3 [Vol. xli. 



No. 527 (breeding). Mahera, Rokelle River, Sierra Leone, 

 21st April, 1920. Collected by Mr. Willoughbj P. Lowe. 



This race is named in honour oE the collector ; it is the 

 first and only representative of the Great Equatorial Swift 

 which has ever been obtained in tropical West Africa, north 

 of Angola. 



Sarothrura bohmi danei, subsp. nov. 



Male. Most nearlv allied to Sarothrura bohmi, Rchw., but 

 differs from it in several well-marked particulars. In each 

 case the chin and upper throat are white, but in S. h. danei the 

 white covers a smaller area. The rufous of the head, which 

 is perhaps a shade darker in S. b. danei, does not extend so 

 far on to the nape as it does in S. bohmi. In the new form, 

 irregularly mixed with the rufous feathers of the neck, are 

 two or three white feathers narrowly edged with black and 

 with the black base continued down the middle of the feather 

 in a comparatively broad black line. These feathers appear 

 to be quite new, and are very conspicuous. I cannot account 

 for their presence. At first sight it would appear that the 

 Rail is in the course of exchanging a rufous neck for that of a 

 streaked black-and-white one, but I am of opinion that the 

 reverse is the case, and that the barred feathers are the 

 remains of the immature dress. 



The principal difference between S. b. danei and S. b. bohmi 

 is to be seen in the under-parts, the under-surface being very 

 much blacker in the new race. In fact, whereas in S. b. bohmi 

 the breast, belly, and flanks are mainly white streaked with 

 black, in S. b. danei the under-parts are mainly black streaked 

 with white. The upper-parts are of a deeper black in S. b. 

 danei, and both the secondaries and coverts are narrowly and 

 subterminally edged with pure white. 



The specimen of S. b. danei has every appearance of being 

 an adult male, unless we consider the odd black and white 

 feathers of the throat indicate that the bird has not attained 

 its final plumage. For the present I prefer to unite it with 

 S. b. bohmi, as it seems to be very closely related to that 

 bird. The legs and feet of S. b. bohmi are distinctly heavier 



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