176 On the Genus Platystira and its Allies. 



half, and the next one with a little less white tow ards the tip ; 

 a narrow superciliary line of white from the base of the fore- 

 head to the hinder ear-coverts ; cheeks and ear-coverts black ; 

 a narrow cheek-stripe and chin white, the latter with a de- 

 licate blush of rose-colour ; lower throat and chest greyish ; 

 lower breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white, with a 

 beautiful blush of rosy on the former; outer wing-coverts 

 whitish, the outermost ones slightly shaded with grey ; tibial 

 plumes black ; bill and feet black ; iris black. Total length 

 4*5 inches, culmen 0*5, wing 2*25, tarsus 0*8. 



Hab. South Africa, from the region of Nel's Poort to the 

 Transvaal Republic. 



The above description is taken from a beautifully prepared 

 skin of Professor Wahlberg's, received by me in exchange 

 from the Stockholm museum. Another specimen in my col- 

 lection, obtained by Mr. Atmore on the Orange River, is a 

 little browner above and not so brightly coloured anywhere. 

 It is probably the female. 



Specimens examined. 



Mus. Brit. — South Africa. 



Mus. R. B. S.—a, $ . Transvaal, Aug. 4, 1843 (Wahlberg). 

 b. Orange River (T. C. Atmore). 



Supposing that my estimate of the number of species of 

 Platystira and Batis turn out to be correct, the geogra- 

 phical distribution of the birds treated of in the present paper 

 bears out the natural subdivisions into which I have divided 

 the African continent (cf. P. Z. S. 1870, p. 320). 



abyssinica. — Peculiar species 1 : B. orientalis. 

 B. senegalensis occurs also. 



Subregio mosambicana* . — No species at all known to occur 

 as yet. 



Subregio capensis. — Peculiar genera 2. Peculiar species 6 : 

 Platystira peltata, Batis capensis, B. molitor (said to occur in 

 Gaboon ?) , B. pririt, Lanioturdus torquatus, Stenostira scita. 



* The Zambesi district does not belong to this subregion, as from a 

 study of the collections in the British Museum, I find its affinities lie 

 rather with the avifauna of the Cape. 



