| OCR Text |
Show 126 CAPT. SHELLEY O N BIRDS FROM THE CAMEROONS. [Feb. 1, race occurs from the Niger to Senegamhia, while the representative form of the Gaboon and Congo region is subspecifically distinct." Mr. Johnston's specimen I consider belongs to the "small dark race." 15. COLIUSPASSER CAPENSIS (Linn.). Euplectes phcenicomerus, Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1862, x. p. 444, Cameroons. Coliuspasser capensis, Shelley, Ibis, 1885, p. 359. cJ ad., October, 11,200 ft.; J ad., 10,000 ft.; <$ ad., 8000 ft. ; 2 , September, and S juv., October, 8000 ft.; $, October, 10,000 ft.; cJ juv., September, 9000 ft. All these specimens belong to the small South-African race of C. capensis, which was separated by Dr. Cabanis under the name of Orynx approximans. I wish here to correct an error I made in last year's ' Ibis,' p. 350, where I included W . Africa in the range of the closely allied C. xanthomelas. It has never yet been found on that side of the continent. 16. PLOCEUS MELANOGASTER, sp. n. (Plate XIV. fig. 2.) 6, September, 8000 ft. Head aud entire throat bright yellow ; a band through the eye, sides of the neck, entire body, wings, and tail black. Total length 5 inches, culmen 0'65, wing 2-6, tail 2*2, tarsus 0*8. The bill is comparatively long and slender. The whole bird so closely resembles in size and form P. nigricollis, Vieill., that I expect the female will be found to have a black crown. This very distinct species may at once be recognized by its entirely black body and yellow throat. 17. CRITHAGRA BURTONI (Gray). Strobilophaga burtoni, Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1862, x. p. 445, Cameroons. 3 <S, October, 9000 ft. ; $, 9000 ft. As this is the first time the male has been sent to this country, I would observe that it is similar in plumage to the female. 18. STERNA MACRURA, Naum. Sterna brachypus, Hartl. Orn. W.-Afr. p. 255. Sterna hirundo, Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 255, pl. 579. Sterna macrura, H. Saunders, P. Z. S. 1876, p. 650. cS, October, sea-shore. |
