from Deelfontein, Cape Colony. 353 



Layard, p. 474 (1875-84), pt. ; id. Cat. B. xii. p. 347 (1890) ; 

 Stark, Faun. S. Afr., Birds, i. p. 179 (1900). 



Serinus alario Shelley, B. Afr. iii. p. 213 (190.2). 



a. <$ juv. Deelfontein, Feb. 15, 1902. 



b-i. $ ad. et imm. ; k-q. ? ad. et imm. Deelfontein, 

 March 1, 1902. 



r. <$ ad. Deelfontein, April 11, 1902. 



s. <$ ad. „ June 14, 1902. 



I expressed the idea in the ' Catalogue of Birds' (/. c.) 

 that black-breasted males with the white throat might be 

 winter-plumaged individuals, but I am now inelined to 

 modify my opinion, for the series brought by Messrs. 

 Seimund and Grant contains adult birds in winter plumage 

 shot in April and June, and these have perfectly black 

 throats and chests. The only specimen of the white-throated 

 (supposed winter-plumaged) birds that bears a date is one 

 shot by Andersson in June, so that the notion that the 

 white throat and white eyebrow are signs of winter dress 

 must be erroneous, and I am driven to the conclusion that 

 there are two species, one with a black head and throat 

 and no white eyebrow, and the other with a white throat 

 and eyebrow, which I have called Alario leucohema (Bull. 

 B. O. C. xiii. p. 80 ; type in Brit. Mus. ex Great Namaqua- 

 land : C. J. Andersson) . 



This would be quite clear to me were it not for the 

 presence, in the Deelfontein series procured in March, of a 

 single bird with a white chin and white eyebrow, which I 

 cannot account for, unless there is some crossing of the two 

 forms. Seimund tells me that he saw only two white- 

 browed birds during the whole of his stay in South Africa. 

 I then thought that the males in their second year might 

 have a white throat before getting a perfectly black 

 one ; but nestling males are moulting directly into the 

 black throat of the adult male, so there is evidently some 

 explanation yet required concerning these white-throated 

 birds. 



Both males and females are streaked when young, and the 

 female moults into the plumage of the adult bird, but mure 



