Birds from the J Test Coast of Africa. 233 



NiGKiTA BicoLOR (Hartl.). 



Nigrita bicolor Reich, iii. p. 167. 



«. ? . Nanna Kru. 20tii Jan., 191 1. (No. 335.) 



b. S ■ Axim. 17th Feb., 1911. (No. 483.) 



c. S ■ Sekondi. 1st March, 1911. (No. 532.) 

 Iris red ; bill black ; feet brown. 



Total length in the flesh 5 inches ; expanse of wings 

 7 inches. 



[The female obtained at Nanna Kru was nesting at the 

 time of my visit. The nest was placed in a small bush 

 three feet from the ground, and contained three Avhite eggs, 

 slightly incubated, measuring 0*00 x 045 inch. Tiie nest 

 Avas entirely surrounded by I'ed ants, which did not in the 

 least ap})eur to disturb the occupant.^ — -W. P. L.] 



MlKAFllA OCCIDENTALIS Hartl. 



Mirafra occidentalis Hartert, Nov. Zool. 1900, p. 45 (see 

 remarks on M. africana and subspecies); id. Bull. B. O. C. 

 xi. p. 64(1901). 



a, b. (J. St. Paul de Loanda. 15tli Dec., 1910, and 

 24th March, 1911. (Nos. 95, 646.) 



Iris brown ; upper mandible brownish, lower mandible 

 white ; feet flesh-coloured. 



Total length in the flesh 7 inches; expanse of wings 

 11 inches; Aving 3*5 inches. 



Dr. Hartert kindly identified these two birds for me. 

 M. occidentalis was described by Hartlaub from Gaboon, 

 and in the Tring Museum there are specimens from Catum- 

 bela and Quissange in Benguela. The tAvo examples which 

 Mr. Lowe obtained at St. Paul de Loanda are the only 

 representatives of the species in the Natural History 

 Museum. 



As will be seen from the measurements this is a very 

 small race, and, as Dr. Hartert affirms, is probably confined 

 to the coast. 



[One of these birds Avas shot while singing in a tree ; 

 they Avere very common at St. Paul de Loanda.- — W. P. L.] 



