118 
Mr. D. A. Bannerman on rare Birds [Ibis, 
Sarothrura bohmi bohmi. 
Sarothrura bohmi Reicliw. Vogel Afrikas, i. 1900, p. 290 
■—•Type locality : Likulwe, Congo. 
Th is distinct species was described by Reichenow from 
Likulwe, just north of Katanga in the southern Belgian 
Congo. 
Unfortunately we have no typical birds in the British 
Museum ; in fact, the specimen now sent borne by Mr. Bates, 
shot at Bitye, R. Ja, on the 29th of November, 1913, is the 
first of its kind which we have seen. The occurrence of this 
Rail so far from its typical locality at once suggested the 
possibility of its being a distinct form. 
Dr. van Someren recently obtained two specimens of this 
Rail—one from the Nairobi Rifle-range, the other from 
Kisumu. These birds differ from the Cameroon specimen 
in the highly streaked appearance of the wing-coverts caused 
by each feather having two pronounced submarginal white 
streaks, considerably wider than the streaks on the back. 
I am inclined to think that the bird which Mr. Bates 
obtained at Bitye has not yet attained the .fully adult 
plumage, as only three feathers of the greater wing-coverts 
are submarginally streaked with white. 
Mr. Chapin now writes to me from America that he has 
specimens of S. bohmi from Earadje (Upper Uele) and from 
Medje. 
It is, of course, quite possible that this Rail extends its 
range across central Africa, and that the Cameroon birds 
are identical with the Nairobi specimens ; but should further 
specimens be received from Cameroon and from the typical 
locality, it will be worth while comparing the specimens very 
carefully, as the possibility of a distinct West African race 
must not be overlooked. In any case, the occurrence of this 
Rail in Cameroon is of considerable interest. 
Since writing the above, I have examined a female Rail 
obtained at Machakos, Brit. E. Africa, which I have named 
Sarothrura somereni. It is quite unlike any other Rail 
which I have seen (a full description of this bird appeared in 
Bull. B. O. C. vol. xl. 1920, pp. 8 & 28), and Dr. van Someren 
