Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 
249 
give detailed measurements ; they were collected at the following localities : 
(Cape Colony) Knysna, Port Elizabeth, Pondoland ; (Natal) Dargle ; 
(Transvaal) Belfast, The Woodbush, Groot Spelonken, Marabastad, Warm- 
baths, Pongola Eiver ; (Northern Transvaal) Pretoria, Potchefstroom ; 
and (Orange Free Stale) Honingspruit Station. Maximum and minimum 
measurements of these specimens are : wing 47-59, tail 44 -61, tarsus 17-21, 
and culmen 10-12 mm. ; males are slightly larger than females. Some- 
times individuals are streaked on the flanks, but not apparently under any 
rule. 
Group Y1I — Cisticola lugubrjs. 
(1) Tail 80-100 % length of wing ; (2) first primary 56-62 % length 
of second ; (3) tail feathers broad in proportion to length, rather stiff ; 
(4) beak medium, equal in length to middle toe without claw ; (5) inner 
toe slightly longer than outer, its claw reaching to base of middle claw ; 
(6) middle claw weak but sharp, less than half the length of toe ; legs and 
feet stout ; (7) seasonal changes well marked, in winter the tail being 
longer, and the upper surface of body and crown more clearly streaked, 
the margins of the feathers being buff and showing up the dark centres. 
Inhabits open marshes in tropical regions. 
Cisticola luguhris (Riippell).* 
Plates — Rupp. Syst. Ueb., PI. 11 and 12 ; Y. d. Decken’s Reisen III, 
PI. 2, fig. 2 ; Ibis 1869, PL 2, fig. 2. 
The following description is taken from Sharpe’s “ Birds of South 
Africa,” p. 269, in which the species is placed as C. fulvifrons 
“ Adult $. Head pale rufous, inclining to ashy-brown on the nape ; 
the back and scapulars ashy-brown, especially the mantle, the rest broadly 
black in the centre of the feathers, some of which are edged with sandy 
buff ; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts ashy-grey, the latter rather 
more dusky with slightly paler edges ; wing-coverts ashy brown with 
black centre, the median series with rufous tips, the greater coverts tawny 
rufous with long black centres ; quills dusky brown, externally edged 
with tawny rufous, paler towards the tips of the primaries, the inner 
secondaries edged all round with ashy ; quills dark brown, edged with 
ashy and broadly tipped with white, before which the brown deepens into 
a black bar, which is apparent on all but the tw r o centre feathers, these 
having only a dusky subterminal spot, and no white tips ; lores and a 
faint eyebrow buffy- white ; ear-coverts very pale fulvous brown, clearer 
buff on the lower parts adjoining the cheeks, which are yellowish ; throat 
and centre of abdomen white ; breast whitish, washed with pale yellow 7 , 
the flanks slightly shaded with ashy-brown ; thighs tawnv ; under wing- 
coverts whitish with a pale wash of fawn-colour ; bill dusky ; tarsi and 
feet pale ; iris light reddish browm. Total length 127, wing 53, tarsus 24, 
culmen 22 (13 ?). 
“ The male is somewhat larger, measuring as follows : — Wing 59, 
tarsus 25, culmen 15 mm.” 
Neue Wirb. Abyss-Vogel, p. Ill (1835). 
