242 
Annals of the Transvaal Museum 
the south-east, from Durban to Grahamstown, our specimens are smaller 
than those from Transvaal and Weenen and the rufous coloration has all 
but disappeared, on the rump and upper tail coverts being olive yellowish, 
the wings and tail with only a trace of rufous. Dimensions of the adults 
in the series examined are as follows: 
Males Females 
Wing 
Tail 
Wing 
Tail 
A 
Locality 
Summer Winter 
Summer Winter 
Boror 
— 
— — 
(i) 45*5 
— 53 
Beira (4) 
47*5-49 
48-53 — 
Durban (i) 
47 
56 — 
— 
— 
Pondoland (5) 
48-49-5 
55-59 70-75 
(II) 44-47 
49-55 65-73 
Weenen (i) 
52 
55 — 
— 
— 
Transvaal (ii) 
49-54 
55-59 70-77 
(4) 50-51 
— 68-72 
It would seem, therefore, that there are three subspecies within our 
limits, namely, Prinia mistacea tenella Cab. in the Lower Zambesi region, 
P. mistacea affinis Smith in the Transvaal and Upper Natal and an un- 
described form from the coast of Natal to Grahamstown. The last I propose 
r-f, to name P. mistacea pondoensis subsp. nov., the type an adult male in 
summer plumage from Port St Johns, No. 4282 in the Transvaal Museum 
collection. I nominate Rustenburg as the type locality of P. mistacea 
affinis (Smith), specimens from there agreeing perfectly with the original 
description, except in respect of the point mentioned above. In the Pon- 
doland series, summer and winter birds are quite readily differentiated, 
the former being much browner above. 
Laniidae 
As with other small birds, the Shrikes are much in need of special study 
and re-organisation of their classification. I cannot attempt to deal with 
the whole family with the poor facilities available to me, but nevertheless 
offer a few remarks upon species found abroad as well as those of South 
Africa. It is to be noted that there are northern genera having repre- 
sentatives in the south, but that in proportion to the availability of food, 
Africa has a very large number of species and consequently genera. We 
find amongst them species which migrate for thousands of miles and yet 
with allies migrating only a short distance, and many species, perhaps 
allied to them, which are strictly local. Those species which migrate the 
farthest show this in the shape of the wing and shortness of tail, when com- 
parison is made between the species that are apparently allied. The 
northern, typical, Lanius excuhitor L., is a partial migrant in the north, 
but its representative in the south is a resident, and, as I shall presently 
show, this southern species is as much deserving of generic rank as many 
other species commonly placed in genera. Again, the northern migrant, 
L. minor Gm., has its representative in the African genus, Fiscus. And again 
the northern migrant, Enneoctonus collurio (L.), has its resident repre- 
sentatives in southern Asia in Otomela, the most strictly local of which have 
the longest tails ; from the fact that Enneoctonus has no representative in 
South Africa, where it is common, we may assume that it has been driven 
