( 2.17 ) 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW FINCH FROM THE WEST 



INDIES. 



By ERNST IIARTERT. 



Melopyrrha taylori sp. nov. 



Speciei M. nigra dictae similis sed major, J nitore metallico minuto. Long, 

 tot. cr. 145 ; al. 70—72 {M. nigra, 64— fi6) ; caud. 65— (i8 (.V. nigra, 53—54) ; 

 culm. 14 — 15 (i/. nigra, 12); tars. 17 — 18 mm. 



Hah. Grand Cayman. 



This species resembles M. 'nigra of Cuba, but is det^idedly larger, and has 

 much less of the metallic bluish green steel-gloss of M. nigra. A fine series was 

 collected on Grand Cayman by ^Ir. C. B. Taylor of Jamaica, to whom I dedicate this 

 species. Cory and others have already recorded this bird from Cayman, and it is to 

 be wondered that they did not separate it from the Cuba form, as they described some 

 species from Cayman wliieh are hardly more distinct than this, and as our American 

 friends cannot, as a rule, be blamed with " lamping." The adult female is strongly 

 washed with brownish grey and without gloss. Young birds of both sexes are ashy 

 brown. I do not think the genus Melopyrrha can be upheld, but I use it for the 

 present, without being able to go critically into the question. 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW GYAN0P8 FROM NORTH 



CACHAR. 



By E. C. STUART BAKER, F.Z.S. 



MANY years ago, when writing an article on certain of the barbets to the Bengal 

 sporting paper the Asian, I drew attention to the fact that certain birds of 

 this genus in North Cachar were coloured very remarkably. At that time I considered 

 these birds to be merely abnormally coloured specimens of C. asiatica, but a further 

 study of the subject and a better knowledge of their distribution have con\inced me 

 that these liirds belong to a separate species. I propose to name this barbet Cyanops 

 rubescens, its principal characteristic being the predominance of red tints in its 

 plumage. 



Description of tlie type-specimen : Nasal feathers black ; forehead crimson, a 

 narrow vertical line dull golden yellow, succeeded by another line of black, which 

 extends on either side down the sides of the occiput, gradually widening as it reaches 

 the nape; whole nape and hind crown crimson, chunging graihiaUi) into the colour 

 of the hack ; supercilium, lores, ear-coverts, chin, and throat blue, as in U. asiatica ; 

 a small crimson speck at the gape ; upper back, scapulars, and inner secondaries grass- 

 green, broadly margined with dark bright maroon-red ; remainiler of wing coloured 

 like that of C. asiatica; lower back and rump brighter grass-green; upper tail- 



