354 Dr. R. B. Sharpe on Birds 



than one of the hens has the throat hoary blackish concealed 

 by the brown shade which pervades the under parts. 



[Very common with us and found everywhere, both on 

 the veldt and on the kopjes. It is generally seen in small 

 flocks of five or six individuals even in the breeding-season, 

 and is constantly uttering a twittering note when flying. The 

 nest is found at the base of the kopjes, and is generally 

 placed on the top of a small bush, and lined with wool from 

 Karoo-bush seeds.] 



103. Frixgii.laria media, subsp. nov. 



Fringillaria capensis (pt., nee L.) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard, 

 pp. 189, 851 (1875-84) ; id. Cat. B. xii. p. 5G5 (1888) ; Stark, 

 Faun. S. Afr., Birds, i. p. 187 (1900) ; Shelley, B. Afr. iii. 

 p. 156 (1902). 



a, b. J ad.; c. ? ad. Deelfontein, Jan. 8, 1901. 



d, e. S ad. Deelfontein, Feb. 28, 1902. Bill slate- 

 coloured ; feet dark horn -coloured ; iris hazel. 



f,(/. S ad. ; h. ? ad. Deelfontein, March 2, 13, 24, 1902. 



i. 3 ad. Deelfontein, April 26, 1902. 



k. ? ad. „ May 20, 1902. Bill and feet black ; 



iris dark hazel. 



/. S ad. „ Oct. 25, 1902. 



///. ? ad. „ Nov. 19, 1902. With nest. 



The series collected by our two naturalists is very inter- 

 esting, as it seems to me that the specimens do not belong 

 absolutely to F. capensis with its white throat, white eyebrow 

 and facial streak, and white under tail-coverts, or to F. reidi 

 of Shelley (B. Afiica, iii. p. 158) from Natal and Eastern 

 Transvaal, where the throat, eyebrow, facial streak, and under 

 surface of the body are sandy buff and the chest more ashy. 

 The Deelfontein birds are intermediate : the throat and eye- 

 brow are not white as in F. capensis, but are light sandy 

 buff, not so deep in tint as in F. reidi ; the same applies to 

 the under tail-coverts. I think, therefore, that we may 

 apply the name of F. media to this intermediate form. 



F. capensis. — Cape Town, N. to Great Namaqua-land 

 (Tjobis). 



