188 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 



[Mr. Layard [loc. cit.) mentions having seen Passer simplex, 

 which is a West- African race, from Damara Land ; but it seems 

 probable, as suggested by Mr. Sharpe {loc. cit.), that in this 

 instance P. diffusus may have been mistaken for P. simplex. 

 These two Sparrows are in fact very nearly allied ; and Drs. 

 Finsch and Hartlaub {loc. cit.) refer them both, and also the 

 Abyssinian P. Swainsoni, to one and the same species. I, how- 

 ever, agree with Mr. Sharpe in considering P. Swainsoni, P. sim- 

 plex, and P. diffusus as forming three specifically distinct local 

 races, though the differences between them are but slight. — 

 Ed.J 



230. Fringillaria flaviventris (VieiU.). Southern YeUow- 



bellied Bunting. 



Emheriza flavigaster , Riippell's Atlas, pi. 25. 



Fringillariafiaeiventris, Gumey, Birds Damar., Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, 

 p. 3. 

 „ „ Layard's Cat. No. 410. 



Emherizajlavig aster, Chapman's Travels in S. Afr., App. p. 403. 

 Emberiza flaviventris, Finsch & Hartlaub, Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 



p. 458. 

 Fringillaria flaviventris, Sharpe's Cat. No. 667. 



This very handsome bird is pretty common in 

 northern Damara Land and thence onward to the 

 Okavango. I have usually met with it in well- wooded 

 localities ; and I obtained my specimens by quietly 

 awaiting their arrival at some small water, which they 

 were sure to visit in the morning and evening, especially 

 the former; they are fearless birds, and consequently 

 easy to secure. 



The upper mandible is dark liver-brown, the under 

 mandible salmon-yellow ; the legs yellowish brown, and 

 the toes also, but more dusky. 



