Birds of the Gold Coast Colony ^c. 321 



The type in the British Museum^ obtained by Capt. 

 Shelley at Abouri, Gold Coast^ is an immature specimen ; 

 the head is like that of our adult female, but there is no 

 black on the breast, and the feathers of the thighs are 

 whitish instead of grey as in the adult. 



Description of the adult female. Similar in dimensions to 

 the male. Crown of head blackish slate-coloured, not entirely 

 black ; chin and throat white, tinged with buff ; black collar 

 on the fore-neck narrower. 



This bird is probably A. cervicalis of Reichenow. It 

 comes very close to the figure of that species in the ' Journal 

 fiir Ornithologie ' (1896, p. 40, pi. v. fig. 1). 



128. Orthotomus erythropterus (Jard.), 

 Orthotomus erythropterus Sharpe, Cat. B. vii. p. 228 ; 



Reichen. J. f. O. 1891, p. 393, et 1897, p. 49 (Togoland). 



Gambaga, Kwobia, Salaga, Krachi, and Accra. 



The specimens killed at Gambaga in January are in their 

 first winter plumage. The upper parts are uniform pale 

 brick-red and the wings rufous. The example obtained at 

 Salaga (May 14tli) is changing into the fully adult plumage. 

 At Accra, a month later, the birds were in full breeding- 

 dress, with the upper parts vinous grey, a little darker on 

 the head, lores, and ear-coverts, and the wings rufous. 



The length of the tail varies from 23 to 1*8 inches in this 

 species. The birds in winter plumage have the longest 

 rectrices. This species is locally distributed. At Gambaga 

 it was fairly numerous on open stretches of ground, and 

 again at Accra. It had not previously been obtained in the 

 Hinterland. 



129. Prinia mystacea Riipp. 



Prinia mystacea Sharpe, Cat. B. vii. p. 191 ; Hartert, 

 Nov. Zool. vi. p. 421 (Gambaga). 



Gambaga, Prahsu, Kwissa, Kintampo, Salaga, and Yeji. 



Our specimens in the first plumage have the upper parts 

 light brown, washed with tawny, especially on the rump, 

 while the under parts are pale yellowish buff, stronger on the 

 flanks and under tail-coverts. The tail is long; the iris 



SER. VIII. VOL. II. Y 



