916, p. 32) 

 in considering that P. citerior must be regarded as a race 

 of P. melba. 



We find five well-marked subspecific races represented in 

 the British Museum collections. 



1. P. MELBA MELBA LiunsBus, Syst, Nat. 1758, p. 180 : 

 Angola (apud Zedlitz). 



Red of face extending to the cheeks and well down the 

 tliroat ; a grey stripe through the eye; breast-band distinctly 

 green ; under tail-coverts unbarred. 



Distr. South Africa, north to the Congo at Landana and 

 Nyasaland, but not in Cape Colony. 



2. P. MELBA BELLI O.-Grant, Bull. B. 0. C. xxi. 1907, 

 p. 14 : Ruwenzori. 



Red of the face nut extending to the cheeks, but even 

 lower down the throat, almost completely covering the 

 breast-band ; a grey stripe through the eye : under tail- 

 coverts barred. 



Distr. Uganda, Ruwenzori to Lake Albert. 



3. P. MELBA KiiiKi Shcllev, BuU. B. O. C. xiii. 1903, p. 76 : 

 Lamu, Brit. E. Afr. (type in British Museum). 



Red of the throat and cheeks as in P. m. melba; no grey 

 eye-stripe; breast faintly tinged with green; underparts 

 as in P. m. melba, but the under tail-coverts faintly barred, 

 sometimes plain. 



Distr. British East Africa, extending- to Somaliland, south 

 Abyssinia, and the upper White Nile, 



