764 REPORT OF THE HARVARD AFRICAN EXPEDITION 
Soe. Lond., 1910, p. 289) that concolor and ardens were merely color phases of 
one species, notes that of eleven adult males and five not fully adult taken at 
Poko, Uelle district, Belgian Congo, not one has the least indication of a red 
collar. He then raises the question, “‘....Can all the birds be melanistic? 
And if so, how is it that no specimens of the red-collared whydah were obtained 
in this locality?”’ There can no longer be any doubt as to the genetic distinct- 
ness of these two birds, but probably both races are subject to a considerable 
variation and to some intergradation as well. 
Urobrachya axillaris media Sharpe 
Urobrachya axillaris media Sharpe, Ibis, 1902, p. 118: Tarangola, western Angola. 
Male, Luvungi, 31 January 1927. 
A male in full breeding plumage. It agrees with a series from western 
Uganda. 
Pyromelana hordeacea sylvatica Neumann 
Pyromelana flammiceps sylvatica Neumann, Jour. f. Orn., 1905, p. 345: Jaunde, Cameroon. 
Male and female, Mistandungu, 15 December 1926. 
This male, in breeding plumage, is darker and more reddish on the back 
than a specimen from the type locality, — Jaunde, Cameroon, and has a slightly 
stouter, more conical bill. The name sylvatica is an unfortunate one as the bird 
never occurs in forested areas. Bannerman (Rev. Zool. Afr. ix, 1921, p. 291) 
seems to have overlooked this form. 
Pyromelana orix nigrifrons Bohm 
Pyromelana nigrifrons Bohm, Journ. f. Ornith., 1884, p. 177: Karema, east shore Lake Tanganyika. 
Male, Kamaniola, 1 February 1927. 
Reichenow described P. leuconota from Ischangi, Lake Kivu, as being paler 
on the back and darker and more scarlet on the head and throat. Unfortunately 
the Kamaniola male is just coming into nuptial plumage, making comparisons 
impossible. However, Gyldenstolpe (Kungl. Sv. Vet. Akad. HandIngr., 1924, 
p. 46) examined birds to test the validity of this race and concluded that leu- 
conota must be considered a synonym of nigrifrons. On the other hand 
van Someren (Nov. Zool. xxix, 1922, p. 148) writes that Reichenow unfortu- 
nately used, ‘‘.... as typical birds specimens with very pale straw colored backs. 
It has been proved beyond doubt that these pale-backed birds are old males that 
have come through the nesting season and are consequently faded, while fresh 
plumaged males have the back reddish brown. The crown and breast-band in 
this race is a deep red, not orange-red. ..’’ The series examined by me bear out 
Gyldenstolpe’s conclusions, and I therefore synonymize lewconota with nigri- 
frons. 
Pyromelana afra afra (Gmelin) 
Loxia afra Gmelin, Syst. Nat. il, p. 857, 1788: Africa. 
Female, Bumba, 3 January 1927. 
This specimen is similar to another female of afra in the Museum of Com- 
