244 TIMELIID^. 



a ring of whitish feathers, and above the eye a very narrow line of 

 white stiffened plumes, forming, with a streak of buff above the ear- 

 coverts, a faintly-defined eyebrow ; ear-covorts duU rufous, with 

 whitish shaft-lines ; cheeks white, as also the throat ; a narrow 

 moiistachial line of black ; rest of the under surface of body ashy 

 white, with a slight tawny tinge on the sides of the neck ; the sides 

 of the body light tawny buff, deepening on the lower flanks, thighs, 

 and under tail-coverts ; under wing-coverts ashy white, the lower 

 ones washed with pale tawny buff; wings above dark brown, the 

 least wing-covoits washed with ashy brown like the back, the greater 

 coverts and quills externally edged with rufous ; upper tail-coverts 

 deep rufous ; tail dark brown, obscurely waved under certain lights, 

 the feathers externally washed with rufous, the outer feathers tipped 

 with ashy fulvous ; bill black in skin, the edge of the upper mandible 

 whitish, the lower mandible yellowish white ; eyes dark brown ; 

 " iris yellow, with an outer ring of brown " (Petit). Total length 

 7*8 inches, culmen 0*7, wing 3-05, tail 3-35, tarsus 1-15. 



Hub. West Africa, from the Congo district extending into Ben- 

 guela. 



Ohs. The above description is taken from a female bird procured 

 by M. Petit at Chinchonxo, in the Congo district. I do not know 

 where the specimen is now; and I retain the southern Melocichla 

 as distinct on the faith of the comparisons I made in 1876, which 

 showed thai it differed in the grey coloration of the under surface. 

 We mi;st wait for additional specimens before finally determining 

 whether the Congo bird is really distinct, as Prof. Barboza du Bocage 

 believes it to be the same as M. mentalis. 



pale fulvous, the greater series externally pale cinnamon-colour ; tail-feathers 

 pale dusky brown, with a somewhat larger subterminal spot of blackish ; under 

 surface of body pale fulvous, the throat and centre of the abdomen whitish; 

 thighs brighter rufous buff; under tail-coverts whitish; bill dusky, the man- 

 dible pale at the base : feet pale. Total length 4-7 inches, bill 0'45, wing 1-95, 

 tail 1-77, tarsus 0-85. {Hartlmib.) 

 Hah. Lado {Emin Bey). 



10. CiSTICOLA OBSCURA. 



Dryraoica obscura, Sundev. QSfv. K. Vet.-Akad. Fork. StocM. 1860, js. 103 ; 

 Grai/, Hand-l. B. i. p. 199, no. 2768 (1869). 



Adult male. Back dull grey, centre spotted with dusky, the head rather more 

 rufescent, the forehead brighter, the occiput obsoletely spotted with dusky, the 

 hind neck dusky ; under surface imspotted, dull whitish, greyish on the sides 

 of the body ; quills externally edged with deep dusky rufous ; tail-feathers 

 above greyish, rather pointed at the tips, wliich are whitish, with a black sub- 

 terminal spot ; bill hooked and sharply elongated. Total lengtli 5J inches, 

 wing 2'55, tarsus 1, tail 2'4, bill frum front 0'45, its height 0'2. (Sundcvall.) 



Hah. Oaffraria. This locality with Sundevall often means the Transvaal. 



11. OlSTICOLA FLAVIGULARIS. 



Drymoica flavogularis, Sundcv. ubi?; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p, 198, no. 2766 

 (1869). 



