46 
northern and southern forms, ascertaining on working out the synonymy that the northern form 
would stand as Coracias ncevius, but that the southern had no name. I then had both figured for the 
present work, and, though I did not publish the results at which I had arrived, I gave the southern 
form the name of Coracias mosamlicanus, which name was in June 1885 (as I find on reference to 
the lithographer’s account) printed on the plate of the present species. In 1890, however, I thought 
it advisable to publish the information I had collected five years previously, and to fix the name, which 
I did (Ibis, 1890, p. 385) ; but I then found it necessary to alter the specific name to mosamUcus, 
which name I contend is the one that will stand. Dr. Sharpe, however, in the recently published 
volume of the ‘ Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum ’ (xvii. p. 25, note) has deemed it 
advisable to rename the species on the plea that “ for the last twelve months ” (which would be from 
early in 1891) “ the name of C. oUvaceicejps has been attached to the South-African form of C. noevius 
in the MSS. of the present volume of the Catalogue,” and further, because there is, he says, no 
proof forthcoming of the occurrence of this Boiler in Mozambique. As regards the former contention 
there is no doubt of my having named the bird in 1885, fully six years before Dr. Sharpe took any 
steps in the matter, and, furthermore, my name was published two years before that given by him, 
while I have a list of the specimens in the British Museum of those which have the crown red and 
those with the crown green, compiled for me by Dr. Sharpe when I was working out the question 
at the British Museum in 1885. As regards his contention that there is no proof of the occurrence 
of this form in Mozambique, this will not stand good, as not only has the bird been procured on the 
Zambesi, which forms the southern boundary of Mozambique, but it has been also obtained as far 
north as 6° S. lat., so that its range extends north of Mozambique. It appears somewhat strange 
that Dr. Sharpe should have overlooked the specimens in the Berlin Museum from Gouda and 
Togoland, for he states that on a recent visit to Berlin he together with Dr. Eeichenow examined the 
Boilers at that Museum. 
In any case, had Dr. Sharpe been correct in his assertion that the present species does not range 
as far north as into Mozambique, he should have been the last person to find fault with the name I 
gave it, as he himself at the same time, in 1890 (Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xiii. p. 645), gave the name of 
Ammomanes algeriensis to a Lark which {fide Tristram) has never occurred in Algeria proper, and 
does not range north of the Sahara. Had, therefore. Dr. Sharpe been justified in the course he took 
I should be equally justified in renaming his species and calling it Ammomanes saliarce. 
The specimen figured and described is the type and is in my own collection, as is also the young 
bird described. 
In the preparation of the above article I have examined, besides the series in the British 
Museum, the following specimens:— 
E Mus. H. E. Eresser. 
a, (S ad. Zambesi {Bradshaw), b, ? ad. East Africa {Whitely). c, juv. Ondonga, Damaraland, 11th January, 
1867 {Andersson). 
E Mus. 11. B. Tristram. 
a, S. Africa {Sir A. Smith), b. Damaraland, 1852 (6’. J. Andersson). c, 6. The Beeds, Swakop river, 
S. Africa, 13th April, 1865 (C. J. Andersson). d, $. Kroonstad, Orange Free State, 6th June, 1885 
{E. F. Symonds). 
