LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 590.5 FI V.39 cop. 3 NATURAL HISrORY, SURVEY 9 i.s FIELDIANA • ZOOLOGY Published by 'f?- CHICAGO NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Volume 39 February 27, 1959 No. 25 THREE NEW BIRDS FROM WEST AFRICA Austin L. Rand Chief Curator, Department of Zoology AND Melvin a. Traylor, Jr. Associate Curator, Division of Birds The new subspecies described below were encountered during the study of a collection of birds from Gabon, to be reported on else- where. For the loan of comparative material we are indebted to the authorities of the following institutions: Dean Amadon and Charles Vaurie, American Museum of Natural History; Kenneth Parkes, Carnegie Museum; James Greenway, Museum of Comparative Zoology. Polipicus elliotii Recently, Polipicus johnstoni of Mount Cameroon, with its races schultzei of Fernando Po and kupeensis of Mount Kupe, has been united with P. elliotii by Serle (Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, 72, 1952, p. 105), and in this action he is quite correct. Polipicus elliotii (sens, str.) has been considered monotypic, ranging from the Cam- eroon lowlands south to northern Angola and the Kasai, and east to the Ituri and Uganda. However, within P. elliotii there is a great deal of geographic variation, and at least one race must be separated. Birds from the Cameroon agree most closely with Cassin's original description (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., 1863, p. 197). The type came from the Muni River, now the boundary between Spanish Guinea and Gabon. The diagnostic characters of the Cameroon population are the golden wash over much of the greenish upper parts, particularly the inner secondaries, coverts and scapulars; the heavy streaking be- low, extending onto the abdomen; and the dark yellow-olive wash over the breast and abdomen, the wash being darkest on the breast. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 59-9^79 OHf^ 269 ^ NATURAL 270 FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 39 Cassin particularly mentions the golden wash on the inner secondaries and the yellowish wash below being heaviest on the breast. Gabon and Kasai specimens agree with Cameroon birds in the coloration and heavy streaking of the under parts but have the upper parts a clear yellow-green, with only a suggestion of golden wash on the secondaries and coverts. East Congo-Uganda birds agree well with Gabon-Kasai speci- mens in the coloration of the upper parts and the width and extent of the ventral streaking. However, they lack the strong yellow-olive wash below that characterizes that population and the Cameroon specimens, having the ground color of the under parts a uniform pale yellow-green. Angola specimens are at the opposite extreme from those of Cam- eroon, being the purest green above and having a pale yellow wash below, with the ventral streaking much reduced. The streaking on the breast is much narrower, and on the abdomen it is almost obso- lete. This population is sufficiently distinct to be separated as: Polipicus elliotii gabela, new subspecies Type. — Chicago Natural History Museimi no. 224538, from 15 km. south of Gabela, Angola. Adult male, collected August 15, 1954, by Gerd Heinrich. Diagnosis. — Compared to nominate P. e. elliotii of southern Cam- eroon, gabela has the upper parts a much clearer green, with very little golden wash; the dark streaking of the under parts is much re- duced, being almost wanting on the abdomen; and the ground color of the under parts is pale yellowish, instead of yellow olive. P. e. gabela most nearly resembles kupeensis of British Cameroons, from which it is distinguished by the more buff y, less olive, ear coverts and sides of head, and the more whitish, less yellowish throat. There appears to be no significant variation in size within the mainland populations of the species. Range. — Northwestern Angola. Remarks. — The populations retained in elliotii are not uniform, but further division is not practicable. The Gabon and Congo pop- ulations resemble gabela in having more greenish upper parts, and upper Congo birds lack the strong olive wash below. All, however, are strongly streaked on the under parts and in this respect are readily separable from gabela. ^^AND AND TRAYLOR: BIRDS FROM WEST AFRICA 271 The close resemblance between gabela and kupeensis is remark- able in view of their wide geographic separation; kupeensis is inter- mediate between the practically unstreaked johnstoni of Cameroon highlands and the heavily streaked elliotii of lowland Cameroons, and it was the discovery of this form that led Serle to unite the two spe- cies. The presence of a similar form at the opposite end of the range of elliotii strengthens this view. The ranges and diagnostic characters of the recognizable races of elliotii are listed below: schuUzei. — Highlands of Fernando Po; smaller than iofenstom (not seen). Wing 85 mm. (Reichenow). johnstoni. — Highlands of eastern Nigeria and British Cameroons (except Mount Kupe) ; greenish above, clear yellowish below, virtually unstreaked. Wing, 4 cf", 91-93; 4 9, 86-91 mm. kupeensis. — Mount Kupe, British Cameroons; like johnstoni, but moderately streaked below. Wing, 1 c?", 92 mm. elliotii. — Lowlands of British Cameroons east through southern Cameroon and the upper Congo to Uganda, and south through Gabon to the Kasai; always heavily streaked below, upper parts varying from golden green to green, lower parts from olive yellow to pale dull greenish-yellow. Wing, 13 cf, 88-97 (av. 94.0); 10 9, 90-95 (av. 92.6 mm.). gabela. — Northwestern Angola; green above and pale yellow below, only mod- erately streaked. Wing, 2 cf, 93, 93; 1 9, 94 mm. Specimens examined. — johnstoni: Cameroon Mountain, 4 cf , 4 9 . kupeensis: Mount Kupe, 1 cf . elliotii: southern Cameroons, 9 cf , 6 9 ; Gabon, M'Bigou, 1 9 ; Belgian Congo, Kasai, 1 cf, Ituri, 2 cf , 1 9 , Rugege Forest, southeast of Lake Kivu, 1 cf ; Uganda, 2 9 . ga- bela: Angola, Gabela, 1 cf (type), 2 9, Canzele, 30 km. west of Camabatela, 1 cf . Nectarinia superba This species ranges throughout the Upper and Lower Guinea for- ests from Sierra Leone to Uganda and south to northern Angola. There is a cline of decreasing size from Uganda (wing of males 77- 81) to Upper Guinea (wing of males 67-74), and a secondary north- south cline, Angola birds being almost as large as those from Uganda (wing of males 76-80). Variation in color, however, is not clinal. Uganda birds (huvoma) have the most extensive iridescent caps; those from Upper Guinea (ashantiensis)th.e least. Gabon and Angolan birds (superba) and those from Upper Guinea have the dullest red under parts, while those from Nigeria and Cameroon have the brightest. There is no name available for this brightly colored population, so we propose to name it: 272 FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 39 Nectarinia superba nigeriae, new subspecies Type. — Chicago Natural History Museum no. 95910, from Ifon, Province of Ondo, Nigeria. Adult male collected by Rudyerd and Laura Boulton, August 10, 1934. Diagnosis. — Male distinguished from all other races in being brighter, clearer red on the under parts. Iridescent cap as in nomi- nate superba, of Lower Guinea; more extensive than in ashantiensis of Upper Guinea. Size intermediate between superba and the smaller ashantiensis, but nearer the former. Female not seen. Measurements. — Type : wing 74, culmen from base 36. Five males: wing 72-76 (74.0); culmen 32-36 (34.5). Range. — Southern Nigeria, intergrading through southern Cam- eroon with superba. Remarks. — This new race is more closely allied to superba than to ashantiensis. The population of southern Cameroon is extremely variable. The under parts of individuals from the same localities vary from almost as bright as nigeriae to as dark as typical superba from Gabon and Angola. Populations from the last two localities are quite constantly dark dull red below. In the color of the under parts the males of buvoma from Uganda are intermediate between nigeriae and superba. Measurements of adult males of the various populations exam- ined are: ashantiensis Liberia Number of specimens (2) 5 Wing 67,70 Culmen from base 31,32 nigeriae Nigeria (5) 72-76 (74.0) 32-36 (34.5) (intermediate) Cameroon (34) 73-79 (75.5) 33-39 (36.1) superba Gabon Angola (5) (10) 73-77 (75.2) 76-80 (77.4) 35-38 (36.4) 34-38 (36.0) buvoma Uganda (11) 77-81 (78.5) 32.5-38.5 (35.6) Serinus capistratus In the Heinrich collection of Angolan birds in Chicago Natural History Museum there is a fine series of four males, three females, RAND AND TRAYLOR: BIRDS FROM WEST AFRICA 273 md five immature Serinus capistratus from the evergreen forests of VLount Soque and Mount Moco. When compared to males from idjoining regions in Angola, and from Gabon and the Kasai, the nales are a much duller yellow on the under parts, and must be eparated as: Jerinus capistratus hildegardae, new subspecies Type. — Chicago Natural History Museum no. 225994, from Mount 5oque, 42 km. west-southwest of Luimbale, Huambo, Angola. Adult nale, collected by G. Heinrich, August 28, 1954. Diagnosis. — Males: similar to capistratus, but forehead, supercili- iries and under parts duller, slightly olive yellow, rather than clear '■ellow. Females: darker, more olive yellow on the under parts, and LS a consequence the dark streaking on the breast less conspicuous. Werage somewhat larger than capistratus. Measurements. — Wing: 4 males 65, 66, 70, 70; 3 females 65, 66, 17 mm. Range. — Apparently confined to the evergreen forests on Mount 5oque and Mount Moco, Huambo, Angola. Specimens examined. — capistratus: Gabon, 3 cf , 1 9 ; Angola, :anzele, 1 cf , 1 9, Golungo Alto, 2 cf (one AMNH), Chitau, 1 cP CM), Pungo Andongo, 1 c^, 2 9 (AMNH), Canhoca, 1 d" (AMNH), ralamunjamba, 1 cf (AMNH). hildegardae: Mount Moco, 1 d^, 1 9 ; VIount Soque, 3 cf , 2 9 , 2 im. d', 3 im. 9 . Remarks. — Males of capistratus from northern Angola, Gabon and ;he Kasai are consistent in being a clear golden yellow on the under )arts, and hildegardae is evidently confined to the mountain forests )f Huambo. Wing measurements for capistratus: 11 males 61-67 63.3) ; 4 females 61, 64, 64, 65. While not great the size difference s consistent. There are five immature birds from Mount Soque, two of them )eginning their molt into adult plumage. The immatures are pat- ;erned like the females, but are washed with dull olive green below. 3ven in this plumage the males are somewhat brighter than the 'emales, though with just as much striping on the breast. This subspecies is named in honor of Mrs. Gerd (Hildegard) 3einrich, who accompanied her husband in Angola and took an ictive part in the work of the trip.