484 Mr. G. L. Bates on the 



have no black vent- feathers, and the underparts are 

 ■white. 



No. 3747 was brought in alive, having been caught in a 

 clearing near a stream. 



PoDICA JACOBI. 



Reichenow, J. f. O. 190G, p. 325 ; Bates, Ibis, 1909, p. 8. 



No. 4179. ? (small ova in ovary). Bityc, April 1910. 



This specimen has the wing 150 mm. long, the tail 

 120 ram., the bill 38 mm. Thus it agrees in size with the 

 description of P. jacobi. The specimens sent in previous 

 years [cf. 'Ibis,' /. c), even the females, were much larger, 

 though still much smaller than examples of P. seyiegalensis. 

 As I can see no other difference except that of size between 

 the present specimens and those pi'eviously sent, I conclude 

 that they are all referable to P. jacobi, and that the species 

 lias a wide range of variation in size. It may be that these 

 birds continue to grow after they reach maturity, a con- 

 jecture supported by the fact that the two largest female 

 birds have black lieads. As in P. senegalensis, this 

 character is the mark of the fully adult bird ; but in the 

 Senegal form it is accompanied liy the characteristic grey 

 throat and white line on each side ; in P. jacobi the whole 

 throat is always white, even in the old black-headed birds. 

 All female specimens, even the oldest, have the white 

 plumage of the breast mottled with dark brown. 



The present example (No. 4179) was brought to me alive 

 by a woman who had found it caught in a basket-trap placed 

 in a stream to catch fish. AYhen held in the h.and it trembled 

 and uttered a low guttural growl ending in a faint squawk. 



Theristicus rarus. 



Reichcnow, V. A. iii. p. 804 ; Shaipe, Ibis, 1907, p. 423. 



No. 3103. ? ad. Length of bill to hinder angle of nostril 

 112 mm. 



No. 4271 . 9 juv. Length of bill to hinder angle of nostril 

 G8 mm. 



Both were shot at Bityc, R. Ja. 



There is no doubt about the distinctness of this species 



