KUNGL. SV. VET. IKADKMIENS II \N l)i,l noak. u\Ni> 47. n:<> 5. 105 



Spermestes nigriceps Cass. 



Rchw. III. p. 153. 



This species was not common in the country througli which I passed. A specimen 

 was collected at Rooruka river V-t 1911 in trecs near a shamba or perhaps inorc correctly 

 at the edge of a patch of forest bordering a cultivated place. 



Reichenow qnotes Tana river as the northern boundary I i ne for this bird, and 1 

 did not find it beyond that limit. 



Spermestes caniceps Rchw. 



Rchw. III, p. 154. 



A pair was shot in the trees fringing Guaso Nyiri not far from Chanler Falls 

 16 8 1911. 



Length of wing 57 (?) — 59 mm. (J 1 ). 



It is probably a chiefly northeastern bird, although it extends south to Wembere. 



Aidemosyne cantans (Gm.). 



Rchw. III, p. 156. 



This little bird, so characteristic with its cuneate tail, was seen in great swarms at 

 the water -place Thera in the thornbush north of Guaso Nyiri. A little låter it was seen 

 and shot at Guaso Nyiri below Chanler Falls. The 4 specimens which I secured had the 

 throat spotted with rufous buff, and the flanks tinged with buffish. I suppose therefore 

 that these specimens cannot be referred to the subspecies orienlalis, although the plumage 

 of the upper parts is barred. 



It is not a member of the East African but of a more northern fauna, although it 

 appears to have been found at two places further south than the locality quoted above. 



Pytilia melba soudanensis Sharp e. 



Rchw. III, p. 164. 



This bird was seen a few times and one male specimen was secured in the thornbush 

 north of Guaso Nyiri. 



The under tail coverts of this specimen are faintly barred but the colour of the red 

 is of the same shade as in a Kilimanjaro bird. The sides and flanks are widely barred with 

 black and white, and therefore I refer my specimen to this subspecies,' the more so as the 

 colour of the back is grey suff used with olive yellow, not rich »yellowish green ». 



The subspecies in question is as the name indicates the northern race inhabiting 

 Soudan and Somaliland. 



1 Conf. 0. Grant. Träns. Zool. Soc. Vol. XIX. Part. 4. p. 292, and Reichenow, Vogelfauna d. Mittelafr. 

 Seengeb., p. 332. 



K. Sv. Vet. Akad. Handl. Baud 47. N:o 5. U 



