1. PODICA. 231 



Toxmg. Entirely bro'W'n above, without any spots ; throat and 

 under surface of Ijody white, with a tawny tinge on the fore neck, 

 sides of body, and under tail-covcrts, with merely a few fulvescent 

 spots on the sides of the body and flanks. 



For the changes of plumage in this species, and its probable 

 identity with P. petersi, Mr. Biittikofer's remarks (Notes Leyden 

 Mus. 1888, p. 104) must bo consulted. 



Hab. West Africa from Senegambia to the Congo. 



a, b. Ad. et juv. st. Senegal. Baron Laugier. 



c, d. Ad. etjuv. sk. River Gambia {Sir A. Shelley Coll. 



Moloney). 



e. Ad. sk. Ancobra River, Axim. Dr. Ogilvie Ross [P.]. 



2. Podica petersi. 



Podica petersi, Hartl. Abhandl. not Ver. Hamburg, ii. p. 62 (1852) ; 

 id. Orn. W.-Afr. p. 250, note (1857) ; Gurney, Ibis, 1860, p. 206 

 (Natal); Finsch k Hartl. Vcig. Ostafr. p. "790 (1870); Gray, 

 Hand-l. B. iii. p. 69, no. 10528 (1871) ; Gurney, in Anderss. B. 

 Damara-Ld. p. .345, note (1872) ; Sharjje ^ Bouvier, Bull. Soc. Zool. 

 France, iii. p. 80 (1878 : Rio Chiloango) ; Fischer, J. f. O. 1879, 

 p. 297 (Muniuni) ; Bocage, Orn. Angola, p. 488 (1881); Sharps, 

 ed. LayarcFs B. S. Afr. p. 625, pi. xii. (1881 : E. London ; Buffalo 

 R.) ; Shellei), Ibis, 1882, p. 367 (Rustenberg) ; Fischer, J. f. 0. 

 1885, p. 117 (Muniuni). 



Podica niosambicana, Peters, Ber. Verh. k. Preuss. Akad. Berlin, 

 1853, p. 78.3 ; Layard, Ibis, 1869, p. 77 (Kareiga R.). 



Heliomis impipi, Licht. liomencl. Av. p. 104 (1854). 



Podoa mosambicana, Bp. Consp. ii. p. 182 (1857). 



Adult male. Similar to P. sencfjalensis, but larger and with less 

 distinct ochreous spotting on the back and scarcely any on the 

 upper tail-covcrts ; the whole of the sides of the face, sides of neck, 

 and throat grey, with scarcely any trace of a white band down the 

 sides of the neck : " upper mandible black, with red margins ; under 

 mandible red, with black margins ; legs and feet bright red ; iris 

 light reddish brown " {T. Ayres). Total length 23 inches, culmen 

 2"4, wing 9-8, tail 6-5, tarsus 2-2, middle toe and claw 3-4. 



Adult female. Similar to the male, but smaller, with a distinct 

 line of white down the .sides of the neck ; throat and under surface 

 of body white ; lower throat and fore neck freckled with blackish 

 bands: " iris whitish brown " {T. Ayres). Total length 23 inches, 

 culmen 2, wing 9'5, tail 7, tarsus 2*3, middle toe and claw 3-1. 

 * Mr. Biittikofcr, from his experiences in Liberia, has suggested 

 that there is only one species of Podica in Africa, and that P. petersi 

 is inseparable from P. senegalensis. With the material at my com- 

 mand I have found it verj' difficult to determine this question ; but 

 the adult specimens from S. Africa are conspicuously larger than 

 those from the Western part of the continent, and have less spotting 

 on the back, with scarcely any upon the upper tail-coverts ; they 

 also have the sides of the face and throat almost uniform grey, the 

 white bands on the sides of the neck apparently disappearing 



