20 EINAR LÖNNBERG, BIRDS. 



Poicephalus gulielmi massaicus, 



Turacus hartlaubi, 



Mesopicus spodocephälus rhodeogaster, 



Alseonax murinus, 



Stilbopsar kenricki, 



Phyllastrephus placidus, 



Cinnyris mediocris, 



Drepanorhynchus reichenowi, 



Cisticola prinioides, 



Turdus deckeni elgonensis. 



The first of these has very near relatives as well in the Central African Lake district 

 as in the extreme West Africa. The same is also the case with Alseonax murinus. The 

 Thrush has a near relative (T. baraka) on Ruwenzori. Phyllostrephus placidus has seve- 

 ral near relatives partly in the Central African Lake district (Ph. cabanisi sucosus), and 

 partly further west (Ph. cabanisi, and poensis). Mesopicus spodocephälus rhodeogaster 

 has its nearest relative ranging from Shoa to Victoria Nyanza. The other species of 

 Stilbobpsar is also an East African forestbird, but the related genus Poeoptcra is West 

 African. Turacus hartlaubi does not appear to be very closely related to any other species, 

 and Drepanorhynchus stånds also rather isolated, as a kind of specialised Nectarinia, its 

 affinities are, however, more East- than Wést-African. The latter is probably also the 

 case with Cisticola prinioides, while Cinnyris mediocris appears to have its nearest rela- 

 tive in South Africa. Four of these ten forest species point thus more or less towards 

 West Africa, but about the others there is no such indication. 



As a result of the above discussion it may be said that in this collection of birds from 

 the forests the different geographic groups are represented with the following percentages: 



Widely distributed birds 9,3 % 



Species with a more or less wide range in East Africa but not reaching tlie 

 Central African Lake district 32 %, or with the endemic species from the 

 mountain forests 45,3 » 



Species with an otherwise more or less restricted or extended range belonging to 



the Central African Lake district 34,6 » 



Species with a still more western range 10, g » 



From this account it can be seen that the number of forestbirds which range westward 

 beyond East Africa amounts to not less than 45,2 % (34,6 + 10,6) not counting the widely 

 distributed ones. They are accordingly just as numerous as those not reaching as far west, 

 even if the endemic forestbirds are counted to the latter group which hardly is quite right. 



If we make an orientation of these forest-birds with regard to the range north or 

 south beyond East Africa the following result is won. 



Species widely distributed över the continent (as before) 9,3 % 



Species more or less widely distributed in East Africa ranging as well north as 



south of East-Africa proper (i,t; » 



Species ranging north (but not soutb) of East Africa s. str 10,6 » 



Species ranging south (but not north) of East Africa s. str 24, o » 



Species ranging neither north nor south of East Africa s. str 32, o » 



More or less western species 17,5 » 



