4 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 6l 



AIDEMOSYNE CANTANS MERIDIONALIS, new subspecies 

 East-African Silver-hill 



Type-specimen. — Adult male, Cat. No. 247534, U. S. National 

 Museum ; collected at the south base of the Indunumara Mountains, 

 British East Africa, July 16, 1912, by Edgar A. Mearns. (Original 

 number, 23048.) 



Characters. — Most closely related to Aidemosyne cantans orientalis 

 (Lorenz and Hellmayr) from South Arabia, from which it differs 

 only in being slightly larger and considerably paler above. The dark 

 cross-bars of the upper surface are narrower, and the upper side of 

 the head and neck, and the mantle, lighter, more grayish, brown. 

 The forehead has a more scaled appearance, produced by the paler 

 edging to the feathers. There is also a more buffy tinge to the under 

 parts. 



Measurements of type (adult male). — Length of skin, 90; wing, 

 52 ; tail, 40; oilmen (chord), 9.2 ; tarsus, 12.5. 



Average measurements of fourteen adult males of Aidemosyne 

 cantans meridionalis (Hawash River, Abyssinia, south to the Indunu- 

 mara Mountains, British East Africa). — Wing, 51.4; tail, 41.8; cul- 

 men (chord), 9.5; tarsus, 12.5. 



Average measurements of sixteen adult females of Aidemosyne 

 cantans meridionalis (French Somaliland, south through Abyssinia 

 to the Meru River, in British East Africa) . — Wing, 50 ; tail, 40.6 ; 

 culmen (chord), 9.7 ; tarsus, 12.4. 



Average measurements of seven adult males of Aidemosyne can- 

 tans orientalis from Aden, central south Arabia. — Wing, 49.9; tail, 

 43.4; culmen (chord), 9.9; tarsus, 11.2. 



Average measurements of six adult females of Aidemosyne cantans 

 orientalis from Aden, Arabia. — Wing, 49.3 ; tail, 41 ; culmen (chord) , 

 9.8; tarsus, 12. 



Geographical range. — Northeast Africa, from the Red Sea to Ger- 

 man East Africa. 



Remarks. — On crossing the Red Sea to French Somaliland a very 

 pale form of Aidemosyne was found at Djibouti which contrasts 

 strikingly with specimens from Aden ; rising thence to the Hawash 

 Valley, Abyssinia, a slightly darker fonn occurs which remains quite 

 constant through Abyssinia and British East Africa. 



LAGONOSTICTA RUBRICATA FRICKI, new subspecies 

 Frick's Fire-Finch 

 Type-specimen. — Adult male, Cat. No. 247543, U. S. National 

 Museum; collected on the Gato River, near Gardulla, Abyssinia, 

 April 19, 1912, by Edgar A. Mearns. (Original number, 21388.) 





