236 BULLETIN 2 8, tTNTITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Other plumages are unknown. 



From the typical race, described above, the adult male of the 

 Assamese subspecies /. xanthonoius fulvus^* differs as follows: Similar 

 to /. X. xanthonotus, but darker, more blackish on the upperparts 

 and on the abdomen, thighs, and under tail-coverts. The streaking 

 of the abdomen, though blackish, is less in extent, thus less prominent. 

 On the forehead the golden patch extends somewhat less far back on 

 the crown, and the edging to the feathers of the back and scapulars is 

 reduced ; iris brown, bill j'^ellowish horn distal half of upper mandible 

 and lower mandible brown; feet grayish brown. Measurements in 

 millimeters: male: wing 90, tail 57, culmen 11; female: wing 86, tail 

 56, culmen 10 (ex Ripley, 1951, pp. 2-3). 



Genus Melichneutes Reichenow 



Melichneutes Reichenow, Ornith. Monatsb., vol. 18, p. 160, 1910. (Type, by 



monotypy, Melichneutes sommerfeldi Reichenow — MeZzgnomon robustus 



Bates.) 

 Ceriocleptes Chapin, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 34, pp. 512, 513, 1915. 



(Type, by monotypy, Ceriocleptes xenurus Chapin = Melignomon rohustxis 



Bates.) 



Similar to Indicator (subgenus Indicator) in its bill, general form, 

 and proportions except for the tail, which is unusually broad basally 

 and is composed of 12 rectrices, the two middle pans of which are 

 equal in length, somewhat pointed terminally and curved strongly 

 outwards to form a lyrate tail, the next pair considerably shorter, less 

 acutely pointed, and slightly curved outwards; the remaining three 

 pairs are straight, very narrow and stiffened, and become successively 

 shorter so that the outermost pair is less than half as long as the 

 median one ; the tail coverts very elongated, the lower ones as long as 

 the longest rectrices and, in the male, projecting into the fork of the 

 tail; body depressed dorsoventrally, the keel of the sternum less well 

 developed than in Indicator; oil gland slightly tufted. 



This remarkable bnd performs very elaborate aerial evolutions,the 

 sound accompaniment to which seems to be produced by the vibration 

 of the outer rectrices, as in some species of snipe. 



This genus is not known to guide. 



The breeding habits are unknown, but the bhd probably is parasitic. 



Monotypic; forests of the Lower Guinean region, western and 

 central Africa. 



^* Indicator xanthonotus fulv us Ripley, Postilla, No. 6, p. 2, February 28, 1951. 

 (Pfutsero, eastern Naga Hills, Assam.) 



