316 f December, 



MELLITA, Klein. 



Mellita Texana. Suborbicular ; very wide anterior to the middle ; ambulacra 

 moderately curved, nearly closed; lunules 5, moderately wide. 

 Locality. Texas. Dr. Francis Moore. 



Form of M. testinata, Klein, but the ambulacra are proportionally longer and 

 and the middle lunule much shorter. (A tertiary fossil.) 



Catalogue of Birds collected at Cape Lopez, Western Africa, by Mr. P. B. DuChaillu, 

 in 1856, with notes and descriptions of new species. 



By John Cassin. 



During some months passed at Cape Lopez, in which Mr. DuChaillu made the 

 present collection of birds and collections of great interest in other departments, 

 his researches extended to a distance of about sixty miles from the coast. The 

 larger part was, however, collected in the immediate vicinity of Cape Lopez. 



Latterly Mr. DuChaillu has not sent in his collections specimens of common 

 birds previously transmitted. This fact will account for omissions of well- 

 known species in the present catalogue. 



1. Gypohierax angolensis, (Gmelin.) 



Falco angolensis, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 252, (1788.) 



Gray's Genera, i. pi. 4. Jard. & Sel. 111. Orn. N. S. pi. 13. 



Young 5 Entire plumage pale fuscous, very light on the throat and abdo- 

 men, and nearly white on the occiput. Quills and tail brownish black, bill and 

 tarsi greenish yellow. 



This is the only specimen of the young of Gypohierax that has ever come 

 under our notice, though we have frequently seen the adult. In this specimen 

 the pale brown represented in Jard. and Selby 111., as cited above, extends to the 

 entire body and head, the occiput only being nearly white. It has attained the 

 size of maturity. 



2. Lanius Smithii, Fraser. 



Lanius Smithii, Fraser, Proc. Zool. Soc, London, 1843, p. 16. 

 Specimens of both sexes, which are very similar, the females being only 

 slightly lighter in color. 



3. Laniarius Peli, (Bonaparte.) 



Malaconotus Peli, Bonap. Consp. Av. p. 360, (1850.) 

 Laniarius lepidus, Cassin, Proc. Acad. Philada., vii. p. 327, (1855.) 

 This appears to be a species of frequent occurrence in equatorial Africa. 

 We committed the indiscretion of describing and naming this bird, not being 

 able to recognize it from the short description in Bonaparte's Consp. as above, 

 which is comprised in exactly eleven words. The only use of such descriptions 

 is, that they answer for a sort of caveat to all other naturalists against describing 

 any species at all similar ; and to such extent is this obscure and absurd style 

 persisted in by a few European ornithologists, that there are now about enough 

 irrecognizable descriptions published to cover all possible birds that may be 

 discovered for some time to come. 



For the means of determining this species we are indebted to that accomplished 

 and accurate ornithologist Dr. Hartlaub, of Bremen, whose description is in 

 Cabanis' Journal, 1855, p. 358. 



4. Tepurodornis ocreatds, Strickland. 



Tephrodornis ocreatus, Strickl., Proc. Zool. Soc, London, 1844, p. 102. 



Fraser, Zool. Typ. pi. 36. 



Several specimens, which are almost precisely as figured by Fraser as above, 

 and though all have a general aspect of immaturity, yet are very nearly alike. 

 The females have rather more of the black edgings on the breast and throat, 

 and are slightly smaller. The integral character of the scales of the tarsi holds 



