Vol. 5, p. 177. December 18, 1925. 



Occasional Papers 



OF THE 



Boston Society of Natural History. 



A NEW RACE OF PELZELN'S WEAVER-FINCH. 



BYOUTRAM BANGS AND JOHN C. PHILLIPS. 



During the course of a collecting and hunting trip made by one 

 of us (Phillips) in Uganda, the West Nile region, and eastern 

 Congo in 1924, a series of five specimens of true Icteropsis pelzelni 

 was taken at Rhino Camp, West Nile, and at Damba Island, 

 Sesse Archipelago, north end of Victoria Nyanza, Uganda. 

 These are all small birds, agreeing in measurements with Hart- 

 laub's account of his original specimens that came from Magungo, 

 somewhat farther nOrth. 



On comparing our specimens with a pair of adult birds in the 

 Museum of Comparative Zoology, taken by Emin Pasha at 

 Busisi at the south end of Victoria Nyanza, we found the latter to 

 be a good deal larger, though similar in color. 



Later we submitted the whole series to Dr. James P. Chapin for 

 comparison with the material in the American Museum of Natural 

 History, and asked for his opinion. He replied that he agreed 

 with us that the southern form was well worth naming; we there- 

 fore propose to call it 



Icteropsis pelzelni tuta, subsp. no v. 

 Type. — No. 65370, Museum of Comparative Zoology, adult male, from Busisi, 

 Tanganyika Territory (late German East Africa), at south end of Victoria 

 Nyanza. Collected October 1, 1890, by Emin Pasha. 



Characters. — Similar to Icteropsis pelzelni pelzelni (Hartlaub) but considerably 

 larger. 



Measurements. 



Culmen to 

 base of 

 No. Sex Locality Wing Tail Tarsus forehead 



65370 c? ad. Busisi, Tanganyika Terr. 66 46 19 (tip gone) 



65371 9 ad. " " " 63 44 19 17 



Our five skins of Icteropsis pelzelni pelzelni (Hartlaub) afford 

 the following measurements: three males, wing, 57-60; tail, 

 38-40; tarsus, 18-19; culmen to base of forehead, 16-17; two 

 females, wing, 56, 58; tail, 38, 41; tarsus, 18; culmen to base of 

 forehead, 15, 16. 



