9 | Vol.'xI. 
black, flanks, sides of the body, and thighs blackish, having 
the mottled appearance of the back. Middle of the belly 
whitish, auxilliaries black. Bill horn-colour, lower mandible 
pale yellowish-horn. Legs and feet dark reddish-brown. 
Wing 83 mm., bill 10, tarsus 23 mm., middle toe, includ- 
ing nail, 25 mm. 
Type [ ¢], marked ¢ by the collector. Machakos, Brit. 
H. Africa. 20.viii.01. 8S. L. Hinde Coll. Brit. Mus. 
Reg. No. 1910. 4. 22-13. 
I have much pleasure in naming this bird in honour of 
‘Dr. van Someren, who has, I believe, recently secured the 
' male of this species, and has generously refrained from 
naming his specimen in case it should turn out to be the 
male of my bird’. 
I may point out that, as it is in the females of these little 
Rails that the greatest variation between the races is shown, 
it is therefore more satisfactory if the female is made 
the type. 
Mr. BANNERMAN also exhibited and described the first 
known male example of :— 
Spermospiza poliogengs Ogilvie-Grant. 
Adult male. Forehead, crown of the head, cheeks, sides of 
the neck, throat, and breast brilliant crimson—several shades 
brighter than in S. rubricapilla. Belly, flanks, and sides of 
the body deep black, the sides and flanks liberally sprinkled 
with crimson feathers. Under tail-coverts black, a few of 
the feathers tipped with crimson, Tail-feathers black, very 
slightly glossed when new. Nape, mantle, scapulars, and 
back deep glossy blue, becoming duller blue-black on the 
rump. Major coverts dull black, each feather narrowly 
fringed with glossy blue; primaries and secondaries dull 
black, unglossed. Iris, probably similar in colour to the 
female, stated by D. Carruthers to be dark brown; feet dark 
brown; bill, both upper and lower mandible metallic purplish- 
blue at the base, red at the tip. 
Culmen 18 mm., wing 70, tarsus 22, tail 64. 
* A description of the male of S, somerem is given on p. 28 of this 
‘ Bulletin.’ 
