adiUt or very old birds. Referring to this question, Von Houglin says (Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 203):—
" Central-Abyssinian birds are, as a rule, larger than East-African examples. Ilartlaub and Finsch
separate the eastern H. fremitus from the western M. bullockii, as t he latter never has the blue
edging to the black check-patches; hut this does not, in my opinion, constitute any specific
difference. According to Schlegol, only the very old males of M. bullockii have this blue border;
and in any case there are specimens from East Africa in which it occurs only very slightly."
I find but little variation in the measurements of the various specimens I have examined, as
will be seen by the following table :—
Culmcn. Wing. Tail. Tarsus,
in. in. in. in.
Senegal (Mus. H. E. Dresser) 1-3 375 345 040
1*8 3-9 3-G8 0*45
1 3 3-9 3-58 0-42
Gambia (Mus. Shelley) 3'9 3'70 0*40
„ „ 1-4 '3-9 3-60 0-42
Senegal [Mia. Brit.) 135 3*8 3'60 0*42
1-4 37 3-55 0*40
Shonga „ 1*4 3*9 8*75 0*42
„ „ 1-3 4*0 3*75 0-42
Senaar „ 1-4 3'8 370 0'45
The specimen figured and described is from Senegal and is in my own collection.
I n the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens :—
E Mus. L\. E. Dresser,
a, b. Senegal, W. Africa (Verreaux), c. Senegal (li. B. Skarpe).
E Mus. Brit.
a. River Gambia (IVhitely). b, 3. Senegal (Verreaux). c. Senaar (Dr. Kotschy). d, e. Shonga (Forbes).
E Mus. Paris.
a. White Nile (M. d'Arnaud). b. Senegal.
a, b. Gambia (Moloney).
E Mus. (i. E. Shelley.