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Show 488 DR. R. B. SHARPE ON BIRDS [May 21, Argya heuglini, Sharpe; Oust. Bibl. Ecole Hautes Etudes, xxxi. art. 10, p. 5 (1886). a. d ad. Shebeli, Aug. 27, 1894. Iris straw-yellow. This I take to be the true A. rubiginosa of Ruppell. The bird usually called A. rubiginosa by African authorities is that which I have called A. heuglini (Cat. B. vii. p. 391), as the name of rufescens proposed for it had been preoccupied by Blyth. I had not noticed that Heuglin himself had discovered his mistake and in his ' Appendix' to the ' Ornithologie Nordost-Afrika's' (iv. p. cccxii) renamed the species A. rufula, wrhich name has been adopted by Dr. Reichenow (Vog. Deutsch-Ost-Afr. p. 219), who unearthed Heuglin's identification. On looking over our series, however, I find that there are three species of these rufous-coloured Argyce, which may be characterized as follows :- a. Lores grey or dusky. a'. Larger; dark brown above; forehead dark grey, extending to beyond the line of the eyes ; hind-neck and mantle also dark brown with dark shaft-lines quite distinct: wing 3'8 inches rubiginosa. (Shoa aud Somali.) b'. Smaller ; light brown above ; a narrow frontal line of grey ; hind-neck light brown, but the dark shaft-lines not distinct, except on the forehead : wing 3'35 inches rufula. (Equatorial Africa.) b. Lores vinaceous rufous, like the sides of the face and the under surface of the body saturata. (E. Africa.) Hence arises a curious confusion of synonymy. Heuglin duly noticed the difference between A. rubiginosa and A. rufescens, but as the latter name was preoccupied, I proposed to call it A. heuglini, but at the same time I described the bird from Zanzibar, which now proves to be distinct from A. rufula (i. e., A. rufescens, Heugl., nee Blyth). The name of the Zanzibar bird wall therefore be ARGYA SATURATA, n. sp. Argya rufula, auct., ex Africa Orientali (nee Heuglin). Argya heuglini, Sharpe, Cat. vii. p. 391 (pt. descr. nee syn.). W e have now several specimens of A. rufula, Heugl., and oi A. saturata in the Museum collection, and the rufous lores and sides of face in the latter species are very pronounced. Fam. PYCNONOTIDJE. 94. PYCNONOTUS DODSONI, n. sp. P. similis P. layardi, sed multo minor, nigredine capitis gutturisque valde definita, et rectricibus albo terminatis, pectore pure albis, prcepectore albo, plumis medialiter suturate notatis, quasi squamatis, et dorsi plumis medialiter nigricanti-brunneis squamulatim notatis distinguendus. Long. tot. culm. 0-6, alee 3*25, caudce 2*6, tarsi 0*75. |
