1922.] the Xear East and Tropical East Africa. 39 



Tljis race differs i'roin ^1. a. npxis in its inueli darker 

 (sootj-blue-black) maiitle, aud in having the chin sooty- 

 whitish with no trace of: anything approaching pure white. 

 The feathers of the under parts seem to be ahvays fringed 

 with a paler colour. 



Apus apus melanonotus Reichw-. 



Apus melanonotus Reichenow, Urn. Monatsb. 1907, p. 60 : 

 Cameroon. 



(Original description.) ''Back generally deep black, some- 

 what duller ou the neck aud sides of the head. Forehead 

 brown-black with scale-like edgings to the feathers ; rump 

 black with a few narrow white edgings. Tail, upper tail- 

 coverts, and w'ings black with a slight gloss. Upper wing- 

 coverts dark brown, centre of throat greyish brown, chin 

 whitish. Feathers of the under parts and under tail-coverts 

 black with narrow white fringes. Wing 170 mm." 



I have not examined specimens of this race. It may or 

 may not be synonymous with sladenicc. 



Apus apus shelleyi (Salvad.). 



Cijpselus shelleiji fSalvadori, Ann. Genova, 1888^ p. 227 : 

 Shoa, Abyssinia. 



Apus roehli Reichw. Orn. Monatsb. 1906, p. 172 : Usam- 

 bara, between Kilimanjaro and the Coast. 



Apics nakuruensis Van iSomeren, Bull. B. 0. C. xl. 1919, 

 p. 58 : Lake Nakuru in Kenya Colony. 



Salvadori's original description of shelleyi is as follows : — 

 "" Similar to Apus apus but smaller, with grey secondaries, 

 the wings and tail having a greenish sheen. Generally of a 

 slightly glossy sooty- black with a blackish back. Throat 

 whitish gi'ey. Primaries black with a slight greenish sheen, 

 secondaries greyish umber. Tail dark with a greenish 

 tinge. Wing 157 mm." 



Reichenow (Viig. Afr.) gives the wing as 155 mm. 



Reichenow's original description of roehli reads as fol- 

 lows : — " Differs from Apus apus apxis in having the upper 

 back nearly black, some feathers with black ti[)s. Lower 



