1881.] BIRDS FROM EASTERN AFRICA. 569 



South Africa, Madagascar, and the Comoro Islands ; while M. (Bgyp- 

 tins as certainly ranges throughout North Africa, and extends south- 

 ward to Durban, in Natal ; but it appears to be by far the rarest of 

 the two species south of the equator. 



35. Merops nubicus. 



Merops nubicus, Gm., Finsch & Hartl. Vog. Ostafr. p. 182; 

 Fischer & Reichenow, J. f. O. 1878, p. 256; Fischer, torn. cit. 

 p. 288; Bocage, Orn. d' Angola, p. 90; Fischer, J. f. O. 1879, 

 pp. 282, 294, 302, 303. 



Lamo ; Pangani. 



The Pangani river appears to be its furthest authentic limit south, 

 as its occurrence in Cape Colony, on the authority of a specimen in 

 the Leiden Museum, is very doubtful ; nor do I consider its claims 

 to be a native of Angola any more satisfactory. I am, in conse- 

 quence, obliged to limit the range of this species in East Africa 

 from 15° N, lat. to Zanzibar, and in West Africa to Senegambia. 



36. Melittophagus pusilltjs. 



Merops minutus (P. L. S. Midi.), Finsch & Hartl. Vog. Ost- 

 afr. p. 188; Fischer & Reichenow, J. f. O. 1878, p. 256; Fischer, 

 torn. cit. p. 288. 



Merops pusillus, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1873, p. 712 ; Nicholson, P. Z. S. 

 1878, p. 355. 



Melittophagus eyanostictus. Cab. J. f. 0. 1875, p. 340 ; id. J. f. O. 

 1878, p. 235. 



Lamo; Melinda; Dar-es- Salaam. 



This species ranges throughout Africa south of about 17°N. lat., 

 and is represented in my collection by three races, to be distinguished 

 by the following characters : — (1) East- African race, M. eyanostictus. 

 Cab., with a distinct cobalt-blue eyebrow extending forward in a 

 narrow streak round the forehead, the front border of the black 

 collar rather more distinctly margined with blue than in the next two 

 races, represented by five East- African specimens; (2) South-African 

 race, with a distinct blue eyebrow of a paler shade than in the last 

 race and not extending forward to the forehead, represented by nine 

 South-African and two Congo specimens ; (3) Gold Coast race, the 

 blue eyebrow barely visible and not extending forward beyond the 

 eye, the bhie front border to the black collar generally a trifle 

 narrower than in the other races, represented by seven specimens 

 from the Gold Coast. 



I can detect no other characters for these races, and do not con- 

 sider those mentioned to be of specific value. 



37. DiCROCERCUS hirundinaceus. 



Merops hirundineus (hicht.), Finsch & Hartl. Vog. Ostafr. p. 193. 

 Dicrocercus hirundinaceus, Nicholson, P. Z. S. 1878, p. 355. 

 Dar-es-Salaam. 



This species ranges in East Africa from the Djur country (Upper 

 Proc. Zool. Soc— 1 88 1 , No. XXXVII. 37 



