2. MTILITTOPHAGUS. 51 



entirely black ; inner secondaries black, edged with blue, and blue 

 towards the ends ; centre tail-feathers blue, black in the centre, 

 the remainder entirely black ; crown of head black, like the back ; 

 the forehead and a broad eyebrow bright cobalt, as well as the 

 lores and a spot at the base of the cheeks ; sides of face, ear- 

 coverts, and cheeks black, with a slight bluish shade below the eye ; 

 throat bright scarlet ; sides of throat, sides of neck, and under 

 surface of body black, the fore neck and breast streaked with bright 

 cobalt, more thickly on the abdomen and flanks ; thighs black 

 marked with blue ; under tail-coverts bright cobalt ; under wing- 

 coverts blackish, the edge of the wing blue ; quills below dusky, 

 chestnut along the inner edge. Total length 7*5 inches, culmen 

 1-4, wing 3-45, tail 2-8, tarsus 0-4. 



The sexes are alike in colour, according to Dr. Reichenow. 



Young. Similar to the adults, but having the upper surface 

 slightly washed with green, and the throat green, with a few 

 crimson feathers interspersed. 



Hah. West Africa from Liberia to the Congo and Angola. Dr. 

 Reichenow (J. f. 0. 1885, p. 222) has separated the birds from the 

 two latter provinces under the name of Melittophaga* gularis 

 australis. I have not examined a specimen from these parts, and 

 am unable to say whether the slight differences mentioned by 

 Dr. Reichenow are sufficient to separate Melittophagus australis as 

 a species. 



«, 0,^. Ad. sk. Ga.hoon {P. B. DiiCTiaillu). Tweeddale Coll. 



7. Melittophagus buUocki. 



Le Guepier a gorge rouge ou Le Guepier Bidock, Levaill. Hist. Nat. 

 Gunners, iii. p. 59, pi. 20 (1807). 



Merops bullocki, Vieill. N. Diet. cVHist. Nat. xiv. p. 13 (1817) ; 

 Smith, S. Afr. Q. Journ. ii. pt. 2, p. 320 (1834) ; Hartl. Orn. W.- 

 Afr. p. 41 (1854) ; id. J.f. O. 1861, p. 107 ; Schl. Mus. Pays-Bas, 

 Merops, p. 8 (18G3, pt.) : Heuyl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. pt. 1, p. 204 

 (1869) ; Sharpe S,- Bow:. Bull. Sac. Zool. Frauce, i. p. 304 (1876) ; 

 Shellet/, Ibis, 1883, p. 556; Hartert, J.f. O. 1886, p. 593. 



Merops cj'auogaster, Sivains. B. JV. Afr. p. 80, pi. 8 (1837). 



Melittophagus bidlocki, Grai/, Gen. B. i. p. 86 (1846); id. List 

 Fissir. Brit. Mus. p. 72 (1848); Bp. Consp. i. p. 163 (1850); 



* Corrected at p. 4(iS of J. f. O. for 18(i5 to Meropiscus. 



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