1873.] MR. R. B. SHARPE ON BIRDS FROM MOMBAS. 711 



have the pleasure of offering my best thanks for the assistance he is 

 continually rendering to the Museum and to ornithology generally. 

 The gentleman who has formed the present collection is the Rev. 

 Thomas Wakefield, who may well be congratulated on the success of 

 this his first undertaking in the cause of ornithological science; for, 

 although chiefly devoting himself to collecting insects, he has found 

 time to form a collection of birds with no inconsiderable result. 

 The number of novelties and rarities is not large ; but at the same 

 time' the situation of Mombas and the period of the year (January 

 and February) when the birds were collected liave shown the route 

 by which some of our European birds proceed on their way to their 

 winter home in South Africa. It would not be fair at present to 

 draw conclusions as to the avifauna of Mombas and its affinities ; but 

 the locality shows a mixture of Cape and North-east African forms ; 

 and I therefore trust that this is by no means the first collection of 

 birds which we shall receive from this very interesting place. 



The excellent work of Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub on the birds of 

 Eastern Africa has been my chief guide in the determination of the 

 species. 



1. Asturinula monogram mica (Temm.) ; Finsch u. Haiti. 

 Vog. Ostafr. p. 59. 



Mombas is a new locality for this Hawk, although it has been 

 found to the north and south of it. A specimen in Captain Shelley's 

 collection from the Zambesi, however, is Asturinula meridionalis. 



2. Pyocephalus fuscicapillus (Verr. et Des Murs). 

 Pionias fuscicapillus, Finsch u. Hartl. Vog. Ostafr. p. 499, 



tab, vii. 



Three specimens. Already obtained at Mombas by Von der 

 Decken. 



3. Coccystes jACOBiNus(Bodd.); Sharpe, P.Z.S. 1873, p.597. 

 The occurrence of this species is of interest as showing that it 



extends along the east coast of Africa ; but it is not yet known 

 whether it is a migrant from north to south. 



4. Indicator major, Steph. ; Sharpe, Cat. Afr. B. p. 14. 

 Two specimens, one adult and one young. This species appears 



to be altogether new to the avifauna of Eastern Africa. 



5. Pogonorhynchus torquatus (Dumont) ; Finsch u. Hartl. 

 Vog. Ostafr. p. 503 ; Marsh. Monogr. Capit. pi. x. 



Three specimens of this bird, differing from South- African examples 

 in their smaller size and in the greater extent of black on the breast 

 and hind neck. 



6. Picus hartlaubi (Malh.) ; Finsch u. Hartl. Vog. Ostaf. 

 p. 512. 



One specimen. This Woodpecker has not previously been recorded 

 northwards of Zanzibar. 



