4. TACSORSIS. 465 



whitish, with broad dark shaft-stripes ; younger birds have the 

 throat nearly uniform. Total lengtli about 7 inches, wing4-8-o"3, 

 lateral rectrices 3-S-4, central 1'5. 



The darker colour of specimens from West Africa was first 

 noticed by Cassin (I. c). Sharpe described the bird from Mada- 

 gascar as C. (jracilis, a name which therefore must stand, if the 

 darker race is distinguished. 



The most typical specimens of this subspecies which I have seen 

 are from Gaboon (Gamma R.) and Madagascar; others are less 

 typical ; those from Accra closely approach the true T. parvus, and 

 may bo called intermediate forms. 



Hab, West Africa from the Gold Coast to Gaboon, Zanzibar, and 

 Madagascar. 



Apparently an inhabitant of wooded countries with a great 

 amount of rainfall. While the drier parts of Eastern Africa pro- 

 duce the paler form, the darker race is found again on the island 

 of Zanzibar. 



I at first believed that G. myochrous of Reicheuow would belong to 

 the darker form, but fortunately the British Museum has obtained, in 

 exchange with Berlin, a male, collected by Emin Pasha in Tabora 

 on the 31st of July, 1890, which is mentioned by Dr. Reichenow as 

 Micropus myochrous (^. f. 0. 1891, p. 152). This bii'd undoubtedly 

 belongs to the pale form, and differs in no way from other specimens 

 before me. The throat is somewhat darker than in most of the adult 

 specimens, but some freshly moulted feathers are quite whitish. 



