646 Messrs. Sclater and Mackworth-Praed on [Ibis, 



Oi: these M. m. amauroura seems to us a very poorly 

 defined race. In quite fresh specimens the colour of the 

 tail is undoubtedly darker tlian in West African examples, 

 but when the plumage is at all worn or fadel this distinction 

 disappears. Neumann remarks (J. f. O. 1906, p. 264) that 

 some of the birds from north of the Victoria Nyanza seem 

 to partake of the characters of all three races. This is 

 borne out also by the series before us with the exception 

 that we have none resembling M. m. orientalis. 



Of the two birds collected by Dr. Christy, the Tembura 

 bird might be typical M. m. menialis, and the Meridi bird 

 M. m. amauroura, while some of the more worn specimens 

 collected by Butler are considerably lighter than the average 

 M. 711. mentalis. 



Another race, M. m. adamauo', has been described l)y 

 Reichenow (O. M. xviii. 1910, p. 173) from the interior of 

 Cameroon. Of this we possess no examples and can give no 

 opinion as to its validity. From Angola Bocage (Journ. 

 Sci. Lisbou, viii. 1880, p. 56) described his Drymoica grandis. 

 We have examined the series collected by Dr. Ansorge in 

 that country and can find no distinction between them and 

 M. m. men id lis. 



Cisticola natalensis malzacii. (PI. X. figs. 3, 4.) 

 Drymuico mahacii Heuglin, SB. Akad. Wien, xix. 1856, 



p. 274 : [White Nile between 7° & 9° N.E.] (nom. nud.) ; 



id. Ibis, 1869, p. 100 [first descript.]. 



Cisticola strangii apud Butler, Ibis, 1909s p. 82. 



[B. coll.] 1 Chak Chak Mch., 1 Doleiba May, B.G. ; 



1 Mongalla ; 1 Lado Feb., 1 Kajo Kaji Mch. L.E. 

 [Chr. coll.] 1 Meridi Feb., 2 Wau July Aug. B.G. 



Cisticola natalensis inexpectata. 



Cisticula nalnhnnls iaexpectata Neumann, J. f. O. 1906, 

 p. 268: Abassi (=Awasa) Lake, S. Abyssinia. 



[B. coll.] 2 Disa Apl. Sen. 



[C. & L. coll.] 19 White Nile between fleuk and the 

 Bahr el Zeraf Jan. Feb. 



