Annals of the Transvaal Museum 261 
African Museums possess a specimen of any of these species. Bianchi 
{l.c. XXIII. 205, 1905) has also emended the name of Pyrrhulauda io 
Eremopteryx Kaup, of earlier date. The name of Botha Shelley {B. Africa, 
III. 104, 1902) has been emended to Dewetia ( !) by Buturlin (cf. Auk, 1904, 
p. 80). The generic name of Heteronyx C. Grant (Bull. Orn. Cl. xxi. in, 
1908) given to his new species H. ruddi, has been amended by him to 
Heteromirafra (Bull. Brit. Orn. Cl. xxxi. 14, 1913). This last genus does not 
appear to me to be separable from Botha (= Dewetia). Otocoris herlepschi 
Hartert (Journ. Orn. 1890, p. 103) should be included in our list until 
evidence is forthcoming that it did not come from Kaffraria as stated on 
the label. It is remarkably different from other species of the genus, which 
might be expected, having regard to the distance separating Kaffraria 
from the normal range of the genus. It has been given the generic name 
of Otocorydopsis by Bianchi (l.c. xxv. No. 2, 1907). 
Calandrella might be divided according to Dr Sharpe’s arrangement, 
Tephrocorys for C. cinerea and Spizocorys for C. conirostris, C. starki and 
C. sclateri] subgeneric division of Spizocorys might be considered, as the 
species differ in the shape of the bill. To our list must be added Spizocorys 
sclateri capensis (O. Grant, Ann. S. Afr. Mus. xiii. 41, 1913). S. conirostris 
specimens from Damaraland are smaller and much paler than typical 
specimens from Transvaal, and I therefore name this race S. conirostris 
DAMARENS is subsp. nov. The type is an adult male from Ondonga, taken by 
the late Lieut. C. G. Finch-Davies, i March, 1917, No. 12291m the Transvaal 
Museum collection. The following colours were noted by Lieut. Finch-Davies: 
“Bill pink, eyes dark brown, legs flesh pink.” Length of wing 71, tail 39, 
tarsus 17, culmen ii mm. The underparts of the body are almost pure 
white instead of yellowish brown, and the rest of the plumage is propor- 
tionately pallid. 
Fringillidae 
The three sparrows commonly placed together under Passer should be 
separated, the monomorphic species Passer griseus being placed in a 
distinct genus, Pyrgitopsis Bonaparte, genotype Pyrgita diffusus A. Smith 
and the other two as subgenera of Passer. Passer motitensis (A. Smith), 
though having the colour characters of Passer domesticus (the genotype of 
Passer) differs very markedly therefrom in its massive bill, and may there- 
fore be placed in a new subgenus. Megapasser; Passer melanurus (St Mull.) 
has the bill of the same size as Passer domesticus, but differs markedly in 
colour characters and may therefore be placed in a new subgenus, Caffro- 
PASSER. Corospiza simplex of East Africa differs from Caffropasser and 
Passer in colour and size. Bannerman (Ihis, 1915, p. 654) has shown that 
South African specimens of Pyrgitopsis griseus should bear the subspecific 
name of diffusus A. Smith. 
.The Serins furnish good* examples of the effect of environment upon 
structure and colour; but from the point of view of the taxonomer their 
division is not so simple. The genus Spinus, with two species, S. tottus 
of the southern region and 5 . symonsi Rbts. (Ann. Transvaal Mus. v. 257, 
1917) of the Drakensberg, and Alario alario of the south-west are readily 
distinguished, the first on the shape of the bill and the second on colour; 
but I am convinced that Alario alario is not far removed from Serinus 
angolensis, the difference between them being accounted for by their 
