NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 19T 



nus, Boie, especially to a subgroup of which Gecinus puniceus (Horsf.) is the 

 type. Small, bill nearly straight and rather wide at base, wing rather long, 

 first quill very short, fourth, fifth and sixth longest, tail rather long and wide, 

 feet short, outer hind toe longest, inner hind toe short. 



The present species is unusually small for a bird of the group to which I 

 regard it as belonging. 



4. Polipicus Elliotii, nobis. 



Wing rather long, first quill spurious, fifth slightly longest, tail long and 

 wide. Female ? Head above black, entire upper parts of body and wings of yel- 

 lowish olive green with a golden tinge on the exposed surface of shorter quills 

 and with a reddish tinge on the upper tail coverts. Primaries brownish black, 

 slightly edged with green on their outer webs and having large spots of yel- 

 lowish white on their inner webs, shafts of quills on their under surface yel- 

 lowish white. Tail brownish black, outer feathers with dull brownish white 

 spots on their inner webs, under surface of tail tinged with pale greenish 

 yellow. 



Superciliary line and cheeks dull bluff, throat and under parts of body 

 greenish or yellowish white, paler and nearly pure white on the throat and 

 darker on the breast, and the entire under parts with longitudinal stripes of 

 brownish black, very narrow on the throat and wider on the breast. Flanks 

 and under tail coverts with a few irregular bands, and sagittate spots of the 

 same brownish black. Bill light brownish, lower mandible and tip of upper 

 nearly white, feet probably light colored. Under wing coverts light yellowish 

 white, with black spots. 

 _ Total length, about 7 inches, wing 3^, tail 3 inches. 



Hab. River Muni, Western Africa. One specimen in Acad. Mus. from Mr. 

 Duehaillu's collection. 



This is a very curious little woodpecker, having the general form of and 

 even a larger tail than usual in Gecinus, and in its group is quite remarkable 

 for its small size. The present specimen is very probably a female, and I 

 regret that no other of the species is in the collection of Mr. Duchaillu, from 

 whom it was purchased. 



This bird is named in honor of my friend, Mr. Daniel Giraud Elliot, of New 

 York, one of the most talented and enterprising of the young naturalists of 

 the United States, who, in his "Monograph of the Pittidce" has just com- 

 pleted one of the most important as well as beautiful contributions to orni- 

 thology ever made in this country. 



6. Campethera vestita, nobis. 



Allied to C. brachyrhyncha (Swains.) and C. nivosa (Swains.) and resembling 

 the former, but larger, with the tail clear black, and the entire upper plumage 

 darker golden green. 



Female ? Head above brownish black, with numerous small spots of pale 

 brownish white, entire upper parts of body and wings golden green, quills 

 brownish black, with a few small spots of dull white on their outer webs. 

 Tail black, with the middle feathers slightly edged with green, under surface 

 with a greenish tinge, and with the shafts of the feathers yellow. Throat 

 light reddish brown, with numerous small spots of black, entire under parts of 

 body with transverse narrow bands of black and dull greenish yellow, paler on 

 the abdomen, and with a rufous tinge on the breast. Under wing coverts and 

 inner edges of quills pale buff or fawn color (without spots) the latter having 

 some irregular bands of the brownish black of the outer webs. Shafts of 

 quills on their under surface yellow. Bill and feet bluish black. 



Total length about 7^ inches, wing 4, tail 2 inches. 



Hab. St. Paul's River, Western Africa. One specimen in the Academy 

 Museum from Dr. Robert MacDowall's collection. 



The description is that very probably of a female specimen, of which I have 

 1863.] 



