38 TIMELITDiE. 



slate-coloured ; iris dark hrowr. Total length 6-4 inches, culmen 

 1'7, wing 3"25, tail 3, tarsus 1. 



Ohs. The variation in the colour of the back, which is always 

 seen in a series of specimens of this species, seems to me to depend 

 upon season, the birds gradually becoming much more blue on the 

 back and wings, and losing the orange-coloured margins to the 

 feathers : the centre tail-feathers become black, and not brown as in 

 the Natal specimen described. As the brighter-plumaged birds 

 come from West Africa, it is possible that a more richly coloured 

 race occurs on the west coast ; or perhaps they may be in the summer 

 or winter plumage. 



Hah. South-eastern Africa from Natal to the Zambesi, and ex- 

 tending as high as Mombas and Malindi ; ou the west coast it 

 occurs from Loanga to Benguela. 



a. Ad. sk. Natal. R. B. Sharpe, Esq. 



b. Ad. sk. Natal. Purchased. 



c. Ad. sk. Natal. Sir A. Smith [C.]. (Type of 



species.) 



d. Ad. sk. Durban, Natal (F. Oates). C. G. and W. E. Gates, Esqrs. 



[P.]. 



e. Ad. sk. Zambesi. R. B. Sharpe, Esq. 



f. Ad. sk. Landaua, Congo (Lucan Sj- M. A. Bouvier. 



Petit). 

 (J. Ad. sk. Angola {Mus. Lisb.). R. B. Sharpe, Esq. 



h. Ad. sk. Pembe, Angola, April J. J. Monteiro, Esq. [C.l. 



1858. 



5. Cossypha bocagii. 



Cossypha, n. sp., Socage, Jorn. Lisb. 1868, p. 42. 



Cossypba, bocagii, Finsch ^- Hartl. Vijg. Ostafr. p. 284, note 



(1870) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard B. S. Afr. p. 225 (1875) ; Socage, 



Orn. Angola, p. 259, tab', ii. (1879). 

 Bessonornis bocagii, Gray, Hcmd-l. B. i. p. 265, no. 3881 (1869, ex 



{F. Sr H.). 



Adult (type of species). General colour above light yellowish 

 brown, shading off into orange on the rump and upper tail-coverts, 

 the latter being bright orange ; crown of head slaty grey ; the 

 feathers in front of and over the fore part of the eye white ; lores 

 blackish ; cheeks, ear-coverts, and entire under sirrface of body 

 bright orange ; the centre of the abdomen white ; under wing- 

 coverts pale orange -, upper wing-coverts coloured like the back, and 

 margined externally with orange ; quills dark brown, the primaries 

 externally washed with ashy grey, the secondaries with yellowish 

 brown like the back ; tail imperfect, the two remaining feathers 

 bright orange : bill black ; feet brown ; iris brown. Total length 

 6-5 inches, culmen 0-6, wing 3-2, tail 2-8, tarsus 1. {Ahis. 

 Lisb.) 



Hah. Mossamedes, 



