Birds from the White Nile. 425 
a. S ' Fashoda, 22nd March. No. 163. 
Iris hazel; bill black; legs and feet black. 
[Only a single example of the Red-rumped Swallow was 
seen.— E. M. H.] 
74. Mesopicus pceocephalus. 
Mesopicus goertan Hargitt, Cat. B. Brit Mus. xviii. 
p. 368 (1890) [part.] ; Witherby, p. 265 ; N. C. Roths. & 
VVollast. p. 24. 
Dendrobates poicephalus Swains. B. W. Afr. ii. p. 154 
(1837). 
a. (? . Kaka, 23rd Feb. No. 64. 
h, c, (5^ ? . 20 miles N. of Fashoda. 11th April. Nos. 
313, 314. 
d. ? . Kaka, 23rd April. No. 398. 
Iris hazel ; bill and legs dark slate-grey. 
Dr. Eeichenow (Orn. Monatsb. viii. p. 58, 1900) discusses 
this species and its allies, and recognises the typical species 
from Senegal and three subspecies : — 
1. Mesopicus goertan poicephalus (Swains). Hab. W. 
Africa, Gambia to Loango. 
2. Mesopicus goertan abessinicus Reichenow. Hab. Abys- 
sinia, Kordofan, and Sennar. 
3. Mesopicus goertan centralis Reichenow. Hab. Bahr- 
el-Ghazal to Niam-Niam and Siik. 
An examination of the fine series in the National 
Collection shews that the typical birds from Senegal 
certainly have, as stated by Dr. Reichenow, the back of a 
more golden-olive colour ; but we cannot agree with him as 
regards the other subspecies : the characters ascribed to 
them do not hold good, and birds from Gambia, the White 
Nile, and Abyssinia are indistinguishable from one another, 
and all should be included under the one title, M. pceo- 
cephalus (Swains.). 
[The Goertan Woodpecker is a fairly common bird. — 
R. M. H.] 
