collected in Nyasaland. 17 



have apparently come to no very definite decision, so I trust I 

 shall not appear presumptuous in endeavouring to characterize 

 these species and in limiting the number to four: — D. cetliio- 

 picus (Gm. 1788); D. mosambicus (Fischer & Reichenow, 

 1880) ; D. major (Hartl. 1848) ; and D. guttatus (Hartl. 

 1865). 



a. Underparts more shaded with pink. (E. Africa.) 

 a . With no white on the quills (type, Abyssinia), 



or with only one of the secondaries edged 



with -white (Abyssinia and Bog-os) D. cBthiopicus. 



b'. With broad white edges to two of the second- 

 aries (type, Mozambique) ; = also D. casatii, 

 Hartl., from Wadelai, and D. albofasciahis, 

 Sharpe, from the Victoria Nyanza district. 

 Occasionally the white edges are more faintly 

 markpd D. mosambicus. 



b. Underparts whiter. (W. & S. Africa.) 



c'. Slightly larger, bill stronger. W^ith broad 



white edges to two of the secondaries (type, 



Gold Coast, and including D. picatus, Hartl., 



from the Gaboon). In two specimens from 



the Gold Coast a third secondary is edged 



with white, and I should consider as another 



variety of this species the type of D. bicolur, 



Verr., from the Gaboon, with no white on 



the quills D. major. 



d'. Slightly smaller, bill weaker. With broad 



white edges to two of the secondaries (type, 



Benguela), but more generally with broad 



white edges to three of the secondaries, as in 



the types of D. sticturus, Finsch & Hartlaub, 



from Lake Ngami, and D. negledus and 



D.finschi, Bocage, from Benguela D. guttatus. 



With regard to the geographical distribution of these 

 species, D. cethiopicus is apparently confined to the Abys- 

 sinian and Shoan districts of N.E. Africa; D. mosambicus 

 ranges over East Africa from the Upper Wliite Nile and 

 the Niam-niam country to the Zambesi ; D. major is con- 

 fined to West Africa, north of the Quanza River; and 

 D. guttatus is found only to the south of the Quanza and 

 Zambesi. 



SER. VT. — VOL. VI. C 



