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Show 464 DR. R. B. SHARPE ON BIRDS [May 21, 16. STEGANURA PARADISEA. Vidua paradisea orientalis, Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 583 (1869). Vidua verreaaxi, Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. iv. p. cxxxiv (1874); Salvad. Ann. Mus. Genov. (2) vi. p. 286 (1888). Steganura paradisea (L.) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xm. p. 211 (1890) ; Reichen. Vog. Deutsch-Ost-Afr. p. 192,(1894). Vidua paradisea, Oust. Bibl. Ecole Hautes Etudes, xxxi. art. 10, p. 10 (1886). a, b. d ad. Smith River, Sept. 11, 1894. Iris dark brown. Breeding. c. d ad.; d. d juv. Darro Mountains, Nov. 20, 1894. Iris and feet brown. Heuglin doubts whether this is a resident species in North-east Africa, as he only observed it between the months of May and December. It does not extend beyond 17° N. lat., but reaches a height of 6000-7000 feet in Abyssinia. It is common in Bogos, Abyssinia, Senar, Kordofan, and the whole district of the White Nile. In Shoa it seems to be rare, as Antinori did not procure specimens, and Dr. Ragazzi only got one at Ambokarra in May. Dr. Reichenow gives its distribution in German East Africa as extending from Dar-es-Salaam up to the Victoria Nyanza, his list of localities being too large to quote. 17. PYROMELANA FRANCISCANA. Euplectes franciscanus (Isert) ; Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. (1871); Salvad. Ann. Mus. Gen. (2) i. p. 184, vi. p. 288 (1888). Pyromelana franciscana, Shelley, Ibis, 1885, p. 409 : Oust. Bibl. Ecoles Hautes Etudes, xxxi. art. 10, p. 10 (1886); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xiii. p. 233 (1890); id. Ibis, 1891, p. 248. A migrant in North-eastern Africa, according to Heuglin, arriving from the interior in June and July. It is especially common in the lowlands of Abyssinia, extending to 1000 feet; as well as in Takah, Senar, Kordofan, and Nubia. Its most northern limit on the Nile is 22° N. lat. In Shoa, Antinori states that it arrives in May, and he procured specimens from May to September. Dr. Ragazzi also met with the species in Shoa from the end of April to August. Mr. Jackson procured a male at Elgeyo in July, but it is not included in Dr. Reichenow's list of the birds of German East Africa. 18. PYROMELANA XANTHOMEL^INA. Euplectes capensis, var. minor, Heugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. (1871). Pyromelana xanthomelcena (Riipp.) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xiii. p. 239 (1890); id. Ibis, 1891, p. 248. Euplectes xanthomelas, Salvad. Ann. Mus. Genov. (2) i. p. (1884), vi. p. 109 (1888). |
