236 Mr. R. B. Sharpe on some African Birds. 



admit the bird as a thin-billed Crithagra^ and I classify the 

 grey South-African species under dispute as follows : — 



a. uropyfrio dorso concolori 1. C. leucoptera. 



h. uropygio Havo. 



a', major : uropygio viridi-flavo 2. C albot/ularis. 



h'. minor : uropygio laete sulphureo 3. C. crocopygia. 



3. Crithagra albogularis. 



Crithagra alhogularis, Smith, S. Ah. Q. J. ii. p. 48 (1833, descr. orig.) ; 



Sharpe, Cat. Afr. B. p. 67. 

 • Selbyii, Smith, App. to Rep. of Exp. p. 50 (1836, descr. orig.) ; 



Swains. An. in Menag. p. 319 (1837j : Layard, 15. of S. Afr. p. 219. 



stiljihurata (juv.), Jard. & Selby, 111. Orn. pi. 109. fig. 2. 



cinerea, Swains. Classif. of B. ii. p. 294 (1837). 



Above greyish brown, with dark centres to the featliers, 

 giving a striped appearance ; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 greenish yellow ; lores and a distinct eyebrow, as well as a 

 spot at the base of the lower mandible, throat, and centre of 

 the belly white ; cheeks and sides of the neck, upper part of 

 the breast, and flanks greyish brown ; under tail-coverts buflFy 

 white ; under wing-coverts greyish brown, with a slight yel- 

 low tinge ; wing-coverts and quills dark brown, with edgings 

 of paler brown ; tail-featliers dark brown, edged with dull 

 olive ] upper mandible horn-brown, lower nunidible flesh- 

 colour ; legs dark reddi.sh brown. Total length 6' 7 inches, 

 culmen 0*5, wing 3*3, tail 2*6, tarsus 0*8. 



I have taken the above description from a specimen given 

 me by Mr. Layard, and procui'ed by that gentleman himself 

 on the Berg River, the exact locality where Sir Andrew Smith 

 obtained his typical examples. We may therefore depend 

 upon having got the true C. albogularis of Smith. 3Iy spe- 

 cies, C. crocopygia., is very similar, but smaller, more mealy 

 in plumage, and has a bright suljihur-coloured rumj). As 

 there has always been a great confusion respecting this spe- 

 cjes, owing to the difliculty of consulting Smith's original 

 characters, I subjoin his first description : — 



" Above greenish grey, with some dark variegation ; rump 

 and tail-coverts greenish yellow ; chin, throat, and eyebrows 

 white ; breast and flanks dusky grey ; centre oi belly, vent, 

 iuid under tail-covcrts wliite ; wing and tail-feathers brownish, 

 slightlv edged with dull white. ]AMigth Ave inches and a 

 half."^(S. Afr. Q.J. ii. p. 48.) 



Again, in the Appendix to the Report of liis Expedition 

 (p. 50), Sir Andrew Smith gives the following description of 

 C. Selbi/iij without the slightest reference to the previous 

 name : — 



