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Show 680 CAPT. G. E. SHELLEY ON NEW AFRICAN BIRDS. [Nov. 18, The fiery copper shading of the upper surface may not be a constant character, as we meet with it, although barely to so great an extent, in some specimens of C. cupreus and C. klaasi. In my opinion the specimen before m e is fully adult: this I infer from the total absence of bars on the upper parts and from the small extent of the barring of the quills. The yellow bill and the barring of the breast not being mere signs of immaturity, are good characters ; and the yellow throat, from which I have named the bird, is not met with in any other member of the genus Chrysococcyx. The colouring of the tail is also a well-marked character in this species. In its nearest ally C. klaasi, in which there is no white on the four centre tail-feathers, tbe three outer pairs of tail-feathers are white with five or six partial narrow dark bars. In C.flavigularis only the two centre tail-feathers show no white on them, the next pair of feathers having white tips and a large white patch on their outer webs, and the three outer pairs bemg white with a dark base and a single dark broad subterminal bar. I am indebted to the kindness of Dr. Krauss for being able here to describe and figure this beautiful species, which was collected for the Stuttgart Museum at Elmina in Fantee. The synonymy given by Mr. R. B. Sharpe (P. Z. S. 1873, pp. 588, 593), and his conclusion that only three species of Golden Cuckoo had then been described from Africa, I perfectly agree with; but as regards a portion of the key to the species given by him (P. Z. S. 1873, p. 580) I would propose the following alterations, so as to include the present new species :- " B. Plumage beautifully metallic." a. With no portion of the underparts yellow. Throat white. a'. Sides of the crop white. Less white on the tail ... cupreus. b'. Sides of the crop golden green. More white on the tail. b. Portion of the underparts yellow. Throat not white ... klaasi. a'. Throat yellow flavigularis. b'. Throat metallic emerald-green smaragdineus. POGONORHYNCHUS AFFINIS, 11. Sp. In size and colouring this species resembles P. leucomelas, excepting that the entire forehead and crown are black as in P. melanocephalus. In the bill and rictal bristles it resembles P. leucomelas, but the tooth on the upper mandible is barely indicated and the culmen between tbe nostrils is not quite so wide. Total length 6*2 inches, culmen 0*7, wing 3*15, tail 2*1, tarsus 0*8. Notwithstanding the almost entire absence of a tooth on the upper mandible, I cannot conceive this species to be generically distinct from P. leucomelas. The type specimen was collected by Mr. Arnold at "Weenen in Natal, and is labelled "Female: iris brown." It is now in m y own collection. There is a second specimen in the British Museum from the same locality. |