838 Messrs. Sclater and Mackworth-Piacd on [Ibis, 



[B. coll.] 4 near Khartoum Nov. & Dec, 2 near Ouidur- 



nian Nov. h Apl. Kh. 

 [C. & L. coll.] 1 Sinkat-Erkowit Plain Apl. R.S. ; 



1 Jebelein Jan., 1 White Nile lat. 12'' N. Jan. U.N. 



The races of this h'wA, under the name P. exustus Teuim., 

 have been reviewed by several autliors, the last of whom 

 a|)pears to be Claude Grant, in 'The Ibis/ 1915, \)\>. 31, 32. 

 With some of his conclusions we cannot entirely identily 

 ourselves. To start with, the type-locality is Senegambia, 

 and we have no material whatever from that region. Claude 

 Grant says that Egyptian specimens may be taken as 

 typical, but — without proof — we must strongly dissent from 

 this view. We think it fur more likely from all analogy 

 that three birds collected by Alexander at Lake Chad and 

 widely distinct from examples from Egy])t, will be found (o 

 be nearer the typical race than the Egyptian specimens. 



The birds in the Museum collection group themselves as 

 follows :— 



1. A daik olivaceous-backed large race from Egypt. 



The name of this is P. s. senegalensis if Senegal birds 

 cannot be distinguished from it, if they can be a new 

 name will be required. 



2. A [)aler race slightly smaller and with the back still 

 tinged with olivaceous, but not nearly so strongly as in 

 Egyptian examples. The race extends from Lake Chad 

 through the Sudan to Al)yssinia, though we may 

 mention that two female specimens from Lake Chad 

 are uncommonly pale. The name of this race is 

 P. s. senegalensis if the Senegal birds — as we expect 

 — are identical with it, P. s. elUoti (Bogd.) if they 

 are not. Bogdanow described Plcrocles elliuti from 

 Abyssinia (Bull. Ac. Sci. Petersb. xxvii. no. 2, 1881, 

 p. 167). 



3. A still paler race on the upper side but with a richer 



fulvous breast, much the same size as the last. This 

 race ranges from Somaliland to as far south as the 

 northern Guaso Nyiro in British East Africa, and its 



