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Show 622 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON THE CUCULID.E [June 17, Hartl. Om. W. Afr. p. 186 (1857) ; Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. iv. p. 107 (1862); Schl. Mus. P.-B., Cuculi, p. 71 (1864); Sharpe, Ibis, 1869, p. 193; Gray, Hand-1. B. ii. p. 213 (1870); Sharpe, Cat. Afr. B. p. 13(1871). Head and neck all round, extending above to the interscapulary region, and below to the fore neck and a little way down the sides of the breast, purplish blue, duller on the head, and brightest on the hind neck; the shafts glossy black; middle of back, scapulars, and entire wings above and below deep chestnut, the quills dusky at tip ; on the middle of the back a few indistinct blackish cross bars; rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail dull greenish black, the latter with a very faint purplish gloss near the tip, the former very narrowly barred with pale ochre, these bars sometimes extending on to the base of the tail-feathers ; breast and abdomen white, the sides of the body chestnut under the wings, the flanks deep ochre; bill and feet black. Total length 22*5 inches, culmen 1*8 ; wing 8*0, tail 12*0, tarsus 2*1. Hab. Fantee (Ussher) ; Rio Boutry (Pel), Gaboon? (Du Chaillu). Mr. Cassin identifies some specimens fiom the Camma as belonging to this species ; but they were not in mature plumage, and he was not quite certain of the correctness of his determination. One of m y specimens is barred with black on the wing-coverts and inner secondaries, and has ochre bars on the base of the tail, extending a good way up the lateral tail-feathers. Another one has traces of bars on the flanks. This barred plumage seems to be the remains of immaturity or, more probably, of change of plumage. There is great difference in the size of specimens, the smallest measuring 19*5 inches in length, the largest 22*5 inches; the small bird is probably the male. 5. CENTROPUS EPOMIDIS. Centropus epomidis, Temm. in Bp. Consp. i. p. 107 (1850) ; Hartl. Orn. W . Afr. p. 187 (1857); Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. iv. p. 107 (1862); Schl. Mus. P.-B., Cuculi, p. 71 (1864); Gray, Hand-1. B. ii. p. 213(1870). Adult. Head and neck all round, extending above to the interscapulary region, and below to the upper breast, dusky black, with glossy black shafts; back and wings deep chestnut, the primaries tipped and the secondaries washed with dusky brown ; rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail dusky blackish brown ; breast chestnut; the lower abdomen and under tail-coverts dusky black; under wing-coverts and inner face of wings deep chestnut; bill and feet black. Total length 15 inches, culmen 1*3, wing 6*4, tail 8*2, tarsus 1*55. Hab. Denkera, interior of Fantee (Ussher, Mus. R. B. S.); Ashantee (Pel). |