73 [Vol. xiii. 



Captain Shelley communicated the following notes on 

 African Ploceidce and Alaudidce : — 



" Mr. A. L. Butler, who is in charge of the Game 

 Preservation Department of the Soudan,, has recently sent me 

 examples of two new species of Pyrrhulauda which I describe 

 as follows : — 



" Pyrrhulauda butleri, n. sp. 



" $ . Similar to P. nigriceps, Gould, from which it differs 

 in the greater breadth of the black on the hinder half of the 

 crown, this being slightly broader than the white frontal 

 portion of the head ; hind-neck white, passing through a 

 dusky shade into the isabelline colouring of the back. 



"Hab. Twenty miles W. of Omdurman, Jan. 2, 1903 (130). 



" Pyrrhulauda lacteidorsalis, n. sp. 



" $ (breeding). Similar to P. leucotis, from which it 

 differs in having the mantle, the pale edges of the wing- 

 feathers and centre tail-feathers of a cream-colour, which 

 extends over nearly the whole of the lesser wing-coverts ; 

 hind-neck white, with a narrow black basal band. 



"Khartoum, Nov. 25, 1902 (77). 



" The following notes refer to some species of Ploceidce : — 



" Coliuspasser delamerei, n. sp. 



" <$ . Similar to C. procne, from which it differs in being 

 slightly larger, the males in full breeding-plumage having 

 longer tails. Total length 25'5 inches, culmen 0*7, wing 

 5-5, tail 2.1-0, tarsus 105. 



" North Kenya, March 17, 1900 (Lord Delamere). 



" If in the genus Estrilda we separate as sub-species of 

 E. astrild, Linn., E. rubriventris and E. minor (cf. Sharpe, 

 Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xiii. p. 393), we shall have to go further 

 and divide this group into seven races, for which I give the 

 following key : — 



" a. Less red on the plumage ; no crimson 

 shade on the mantle. 

 a'. Sides of head and the upper throat 

 les3 pure white. 



