1882.] CAPT. SHELLEY ON BIRDS FROM SOUTH AFRICA. 337 
May the colouring is of a slightly more tawny hue than in the 
others. 
SPHENGACUS NATALENSIS, sp. nov. 
Very similar to S. africanus, but differs in the almost uniform 
rufous-buff colouring of the under surface of the body, and in the 
absence of black shaft-stripes to the upper and under tail-coverts ; 
the sides of the upper chest and crop, in some specimens, are 
slightly mottled with the dark tips and central stripes to the feathers, 
but show no distinct black marks; the flanks are generally entirely 
uniform, but in one specimen I find a few obscure dark central stripes 
to some of these feathers ; the upper and under tail-coverts are 
always uniform. 
The characters here given for this species are further borne out by 
the specimens in the British Museum. Although I separate the 
Natal form under the title of S. natalensis, I myself would regard 
it as merely a well marked local race of S. africanus. 
The only specimen I have examined from Kaffraria is in some 
respects intermediate, but appears to me to be closer to S. africanus, 
in that the black markings on the sides of the body are very distinct, 
though fewer in number and smaller than in the Cape-Colony form. 
But the upper and under tail-coverts are without dark central stripes ; 
so perhaps it would be more consistent to separate this form as a 
third race under the title of S. intermedius. 
The distinguishing characters for these three races or species 
may be clearly summed up in the following key :— 
a. With very distinct black central marks to some of the 
feathers on the sides of the body. 
a’. Upper and under tail-coverts with dark central stripes ... S. africanus. 
6'. Upper and under tail-coverts uniform, with no dark central 
sitipesitontheiteathers: .si.s.ssss-csndvtecereceecnsecs esnenen S. intermedius. 
b, With no distinct black marks on the sides of the body. 
Upper and under tail-coverts uniform, with no dark central 
Auoipes bOwthe) feathers. os vasccoestwusenuihusrer sncmecande cet ceeben S. natalensis. 
I have carefully examined the following specimens of these three 
birds, and find no character in the measurements. 
S. africanus :—a, 3, Cape (Verreaux) ; 6, c, d, Cape (Butler) ; 
e, 2, Paal, Cape Colony (Shelley); f, George (Atmore). 
S. intermedius :—g, Kaffraria (Barratt). 
S. natalensis :—h, 3, Pinetown (T. L. Ayres); i,j, k, 1, Transvaal 
(W. Lucas); m, Swaziland (T. E. Buckley): Shelley Mus. a, 3, 
6b, 5, ¢, bd, d, 3, Newcastle: Butler Mus. a, ¢,6, 9,0¢, do, 
Ingagane river; d, 2, Drakensberg: Reid Mus. 
DQ 
a 
