096 Messrs. Sclater and Mackworth-Praed on [Il)ls, 



3 Mongalla July-Sept., 1 Abu Kika May, 1 Kenisa 



summer, Mon. ; 1 Lado Feb. L.E. 

 [C. & L coll.] 3 ur. Tonga Feb. U.N. 

 [Chr. coll.] 3 Yei Nov. L.E. 



Pycnonotus barljatus arsinoe. 



Tardus arsinoe Licht. Verz. Doubl. 1823, p. 39 : Fayoum. 



Pycnonotus arsinoe (Licht.) ; Reichenow, V. A. iii. p. 420; 

 Butler, Ibis, 1905, p. 331, 1909, p. 395. 



[B. coll.] 3 Khartoum Nov. Feb. ; 2 Roseires Aug. Sept. 

 Sen. 



[C. & L. coll.] 1 Port Sudan Dec, 3 Erkowit Apl. R.S. ; 

 1 White Nile lat. 12° N. W.N. 



The White Nile bird in the Chapman & Lynes collection 

 and one of the Erkowit birds are both nestlings. We can 

 give no further information as to the respective ranges of 

 this species and P. t. minor in the Sudan. The farthest 

 north for the latter species is Kodok (Fashoda), as we are 

 informed by Mr. Butler. The only bird which could give 

 us a clue, one from lat. 12° N. on the White Nile, happens 

 to be a practically complete albino ! 



We have looked over all the African examples of Pycno- 

 notus^ and as our conclusions differ slightly from those of 

 Hartert (Nov. Zool. xiii. p. 389) and Zedlitz (J. f. O. 1916, 

 p. 68), we give them for what they are worth. 



We prefer to regard the white-vented group as a distinct 

 species, and include under this group P. b. gabonensis with a 

 slight wash of yellow on the vent; but they all form a very 

 compact group spread over northern and western Africa. If 

 this is done the type-species of the yellow-vented group will 

 be P. tricolor. It is also noteworthy that eastern races of 

 P. tricolor have blacker heads than the central and western 

 forms, but this distinction is not sufficiently sharply cut to 

 warrant calling them distinct species. 



As pointed out by Hartert the wattle-eyed form P. nigri- 

 cans occurs side by side with P. t. layardi. It also occurs 

 as well with P. capensis in certain localities, and we there- 

 fore prefer to consider the latter as a distinct species. 



