Vol. xxvii.] 92 



and though the present species has been recorded as 

 occurring in Algeria, later investigators have not met with 

 it there (Hartert, Vog. pal. Fauna, i. p. 395} .''^ 



Mr. NicoLL also exhibited three female examples of the 

 Common Redstart (Ruticilla phcenicurus) which had assumed 

 a plumage somewhat similar to that of the male. He 

 remarked : — 



'' These three birds were captured on migration in the 

 Province of Giza, Egypt, and were brought to me alive : 

 the first two on the 10th and 17th of April, 1910, and the 

 third on the 15th of April, 1911. 



" Mr. J. H. Gurney has recorded somewhat similar 

 specimens (Trans. Norfolk & Norwich Nat. Soc. iv. p. 182). 



" I carefully dissected the three examples exhibited, 

 and found that the ovaries, though small, were apparently 

 perfectly normal. 



"It seems possible that very old female Redstarts assume 

 a plumage somewhat resembling that of the male, thSugh 

 this supposition is entirely conjectural. Certainly these 

 black-throated females are by no means common, for I have 

 examined many female Redstarts caught on migration in 

 Egypt, and all of them, with the exception of the three 

 specimens exhibited, were normally coloured.^' 



Mr. C. E. Hellmayr forwarded descriptions of two new 

 races of Humming-Birds, which he proposed to call : — 



Phaethornis yaruqui sancti-johannts, subsp. n. 



Adult male. Nearly related to P. ij. yaruqui (Bourc), from 

 Western Ecuador, but with a well-defined, deep ochraceous- 

 buff malar stripe ; the ochraceous postocular streak much 

 broader and darker ; the lower parts much paler, a broad 

 band along the middle of the throat, fore-neck, and chest, 

 together with the abdomen, light smoke-grey, only the sides 

 of the fore-neck and chest being shining metallic green. 

 Bill shorter, 41-43 mm. ; wing 61-62 ; tail 55-61. 



Adult female. Much lighter-coloured than the male. The 



