4 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 6l 



Average measurements of two adult females (from Mount Kenia 

 at 8,500 feet). — Length of skin. 150; wing, 62.5; tail, 62; culmen 



1 chord ) . 12: tarsus, 24. 



SYLVIETTA WHYTII ABAYENSIS, new subspecies 

 Abyssinian Crombec 



Type-specimen. — Adult male, Cat. No. 245199, IT. S. Nat. Mus.j 



collected on the Gato River, near Gardulla, at the south end of the 

 Abaya lakes (altitude 4,000 feet) in southern Abyssinia, April 6. 

 [912, by Edgar A. Mearns. (( )riginal number, 21057. 1 

 Characters. — Most closely related to Sylvietta whytii jacksoni and 



A. w. loringi, from northern and southern British East Africa, re- 

 spectively. These three subspecies are closely similar in size, loringi 

 having slightly larger feet and a smaller bill than the others. S. w. 

 jacksoni has the darkest coloration throughout, and 5". w. abayensis 

 the palest. S. w. loringi has the upper parts purer, less olivaceous, 

 gray than 5". w. abayensis, while S. w. jaeksoni has the upper parts 

 more plumbeous. 



Sylvietta whytii abayensis has the 'iris yellowish brown; bill oliva- 

 ceous brown above, pale reddish brown below ; feet and claws light 

 brown. 



Measurements of type (adult male). — Length of skin, 85; wing. 

 61.5; tail, 25; culmen (chord), 12; tarsus, 18. 



The salient difference in coloration of three closely-related forms 

 of Sylvietta may be expressed as follows : 



Sylvietta whytii loringi 



Upper parts neutral gray. 

 Under parts nearly uni- 

 form aveilaneous. 



Sylvietta whytii jacksoni 



Upper parts dark gull 

 gray. Under parts 

 nearly uniform fawn 

 color. 



Sylvietta ivhytii abayensis 



Upper parts light grayish 

 olive. Under parts vi- 

 naceous-buff, fading to 

 whitish on abdomen and 

 crissum. 



COMPARATIVE MEASUREMENTS OF THREE SUBSPECIES OF 

 SYLVIETTA IVHYTII SHELLEY 



