328 Dr. R. B. Sharpe on Birch 



the outer rectrices, but the shafts aud the outer webs are 

 also black for a cousiderable distance, the black iucreasing 

 in extent towards the centre of the tail, and the white 

 disappearing towards the central rectrices, which are 

 entirely black. This is but the full-grown development 

 of the nestling procured in November, except that the white 

 shoulder-patch is not developed as in the nestling, but 

 -what there is of it is grey, not light grey, but rather dark 

 slaty grey. The bird is also moulting its body-feathers, and 

 on the sides of the neck and lower back the new plumes 

 are similarly slaty grey. 



b. ? ad. Deelfontein, Feb. 19, 1901. 



This is another bird from Seimund's " catapult" collection 

 of 1901. It is an ordinary female, smoky brown all over 

 except for the white rump and upper tail-coverts. The 

 terminal third of the outer tail-feathers is black. 



c. 6 imm. Deelfontein, March 3, 1902. 



A bird in moult from the black plumage to the slaty-grey 

 dress. Lower rump and upper tail-coverts white ; otherwise 

 with only an occasional white feather on the lower abdomen ; 

 central under tail-coverts black, lateral white; outer rectrices 

 broadly black at the ends and along the outer web. Shoulder- 

 patch not largely developed, some of it ashy, other feathers 

 white, but the ashy shade prevailing. 



d. 6 imm. Deelfontein, March 4, 1902. 



This bird has the same grey style of plumage as the fore- 

 going, but is further advanced. It is nearly uniform slaty 

 grey, and the black has all but disappeared from the body- 

 plumage ; the under tail-coverts are almost all black, and the 

 outer tail-feathers are entirely white. The head is dark grey 

 like the back, the upper tail-coverts white, with a black 

 marking or two at the ends of the longer feathers. The 

 shoulder-patch is ashy grey, with a little more white on the 

 inner median coverts. 



e. 6 ad. Deelfontein, March 4, 1902. 



This bird was killed on the same day as the preceding 

 example, which it resembles in being slaty grey, but of a 

 much lighter shade. The outer tail-feathers, instead of being 



